It is rare that I’m pleasantly surprised by batteries these days. I’ve been testing AA batteries for speedlights on this site for over a decade now. Many of the batteries have come with bold promises and failed to deliver, but not the XTARs. I’ll skip the chatter and get straight to the details: these batteries claim to have a capacity of 2600mAh and actually provide 2600mAhs, and their low internal resistance provides excellent charging speed for flash units. That makes these the best batteries that I’ve tested. The downside? Price and availability. But let’s start with the positive details.
Measured Capacity
To measure the capacity of these batteries, I used my trusty old Opus BT-C2000 for continuity with my previous battery tests. On the first test out of the box, the capacity of the batteries came as follows:
If you can’t see the values in the photo, they read: 2613, 2643, 2641, 2666 for an average of 2641, which exceeds the stated capacity of 2600mAh. Impressive.
For comparison, these batteries have made similar capacity claims:
| Battery Brand | Stated Capacity | Actual Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| XTAR | 2600 | 2640 |
| Powerex Pro | 2700 | 2550 |
| Idea Ladda | 2450 | 2500 |
| Bonai | 2800 | 2400 |
| EBL Standard | 2800 | 2050 |
| EBL Dragon Ed. | 2800 | 2500 |
Power Output
Even though NiMH rechargeable batteries have slightly lower voltage than alkaline batteries, they can generally dump a greater volume of power into a flash in a short amount of time than alkalines and can usually charge a speedlight in half the time because of their lower internal resistance. But even among NiMH batteries, some are faster than others.
As you can see in the table below, the XTAR 2600mAh batteries were able to charge my flash faster than any other battery that I’ve tested (with a few samples provided for comparison). The difference between the next best batteries was minimal, but impressive nonetheless.
| Battery Brand | Full Power Flash Recycle Time (Lower is Better) |
|---|---|
| XTAR 1.2v 2600mAh | 2.23 sec. |
| EBL Dragon | 2.33 sec. |
| Powerex 2700mAh | 2.40 sec. |
| Amazon Basics 2400mAh | 2.77 sec. |
For this test, I loaded freshly charged batteries from each brand into my Godox TT685(s) Flash in manual mode, set to discharge at full power, and fired 10 consecutive shots, measuring the time between the flash and the “ready” light with a high frame rate video.
Size and Fit
Every now and then, I’ll buy rechargeable batteries (especially high capacity ones) and find that they don’t fit into the battery slots in my flash because they’re slightly larger than they should be.
That’s not the case with these XTAR batteries: they slide easily into and out of my Godox flash, a Canon flash, a Nikon, and a Yongnuo that I have handy… except for one. One of them was a little tight in my Godox flash… enough that it didn’t make contact with the battery door until I adjusted it manually, and then it was fine. I haven’t found it to be an issue in any of the other flash units.
The XTAR L4 Pro Smart Charger
Along with the XTAR batteries, I was sent a charger for them. The power input of the charger is USB-C, so you’ll need a USB power source in addition, but the charger is otherwise excellent, featuring separate channels, low-voltage battery recovery, battery reconditioning, and 3 stage charging to reduce heat and prolong battery life. It can handle AA and AAA NiMH batteries, and Li-Ion batteries as well, all charging in any combination at the same time.
It is not a particularly fast charger (I haven’t timed it yet, but charging seems to take several hours), but it should be good for your batteries.
Price, Value, & Availability
There are plenty of cheap batteries out there, but their prices often reflect their performance. If we look at how much these batteries cost overall and per 100 mAh of power storage, we can get an idea of their value.
| Battery Type | Tested Capacity (mAh) | Price for 4 | Price per 100 mAh (based on 4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powerex Pro | 2550 | $13.95 | $0.14 |
| Ikea Ladda | 2500 | $9.99 | $0.10 |
| Eneloop Standard | 2100 | $14.90 | $0.18 |
| AmazonBasics High Capacity | 2400 | $8.64 | $0.09 |
| EXTAR | 2640 | $12.90 | $0.12 |
XTAR Batteries are considerably less expensive than standard Eneloops and Powerex Pros, even though XTAR out-performs both. However, they are a little more expensive than Amazon’s batteries and Ikea Ladda batteries (which are also excellent performers).
So, while they’re not the lowest price per mAh, they’re a great price considering that they perform better than any of the other batteries tested.
The downside? They’re not easy to get, if you’re in the US. At the time of writing, these particular XTAR batteries can only be purchased via the XTAR website, and the ship from China.
Although XTAR does have an Amazon store, they do not stock these NiMH batteries, although they do carry quite a few Li-ion batteries in AA size. My contact at XTAR assured me that they’re going to stock their Amazon store with these batteries soon. In the meantime, via the XTAR site they cost $12.90, and the $8.90 shipping will get the batteries to you in about two weeks, making them expensive and inconvenient.
Conclusion
XTAR’s 2600mAh NiMH batteries are the best batteries that I’ve tested over the course of the past decade, matching or beating the battery ratings on the packaging, which is a refreshing in this age of inflated battery claims. They’re high capacity with low internal resistance to charge your flash equipment quickly, and they’re a good price. The significant downside at the moment is their availability, and with any luck that will change in the near future, as batteries are typically purchased when needed. If you have a bit of patience, though, these batteries are highly recommended. If you can’t wait, IKEA’s Ladda batteries are a close second.
