Why Some Battery Brands Last Longer

With all the various types of electronic devices that the average person owns, discussions over which battery brand seems to last the longest are often a topic of much debate. There are many brands that claim to offer longer lasting batteries, and finding the best battery can prove to be an epic quest on the part of the consumer. However, rather than focusing on a particular brand, consumers should choose the best battery technology for their specific needs.

Battery Technologies

Lead-acid might be the battery for you if the most important selling point is price, and you need to run a larger piece of equipment like a cart or wheelchair. This type of battery is made cheaply and can take abuse other batteries can’t handle. 

Lithium-ion is a popular battery for many laptops and other personal electronic equipment that require lots of power for several hours. These batteries are tailored for portable devices, since they are small, low weight, and have a high-energy density so the battery can run a long time. They work well with cell phones, notebook computers and camera equipment.  

Nickel-metal hydride is currently being edged out by the Lithium-ion for two reasons. While the nickel-metal hydride battery, also known as NiMH, is nontoxic and has a decent run time, it has a much shorter life cycle. These are still used often in some laptops and cell phones.

Nickel-cadmium batteries have been around a long time. The plus for this type of batteries is its long life cycles, and that they can run equipment with high-energy needs easily. They also don’t heat up as many batteries do after being run for several hours, but they have only a moderate energy density, so they don’t run long without needing a charge or change.  

Many manufacturers have recommendations in their device instruction manuals as to which type of battery and which brand of batteries is best to use with their product.