White top duracell
- Thread starter abhi555
- Start date
StorminMatt
Flashlight Enthusiast
Why bother with ebay or mail order when Duraloops are easy enough to find in grocery stores and drugstores (and often on sale)? That way, you don't have to wait or pay for shipping. And you can confirm you're getting the real deal.
Backpacker Light
Enlightened
:thumbsup: I agree.
I always check the weekly Rite-Aid, Walgreen, and CVS ad's. It's rare, but when the Duraloops go I sale I stock up. And they last so freaking long, I think I now have too many!
Duracell also sometimes have coupons in the Sunday newspaper circular ad's, and my family & friends save the "rechargeable cell" one's for me.
Match them up and you can get these awesome batteries really cheap.
For instance, although Rite-Aid 4-pack regular price is $15.99, they ran a "buy one get one free" sale. With two $2 off coupons, that brings a 4-pack for $6 each.
I don't know if this was nation wide (US), but Duracell sent out glossy $4 off coupon in with all the Black Friday ad's last fall, and that brought my price for a 4-pack on sale to just $4.
LEDAdd1ct
Flashlight Enthusiast
Wandered into a Target a few months ago and picked some up, no problem.
Best Buy had both Chinese and Japanese Duraloops, but were more pricey.
They are out there.
Best Buy had both Chinese and Japanese Duraloops, but were more pricey.
They are out there.
VidPro
Flashlight Enthusiast
Got some white topped made in japan AAAs that are "duralock" hype branded, At target. Tested ok so far. I cant be positive for sure yet, just acts like the same thing so far.
ChrisGarrett
Flashlight Enthusiast
I look for these and find them all of the time, although they're more expensive at $12-$17 per four. The other day, I noticed that the 2000mAh Duracell AAs with the white tops aren't exactly the same as my Eneloop 1500s.
The Duracells have a glossy white plastic top at the button and the button has four narrow slits down near the plastic piece. The Eneloop top is matte in appearance and looks to be some sort of fiberboard material and definitely not glossy white plastic. The button has not slits, holes or gaps.
Finally the white topped Duracell AAs that I see here in Miami state that they're good for 400x charges and we all know that the 1500s are, well...good for 1500 charges. Even Gen 1s were good for 1000 charges, so I'm thinking that they're not the same battery.
I ended up putting them down because I just wasn't sure if they were really rebranded Eneloops and they're not any cheaper.
Chris
AbnInfantry
Newly Enlightened
While the packages of my Duracell StayCharged AA batteries say "recharge up to 400X," the white tops are all matte, not glossy, and there are no slits or holes like those present on my lithium primary or rechargeable 14500 batteries. I don't know why the packages say "400X" but the batteries are marked "Made in Japan" and certainly appear to be rebranded Sanyo Eneloops.
ChrisGarrett
Flashlight Enthusiast
Well then, we're seeing two different types with '400 charges' packaging and white tops because the stuff I've looked at BestBuy, Target, CVS et al., all have glossy white tops, slits in the buttons and are the reasons why I've held off toying with them.
To be fair, they do state 2000 mAh and Made In Japan, but those are just words.
Chris
To be fair, they do state 2000 mAh and Made In Japan, but those are just words.
Chris
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I was wondering about this as well, as next time I can stack coupons with the Rite aid sale I want to pick some up but if they are not eneloops I don't want to bother as I can probably source the real thing for the same price. Rite aid here is only stocking the dura lock branded ones. Target hasn't put any on clearance that I can see and I think they only had the duralock ones too and that pretty much exhausts my options for getting the Duraloops where I live.
ChrisGarrett
Flashlight Enthusiast
My Ebay guy does 12 AA 1500s for <$30.00 delivered, so the 'Duraloops' aren't any cheaper, even with coupons, but I like fiddling with things, so they were an option. Not no more.
Chris
Probably because they use the same packaging on the black top, "Made in China" non-eneloop. They would have to limit their claim to the lesser of the two types.
ChrisGarrett
Flashlight Enthusiast
I think that Duracell can afford to print up some new blister packs, don't you? 400x vs. 1500x is a lot of 'Xs' to let slip away, IMO.
Chris
I'm sure they can but they haven't in the past. IIRC, before the "Duralock" packaging, they used to just say the batteries could be recharged "hundreds of times".
I see white tops and black tops beside each other on the same sales display, using the same packaging. Duracell may have decided that it's not in their best interests to highlight the fact that they are selling two quality levels of LSD batteries; often for the same price.
Or they may have decided that, past a certain point, the average consumer doesn't care how many cycles they can expect. I certainly don't care that my Sanyo XX are only rated for 500x.
StorminMatt
Flashlight Enthusiast
Here's the thing. They probably don't want consumers to think that the Japanese cells are better. Otherwise, they might have a hard time selling the Chinese cells. And if they discontinue Duraloops, few people might buy the Chinese cells. But even if they don't, they would be forced to sell the Chinese cells at a discount vs Duraloops if they were rated at fewer discharge cycles.
ChrisGarrett
Flashlight Enthusiast
I might buy that thought if Duracell didn't have 5-6 different NiMH batteries out on the market here in Miami, presently. I see 1500 NiMH with chargers, I see the 2000 NiMH with black tops and white tops, I see 2450 NiMH cells and I see 2650 NiMH cells, so they're doing a pretty good job of 'being all over the map' if you ask me.
Chris
Jump Start
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
- May 23, 2009
- Messages
- 15
I bought Duracell white top AAs from Drugstore.com. With specials and a Duracell money off offer, the price was 8.99 and 9.99 for a four pack with free shipping.
I was quite pleased with the price and now get email offers of 15 to 20 % off specials which really helps.
Jump Start
I was quite pleased with the price and now get email offers of 15 to 20 % off specials which really helps.
Jump Start
Mr Happy
Flashlight Enthusiast
Does this shed any light on the matter?
The case style of eneloops changed from HR-UTG3 to HR-UTG3A and Duraloops have apparently followed. The Duracell on the left corresponds to the HR-3UTG eneloop and the one on the right most likely a revision "A".
ChrisGarrett
Flashlight Enthusiast
Thanks Mr. Happy,
Yeah, the new 400x Duracells that I've been seeing have the (evidently) older style button, with 'holes' and the older style, shiney, glossy white plastic piece, which actually makes things more confusing, unless Sanyo is using up their older parts to make the newer Duracells?
Chris
Yeah, the new 400x Duracells that I've been seeing have the (evidently) older style button, with 'holes' and the older style, shiney, glossy white plastic piece, which actually makes things more confusing, unless Sanyo is using up their older parts to make the newer Duracells?
Chris
StorminMatt
Flashlight Enthusiast
They may have NiMH batteries 'all over the map'. But the key point I'm trying to get at is that, if they have TWO 2000mAH AA batteries that they're selling for the same price, they DON'T want to make one look worse than the other.
VidPro
Flashlight Enthusiast
That is what my AAAs are more like , vents still showing, glossy top. With the 400X statement , dont know if i am getting cavier or fish eggs :-)
