Travel Adaptor plug : £1 in Poundworld

About : how cheap a travel adaptor plug is in pound shops

I have noticed travel adaptor plugs being anything from £2.25+ in supermarkets. But I noticed they are available in Poundworld and Poundland for £1. So in theory there seems no need to look anywhere else (unless they are cheaper online for acceptable quality).

Mine is from Poundworld. I trust their 'quality control', having seen their TV documentary and also by comparing a solar torch they sell (which is excellent) and an exact same looking version bought on Ebay from China (which didn't recharge).

I'm pretty sure you can get both types of travel adaptors from both pound shops. I'm finding that some electronics nowadays come with the 2-pin plugs, so a travel adaptor about the house is becoming a necessity.

Details
Brand : Blueskies
Official name : UK visitor travel adaptor.
Barcode : 5050577003398

JCB rechargeable batteries in Home Bargains

JCB AAA

About : AA and AAA rechargeable batteries
Bought : Home Bargains (UK)
Price : both £3.99 for a 4-pack

AA battery storage : 1200mah
AAA battery storage : 900mah

I bought these 4-packs of AA and AAA rechargeable batteries out of Home Bargains. I haven't had them long enough to make any judgement on their long-term use (many cheaper batteries quickly fade for recharge use). I will note any long-term observations when the time comes.

JCB AA 4-pack

Comment on the AA batteries : The ones I Bought only store 1200mah. That's about half of many newest AA recharge batteries. JCB do a 2400mah AA version, so I guess I got older ones. 1200mah is pretty paltry for AA batteries. I have seen the 1200mah and 2400mah 4-packs on Amazon for +£6.54, so they are cheaper in Home Bargains.

Comment on AAA batteries : These store 900mah. That's around as good as it gets for storage in AAA recharge batteries currently. Possibly even the most storage. So on paper these are a good buy but I will need to wait to test the quality. You can get these on Amazon for £3.99 4-pack so that's the same price as Home Bargains.

Other comments : It's odd they are similar colours to Duracell.

First impressions : The AAA storage sounds market-leading, but the AA storage is about 1/2 of other brands. I usually use Duracell as I have found cheaper brands to have been poor in the past. Even Energizer batteries have been disappointing for long-term reuse compared to Duracell. Obviously the JCB brand is respected in other industries, so I will give them a try and comment in later months about any problems.

I bought Energizer AA Accu Recharge Extreme 2300mih 4 pack rechargeable Ni-mh batteries

AA Energizer ACCU Recharge extreme 4 pack

Bought : 4-pack AA size rechargeable batteries
Brand : Energizer Accu Recharge Extreme
Storage Capacity : 2300mah
Type : NiMh
For use : Digital camera

Price : £6.88 in Amazon UK(slightly cheaper on Ebay ?)

Summary : Good reliable rechargeable battery. Duracell batteries now seem slightly cheaper (same company ?).

Score : 8/10
Score per cost : 8/10

My knowledge of batteries : very basic

I needed decent AA batteries for my camera. I always go for rechargeable. After a look around I plumped for Energizer Accu recharge extreme Ni-Mh batteries. Mine hold 2300 mah charge, which is decent. On the Energizer website the newest AA recharge battery seems to hold 2450 mah (which is not much more storage) but I have seen a photo of a 2500 mah battery, so 2450 mah may not be their longest storage. I guess that makes 2300 mah the 'mid range' and therefore can be found relatively cheaper. Mine were £6.88. The 2450mah seem a lot more expensive (more than double ?), so the 2300 mih storage seem relatively a lot cheaper. I have just started using the batteries and will update with any new information later.

Duracell batteries : I have also noticed that Duracell seem to be the main rival to the Energizer brand and their generally equivalent batteries seem a bit cheaper. I have seen a 4-pack of Duracell 2450mah rechargeable batteries for around £5.50 on Amazon UK (see link below). I would have probably bought them instead if I had noticed. I already own some Duracell rechargeable AA batteries and they seem fine.

BTY rechargeable AA battery : poor quality

BTY rechargeable batteries : I have bought the cheap BTY brand of rechargeable batteries sold on Ebay and they were abysmal. One was dud, and the others are quickly drained, don't hold storage well, and don't seem to fully charge.

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links :

UK Amazon : Energizer Extreme Rechargeable AA 2300mAh Batteries - 4 pack
UK Amazon : Duracell Rechargeable Accu Supreme 2450 mAh AA Batteries - 4-Pack
Energizer website
Duracell UK website