Eneloop Batteries - Well Reviewed for Light and Heavy-Duty Use

I ran into a Sanyo/Eneloop display at the Green Living Show here in Toronto. They claimed to have a much longer shelf life than regular NiMH rechargeables, and come pre-charged for that reason. However, they have a lower mAh rating, which implies they won't be as good for heavy-duty work. Interesting, I thought. I should get some for low-duty long-term use, like the remote light switch we have for our ceiling fan, or the TV remote control.

I filed that away, so when the batteries in our fan remote wore out, I thought, "I should get some of those eneloops." I picked some up at The Source on my way home, and after doing so, decided I should verify the claims on the internet.

Turns out, after reading reviews on a few sites (e.g. Amazon, epinions, dpreview.com) that people are not only having good shelf life, but are finding that they work better than much-higher-rated batteries fresh from the charger, which haven't had time to discharge naturally. Basically, they're better even for heavy-duty uses.

Not only that, but I see that Sanyo has a solar charger for these things. I'm sold. Eneloops from here on out. Well, until the next generation, anyway; problem is, I've already got a stockpile of Panasonics that are doing the job, so the upgrade to eneloops will take time.