BATTERY BRANDS RANKED FROM WORST TO BEST

9. Eveready, CVS, Amazon Basics, and other mid-range brands

Many mid-range batteries are hard to evaluate precisely due to limited and inconsistent test data. In this category, we’re grouping together several brands with similar performance levels: Eveready, CVS, Home Depot's store brand, Amazon Basics, Impecca, PNP Depot, Polaroid, RadioShack, and Sunbeam.

Eveready’s Gold alkaline batteries earned average marks from PowerStream, though CinemaSound praised their value. Consumer NZ even recommended them for decent energy performance. Their Carbon Zinc “Super Heavy Duty” line didn’t fare as well. Across the board, these mid-range batteries show inconsistent results. For example, Amazon Basics NiMH rechargeables performed well, but their alkaline versions were less impressive.

Polaroid’s naming scheme also confused things—its “Super Alkaline” outperformed its “Extreme.” CVS Health AA Alkaline got low marks from some testers, but the “MAX” version scored better. PNP Depot’s rechargeable lithium cells got mixed reviews too—rated poorly at Lowe’s but praised at Home Depot.

If there’s one theme among these brands, it’s inconsistency. They're not terrible, but results vary depending on the specific product line.