Canadian Eneloop sources

[Mike G]

My fellow Canadians,

Where do you get your 'Loops these days? I had a cursory look at Amazon and found that the prices this side of the border have gotten absolutely outrageous - $4.75/cell for AAs at best! And the bigger packs cost more per cell??? Meanwhile the Americans are practically stealing them by comparison at $3.80/cell after the exchange rate.

The only sane one is the AAA 24-pack at $2.50/cell, which is actually a pretty good deal. Aside from that... there's Laddas, which are still at a healthy $1.75/cell AA, and $1.50/cell AAA, but they're gen 1, good for half the cycles of the new ones. Still, "proper" Eneloops would need to be at or under $3.50/cell for AAs and $3 for AAAs to be better value, which a look at price history confirms my memory that they should be.

So, with Bezos.ca gone to Hell in a handbasket... surely there's more than just the one seller... right? I know from experience there's a surprising amount of Canadian webshops, usually specialty shops (like, say, a battery seller), which are darn well impossible to find with a search engine.

Or are we all just basically getting scalped, and there's nothing to do except deal with it?

 

[Dave D]

Do you have Ikea in Canada? Apparently their rechargeable AA and AAA's are rewrapped Eneloops.

 

[vicv]

The ikea ladda are really our only choice. They're good and give plenty of cycles

 

[Mike G]

Do you have Ikea in Canada? Apparently their rechargeable AA and AAA's are rewrapped Eneloops.

There's one not too far, though far enough that I'd still order online. I mentioned these in the OP, they're a good deal, but still gen 1 - that's why they're so much cheaper and haven't be affected by the recent price hike, I reckon. They're my first choice at the moment.

In theory, "proper" Eneloops should be a slightly better value than Laddas, if you go by $/cycle, but at current prices that's not the case. Hence my wondering if there was somewhere up here with better supply (of current-gen Eneloops) than Amazon.

 

[ghostguy6]

The ladda AA is available in 1900 and 2450mAH compared the Eneloop's 2000 and 2500mAH. If you get the 2450's you about as close as you can get. They may even be the exact cell just re-branded but with a different rating. Its entirely possible Panasonic inflated their numbers a little bit. You likely wouldn't even notice the 50mAH difference if the numbers as true.

 

[letschat7]

Energizer rechargables seem to be eneloops.

 

[vicv]

Energizer rechargables seem to be eneloops.

I believe so no. Maybe it's changed but last time I checked they were made in China and they were only 1000 mA hours. Some Duracell's are rebranded enloops. Amazon basics used to be but they're not anymore. The best way is just to get the IKEA cells then you know for sure.

 

[Dave_H]

As we're on an Ikea roll, will just toss in a few points. I'm still using old Ikea LADDA which were silver and green, seem to be holding up well.

For the new ones, which I have not acquired yet, if they are at least close to "real" Eneloops, the price is hard to beat.

BTW I have been using the Ikea $8 STENKOL 4xAA/AAA NiMH charger for a while and although being slow (350mA), is very decent; got another used at Value Village for about $4. It does reject certain older cells with higher resistance, as many fast(er) chargers do, but not bad overall.

Dave

 

[Mike G]

As we're on an Ikea roll, will just toss in a few points. I'm still using old Ikea LADDA which were silver and green, seem to be holding up well.

If you're talking about the half-and-half coloured ones, like so...

...I think these ones are made in China, and not Eneloops. Or at least, so I've heard. Maybe you could check yours so we can find out?

For the new ones, which I have not acquired yet, if they are at least close to "real" Eneloops, the price is hard to beat.

They are - they're made on the old gen 1 Eneloop machinery. Light grey wrapper, 1,900 mAh. Made in Japan and the specs are an exact match. The only NiMH factories in Japan are Eneloop factories, as far as I'm aware, so that leaves only one possibility. It's all but written on them
The 2,450 mAh with dull bluish-greenish-grey wrapper are older generation Eneloop Pro, best match by the numbers is 3rd or 4th gen (min. 2,450 mAh), but I personally suspect they're 1st gen like the lower-capacity version with slightly fudged advertised capacity (min. 2,400 mAh).

The slightly older white with black writing version was the same, just an aesthetic refresh. The brown ones were Eneloop Lite and made in China. Not 100% on generation but the capacity suggests gen 1 on those as well.

References:
https://eneloop101.com/batteries/complete-lineup/
https://eneloop101.com/batteries/rewrapped-batteries/ (scroll down or ctrl + F to find Ladda, they're way down close to the bottom)

The chargers aren't bad, but not amazing, either. I guess for 4 bucks (or 8 bucks, for that matter), it's hard to go wrong, especially if you just work with AA/AAA NiMH, but I like the flexibility of a multi-chemistry charger. Manual config is nice when properly implemented, no need to worry about the charger making a mistake (but you might need to worry about yourself making a mistake!).

 

[Monocrom]

Honestly, I think the IKEA ones are better than the White-label Eneloops. Might be a different story regarding the newer Black-label Eneloops. But yeah.... Go with IKEA.

 

[Dave_H]

If you're talking about the half-and-half coloured ones, like so...
View attachment 53807
...I think these ones are made in China, and not Eneloops. Or at least, so I've heard. Maybe you could check yours so we can find out?

I have some still in package from back when they went on clearance. Cells are marked "China", date code in 2013 I think ("1513").

Dave

 

[letschat7]

Bought these the day of the post.

I believe so no. Maybe it's changed but last time I checked they were made in China and they were only 1000 mA hours. Some Duracell's are rebranded enloops. Amazon basics used to be but they're not anymore. The best way is just to get the IKEA cells then you know for sure.

 

[vicv]

Neat. Only ones I saw were 1000mah

 

[Dave_H]

Neat. Only ones I saw were 1000mah

Why so low capacity...Eneloops being typically 2000mAh. I have not payed attention but thought capacity this low wasn't sold much anymore.

Dave

 

[vicv]

Why so low capacity...Eneloops being typically 2000mAh. I have not payed attention but thought capacity this low wasn't sold much anymore.

Dave

I'm not sure why. That's why I never bought them

 

[Dave_H]

I'm not sure why. That's why I never bought them

Going back to earlier days of NiMH in the 1990's, typical AA cell was around 1300mAh. These
days you see these low capacities for solar garden lighting, to "right-size" to product and
keep cost down. Otherwise these 1000mAh seem stuck in the past. I also have not bought any,
still working on older ones including recovered from recycling (those which are still good).

Dave

 

[letschat7]

For anything of inportance and long runtime I use alkalines and 1.7v Lithiums when I can. Nimh is just a green option for nonessential lights and gear or if I don't want to worry about a leak.

 

[Mike G]

Going back to earlier days of NiMH in the 1990's, typical AA cell was around 1300mAh. These
days you see these low capacities for solar garden lighting, to "right-size" to product and
keep cost down. Otherwise these 1000mAh seem stuck in the past. I also have not bought any,
still working on older ones including recovered from recycling (those which are still good).

Dave

Eneloop Lites were 1,000 mAh, but could handle twice as many cycles as standard Eneloops. That's the main benefit. Good for stuff that's either very low drain, going to be recharged every day, or both. TV remotes and, as you mentioned, solar-powered lighting come to mind. I wouldn't say stuck in the past, necessarily, just very niche - that's probably why Panasonic doesn't really make them anymore.

 

[vicv]

For anything of inportance and long runtime I use alkalines and 1.7v Lithiums when I can. Nimh is just a green option for nonessential lights and gear or if I don't want to worry about a leak.

I'm not sure I understand this. For long runtime alkaline is the worst choice. Unless it's a tv remote. But then I don't want it wrecked so I still use nimh. Nimh is not a green option, it's better than alkaline in every single measurable way. Alkaline has no advantages. Except extremely low draw devices. But still not worth the leaking

 

[letschat7]

I have storacells full of alkalines. I can keep going and going and going so to speak.