Energizer Rechargeable Batteries and Charging Systems - Review and Giveaway

One thing I'm going to need this week is a lot of energy. We'll be busy, busy, busy! My grandfather turns 90 (amazing energy!), my nephew turns 1 (another big milestone!) and we're driving to Chicago for BlogHer and also plan to visit Museum of Science and Industry and The Field Museum. And my digital camera will accompany me to all those events. Thanks to Energizer and that pink bunny, at least my camera won't lack in energy even though I may be dragging!

Around here it seems just about every little gadget and toy needs batteries! Energizer knows all about energy and energy needs. Their line of rechargeable batteries and charging systems caters to on the go families. I just briefly walked around our den and counted no less than 10 battery powered toys on the floor. That is the tip of the iceberg. We go through quite a few batteries, needless to say. Here are the top battery hogs in our home: our flashlights, the digital camera, my daughter's LeapFrog Tag reader, my son's Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium, the kid's electronic music keyboard and the Brio battery-powered train engine. They all require different battery sizes.

Energizer recently sent me a variety of chargers and batteries to review. The first one we tried out is the Family Charger. Geez, I should of had one of these chargers a long time ago. It charges all sizes in multiple combinations, up to 8 AAA, 8 AA, 2 9V, 4 C and 4 D. The charge status indicator lets you know when charging is completed. We use AA batteries the most, so the ability to charge 8 at a time is certainly useful. While we've only had the charger and batteries a month and can't verify all the claims as far as durability and how long the batteries keep charge in storage (manufacturer claims up to 6 months), what we can attest to is that the rechargeable batteries work as good if not better than the ordinary alkaline AA batteries. Plus, the charger is good for the environment. I'm so happy I don't have to dispose of as many batteries as before.

The Energizer Family Charger suggested retail price is $29.99 (batteries not included). The charger is best suited for Energzier NiMH batteries. Charge time varies depending on the battery size and how many batteries need charging. It takes about three hours to charge 4 AA batteries and six hours to charge 8 AA batteries. (Refer to Energizer website for complete instructions and product details.) I know that fast chargers are all the rage, but here's one interesting tidbit I learned by visiting the website FAQ page: "fast chargers can limit the NiMH battery lifetime to 150 charges while slower chargers can prolong the cycle life to more than 500 charges."

Did you know you can recycle your rechargeable batteries free of charge? Visit http://www.call2recycle.org/ for full details and to find a recycling center near you.

Buying a charger? - Don't forget to send in the Energizer® Rechargeable® Charger $5.00 mail-in Rebate. Offer ends 8/15/2009.

Win a charger! Do you go through a ton of AA/AAA batteries like us? Energizer provided me with an Easy Charger with auto shut-off (smaller than the Family Charger, but includes AA batteries) to giveaway to one Brimful Curiosities reader!

To enter, leave a comment letting me know what device or gadget you'd like to power with rechargeable batteries.

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section.
• Contest is open to US only
• Contest ends on Monday, August 3rd, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST.
• Winner will be chosen at random

Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4):
1st extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader
2nd extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.
3rd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.

(Chargers provided free of charge for review by Energizer. View my full disclosure statement for more information about my reviews.)