EA Battery Guide: The Best AA/AAA Batteries for Toys

There are around three billion batteries sold annually in the U.S. and a large portion of these sales happen toward the end of the year. With every holiday season comes an increased demand for toys and the batteries that power them. Specifically, AA and AAA batteries. Duracell reported the weeks of Black Friday, before Christmas, and after Christmas are the three weeks the most batteries are sold and that one-third of all battery purchases are made in October, November, and December.

There are so many options when purchasing batteries, but which battery lasts longest, and what’s the most cost-effective brand? We decided to toy test batteries to the ANSI standard* from five of the top battery brands to help you make the best decision for your toy purchases.

Our AA testing revealed Rayovac outlasted the other brands with an average duration of 8 hours and 29 minutes. However, Amazon Basics’ AA batteries came in a close second and because of the lower price per battery, proves to be the better bang for your buck.

Our findings were similar in AAA toy testing, however, Amazon Basics landed the top spot in performance duration in addition to lowest price per battery.

Based on our results after toy testing these five brands, our overall pick for best performance for the price is Amazon Basics for both AA and AAA batteries.

The value of Amazon Basics’ AA and AAA batteries surpasses other top manufacturers. A combo pack of 20 AA + 20 AAA is available for around $17 today on Amazon’s website and can also be purchased in sizeable 300 packs. The pack also boasts reliable anti-corrosion technology and shelf-stable components making them ideal for toys, game controllers, cameras and more.

About Energy Assurance

Energy Assurance is the largest independent cell and battery testing facility in North America and provides regulatory certification and customized performance-based evaluations. Our scope of accreditations is comprised of 24 test standards including UN, IEC, UL, CSA, RTCA DO, and ANSI. Please visit https://www.energy-assurance.com for the latest in battery safety news and in-depth information about Energy Assurance and its services.

*ANSI facilitates the development of American National Standards by accrediting the procedures of standards in an effort to ensure safe and quality products. ANSI C18.1M specifies performance requirements for non-lithium portable primary batteries to ensure their safe operation under normal use and reasonably foreseeable misuse.