Customer Reviews

eneloop Starter Kit in Blue Case (Power Pack 1st Gen)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If I were Santa Claus, I would give one Sanyo Eneloop Battery Charging Kit to every family in America!

We all know that using rechargeable NiMH batteries (instead of alkaline cells) is good for the environment and the pocket book. But why do most family still buy (and throw away) dozens of alkaline cells every year? The main reason is that most traditional NiMH cells are undependable and inconvenient to use. They may completely self-discharge within a few weeks or even a few days, so you always have to recharge them just before use. The other problem is with battery chargers. Most low-cost slow charger are 'dumb' and can over-charge your cells. Rapid ("15-minute") chargers are particularly bad for battery cycle life, so your cells may go dead after just 50 cycles, instead of 500 cycles as advertised.

With this Eneloop Battery Charging Pack, there is no more excuse! You can now use those rechargeable cells just the way you use alkaline cells (except you don't throw them away, of course). This is because:

1. Those cells come pre-charged and are ready to use - right out of the package.

2. You can choose to top-off those cells anytime with the included MQN05 smart charger - there is no risk of over-charging.

3. Once charged, those cells can retain 80% of their charge even after 6-12 months in storage. That means you can keep a set as backup in your drawer, ready for use anytime.

The only minor complaint I have is with the charger. It only works with 110V AC, so it should not be used as a travel charger. It is also relatively slow because, at 300mA charging current, it takes 7 hours to fully recharge four 2000mAh AA cells. But since you can charge up those cells well in advance (instead of just before use), speed is not a serious limitation.

As you discover more applications for rechargeable batteries, you may want to pick up additional low-self-discharge cells, such as the Sanyo eneloop 4 Pack AA or Rayovac Hybrid 4 pack AA. I have tested both brands and found them to be equally good. If you need a faster and more advanced charger, then the La Crosse Technology BC-900 AlphaPower Battery Charger is probably your best choice. Make sure Santa knows what you want for Christmas!

[Update on Dec 2, 2007]
Those eneloop cells in the package I bought have date code of '0609', which I interpret as '2006 Sept'. I tested four AA cells using my BC-900 and MH-C9000. Their remaining capacities were around 70-73% of full capacity after 14 months of storage!
(In comparison, most Energizer 2500mAh cells I tested lost 30% of their charge within one week)

Possible reasons why those cells are not at 85% as Sanyo has claimed:
1. They were not fully charged when they leave the factory (which presumably uses fast-charging method and hence cannot achieve 100% capacity)
2. They may have been stored at temperature higher than 20 degree C (which is the storage temperature assumed in Sanyo's simulation).

[Update on Nov 18, 2008]
I still recommend the Sanyo eneloop, but the present price of this package is completely out of line. So it is better to check out the Sanyo Eneloop Power Pack, which is sometimes available at a lower cost. If you don't need the C- and D-cell adapters, consider buying the AA/AAA batteries separately, then add a better charger (such as the Duracell Mobile Charger).

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

Nickel metal hydride batteries have been notorious for not holding their charge for more than a month or two. These new batteries hold their charge. Independent testing has shown to have a retention rate of about 70% for up to a year (search on google for a review by "Stefan"). These batteries will now be utilized in items that previously only had alkalines in them: clocks, remote controls, and thermostats. Basically, all electronics with low power demands.

One caveat: Although I didn't purchase this item from Amazon, I did notice that a retailer where I purchased from (famous warehouse "C"lub) had two different versions of this Charging Kit. One with a charger as depicted here, MQN05 (has a cover over the charger), and another kit with MQN06 (without a charger cover). MQN05 charges each cell independently (you can charge just one battery, if you want) while the MQN06 charges them in pairs (must charge either two or four; can't charge just one). This may be important if you need to charge single batteries.

Also comes with adaptors so that you can use your AA battery for C and D sizes.

This pack comes with 4-aaa and 8-aa batteries. Also included is a 4 battery charger. What I like the most is that the pack includes sleeves that holds a aa battery and converts it to a C or D size battery. There are 2 sleeves for the C and 2 for the D. You can read other reviews about how great these batteries are. They hold a charge longer than my other Ni-MH batteries. Now I can let my digital camera set on a shelf for a few weeks and have confidence that it will work when I need to use it. Too often my other rechargeable batteries failed the time test.

After looking over the various NiMH battery charges, and armed with NLee's lucid and thorough reviews, I selected this charger: I need to charge both AA and AAA batteries; to charge them in odd numbers, not just in pairs; to charge them slowly enough that they last; and I don't need or want an overly complex charger ---I want to put in the batteries in the evening and take them out charged in the morning and to not think about it beyond that. I grew up without electricity; I don't like when it intrudes on me now. The nuances of battery maintenance are not foremost in my life. Sanyo's NC-MQNO5U seemed a good compromise of useable features and fire-and-forget operation.

I can't really speak to the abilities of the Sanyo charger: I haven't yet plugged it in. This review is mostly to caution that even by adding this item to my cart, the NC-MQNO5U, rather than the NLee-not-recommended, charges-in-pairs-only, Sanyo NC-MQNO6U charger, Red Tag still sent me the '6U charger. I rather doubt this was deception or malice; I expect that newer stock replaced older stock, and that the '6U is just on the shelf where the '5U used to be, but it is a heads-up to those wanting the '5U: check on the back of the charger when it arrives and make sure it's the one you wanted.

Oh, and Red Tag was wonderful, and sent me a '5U replacement, no problem, very quickly. And some extra Eneloop batteries. They even told me not to worry about returning the '6U... so I guess I now have two Sanyo chargers.

One concern I have with the '5U, though, is that there's no way to tell when the batteries are done charging on an individual basis. When they're all done, the LED turns off. Beyond that, take your best guess or buy a tester. Working around that limitation shouldn't be a real problem --think ahead, and have a stash of charged batteries ready to go-- but it is something I wish I'd thought of. The Duracell charger NLee recommends has individual LEDs --but it sounds like it charges too fast for the long-term health of AAA batteries, of which I use a great number. The LaCrosse BC-900 is good about showing battery status, too --perhaps better than any other-- and I almost bought it instead of the Sanyo, but I'm concerned about the overheating issues it seems to have, and cross-checking their other products, LaCrosse's customer service seems to be rather unresponsive.

I'll edit this later, when I've had some time to put the charger(s) through its paces. Until then, Caveat: make sure you get what you ordered.

UPDATE, March 16, 2011: NLee's recommendation carries a lot of weight with me. I've been using this charger for a while now, and I'm entirely satisfied with it. The Eneloop batteries continue to function with no appreciable loss of lifespan, and it is thus far completely idiot-proof: I put the batteries in before I go to bed, I ignore it, and in the morning the light is out and the batteries are ready to go. Can't ask for much better than that. I expect battery charger technology has evolved in the last two years, but I really don't care: this continues to work well, and I have no need to upgrade. I expect it'll die eventually, but when it does, I'll be looking for another one like it --and reading NLee's reviews!

One of my biggest problems with rechargeable NiMh batteries was that even if I charged them early, after less than a month of it sitting out, it would lose most of its charge. It was a nagging thing. I always just had to be sure to charge them the night before I planned to use them. With Eneloop, I dont have to worry about it anymore! I dont have to leave the charger plugged in all the time either. Once they are charged, they are good for months!!!!!! I bought 2 of these kits, extra AAA and AA batteries and more of the C and D adapter shells.

The other big problem was that I couldnt use rechargeables in flashlights and other emergency devices because after a couple months, the batteries would be dead despite not being used. Eneloop solved that problem. I used the D adapters to put the AA batteries in my big flashlight. Now I know that even 6 months from now, they'll be fine.

My only negative comment is that these are kinda expensive. I just console myself with the fact that I dont need to keep buying batteries nor do I need to keep recharging batteries that are not being used. :-)

Buy these if you care about the environment and how often you have to recharge your old batteries!

Since I only paid $39.00 for this item, shipping included, I gave it 4 stars. You get 8 AA and 4 AAA Eneloop batteries as well as 2 "C" and 2 "D" cell adapters along with the MNQ6 Sanyo charger. However, the charger is not much to talk about.
After charging 12 Eneloop batteries I was not impressed by the chargers performance. I guess you get what you pay for, and since the batteries and adapters would cost about 35/40 bucks, the charger is sort of free. Sanyo really should put out a better charger with more features to package with their great slow discharge batteries.
If you want a quality charger with lots more features go with the La Crosse BC-900 that costs around the same as this kit, but with 8 La Crosse batteries, not 12 Eneloop, and no spacers. And if you want the best, get the MaHa 9000, which doesn't come with any extras and sells for about $60.00.

Nlee is the battery guru. I bought these on his advice at the retailer of his recommendation only because of the cheap price. Thanks for the info in your review and comments. It looks like that retailer is getting rid of the kits though. I got the last two at one location and at the other there's maybe 5-10 kits left. The way they had them displayed makes it look like when they are gone, they are gone.

I read many great reviews for Eneloops and could not wait to try them. I should note first that I did not buy them from Amazon, but from my local Costco. They have this exact same set. I was currently using Energizers and Sunpaks in my LaCrosse BC-900 charger. The Energizers worked great and had great capacity at 2500mAh for AAs. The Sunpaks were hit-and-miss. Most would charge the first time, but then show up as a bad cell the next time I put it in the BC-900 and would not charge. They would still carge in my old Sony charger, but I couldn't test/refresh them in the BC-900 anymore.

But this is a review of the Eneloops. And let me tell you, they have none of the problems I had with the other batteries. I need batteries mainly for my many console game controllers, a couple keyboards, flashlights, and my kids toys. For this purpose, the Eneloops are a godsend. Though my other batteries had great capacity, they would not last very long even if I didn't use them that often - due to their normal self-discharge cycle. Since my devices only get intermittent activity, I found myself always charging batteries just so I wouldn't be caught with a dead battery. With the Eneloops, they have less capacity but since they discharge so slowly, they have more juice after 4 weeks and even more after that. If you want specifics, read some of the other reviews. There are others who ran detailed tests with their BC-900. I'm not detailed enough to document everything.

I have used both the AAs and AAAs from this set, but haven't tried the charger or the adapters yet. I did test-fit one of the adapters and it seems ok. The adapters are a nice one-piece unit and the batteries slide in from the bottom. This is a much better design than the 2-piece ones that snap together. I recommend these for what most people use batteries for (intermittent use). You will last much longer between charges. I will save my other batteries for when I know I will be using it all up in a day (when capacity is more important). I have already bought 3 more sets to replace batteries in more devices. Even without the charger, for me this set is cheaper when I factor in the cost of purchasing adapters.

Eneloops are great batteries, but this exact same kit costs only 27 dollars at a popular warehouse club (Cos**o).

Before I bought the rechargeable batteries I made sure to research all over the internet to see which had the best performance. Time and time again I found that the best reviews were coming from reviews on these Sanyo Eneloop batteries.

I am a photographer and use speedlite flash units regularly and need batteries that last and will hold a charge, are easy to use and transport, and can recycle power quickly to keep up with my shutter clicks.

I found that these batteries do all of the above and that they do live up to the great reviews.

I recommend it.