Batteries with an overall score of 70% or above are recommended.

This overall score is made up of performance under high drain conditions (25%) and low drain conditions (20%); endurance under high drain conditions (25%) and low drain conditions (20%); and value for high drain devices (5%) and low drain devices (5%).

The batteries are tested in a rig and monitored by a computer, with each of the batteries discharged into a fixed load. The load is 2 Ohms for the high discharge test.

The batteries are tested in a rig and monitored by a computer, with each of the batteries discharged into a fixed load. The load is 24 Ohms for the low discharge test, which is the sort of situation you'd use for a remote control.

How well the battery performs over time at a capacity high enough to operate devices such as camera flashes and high-performance toys.

How well the battery performs over time at a capacity high enough to operate devices such as remote controls. The times you can expect under this power load are much longer than you'd expect than a situation with a high-drain device.

A measurement of the performance of the battery when powering high-drain devices. While lithium batteries may give you better performance overall, the cost per battery makes them a poor value proposition with cheaper high-performing alkaline batteries giving you better value.

A measurement of the performance of the battery when powering low drain devices. The cost per unit for zinc-based batteries may seem to be good value over its usable life. However, terms such as heavy duty and super heavy duty really mean nothing when it comes to the ability to power your average home appliance for as long as possible. As with high-drain situations, if you want the best overall value, the general advice would be to seek out the best-performing yet affordable alkaline batteries.

This figure indicates which models are able to deliver at least 1V for long enough to be useful to power your high-drain devices for as long as possible.

Although batteries that drop to 0.7V may not be ideal for tasks such as powering high-drain devices, you might still consider batteries that take a long time to get to 0.7V if your power requirements aren't that high.

This figure is usually based on the pack price divided by the number in the pack. The four-pack is the most common, however some of the models on test were only available in packs of 10, 12 or even 20 batteries.

This figure is usually based on the purchase of a 4-pack of batteries. However, most battery models are available for less (per battery) if bought in larger numbers. Some of the models on test were only available in packs of 10, 12 or even 20 batteries.