Tests Show AA Batteries Are Mostly the Same

Are you a devotee of brand-name AA batteries to power your flotilla of portable devices? Then a new study by Dealnews could save you a great deal of money. Its conclusion: There's not much difference between the lesser-known and the recognized brands.

The site set up a test with the Worcester Polytechnic Institute to gauge the relative battery life of brands including Duracell, Energizer, Rayovac and a generic brand. It found "no measurable difference" in energy output among them -- except the Energizer Advanced Lithium battery.