Panasonic Alkaline Power AAA Review
Basic and quite cheap non-rechargeable batteries
Verdict
Comparatively cheap, the Panasonic Alkaline Power AAA are designed for low- to mid-drain applications. In my tests, they fell far behind the competition in terms of overall capacity, and you can buy cheaper batteries that do better.
Pros
- Relatively cheap
Cons
- Shorter shelf life than competition
- Low tested capacity
- Less choice in pack size than competition
Availability
- UKRRP: £3.39
Key Features
- Battery typeThese are alkaline (non-rechargeable) AAA batteries
Introduction
A budget battery, the Panasonic Alkaline Power AAA series is designed for low- to mid-drain uses, such as clocks and remote controls.
Relatively cheap to buy, the problem with these batteries is that you can get higher capacity versions for less, making these an option only if you can’t find good alternatives.
Performance
- Middling capacity
- Comparatively limited shelf life
It’s common to see alkaline batteries with a 10-year shelf life, but the Panasonic Alkaline Power AAA are rated for seven years only. That may not sound like much of a difference, but if you buy in bulk and batteries have already been sat around for a while you may end up with some that you don’t get the most out of.
Panasonic doesn’t quote any capacity figures for these batteries, saying only that they’re designed for low- to mid-drain uses only. To see how well they did, I put them through my standard tests using an Ansmann Energy XC 3000.
First, I used the tester to measure the average starting voltage, which should ideally be 1.5V or higher; however, the set of Panasonic Alkaline Power AAA batteries that I bought from Amazon measured only 1.41V. Voltage drops rapidly in use but, even so, the starting voltage was a little off the ideal.
Next, my high drain test runs at 600mAh (+/- 20%), continuing until the voltage hits 0.94V. Initially, the Panasonic Alkaline Power AAA batteries returned a capacity of 260mAh, which is the least of all the AAA batteries that I’ve tested; they’re a long way behind the Amazon Basics Alkaline AAA.
I then give batteries a couple of hours to cool down, re-running the test to measure any residual charge. With this second test, I managed to get another 82mAh out of the batteries, giving me a total capacity of 341mAh. Again, that’s the lowest overall capacity that I measured.
Latest deals
The Panasonic Alkaline Power AAA batteries are available in two- (hard to find), four- (around 64p per battery) or 10-pack (around 44p per battery). I’ve listed the price for the 10-pack as it’s the best overall value.
Should you buy it?
If you just need a set of cheap batteries for low-drain use, then these will do the job.
If you look around, you can get cheaper batteries with higher capacities, suitable for a wider range of jobs.
Final Thoughts
Although relatively cheap, the Panasonic Alkaline Power AAA fall behind the competition in my tests, and fall behind in terms of shelf life. Given that the Amazon Basics Alkaline AAA batteries can be bought cheaper in bulk and did better in my tests, there’s little reason to buy these ones.
How we test
Unlike other sites, we test every alkaline battery we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
We use an Ansmann Energy XC 3000 to drain batteries, so that we can test capacity in mAh. After the first run, we allow the batteries to cool and then retest to give us a second reading.
We measure the initial voltage of the batteries, checking that the starting voltage is at least 1.5V.
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Full specs
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
