Optimum

There are humble objects which, by their constancy, reveal a sweeter poetry than many sonnets, and among these I must place the Duracell Optimum AAA Batteries. How remarkable that such small cylinders of mortal metal should hold within them a vitality so bright, so faithful, that even the most weary household device finds new life beneath their touch. In my lamp of late-night reading, they burn with a steady fervor, as though inspired by some inward vow to banish all dimness from the world. In the small instruments of daily care—the remote that guides an evening’s quiet repose, the child’s toy that prompts a sudden peal of laughter—they extend their strength generously, without complaint or falter. There is something almost tender in their endurance: a promise that light shall not fail, that motion shall not cease, that the smallest things may harbor the grandest reliability. How, then, could I withhold my praise? These batteries, unromantic though they seem, serve with a devotion worthy of the warmest lines of gratitude. A finer, truer power I have yet to find.

Duracell AAA Batteries Optimum With power boost. Great price, fast ship.

I've used Duracell Quantum AA and AAA for the last couple of years and been very happy with performance and lack of leakage, but not especially pleased with price. This is my first batch of 'Optimum' AAA's, bought because they promised high quality at lower cost than the (now discontinued) Quantum batts. Packaging, appearance and spec's of these cells certainly suggests a premium product -- will see over time if it really is. Data sheets on Duracell web site show chemistry and physical parameters identical to the Quantums. Load tests use slightly different protocols but watt-hour performance at modest load (100 mA) looks about the same too. No date of expiration on battery, but outer package shows: 1024850325 51, thus manufacture date is 24th day of 2021, so these are just 3 mo. old. There's no indication where on earth they were manufactured.

I recommend anyone who uses batteries regularly to buy these. I have a nephew that plays a lot of video games. He kept having to buy batteries more often with many of the competitors batteries a lot more often than when he used these ( optimum) so with that said my beliefs are that these are the best bang for your buck!

When the batteries need to be changed in my smoke detector, I thought no problem. However, the standard AAA does not fit in the smoke detector or my remotes. After googling to get the correct size, they recommended Amazon. Ordered and received the following day. Perfect Fit and smoke detector is back on line.

Batteries are difficult to test for a consumer. I have seen in the past (in my own, informal, unscientific testing) that some "Pro"-labeled ones actually under-performed their "regular" counterparts. So, allow me to share with you a battery test I made between the Duracell CopperTop, Quantum, and Optimum batteries, then compare them to the Energizer Max and Ultimate Lithium. Finally, I will compare them to the rechargeable, Panasonic Eneloop Pro. This was likely my most expensive battery test I have ever undertaken, and because they are one-time-use batteries, not the most eco-friendly. I apologize for the latter! PROS - Lasted long, but surprisingly not much better than the CopperTop ones - Slider packaging holds the batteries together better, though I recommend dedicated, plastic battery holders for better and more space-efficient storage CONS - Costs more than Duracell's other lines - Not worth the extra premium for a slight increase in battery life TESTING I tested the batteries by having 3 of them each used in an Imaginarium RC train and having it go around a flat, circular track. Each time it would pass a specific point on the track, a sensor was hit to track what time it completed a loop. In the end, I had an Excel spreadsheet that showed the number of loops that were made. From there, I calculated the start time and the last time it hit the sensor. Keep in mind, however, that many factors could affect a battery's performance. Some are made better for one type of use, but would fare worse for another. Surprisingly, the Duracell CopperTop slightly outperformed the Quantum, whereas the Optimum ran longest between the three. MARKETING Duracell markets the CopperTop being less premium than the Quantum, and that in turn less than the Optimum. Visually, that can be represented as: CopperTop < Quantum < Optimum ACTUAL RESULT (with the RC train) Quantum < CopperTop < Optimum This showed that paying the extra pennies for the Quantum over the CopperTop was not worth it. The Optimum, with just a slight advantage in battery life over the CopperTop did not fare much better either. So, from a Duracell perspective, I would continue to stick with the CopperTops for best value and decent battery life. Next, I threw in some Energizers. The Max and one of my favorites, the Ultimate Lithium. - Max outperformed all 3: CopperTop, Quantum, and Optimum by about 60%. - Ultimate Lithium (which is not Alkaline, by the way), nearly DOUBLED the battery life over the CopperTop! This was not surprising to me as this line is a BEAST (with the gigantic price tag that comes with it.) Visually, the RC train result was: Quantum < CopperTop < Optimum < Max (+60%) < Ultimate Lithium (+110%) Finally, I wanted to see how the RC car would work with my favorite, rechargable batteries that I depend on for my professional photography work: Panasonic's Eneloop Pro. The Eneloop are designed to hold 70% of their charge for up to 10 years, and for wedding photography, that is an important factor as I cannot afford taking out batteries that may not be able to provide the power I need at a moment's notice. The result? They did average. Visually: Quantum < CopperTop < Optimum < Eneloop Pro < Max < Ultimate Lithium Price wise, the Eneloop Pro and Ultimate Lithium afford a VERY high premium. They are EXPENSIVE. If you asked me which batteries I recommend over the other, the answer is: it depends. Some devices work better with Alkaline or Lithium than NiMH rechargables. Alkalines provide a higher, initial voltage for more power, are cheaper, but once they hit a certain discharge threshold, they become useless very quickly with certain types of devices. With the Eneloop Pro, they provide a longer discharge life, can be used for a longer, sustained period, and of course, be recharged hundreds of times. So, what does that mean? I would like to re-iterate that I am not a professional, lab-certified, battery tester. Your own results may vary from my own, informal, unscientific testing using a RC train. For RC cars, the Duracell Alkalines are my recommendation -- specifically, the CopperTop. For photography equipment and flashlights, I go with the Eneloop Pro for the long battery life and their ability to hold their charge for a prolonged time. For critical devices that require the longest battery life, such as fire alarms, I'd go with the Ultimate Lithium. With all that said, among the CopperTop, Quantum, and Optimum line of Duracell batteries, I'd stick with the less expensive CopperTop for its better cost-to-life ratio.

I've tried for years to make rechargeable batteries work in my favor, and none of them hold up. So I've gone back to my old standby and the difference is quite noticeable. Yes I have to recycle and rebuy, but when you need power, convenience is of no matter. These last longer.

After my husband had installed some of the batteries in difficult to access spaces on emergency lights he decided to test all and found three to be dead, both in battery tester and in a small flashlight. Called the Duracell help line today (Monday) and a very nice customer service rep was helpful and said they will replace the original number ordered. These new Optimum batteries are significantly brighter (in flashlights and wall mounted lights) than the original copper top alkaline batteries they replaced. According to website they will perform longer, too. So, accepting the small problem as a rarity, I am pleased with this purchase and will reorder as needed.