This package (
Panasonic K-KJ17KHCA4A Eneloop Pro Individual Cell Battery Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries
) contains the BQ-CC17 charger and four eneloop Pro batteries. People often ask me whether it is worthwhile to pay extra for this 'Pro' package over a similar
'regular' package
. So here is a breakdown on the Pros and Cons of going Pro:
- The rated capacity of eneloop Pro AA cell is 2550mAh, or 27.5% higher than that of regular eneloop cell (2000mAh). My measured average capacities using the
La Crosse BC1000 Battery Charger
are around 2560mAh and 2080mAh, respectively.
- The cycle life rating of Pro is only 500 cycles, verses 2100 cycles for regular eneloop. More about this later.
- The advertised charge-retention rate of Pro cell ("85% after 1 year") is not as good as that of regular eneloop cell ("90% after 1 year, 70% after 10 years"). Those rating are consistent with my own long-term test results. Of course in real life this hardly matters.
- The Pro AA cell is slightly thicker than regular eneloop cell, so it might not fit in appliances with extremely tight battery compartments.
The chargers included in the Pro and Regular packages are identical except for color. So this is not a factor. See my review on
BQ-CC17
for details of this charger.
[Capacity Matters?]
Obviously higher-capacity for batteries is better, because it gives you longer runtime for each recharge. This is especially true in the old days of NiCd batteries, since you are supposed to drain them completely before recharge (to avoid 'Memory Effects'). With pre-charged NiMH batteries and smart charger such as the BQ-CC17, you can choose to top-off your batteries anytime. So having higher capacity is less critical.
Just for example, let's say you are using rechargeable batteries in your external photo flash unit. Assuming a set of regular eneloop cells (2000mAh) can give you 1000 flashes, then by changing to Pro cells (2550mAh) you can expect 1275 flashes. But unless you actually need to shoot over 1000 pictures in one session, the extra capacity does not offer you any advantage.
[Cycle Life Matters?]
This rating refers to the number of deep-discharge cycles a battery goes through, before its capacity drops to 50% of original value. That means:
- Regular eneloop starts from 2000mAh and drops to 1000mAh after ~2100 cycles
- eneloop PRO starts from 2550mAh and drops to 1275mAh after ~500 cycles
Note that those ratings are based on tightly controlled test conditions. In real life your numbers will likely be less.
Assuming linear degradation of capacity, we can estimate that after 250 cycles:
- Regular eneloop --> 2000mAh - 1000mAh*(250/2100) = 1881mAh
- eneloop PRO --> 2550mAh - 1275mAh*(250/500) = 1912mAh
That means shortly after 250 cycles, the regular eneloop cell will actually out-perform the Pro!
[Bottom Line]
If you have mission-critical applications that demand the extra capacity offered by eneloop Pro batteries, definitely get this Pro package. Otherwise for similar cost, you can get the regular package plus another 4 regular eneloop (or the equivalent
AmazonBasics Pre-Charged
) batteries. So now you have 8x 2000mAh eneloop batteries instead of 4x 2550mAh eneloop Pro batteries. This approach offers you almost 60% more in total battery energy. Most importantly, you now have a set of spare batteries to swap in whenever the first set runs out, so you'll never be out of action while batteries are being recharged.
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Customer Questions & Answers
Customer reviews
To PRO, or not to PRO? That is the question
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2016
This package (Panasonic K-KJ17KHCA4A Eneloop Pro Individual Cell Battery Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries) contains the BQ-CC17 charger and four eneloop Pro batteries. People often ask me whether it is worthwhile to pay extra for this 'Pro' package over a similar 'regular' package. So here is a breakdown on the Pros and Cons of going Pro:- The rated capacity of eneloop Pro AA cell is 2550mAh, or 27.5% higher than that of regular eneloop cell (2000mAh). My measured average capacities using the La Crosse BC1000 Battery Charger are around 2560mAh and 2080mAh, respectively.- The cycle life rating of Pro is only 500 cycles, verses 2100 cycles for regular eneloop. More about this later.- The advertised charge-retention rate of Pro cell ("85% after 1 year") is not as good as that of regular eneloop cell ("90% after 1 year, 70% after 10 years"). Those rating are consistent with my own long-term test results. Of course in real life this hardly matters.- The Pro AA cell is slightly thicker than regular eneloop cell, so it might not fit in appliances with extremely tight battery compartments.The chargers included in the Pro and Regular packages are identical except for color. So this is not a factor. See my review on BQ-CC17 for details of this charger.[Capacity Matters?]Obviously higher-capacity for batteries is better, because it gives you longer runtime for each recharge. This is especially true in the old days of NiCd batteries, since you are supposed to drain them completely before recharge (to avoid 'Memory Effects'). With pre-charged NiMH batteries and smart charger such as the BQ-CC17, you can choose to top-off your batteries anytime. So having higher capacity is less critical.Just for example, let's say you are using rechargeable batteries in your external photo flash unit. Assuming a set of regular eneloop cells (2000mAh) can give you 1000 flashes, then by changing to Pro cells (2550mAh) you can expect 1275 flashes. But unless you actually need to shoot over 1000 pictures in one session, the extra capacity does not offer you any advantage.[Cycle Life Matters?]This rating refers to the number of deep-discharge cycles a battery goes through, before its capacity drops to 50% of original value. That means:- Regular eneloop starts from 2000mAh and drops to 1000mAh after ~2100 cycles- eneloop PRO starts from 2550mAh and drops to 1275mAh after ~500 cyclesNote that those ratings are based on tightly controlled test conditions. In real life your numbers will likely be less.Assuming linear degradation of capacity, we can estimate that after 250 cycles:- Regular eneloop --> 2000mAh - 1000mAh*(250/2100) = 1881mAh- eneloop PRO --> 2550mAh - 1275mAh*(250/500) = 1912mAhThat means shortly after 250 cycles, the regular eneloop cell will actually out-perform the Pro![Bottom Line]If you have mission-critical applications that demand the extra capacity offered by eneloop Pro batteries, definitely get this Pro package. Otherwise for similar cost, you can get the regular package plus another 4 regular eneloop (or the equivalent AmazonBasics Pre-Charged) batteries. So now you have 8x 2000mAh eneloop batteries instead of 4x 2550mAh eneloop Pro batteries. This approach offers you almost 60% more in total battery energy. Most importantly, you now have a set of spare batteries to swap in whenever the first set runs out, so you'll never be out of action while batteries are being recharged.
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2016
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Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2016
- The rated capacity of eneloop Pro AA cell is 2550mAh, or 27.5% higher than that of regular eneloop cell (2000mAh). My measured average capacities using the [[ASIN:B004J6DLD4 La Crosse BC1000 Battery Charger]] are around 2560mAh and 2080mAh, respectively.
- The cycle life rating of Pro is only 500 cycles, verses 2100 cycles for regular eneloop. More about this later.
- The advertised charge-retention rate of Pro cell ("85% after 1 year") is not as good as that of regular eneloop cell ("90% after 1 year, 70% after 10 years"). Those rating are consistent with my own long-term test results. Of course in real life this hardly matters.
- The Pro AA cell is slightly thicker than regular eneloop cell, so it might not fit in appliances with extremely tight battery compartments.
The chargers included in the Pro and Regular packages are identical except for color. So this is not a factor. See my review on [[ASIN:B00JHKSLM8 BQ-CC17]] for details of this charger.
[Capacity Matters?]
Obviously higher-capacity for batteries is better, because it gives you longer runtime for each recharge. This is especially true in the old days of NiCd batteries, since you are supposed to drain them completely before recharge (to avoid 'Memory Effects'). With pre-charged NiMH batteries and smart charger such as the BQ-CC17, you can choose to top-off your batteries anytime. So having higher capacity is less critical.
Just for example, let's say you are using rechargeable batteries in your external photo flash unit. Assuming a set of regular eneloop cells (2000mAh) can give you 1000 flashes, then by changing to Pro cells (2550mAh) you can expect 1275 flashes. But unless you actually need to shoot over 1000 pictures in one session, the extra capacity does not offer you any advantage.
[Cycle Life Matters?]
This rating refers to the number of deep-discharge cycles a battery goes through, before its capacity drops to 50% of original value. That means:
- Regular eneloop starts from 2000mAh and drops to 1000mAh after ~2100 cycles
- eneloop PRO starts from 2550mAh and drops to 1275mAh after ~500 cycles
Note that those ratings are based on tightly controlled test conditions. In real life your numbers will likely be less.
Assuming linear degradation of capacity, we can estimate that after 250 cycles:
- Regular eneloop --> 2000mAh - 1000mAh*(250/2100) = 1881mAh
- eneloop PRO --> 2550mAh - 1275mAh*(250/500) = 1912mAh
That means shortly after 250 cycles, the regular eneloop cell will actually out-perform the Pro!
[Bottom Line]
If you have mission-critical applications that demand the extra capacity offered by eneloop Pro batteries, definitely get this Pro package. Otherwise for similar cost, you can get the regular package plus another 4 regular eneloop (or the equivalent [[ASIN:B00CWNMR5Y AmazonBasics Pre-Charged]]) batteries. So now you have 8x 2000mAh eneloop batteries instead of 4x 2550mAh eneloop Pro batteries. This approach offers you almost 60% more in total battery energy. Most importantly, you now have a set of spare batteries to swap in whenever the first set runs out, so you'll never be out of action while batteries are being recharged.
Style: AASize: 4-PackConfiguration: w/ Standard Charger
To PRO, or not to PRO? That is the question
Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2016
This package ([[ASIN:B00JHKSL1O Panasonic K-KJ17KHCA4A Eneloop Pro Individual Cell Battery Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries]]) contains the BQ-CC17 charger and four eneloop Pro batteries. People often ask me whether it is worthwhile to pay extra for this 'Pro' package over a similar [[ASIN:B00JHKSMJU 'regular' package]]. So here is a breakdown on the Pros and Cons of going Pro:Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2016
- The rated capacity of eneloop Pro AA cell is 2550mAh, or 27.5% higher than that of regular eneloop cell (2000mAh). My measured average capacities using the [[ASIN:B004J6DLD4 La Crosse BC1000 Battery Charger]] are around 2560mAh and 2080mAh, respectively.
- The cycle life rating of Pro is only 500 cycles, verses 2100 cycles for regular eneloop. More about this later.
- The advertised charge-retention rate of Pro cell ("85% after 1 year") is not as good as that of regular eneloop cell ("90% after 1 year, 70% after 10 years"). Those rating are consistent with my own long-term test results. Of course in real life this hardly matters.
- The Pro AA cell is slightly thicker than regular eneloop cell, so it might not fit in appliances with extremely tight battery compartments.
The chargers included in the Pro and Regular packages are identical except for color. So this is not a factor. See my review on [[ASIN:B00JHKSLM8 BQ-CC17]] for details of this charger.
[Capacity Matters?]
Obviously higher-capacity for batteries is better, because it gives you longer runtime for each recharge. This is especially true in the old days of NiCd batteries, since you are supposed to drain them completely before recharge (to avoid 'Memory Effects'). With pre-charged NiMH batteries and smart charger such as the BQ-CC17, you can choose to top-off your batteries anytime. So having higher capacity is less critical.
Just for example, let's say you are using rechargeable batteries in your external photo flash unit. Assuming a set of regular eneloop cells (2000mAh) can give you 1000 flashes, then by changing to Pro cells (2550mAh) you can expect 1275 flashes. But unless you actually need to shoot over 1000 pictures in one session, the extra capacity does not offer you any advantage.
[Cycle Life Matters?]
This rating refers to the number of deep-discharge cycles a battery goes through, before its capacity drops to 50% of original value. That means:
- Regular eneloop starts from 2000mAh and drops to 1000mAh after ~2100 cycles
- eneloop PRO starts from 2550mAh and drops to 1275mAh after ~500 cycles
Note that those ratings are based on tightly controlled test conditions. In real life your numbers will likely be less.
Assuming linear degradation of capacity, we can estimate that after 250 cycles:
- Regular eneloop --> 2000mAh - 1000mAh*(250/2100) = 1881mAh
- eneloop PRO --> 2550mAh - 1275mAh*(250/500) = 1912mAh
That means shortly after 250 cycles, the regular eneloop cell will actually out-perform the Pro!
[Bottom Line]
If you have mission-critical applications that demand the extra capacity offered by eneloop Pro batteries, definitely get this Pro package. Otherwise for similar cost, you can get the regular package plus another 4 regular eneloop (or the equivalent [[ASIN:B00CWNMR5Y AmazonBasics Pre-Charged]]) batteries. So now you have 8x 2000mAh eneloop batteries instead of 4x 2550mAh eneloop Pro batteries. This approach offers you almost 60% more in total battery energy. Most importantly, you now have a set of spare batteries to swap in whenever the first set runs out, so you'll never be out of action while batteries are being recharged.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2016
Style: AASize: 4-PackConfiguration: w/ Standard ChargerVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on March 30, 2019
Style: AASize: 4-PackConfiguration: w/ Standard ChargerVerified Purchase
I have been using their products for years. This new batch all of the batteries have tape sticking out on both sides of the batter, covering weird parts and has to actually be torn away just to make the battery work. Seem like they are counterfeit.
All four batteries are suffering this case problem.
All four batteries are suffering this case problem.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2021
Style: AASize: 4-PackConfiguration: w/ Standard ChargerVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2020
Style: AASize: 4-PackConfiguration: w/ Standard ChargerVerified Purchase
Greater length & performance product by Panasonic eneloop pros!
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2020
This product was purchased simply out of the necessity to replace a controller battery pack for my Xbox One X. Typically I would just fork over a 30-40 dollar fee to get a branded Xbox affiliated product to replace when their charge no longer cuts it. However, this time I went a different route due to the advice of someone who relies on the performance of batteries more than myself. I went ahead and ordered these and I am still very impressed months later at the length of the charge and the level at which it performs. I will never have a dead controller again and I keep one pair charged and the other pair in my main controller. I will never again waste money on a product of far less quality for the application. These Panasonic eneloop Pro batteries exceeded my performance and value expectations. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2020
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2016
Style: AASize: 4-PackConfiguration: w/ Standard ChargerVerified Purchase
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