Holiday Deals & Gift Guide

• Toy and riding cars
• Video game consoles and controllers
• Remote control vehicles
• Flashlights
• Clocks
• Electronic drink mixer/frother
• Cameras
• Personal sound alarm
• Kids toys
• Flameless candles
• Sound spas

Lithium-Ion: Li-ion batteries are commonly used in modern portable electronics and electric toys.

Lithium batteries are single-use batteries that feature primary cell construction. They are typically used to power things such as pacemakers, calculators, glucose monitors, and watches and last up to six times longer than alkaline single-use batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries feature secondary cell construction which allows them to be recharged. They can be found in wireless headphones, power tools, UPS power backups, toys, and other rechargeable applications.

The quality of a rechargeable battery is determined by its capacity, the number of recharge cycles, self-discharge rate, and consistency.

• Capacity: A battery's capacity refers to how long it will last per charge and is measured in milliamp hours (mAh). The higher the number of milliamp hours, the greater the amount of energy the battery can store, which allows the battery to perform longer before it needs to be recharged.
• Cycles: Rechargeable batteries slowly break down every time they're used. The number of times they can be recharged is measured in charge cycles. The higher the number of charge cycles, the longer the rechargeable battery will last before it needs to be replaced.
• Self-Discharge: Rechargeable batteries slowly lose their charge while not in use. If you're using rechargeable batteries in low-power electronics or something that's going to sit in storage, then you'll want to buy a brand with a low self-discharge rate.
• Consistency: Cheaper rechargeable batteries tend to suffer from inconsistent capacities and lifespans. For most applications, this isn't a huge deal. But if you're trying to get the best performance from your batteries, it's best that they all match.

While it might be tempting to try and save money by purchasing the cheapest batteries you can find, these low-quality batteries are typically unreliable and feature short lifespans. You'l get a much more consistent performance from batteries manufactured by nationally recognized brands. While they might cost a bit more upfront, higher quality batteries have longer lifespans, which can end up saving you money over a cheap battery that constantly needs replacing.