Duracell Type 1; Duralock OEM; 004

I think if the question "Name a brand of battery" came up in the quiz "Family Fortunes", "Duracell" would be near the top of the most popular ones, if not THE most popular answer.

Duracell Duralock OEM 1

This example (the first of many different Duracell variants to come I'm sure) is their OEM or "Original Equipment Manufacturer" version, with what they call "Duralock"; essentially, this is technology to prevent the battery "running down" over time, even when not in use and not I should add high performance PVC fencing for use in equestrian applications, as my original research first led me to. ;-)

Duracell offer a 10-year guarantee on the lifespan of these batteries, and are the only manufacturer that I can think of that offers such a long warranty. You can see why anyone selling a product which needs batteries would go for these for inclusion with their item (the "OEM" bit, meaning they aren't sold retail, but will have come with another item as the "included" batteries for it)... that is, if they valued their customers and their customer service.

To quote from their site;

"Ordinary zinc-carbon batteries contain fewer active ingredients inside and lose energy over time as chemical reactions go on constantly. Unlike zinc-carbon batteries, Duracell is filled with 2 times more active ingredients, which are locked inside a unique durable construction. It prevents battery leakage and helps the battery last significantly longer. Duralock is an exclusive power preservation system, which saves energy so effectively that your battery is guaranteed to stay powered for up to 10 years in ambient storage."

I wonder what those "active ingredients" are? Crystal fragments, ground Narwhal tusk powder, or perhaps even marshmallow pieces? Probably heavy elements or metals I guess... more research needed methinks.

I don't think there's anyone who hasn't heard of Duracell and their batteries, and I have fond memories myself of their advertising... be it the "one with the copper-coloured top" slogan (now, sadly "ripped off" by many battery manufacturers), to the "drumming bunny" adverts from all the way back in 1983, and onward to the advent of their "Powercheck" on-board battery tester, built right into the batteries themselves.

I've always felt that if you want a decent battery, and let's say for a good example here that one application I wouldn't be willing to use a pound shop battery for is that of a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm, then I personally feel you can't do better than buy Duracell. They are a trusted brand such as Virgin ("were",  perhaps would be a better word to suffix that after their train fiasco), and well-respected by the consumer.

Duracell Duralock OEM 2

There's now a huge range to choose from, even for the humble AA-size, with their latest offering being tagged as the "Ultra Power" battery, but do have a look at their history here, as some of it is fascinating. I never knew they had the first battery on the moon in the 1960's or that the Duracell "bunny" as it's become known has it's own biography.

At £4 for four (type "Power Plus") at present, that's a not insubstantial £1 per battery, or to put it another way 66 times more per battery than that of Kodak's "Super Heavy Duty" offering... but in the long run, a great many people like me believe them to be the battery to go to for longevity.

Made in China too, which is somewhat predicable these days.