The 8 Best A23 Batteries

Editor's Notes

January 19, 2020:

Purely in terms of lifespan, I’d lean on brand-name options like the Duracell Duralock MN21and Energizer 12V – it isn’t an accident that certain battery brands tend to be more coveted than others – they usually offer a better lifespan than cheaper options. There are countless examples of battery discharge curves on the internet where you can see this behavior: brand-name batteries will have lower degradation rates (and therefore last longer) than the generic, dollar-store-type cells they’re being tested against, often because a lower-quality battery design can lead to a more rapid resistance build-up in the battery which dampens the voltage.

The difference between the life of two individual batteries is minute; but that difference can start to add up over 100’s of batteries. Ideally, we would plot a graph of cost-per-unit over lifespan; however, this is an over-simplified way of looking at real-world performance and there are a lot of other variables and features that can complicate this curve. Also, remember that generic batteries are also cheaper per model, and, secondly, you always get cheaper when you buy bulk – however, if you really want to benefit from this cost-performance-basis model without having to go through the heavy data-analysis, then I would recommend the Energizer 50 Pack as well as the GP 20-pack.

However, if you only need a few batteries, and you’re not into the habit of ‘stocking up for the future’, then sticking with smaller packs of the brand-name batteries should do you just fine. The other low-volume options on this list may degrade more quickly, but they compensate by being cheaper on a cost-per-unit basis - so they’re all, quite frankly, viable options too. However, I’m quite impressed with the LiCB 10-Pack and the Keyko Japan High Tech. The LiCB is a more ‘budget-friendly’ option (on a per-unit basis) and the company makes great budget-friendly batteries of multiple types.