Customer Reviews

Sanyo 277265 Eneloop Power Pack with Battery Charger, 8 AA & 2 AAA Batteries Plus 4 C & 4 D Size Adapter (CostCo Kit #2)

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This package offered here (Sanyo Eneloop Battery Charger w/ 8 AA & 4 AAA Batteries Plus 2 C & 2 D Size Adapter) is almost identical to another one under the same name (Sanyo Eneloop Battery Charger w/ 8 AA & 4 AAA Batteries Plus 2 C & 2 D Size Adapter). The only difference is the battery charger.

There are two versions of the Sanyo eneloop 4-cell charger available in the US (see my Customer Image on how to identify them). This package includes the MQN06. It forces you to charge cells in pairs (either 2 or 4), so it is very inconvenient if you have application that requires odd number of cells. Be careful not to charge a half-full cell in pair with an empty cell, because the first cell will end up over-charged, which is bad for its lifespan.

The MQN05 included in the other package is a slightly better charger, because it charges each cell individually. Unfortunately it only works with US voltage of 110V AC. So you must be careful not to use it in foreign countries with 220V AC.

If you need a compact travel charger that can do both (charges cells individually, and accepts universal voltage), I highly recommend either the KODAK 1-Hour Battery Charger K6200 or Duracell Mobile Charger CEF23DX4N.

[Update on June 30, 2009]
I noticed that this product page now shows an eneloop power pack in blister package, while the one I originally reviewed was in a blue plastic storage case. The contents are slightly different. It now contains 8 AA and only 2 (not 4) AAA eneloop cells. Also Sanyo seems to have phased out the MQN05 charger (the one that charges individually) and replaced it with MQN06 (charges in pairs only) in all eneloop packages. So please exercise caution when ordering this or similar products.

[Update on July 26, 2010]
There is a NEW eneloop package available. It features second-generation eneloop cells, but the same old MQN06 charger:
Sanyo Eneloop Ni-MH Charger and 8 Rechargeable AA and 4 Rechargeable AAA Batteries

It was absolutely my fault, but I ordered this package thinking that it included 4 C and 4 D size batteries, in addition to the 8 AA and 2 AAA batteries. Oops. It turned out I had not read carefully enough, that the package does NOT contain D and C size batteries. Instead, it contains D and C size 'spacers'. These spacers are pieces of plastic into which you insert AA batteries. So you are not getting 18 batteries, you are getting 10 batteries plus the ability to convert some of the 8 AA's temporarily into C and D size. I don't suggest that my mistake was due to anyone's fault but my own, but I figured that if it happened to me, it might happen to others. It is important to be fully aware of the actual contents of the package when you're comparing it to other Eneloop packages on the market. Had I known the actual contents, I probably would have opted for a less expensive package.

*UPDATE* I just tried to use the D-sized adapters in a MagLite flashlight that takes 4 D-cell batteries. I popped the AA eneloops into the D adapters... some of them clicked, others didn't quite click. I pressed firmly and did the best I could to get them to snap into place. I put them in the Mag Lite (which I know to be working), and....no power. I believe it has to do with the fact that the spiral contact at the tail end of the flashlight shaft is trying to contact a much larger circumfrenced point of contact. With the AA eneloops in the adapters, you only get the small AA termnals to try to make contact with. Well, just another reason to be careful when you make this purchase and know that you are not getting 100% genuine D-cell batteries, but rather adapters that are not 100% fool-proof. Good luck. [Update to this part: As per a suggestion in the comments on my review, I put a penny on top of the top battery's terminal, and then screwed in the flashlight's endcap. It worked -- the penny functionally increased the battery's contact area. I have no idea if this is good for the flashlight or the battery... hopefully not ruining anything.]

Update 2: Obviously, it's hard to make too much of a judgment in the short term, but in terms of the performance of the AA and AAA batteries, I have to say these are excellent. They hold charge amazingly well and their life is good when fully charged. The adapter system has its flaws, and although it's a clever idea and makes sense in a lot of ways, could use some cleaning up. I could imagine a modification to the adapters such that one end was covered in a thin piece of metal to allow for conduction, alleviating the need for the "penny trick" described in the previous paragraph. Long story short: Good buy, I'm buying more, but not a cure-all and I suspect things will continue to improve in this niche so it doesn't make sense to load up on a TON of these.

Update 3: Eneloops rock. I keep accumulating these when they go on sale. Here's a handy tip: If you find Duracell rechargeables that have a white band around the positive terminal and are made in Japan (not China), then you have found rebranded Eneloops. They will be cheaper than the Sanyo-branded eneloops.

The biggest drawback for Nickel Metal Hydride batteries is the shelf life. I got gadgets and toys all around the house, so I constantly charging batteries to have them ready when I need them. There will be very little juice left if you put them in the shelf unused for a couple of months. A waste of time and energy. Hence, one of the biggest advancement in battery technology is the arrival of the new low discharge Nickel Metal Hydride batteries. This is another great step in helping the environment. I have very few left of the old batteries since I started to replace all of them with low discharge batteries. Eneloops and Duracell are 2 of the best of its kind.

Pros:
-Low discharge.
-Fine quality product. Well constructed
-Conventional size and dimension. I had other batteries that I have to use a screwdriver to remove from my camera because it is fatter than other "AA's".
-Included "D" & "C" spacers are really useful.
-Regular charger included (You can also use your existing NiMh charger for these batteries)
-Sleek and sexy design

Cons:
-More expensive than ordinary NiMh
-Not available at many stores
-Maxes at around 2000-2100 mAh

I've been using Eneloop batteries in my digital camera for a couple of years now, and there seems to be no question that they are superior to any other type of rechargeable battery (at a reasonable price). I've thrown away all my older rechargeables. I bought this kit because I wanted to be able to charge/use AAA batteries as well as AAs.
It's not entirely clear from the description how the C and D size adapters work. The items in the kit that look like C and D batteries are actually just cases, into which you put the AA size batteries for use. Given the high capacity of the AA batteries, they are presumably more than adequate to replace conventional C and D types.
I really can't understand why anyone is still buying other types of rechargeable battery. There's no contest!

I'm a gadget hound, and now that we have a Wii in the house, we go through a lot of batteries. I've tried quite a few different brands and types.

These are the best, longest lasting batteries I've every tried - ever. They last longer than alkalines in my Wii remotes. They also have a shelf life when charged, so you can store them after you charge them and they will still have a charge when it's time to use them.

I will never buy another type of rechargeable battery. These are great.

I was always pro to buying rechargeable batteries since I have 5 years old and these days most toys are electrics that require AA or AAA batteries. I've been researching to buy another at least 8 AA rechargeable or more since our family just bought Nintendo wii as family christmas gift and heard that those wii remote and fit board is battery drainer. I came across eneloops in amazon and thought that they are nice set especially with the C and D adapters but the price was a little steep. Just a week ago, received the monthly coupon book from Costco and saw the same kit for [...] less that amazon and with coupon it's actually [...]. I practically ran to my parents house to grab another coupon that they had and bought two sets and am very happy. So far it's only been a week, so I don't really know the difference but since they do have the best reviews (not so much with the set but with just AA 4 count or 8 count), I expect good experience.
I like the fact that Sanyo batteries retain more energy than any other competing ones. As for the fact that results were tested less than 20 degree celcius makes sence in higher heat the electron in the batteries alignment becomes disholved in higher temperature.
Here is a tip for your dying rechargeable batteries:
One of my friend works for Samsung mobile phones and he told me that you could actually revive dying rechargeables up to 80~95% of it's capacity using this method.
If your rechargeable batteries dying after some use, tight wrap them several times with saran wrap so that there could be no moist could get is (this is actully very important part and if you don't wrapt them tightly, you could ruin the battery) and put them in the freezer for 24 hours and the electrons in the batteries align back so that they do should work batter. I haven't tested them with the rechargeable AA or AAA but I did with cell phone and camera rechargeable batteries and got great results.

If anyone has costco coupons use them right now. I think they are good until Dec 4 or 5, 2008 and the price is unbeatalbe for eneloops or other brand of rechargeable batteries.

March 10, 2009
Afer using 4 months of using these batteries, I could say that I'm very satisfied with them. It does what is says and they don't retain 100% of the power but it does 80~90% since I recharge them right after they get drained from usage and maybe put them back to use a month or two afterwards and the power readers indicate that there is around 90% of energy.

Sanyo eneloop Power Pack & charger
These Batteries are super long life rechargeable batteries. You can charge them and forget them. They come pre charged out of the box and make a excellent emergency battery. But we use them in out LED candles and our computer keyboard and mouse. Also Cameras that have high current loads . You get lots more pics for your battery life with these eneloop batteries.
DepotEco.com seems to have the best price on these as of today.
If you care about the environment then buy these batteries. They will require you to throw away less batteries in your life time as you get 1000 or more charges out of these eneloop batteries from Sanyo.

Let me just be candid about this.

I purchased a few vibrators/toys and a friend suggested I buy rechargeable batteries- good idea. So I searched online, read all the comparisons, and Sanyo Eneloop reigns supreme. I have 3 vibrators that I use and they drain batteries quick, when they start to slow down I just pop the batteries into my charger and the next day the vibrators are going strong again.

The pack is so good because it has the adapters which are perfect because vibrators use all different size batteries.

It's been a year now, and these batteries are still going strong.

This is a MUST for everyone who uses batteries. I honestly feel like anyone not using rechargeable batteries is doing a disservice to their budget and the environment.

UPDATE: Geez guys, I'm just being forthcoming. I bought the batteries for my massagers and they work great. The batteries are long-lasting, the pack (with the adapters) allows you to use them for various objects- toys, remote control, so many things. I've updated this review and it's been a year and the batteries are going strong. I don't really know what else to say except for this power pack has saved me ALOT of cash. And there's the bonus of helping the environment.

Been using these for over 9 months in our digital camera, my DiNotte bicycle lights, and even our universal remote. They work pretty much like every NiMH rechargeable except they hold their charge. Often our camera will sit for several weeks, the extra set of batteries still holds a good charge (not noticeably different from a fresh charge). Even before we wore out the previous set of rechargeables you had to be sure to top them off before using the camera if they sat for more that a few days. As those wore out that problem only got worse. For the DiNotte lights I've been rotating three sets of the eneloop batteries and one set of generic rechargeables for about nine months of bicycle commuting. As the days have gotten longer the batteries sit for weeks or even a month before being rotated into use again. The eneloops last pretty much just as long as they do freshly charged, the generics around 25% less after having sat just as long. The eneloops in the remote last longer than the other set of rechargeables and after sitting for a month or so haven't lost any noticeable amount of charge. So for me they have done exactly what I expect.

I haven't bothered using any of the C or D adapters. Not much uses those types in the house, only a few old flashlights that might sit for a year or more between uses (pretty much only use newer, smaller, brighter, LED base flashlights now). Would have gladly bought the kit if they had been excluded.

The only reason I didn't give them five stars is charging is really slow. If I run the batteries all the way down in the DiNotte lights I need to put them in the charger right away when I get home for them to be ready the next day. Since I've spent a bit more on these batteries I've only used Sanyo's included charger which is slow. I'm guessing either they are playing it safe to maximize the life of the batteries, or their chemistry is more sensitive to the damage fast charger cause. For me holding a charge longer is more important than fast charging.

If you want fast charging buy some cheap generic rechargables and a good fast charger. These aren't the batteries you are looking for. Instead if you need rechargeables that will hold their charge over extended periods of time and don't need fast charging then eneloops are a good bet.

We purhased the eneloop batteries over 6 months ago, and have had no complaints. Other NiCad Batteries we own are Duracell, Energizer, and the Harbor Freight Brand.

We mostly use the rechargable for the Wii remote. Out all brands we own, the eneloop seem to be the most reliable and hold a good charge. The charger is slow and to me is a plus. We have the duracell rapid charger, and one of those batteries stopped working and seems to weaken the life of the cell. The eneloop charger has shown consistent results.

I haven't used the C and D adapters yet but it is good to know they are there if we need them in a pinch.