Question about generic brand batteries - are they actually killing my kids' toys faster?

I used to only buy the cheap dollar store batteries because why pay $8 for name brand when I can get a 12-pack for $2? But last month my son's remote control car died in 20 minutes while the same car with Duracell ran for 3 hours, so now I'm wondering if I've been wasting money on those cheap packs all along. Has anyone else tested this or am I just unlucky with the brand I grabbed?

3 comments

3 Comments

miller.jason1mo ago

Yeah totally agree with you on this one. I did the same thing for years buying those cheapo battery packs thinking I was being smart with money. Then my kid's little dinosaur toy that walks and makes noise started barely moving after like 10 minutes with the dollar store ones, but with Energizer it went for a solid couple hours. I mean maybe it's just me but I swear they dump way less power in those cheap batteries, like they're just not putting the same juice in them even if they look the same. I've basically stopped buying anything but name brand for the toys that actually drain batteries fast, it's just not worth the frustration.

gavinhunt1mo ago

Stick with high drain toys, cheap batteries are useless there.

charlesowens2d ago

Got a buddy named Mike who learned this the hard way with his son's RC car. He bought a 12 pack of no name batteries from some discount store thinking he was saving big. That car went maybe 15 feet before it started crawling like a snail, and the kid was just sitting there disappointed. Meanwhile @gavinhunt is absolutely right about those high drain toys, they need real power. Mike finally broke down and got some Duracell and the thing was zipping around the driveway for almost an hour straight. He told me later he threw the rest of those cheap batteries in the TV remote where they at least lasted a while.