#bonai

I’ve used several different rechargeable batteries in my flashes over the years, but I usually stick with brands I know: Sanyo/Panasonic Eneloops, Duracells, and even Amazon Basics. Recently, though, I ran across Bonai AA batteries on Amazon with a claimed 2800 mAh capacity and a nearly perfect user rating, and I was intrigued. I’d never heard of the brand, but they were inexpensive (especially in larger quantities), so I contacted the company and they sent me a free set to test. This is what I found:

Price

Most photographers trust Eneloops in their flashes, so why would they choose another brand? The price would be a big factor. Purchased in packs of four, the price difference with Eneloops is modest: the Bonai cost [amazon template=price&asin=B072DTNL5W]. However, if you buy 8, they cost only $12.99 (currently on sale. Regular price is $15.99), which is less than the price of four standard Eneloops ([amazon template=price&asin=B00JHKSN76]). Buy a 16 pack and they’re an even better deal.

Capacity

My standard Eneloops claim a capacity of 1900 mAh, but the Bonai batteries claim 2800mAh! As soon as I unboxed my batteries, I ran them through a charging test cycle to get an idea of their capacity. The four batteries measured as 2267, 2228, 2226, and 2243 mAh. That’s significantly lower than the claimed 2800, but it’s not too bad compared to standard Eneloops. For comparison, I also measured my high-capacity Amazon Basics (rated at 2400 mAh) at 2397, 2403, 2403, and 2356.

Bonai batteries showing a tested capacity of around 2200 mAh.

Eneloop batteries testing at just under 1900 mAh capacity.

High Capacity Amazon Basic batteries testing at about 2400 mAh.

As a second test, I loaded the set of Bonai batteries into a flash and fired it on full-power until the batteries died, then did the same with the Amazon Basic High Capacity. The Bonai gave me a solid 244 pops. The Amazons gave me 256.

This was on the Bonai set’s first charge, while the Amazons are about a year old. Some batteries need a bit of a break-in period, so I used these in a flash for a week, completely discharging and charging them multiple times. My second capacity test put them at 2321, 2344, 2320, and 2369. This jump gave me hope that with a little more break in, they might actually reach something near the stated capacity.  Unfortunately, a third test reverted to the original numbers.

Output

Knowing how much energy they could store, I set about testing how fast they could get rid of it. I loaded the freshly charged set into a variety of different flash units and checked to see how fast they’d recycle them on manual full-power. I fired the flash 25 times in a row and averaged the results.

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As you can see, the Bonai batteries are pretty comparable to Eneloops and Amazons, depending on the flash, although they’re perhaps 10% slower in some instances. However, these differences are modest, even at full-power. Again, these batteries are new, and their internal resistance may change slightly with time. The other batteries tested were older.

Fit

These batteries will fit into your products just fine. Unlike some cheap NiMH batteries, these ones don’t have an extra-thick or doubled-up wrap that makes them too large to slide into your battery slots.

Conclusion

These batteries do not live up to their claims of 2800 mAh, but compared to standard Eneloops, they still perform well. It’s a shame that these weren’t simply marketed as 2200 or 2300 mAh cells; then I’d at least trust the company rather than feeling like they’re trying to pull one over on us. I’ve only had these batteries for a couple of weeks, so I haven’t been able to test their long-term performance. I don’t know whether they’re even truly low self-discharge batteries, and I don’t know how many recharge cycles they will last, and that’s where trust in the company (or lack thereof) is so important. Consequently, I can’t recommend them for critical, professional use. Go with Eneloops or AmazonBasics instead, or any of the others listed on my battery page.

At best, these batteries will perform about as well as my other favorites, and will give you more capacity than Eneloops, and they cost about half as much… even compared to Amazon Basics (high capacity) batteries, which cost about $20 for 8. Bonai AAs cost $24 for 16. If you’re an amateur, or if you’re working in a situation where stopping and switching out a set of batteries isn’t a big deal, then I’d go ahead and give them a try.

I’ll continue testing these batteries and will update this article with long term results as they’re available.

Question? Comments?

Let me know in the comments section below.