A Review of Xeno 3.6 Volt Batteries

Recently I had the opportunity to purchase and use Xeno AA batters. I obtained these from www.batteriesandbutter.com. It should be noted that these are not ordinary AA batteries. They are 3.6 volt lithium batteries. For those of you who do not know, most AA batteries like Duracell and Energizer, the kind you find just about everywhere, are either 1.2 Volt or 1.5 Volt. This is even true of the lithium batteries put out by the major manufacturers. Check the back of the package; the alkaline and lithium batteries found in stores are either 1.2 or 1.5 Volts. These high-powered Xeno batteries definitely have some pros and cons.

Do not use these batteries in ordinary flashlights! They will blow the bulbs out. Most of the bulbs in common flashlights state "2.4 V" on the side. I learned the hard way about this one.

For some reason, some appliances will drain the batteries if left in the appliance. I had a small hair trimmer that did this. It did not do this with the regular AA batteries but it did with the 3.6V variety. However, the batteries I put in my wife's nail buffer did not drain. So, some appliances will do this and some will not. I am not sure why; you will have to find out for yourself which appliances will and will not do this. To remedy the problem simply take out the batteries when not in use.

You cannot use a 3.6V in conjunction with a regular 1.2 - 1.5V battery. If the appliance takes two batteries you have got to use two 3.6V batteries.

Also, these batteries are not cheap. I priced several online and they usually averaged somewhere between $3.00 - $5.00 per battery (the price depends greatly on how many one purchases at a time). www.batteriesandbutter.com had the cheapest so I went with them. I purchased Xeno brand batteries, but I am guessing (key word) that the properties of 3.6 volt lithium batteries are the same. I have not been able to find any 3.6 AA batteries in any brick-and-mortar store.

That takes care of the negatives. How about the positives? First off, these batters are standard AA size batteries. Sometimes people will tell you to use two 3 volt camera batteries for one AA battery. It is true that two camera batteries (often called "123" batteries) are approximately the same size as two AA batteries. However, they are thicker and slightly longer than half the length of one AA battery. Also camera batteries are normally only 3 volts. For a good chart on battery types and dimensions I recommend -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_battery_sizes

Given that these batteries are lithium batteries they should last longer than a standard AA battery. The verdict is still out on that. Given that the batteries are substantially more powerful I would imagine that they could still be used even if they were highly depleted.

This is the great positive factor of these batteries - more power. These batteries are like steroids for appliances (which is not always a good thing). My wife's nail buffer and my hair trimmer operated much faster than on regular AA batteries. The possible uses for these powerful cells are numerous; I am glad I have a few around to test in the future.

There you have my review of Xeno 3.6 volt lithium AA batteries. I wish someone else had done a review of these earlier so I did not have to blow out a few flashlights, but gadget knowledge requires some sacrifice. The big drawback on these is the price, and for that reason I can understand someone not purchasing them. If you need some batteries that will merely get the job done, go with regular AA batteries. However, if you need more power then these batteries are the way to go.