AA batteries powers many toys, game controllers, and other popular gadgets we get as gifts. But not all batteries are created equal. So we tested the most popular brands, to make sure you’re getting the most energy for your buck.

This year we evaluated 13 alkaline and 2 lithium batteries. Our test scenarios were based on typical battery usage in toys and in flashlights. Our toy test mimicked an hour a day of continuous play. A second test involved turning a flashlight on for 4 minutes every hour for 8 hours, then leaving it alone for 16 hours. We repeated each test until the batteries were drained.

What we found

The two lithium models we tested (Energizer Ultimate Lithium and Energizer Advanced Lithium) outperformed all of the alkaline batteries. But alkalines are far less expensive, and several brands came close to the lithiums in performance.

Within the 13 alkaline brands, we saw a fairly wide range of performance, but seven were recommended by Consumer Reports. The top-scoring alkaline battery model—Duracell Quantum—was not significantly different from the high-scoring lithium models, and it costs less than half as much. It’s a cheaper option than lithiums for high-drain situations (such as often-used flashlights).

We prefer lithium batteries over alkalines for hard-to-access or infrequently used devices, because of lithium's higher stability (lower “self-discharge” or power loss over time). Unlike alkalines, lithium batteries don't contain a corrosive liquid.

Kirkland Signature batteries were designated a Consumer Reports Best Buy, at 90 cents a pair.

The Panasonic Digital Power batteries were not only the most expensive of the alkaline batteries we tested ($2.84 for two), they scored lowest in our tests.