There’s nothing worse than getting a great gift only to have the battery conk out after just a few hours, or minutes.

Some batteries do a great job powering up some of your electronics but are all wrong for the stuff. To see which ones were the best in different situations, three types of non-rechargeable AA batteries were tested: alkalines, lithium, and nickel oxy hydroxide.

The test was designed to mimicked a typical digital camera’s operation to find batteries that will keep your camera clicking. For CD players and toys – not to mention clocks, flashlights, and remote controls – that you want to keep going and going, a test was designed to check the lower battery draws typical of these devices. Lithium batteries were bit pricey, but their ability to keep digital cameras going might take them economical in the long run.

Nickel Oxy Hydroxide batteries are solid performers in CD players and toys that require a consistent low current, and work well in digital cameras too. Alkalines are also a very good, economical choice for these devices. Stock up on the two type of batteries stated here so your presents will be ready to go right out of the box.

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