The Lithium AA Battery Is Often A Best Choice

Lithium AA batteries. The AA battery is the most common size/type consumer battery. While most of them have an Alkaline chemistry and are perfectly fine for most applications, Lithium has become quite popular for a number of reasons. The lithium AA battery may be best (or worth the extra cost) for some uses.

I do use lithium AA batteries for some things. In addition to having some lithium AA batteries (and other sizes), I also have a quantity of rechargeable batteries. The most common battery chemistry for this is called ‘NiMH’ (article linked below). With that said, nowadays lithium rechargeable batteries are becoming increasingly available (you need to use a specific charger for them).

List of reasons why lithium batteries may be the best, depending on your use

I always have a pack of these lithium AA’s around:
Energizer® (8-Pack)
(amzn)

Rechargeable

High Power Density

Perhaps the biggest advantage of lithium AA batteries over alkaline..

Lithium batteries have more than three times the energy density of alkaline batteries ! (4.32 MJ/L versus 1.3 MJ/L). In fact the next apparent step up from that is Hydrogen at 5.6 MJ/L, so as you can see, these batteries pack quite a punch.

What does this mean? It means that the lithium battery will run significantly longer than a similarly sized alkaline battery.

‘Energizer® says (for their ‘AA’ lithium battery), “World’s longest-lasting AA battery in high-tech devices lasts 6x longer than the other leading brand in digital cameras.”

For some applications this might not be exceedingly important, and maybe not worth the extra money. However for certain emergency or other uses this is most definitely an important consideration. A longer run time.

Low Self Discharge

All batteries will slowly discharge over time. Some faster than others.

Often, a so called ’emergency’ device may not be in use for a long time. But if and when it comes time to use it, you surely want to be sure that it works and the batteries have not discharged and become weak over time…

Cold Weather Performance

Lithium AA batteries have excellent cold weather performance!

A major reason why lithium batteries are best for some applications is due to their resilience in cold weather climates. Other batteries will diminish (some significantly!) when they get cold. But the lithium will hold up very, very well in cold weather.

From the Energizer® website, their ‘AA’ lithium battery “performs in extreme temperatures from -40°F to 140°F “.

For example I use ‘AA’ lithium batteries in my driveway alarm transmitters (winter gets very cold up here in north-country). They have been working great! I also use them in my flashlight for the truck.

Long Shelf Life

Outstanding shelf life. Because of the inherent low self-discharge properties, the shelf life of a lithium battery is outstanding.

Lithium batteries can ‘sit on the shelf’ for a very long time and still maintain most of their energy. Again from ‘Energizer®’, they claim that they will “hold power for 20 years when not in use.”

Light Weight

The lithium AA battery weighs 1/3 less than standard alkaline batteries.

This may or not be important to you (depends on application), however it is notable. This can add up to be significant for things like hiking, etc..

Leak Proof

Energizer® claims “No leaks Guaranteed” for their Energizer® Ultimate Lithium Batteries. A leaking battery will damage your electronic device, and traditional alkaline batteries tend to leak/corrode at the battery terminals over a long time of non-use.

CONCLUSION
Though they cost more, I have been incorporating them into my electronic devices where applicable. I still keep a supply of NiMH rechargeable batteries for many things, as well as a supply of Energizer Max AA batteries (and other sizes). However the lithium AA batteries are great for other applications as listed above.

[ Read: Best AA Rechargeable Batteries ]

[ Read: Batteries That Don’t Leak Or Corrode ]