Kevin Jorgeson’s Perfect Pack (aka Duracell Quantum Battery Review)
Following his success on the Dawn Wall project, Kevin Jorgeson partnered with Duracell to create a “Perfect Pack” of promotional goodies including a plethora of AA and AAA batteries, a small climbing pack, and a super burly headlamp. We tested out all the goods, and here’s our battery story:
In the past I have been biased toward Duracell batteries. When sliding batteries into my avalanche beacon or replacing batteries in my headlamp for a pre-dawn climb, Duracell has been my go-to brand for years. Perhaps it’s their sleek look I trust or maybe it’s because my parents had an Energizer battery case that was always full of Duracell batteries. Whatever the reason, I’ve been a Duracell loyalist even though I’ve never done a quantitative study.
Quick update and spoiler alert 2 years after writing this post: I am no longer a Duracell fan. Nor are my parents.
Like Kevin, as his Duracell commercial implies, my parents raised me on Duracell. I do think it’s rad that Duracell is supporting Kevin Jorgeson and putting out some other pretty good commercials.
But enough of the no-data-to-back-it-up stories. To make sure we wrote a comprehensive review, we did a little a lot of digging and found that we don’t know jack about batteries, nor does a majority of the population.
We read all the reviews
There are many consumer reviews that suggest despite their additional cost, Duracell Quantum batteries may not be the breakthrough in power that is advertised. When we checked Amazon, the AA Quantums have 25% one-star reviews while not quite half, 47%, are five-star ratings.
The top 5-star review cites the Duracell Quantum as the top rated Consumer Reports alkaline battery, just behind Energizer’s Lithium model. A top rating by C.R. is certainly a powerful endorsement.
The 1-star Quantum users, most of whom were not provided free batteries, chided the life span, leaking issues, and some DOA incidents despite their 10 year guarantee. The bottom line of the 1-star reviews was: don’t spend the extra cash on Quantum’s and stick to the tried-and-true CopperTops.
We’re in agreement. Between the months and years from our initial test, nearly all our Duracell batteries have leaked and corroded the few devices that we weren’t running on rechargeable batteries.
We scoured Duracell’s website
The Quantum battery is officially billed (on a Duracell press release) as “A revolutionary advancement in battery technology. Combined with a Hi-Density Core™ and PowerCheck™, it’s a Quantum leap in battery power.”
This is a little disappointing considering the Quantum leap of technology includes the PowerCheck™ strip, that states how much battery life is left, a technology Duracell introduced in 1996. Admittedly, I have often wished all batteries had this feature, but I don’t understand its relation to increasing power.
So the entire “Quantum leap” of power must come from the Hi-Density Core™. The official Duracell website says that the Hi-Density Core™ is a “proprietary compression process and unique formulation of ingredients…With more power boosters and improved energy flow throughout the battery.” I’m not sure if “power boosters” is the technical term used by Duracell’s engineering team, but we can’t find any data to describe what this actually means or how it improves real-world performance.
If this is similar to CAMP stating that the Evo Tricams are significantly better than the previous version due to some simple rearrangements of the current materials: moving the stitching on the sling to act as a stiffener, and shaving off material on the side of the cam to add another placement option, then I am totally into it. So too could the Duracell engineers modify the compression and composition to improve the capacity.
But if this is the case, Duracell isn’t readily providing the information to help the consumer clearly identify how the improvements were made, or what they are. And sadly, our lack of chemistry background makes comparing batteries more difficult (and noticeably less interesting) than comparing climbing gear.
We read a ton of battery posts
The good news is: There are other people who are into batteries almost as much as we’re into carabiners. And although this “study” by BitBot was conducted in the U.K. with batteries available there and does not include the Duracell Quantum, we think it provides substantial insight into variations across brands and models available in the U.S. as well.
Be sure to check out their full writeup at http://www.batteryshowdown.com
Although most of the field is fairly even with a handful of noticeable outliers, this information showed us that the high-end Duracell batteries are doing better than most standard batteries. The graph also shows that we could potentially be getting 10% more life from relatively inexpensive Ikea or Costco branded batteries than any of the major name brand “standard” cells. These discount brands even outperform the Super-Extra-Ultra-Long-Life models of the major brands, if only marginally.
Pros
Picture a set of AAA batteries in your head, and the Duracell Plus AAA are probably the set that you’re thinking of. The default choice for anyone that wants long-lasting batteries, Duracell has built a good name for itself.
Overall tested capacity in my tests was good, although the batteries didn’t do as well as some of its competitors in the initial high-drain test. There’s also the high price to consider, with these batteries costing a lot more than much of the competition. That’s a little disappointing considering how well the Duracell Plus AA batteries did in my tests.
Performance
Duracell provides a detailed specification sheet for its AAA Plus batteries. As with all batteries, the total capacity of the batteries depends on temperature, load and the cut-off voltage (voltage drops as the batteries are drained). In short, batteries deliver more power under lighter loads; less under high drain conditions. Duracell’s own specs demonstrate this.
To test, I use an Ansmann Energy XC3000. Its drainage test uses a high load of 600mA (/-20%) with a cut-off voltage of 0.94V. I started by measuring the initial voltage of the batteries, which I bought from Amazon, at 1.49V. That’s just behind the nominal 1.5V that you’d expect from alkaline batteries; however, as voltage drops quite rapidly with alkaline batteries, this minor variation doesn’t matter.
After the initial drain, I measured a capacity of 414mAh. That’s alright, but is a way behind the Amazon Basics Alkaline AAA batteries.
I give batteries a few hours to cool down, and then re-run the same test to measure any residual capacity. I measured the Duracell Plus AAA at 146mAh, giving me a total capacity of 560mAh.
That’s a decent overall capacity and these batteries should do well in low-drain applications, such as in remote controls
As with most alkaline batteries, Duracell says that these have a 10-year shelf life, so you can buy in bulk and not worry about them discharging while not in use.
Latest deals
Duracell Plus batteries are available in a wide range of unit sizes. For a set of four, expect to pay around 73p a battery. Bigger packs are generally better value (although not always), with per battery dropping to around 55p. I’ve listed the price for the pack of eight (around 68p per battery), as it’s a good compromise between pack size and price.
If you want big-brand batteries to go into low-drain devices such as remote controls, then these are a good choice.
My high-drain test shows that there are batteries that performed better here, plus you can buy much cheaper AAA batteries.
Les 10 meilleures batteries externes : guide d’achat complet
Chacun a déjà expérimenté la déconvenue de voir son téléphone se vider et s’éteindre, sans disposer d’un moyen de l’alimenter. L’usage des appareils connectés s’intensifiant, cette problématique est devenue récurrente. Or, il existe désormais des solutions mobiles pour toujours profiter d’une réserve d’énergie indépendante.
Vous ne voulez plus vous retrouver en panne de Smartphone ? Le vôtre tient de moins en moins la charge et vous devez le brancher tous les soirs, pour qu’il ne vous lâche pas dans la journée ? Les Powerbanks vous intéressent, mais vous ignorez comment les choisir ?
Consultez notre comparatif des meilleures batteries externes et investissez dans un accessoire devenu incontournable.
Promo : batterie externe, meilleur rapport qualité/prix !
Batterie Externe 10000mAh, Ultra Compact Legere Batterie Portable, Power Bank 5V / 3A Rapi
Batterie Externe 27000mAh Rapide Power Bank 22.5 W PD3.0 QC4.0 Haute Vitesse Bloc d’alimen
INIU Batterie Externe, Slimmest Fast Charging Power Bank 10000mAh, 22.5W Batterie Portable
Batterie Externe USB C Power Bank 26800mAh Batterie Externe Quick Charge Compacte Autorisé
Pourquoi nos avis sur les batteries externes sont-ils fiables ?
Nous avons à cœur de proposer aux internautes des dossiers complets, leur permettant d’obtenir sur une seule page toutes les informations nécessaires à réaliser un bon achat. Nous traitons donc chaque sujet avec rigueur, en recueillant des renseignements auprès de sources fiables.
Les produits que nous comparons bénéficient du même désir de véracité. L’ équipe de comparatifgps.fr veille donc à vérifier auprès des fabricants leurs caractéristiques techniques et à consulter les retours d’expérience d’utilisateurs, qu’ils soient positifs ou négatifs.
▷ Tableau comparatif batterie externe
Parmi tous les modèles commercialisés, nous avons retenu 10 produits, qui sont à nos yeux les meilleures batteries externes disponibles. Ce classement propose des appareils qui conviendront à tous les budgets et à tous les besoins. Notre Top 3 est un bon aperçu de cette sélection.
Ce modèle simple de Anker est idéal pour gérer la recharge de vos appareils mobiles rapidement, grâce aux technologies PowerIQ et VoltageBoost. Avec son port USB-A, elle assure efficacement l’alimentation de toutes les marques de Smartphones et tient dans la poche de votre pantalon avec son format carte de crédit.
Profitez de la puissance de ce modèle pour charger simultanément deux appareils mobiles en un rien de temps, grâce à la technologie PowerIQ d’alimentation rapide et optimisée. Connectez tous vos appareils sur ce dispositif universel performant, au tarif particulièrement raisonnable, pour une telle capacité d’énergie.
De grandes compétences pour cette Powerbank Samsung pouvant charger simultanément 3 appareils, y compris votre matériel informatique portable. Compatible avec une large variété d’accessoires, toutes marques confondues, elle assure un fast charging efficace, sans risque de surchauffe ou de surintensité.
Ce modèle simple de Anker est idéal pour gérer la recharge de vos appareils mobiles rapidement, grâce aux technologies PowerIQ et VoltageBoost. Avec son port USB-A, elle assure efficacement l’alimentation de toutes les marques de Smartphones et tient dans la poche de votre pantalon avec son format carte de crédit.
Profitez de la puissance de ce modèle pour charger simultanément deux appareils mobiles en un rien de temps, grâce à la technologie PowerIQ d’alimentation rapide et optimisée. Connectez tous vos appareils sur ce dispositif universel performant, au tarif particulièrement raisonnable, pour une telle capacité d’énergie.
Geteste modellen van herlaadbare batterijen
Om je te helpen de beste oplaadbare AA- en AAA-batterijen te kiezen hebben onze experts deze modellen uit verschillende prijsklassen aan veeleisende tests onderworpen:
Geteste herlaadbare AA-batterijen
- PANASONIC Eneloop Pro AA 2500
- IKEA Ladda HR6 AA 1.2V 2450mAh AA 2450
- VARTA Recharge Accu Recycled 2100 AA 2100
- AMAZON Basics AA Rechargeable Batteries 2000mAh Pre-charged AA 2000
- ENELOOP BK-3MCCE/4BE AA 1900
- VARTA Recharge Accu Power AA 2100 mAh AA 2100
- TRONIC Rechargeable batterie 2500 mAh AA AA 2500
- GP ReCyko AA 2100mAh AA 2100
- GP ReCyko Pro 2000mAh AA AA 2000
- IKEA Ladda HR06 AA 1.2V 1900 mAh AA 1900
- DURACELL Recharge Ultra AA 2500
- ENERGIZER Recharge Power Plus AA 2000 mAh AA 2000
- ENERGIZER Recharge Extreme AA 2300 mAh AA 2300
- CONRAD ENERGY Endurance AA 2600 mAh AA 2600
- MEMOREX Ready AA AA 2100
- Philips R6B4B260/10 2600 MAH AA 2600
- GAMMA Oplaadbare batterij AA NiMh 2400 mAh AA 2400
- DURACELL Recharge Plus AA 1300
Geteste herlaadbare AAA-batterijen
- TRONIC Rechargeable batterie 1000 mAh AAA
- VARTA Recharge Accu Recycled 800 GP ReCyko Pro 800mAh AAA
- AMAZON Amazon Basics AAA Rechargeable Batteries 800mAh Pre-charged
- GP ReCyko AAA 850 mAh
- ENERGIZER Recharge Extreme AAA 800 mAh
- VARTA Recharge Accu Power AAA 800 mAh
- DURACELL Recharge Plus
- IKEA Ladda HR03 AAA 1.2V 750 mAh
- ENERGIZER Recharge Power Plus AAA 700 mAh
- DURACELL Recharge Ultra
- HEMA Super power Pre-charged AAA
- GAMMA oplaadbare batterij AAA NiMH 800 mAh
- ENELOOP BK-4MCCEC4BE
- MEMOREX Ready
Om het kaf van het koren te scheiden en beter hun prestaties en kwaliteit te beoordelen, hebben we de volgende 4 criteria gehanteerd.
Herlaadbare batterijen: de 4 geteste criteria
Capaciteit van de herlaadbare batterij
Het eerste criterium is natuurlijk de capaciteit. Onze experts controleerden eerst of de batterij het getal op de verpakking ook echt haalt.
Gebruiksduur van herlaadbare batterijen
Vervolgens gingen onze experts na hoe lang alle batterijen per laadbeurt stroom leveren bij intensieve belasting, om te bepalen welke batterijen de beste prestaties halen en welke de slechtste.
Prestaties op lange termijn van herlaadbare batterijen
Een herlaadbare batterij één keer opladen en weer ontladen door ze te gebruiken heet een cyclus. Bij elke cyclus slijten de batterijen een beetje en na een tijdje gaat laadcapaciteit verloren.
Een van de grootste voordelen van herlaadbare batterijen is juist dat je ze kan hergebruiken. Dat is dubbel interessant: voor het milieu omdat ze het chemisch afval beperken en voor je portemonnee omdat hun hogere aankoopprijs snel is terugverdiend.
Van de 15 geteste modellen leverden sommige na 200 testcycli nog altijd dezelfde hoge prestaties als in het begin, terwijl andere al lang vóór heteinde van de test versleten waren.
Herlaadbare batterijen ontladen na verloop van tijd
Niet-herlaadbare batterijen (bijvoorbeeld alkalinebatterijen) verliezen hun lading alleen als ze stroom leveren. Maar bij herlaadbare batterijen is er ook energieverlies als je ze gewoon ergens bewaart. Deze batterijen op voorhand opladen, zodat ze gebruiksklaar zijn als je ze nodig hebt, kan dus een probleem zijn.
Voor deze test hebben we elke batterij bewaard in een gecontroleerde omgeving om na te gaan welk percentage energie ze verloren had na 25 en 50 dagen.
Nog niet overtuigd om over te stappen op herlaadbare batterijen?
Aarzel je nog om over te stappen op herlaadbare batterijen? Het klopt inderdaad dat ook niet-herlaadbare batterijen voordelen bieden, zoals hun lagere aanschafprijs en het feit dat ze gebruiksklaar zijn zonder dat je ze moet opladen.
Daar staat tegenover dat je de hogere aankoopprijs van herlaadbare batterijen snel hebt terugverdiend, vooral als je de juiste keuze maakt!
Ontdek ons dossier met vergelijkende tests van zowel herlaadbare battterijen als batterijen voor eenmalig gebruik. Onze experts helpen je om te kiezen met verstand van zaken.