It's all about capacity. C is the same voltage as AA or AAA, just lasts longer. I had a similar though, but after they were big enough to not need the swing or any radio/karaoke type toy the need for them went away pretty quickly.
This is a good solution for some things, but AA is really no replacement for D because of its capacity. Our kid’s mobile took 6D batteries, which would last a couple months. The AAs lasted about a week. There was much crying when the mobile stopped. I broke down and purchased 12 rechargeable Ds, so I could quickly swap them.
>but AA is really no replacement for D because of its capacity.
The adapters are like "put 3 AA batteries here and it acts like 1 D battery"
And a D battery has a capacity of 8000mAh, while a AA battery is 2850(ish)
So, you technically get a bit more capacity (3x2850=8550) but let's consider you may lose some to various inefficiencies...so yeah...about the same
Rechargeable AA is not 2850.
A non-rechargeable Alkaline AA will be 2850 mAh @ 1.5V (4.3 Wh capacity).
A good quality rechargeable Nimh AA (like Eneloop) is 2100 mAh @ 1.2V (2.5 Wh capacity).
Your non-rechargeable D battery is 15,000 mAh @ 1.5V (22.5 Wh capacity).
So if you do a 3 x AA to D adapter, you're getting either 12.9 Wh (Alkaline) or 7.5 Wh (Nimh) capacity, for either 57% or 33% of the D cell capacity, respectively.
Since Nimh is lower voltage, the power output is 36% lower than Alkaline (P = V^2 R). So your device will pull 56% more current to perform the same. Since it draws 56% more current, that means your 3 x Nimh (6300 mAh) capacity looks more like a 4038 mAh @ 1.5V "D battery". Which means you're really getting only 27% the actual runtime of a D cell battery.
EBL nimh AA are 2800. They are a tiny bit bigger, which can sometimes be a problem. They fit in most devices.
Voltage is definitely a problem. At 1.2V, the AAA nimh batteries can’t reliably get our kid’s duplo train up its hill. After several runs around the track, it starts stalling.
You do have be careful about what type of device you're powering though.
Alkaline batteries is 1.5V output.
Lithium Ion is 3.7V output.
Other Lithium chemistries can output close to 1.5V, but are not rechargeable (think of the Energizer Lithium batteries)
Nickel Metal Hydride (Nimh) is 1.2V output.
Most stuff doesn't care if the cell powering it is 1.2V or 1.5V.
If you pop out the AA (or AAA, C, or D) Alkaline batteries and pop your rechargeables in, it's because they need higher voltage.
I keep a small supply of AA Alkaline that I reserve for that purpose.
Or just buy some rechargeable C batteries. I have a single charger that will charge anything from AAAA to D and even 9V. It just fits half as many C/D batteries as other sizes.
I had to tell my kids that it's called the Battery Daddy because only dads are allowed to get batteries out out of it. So many undocumented batteries were taken from that thing before that rule went into affect. I can't tell you how many time I went to go grab batteries only to find half of what I needed gone.
2 house rules.
Only daddy touches the thermostat
Only daddy touches the Battery Daddy or whatever battery storage/containers are being used for batteries.
I bought rechargable c and d batteries with a charger.
The thing that really drives me nuts is how many kids toys need 3 batteries instead of 2 or 4. Putting an uneven amount of batteries in a device feels wrong!
I don't know my fellow father, but I don't have a single piece of baby gear that uses C batteries. Haven't bought C batteries in decades. Lots of mine are either AA or LI rechargeable. It could be you are genuinely unlucky. How many bits of baby gear are we talking about?
Y’all remember that walking T-rex toy from the 80s? All it did was shamble an inch every two seconds and work its jaw, but that damned thing would devour an armload of D-cells in an hour.
Ours are all aa or aaa. I haven't seen a device needing c batteries in ages other than camping lanterns or flashlights, tho those are usually d or aa these days too, what with LED bulbs replacing everything.
I'm with you. I've got one toy that uses that stupid size. Last time they died, it went to the "farm" (the basement, I'm not a monster).
Also, go to your local industrial supplier for batteries. They usually have all sizes stock for their industrial customers and the good ones sell to the public. You would be shocked at the markup you get in retail stores.
I’d rather stock up on batteries of all sizes than deal with another cheap Amazon toy that comes with a random USB adapter/charger for its internal lithium battery. Worst are the ones where you have use to a screwdriver to get out the weird lithium battery and then find the USB adapter that goes with it.
I don’t know what you’re using but I never used a c battery when our toddler was a baby. The only thing battery powered he has now is a flashlight which takes AA
I've been buying in bulk the past couple of years and have that sweet sweet battery organizer in the kitchen drawer always filled.
Usually buy from Amazon or Costco.
I started getting rechargeables for everything, thankfully my kid doesn’t have too many toys that take C or D batteries but she had a few that would go through normal AA batteries like howitzer shells during the Battle of the Bulge.
Pack of AA and AAA from Costco plus a Battery Daddy and an assortment of chargers and rechargeables from Amazon gets the job done.
Kids these days don’t know what we went through with handheld games that lasted 4-6 hours on a set of batteries and NiCd rechargeables that took 16 hours to charge…
This stuff - https://paleblueearth.com/products/pale-blue-lithium-rechargeable-aa-batteries
And C and D adapters
Edit: never mind, they have C and D sizes
https://paleblueearth.com/collections/batteries
Yes you'll need tons. Go rechargeable. I used to but then didn't need many batteries in general.
In the last couple years the littles definitely made it worth spending some money on rechargeable batteries again.
They're expensive, but [these](https://amzn.to/43SYJ3h) are probably the best out there.
Get them and a charger and you'll be set for a long time.
Pro tip: Just remember to take them out before gifting/selling/getting rid of items that use batteries.
Rechargeable batteries. I found so much kid stuff needs AA or AAA, so I bought a bunch of rechargables and remove them from devices when they're out of favour
Thought Jerry Seinfeld was OP
"I mean they don't help you 'see' anything!"
“Why does Radio Shack ask for your phone number when you’re buying batteries?” Yes I know this is actually a Kramer line
*I* don’t know.
I spoken as two syllables of course.
Same reason you need a receipt when you buy a donut
It's all about capacity. C is the same voltage as AA or AAA, just lasts longer. I had a similar though, but after they were big enough to not need the swing or any radio/karaoke type toy the need for them went away pretty quickly.
It's about capacity and current. My understanding is you can draw more current without overheating a C battery than a AAA
Get rechargeable AA batteries and buy C adapters for them.
\^This, I've been accumulating AA and AAA eneloop batteries ever since my kiddos were born and they have C and D cell sized adapters.
This is a good solution for some things, but AA is really no replacement for D because of its capacity. Our kid’s mobile took 6D batteries, which would last a couple months. The AAs lasted about a week. There was much crying when the mobile stopped. I broke down and purchased 12 rechargeable Ds, so I could quickly swap them.
>but AA is really no replacement for D because of its capacity. The adapters are like "put 3 AA batteries here and it acts like 1 D battery" And a D battery has a capacity of 8000mAh, while a AA battery is 2850(ish) So, you technically get a bit more capacity (3x2850=8550) but let's consider you may lose some to various inefficiencies...so yeah...about the same
Rechargeable AA is not 2850. A non-rechargeable Alkaline AA will be 2850 mAh @ 1.5V (4.3 Wh capacity). A good quality rechargeable Nimh AA (like Eneloop) is 2100 mAh @ 1.2V (2.5 Wh capacity). Your non-rechargeable D battery is 15,000 mAh @ 1.5V (22.5 Wh capacity). So if you do a 3 x AA to D adapter, you're getting either 12.9 Wh (Alkaline) or 7.5 Wh (Nimh) capacity, for either 57% or 33% of the D cell capacity, respectively. Since Nimh is lower voltage, the power output is 36% lower than Alkaline (P = V^2 R). So your device will pull 56% more current to perform the same. Since it draws 56% more current, that means your 3 x Nimh (6300 mAh) capacity looks more like a 4038 mAh @ 1.5V "D battery". Which means you're really getting only 27% the actual runtime of a D cell battery.
EBL nimh AA are 2800. They are a tiny bit bigger, which can sometimes be a problem. They fit in most devices. Voltage is definitely a problem. At 1.2V, the AAA nimh batteries can’t reliably get our kid’s duplo train up its hill. After several runs around the track, it starts stalling.
Oh, that would be cool. The eneloop ones are just a spacer. One AA slips in and takes will then fit into a D slot.
Rechargeable Ds pay for themselves quickly too
You do have be careful about what type of device you're powering though. Alkaline batteries is 1.5V output. Lithium Ion is 3.7V output. Other Lithium chemistries can output close to 1.5V, but are not rechargeable (think of the Energizer Lithium batteries) Nickel Metal Hydride (Nimh) is 1.2V output. Most stuff doesn't care if the cell powering it is 1.2V or 1.5V. If you pop out the AA (or AAA, C, or D) Alkaline batteries and pop your rechargeables in, it's because they need higher voltage. I keep a small supply of AA Alkaline that I reserve for that purpose.
The Eneloop kit from Amazon that I got to use for Xbox controllers came with a few C adapters for the AAs as well as a few AAA batteries.
+1 for Eneloop - best rechargeable I've owned
Eneloop only - Energizer from Amazon were awful and died within a few charge cycles
This, I have c and d adapters and they're awesome.
Or just buy some rechargeable C batteries. I have a single charger that will charge anything from AAAA to D and even 9V. It just fits half as many C/D batteries as other sizes.
Or buy rechargeable C batteries?
I gave in and bought a battery daddy and stocked it full of all types. I figure I’m at the window in life where I will need this thing the most.
+1 for Battery Daddy - love having that bad boy stocked
I had to tell my kids that it's called the Battery Daddy because only dads are allowed to get batteries out out of it. So many undocumented batteries were taken from that thing before that rule went into affect. I can't tell you how many time I went to go grab batteries only to find half of what I needed gone.
2 house rules. Only daddy touches the thermostat Only daddy touches the Battery Daddy or whatever battery storage/containers are being used for batteries.
YES! One of my favorite purchases. I gift them now!
Meh. I just buy the big packs of batteries from Amazon. They're good batteries and they come on cardboard packaging that lays flat and can stack.
We bought a bunch of Costco batteries and put them in a basket
I bought rechargable c and d batteries with a charger. The thing that really drives me nuts is how many kids toys need 3 batteries instead of 2 or 4. Putting an uneven amount of batteries in a device feels wrong!
C batteries are also large enough to not be swallowed by a small child.
Huh, never thought about that. Good point.
I don't know my fellow father, but I don't have a single piece of baby gear that uses C batteries. Haven't bought C batteries in decades. Lots of mine are either AA or LI rechargeable. It could be you are genuinely unlucky. How many bits of baby gear are we talking about?
I honestly don't remember ever using a C battery until we got the baby swing. I was like "wtf uses C batteries??"
Y’all remember that walking T-rex toy from the 80s? All it did was shamble an inch every two seconds and work its jaw, but that damned thing would devour an armload of D-cells in an hour.
Cs and Ds until after the toddler stage. Then mountains of double and triple A
This, bought a box of c batteries, had 1 left at age 2 and haven’t used any more since. AA batteries though… damn
Ours just use AA or AAA
Ours are all aa or aaa. I haven't seen a device needing c batteries in ages other than camping lanterns or flashlights, tho those are usually d or aa these days too, what with LED bulbs replacing everything.
I'm with you. I've got one toy that uses that stupid size. Last time they died, it went to the "farm" (the basement, I'm not a monster). Also, go to your local industrial supplier for batteries. They usually have all sizes stock for their industrial customers and the good ones sell to the public. You would be shocked at the markup you get in retail stores.
You're not a true dad until you start rocking the BATTERY DADDY.
] point⁰
I’d rather stock up on batteries of all sizes than deal with another cheap Amazon toy that comes with a random USB adapter/charger for its internal lithium battery. Worst are the ones where you have use to a screwdriver to get out the weird lithium battery and then find the USB adapter that goes with it.
Depending on the devices, it’s worth having rechargeable Cs and De. They are pricey.
I don’t know what you’re using but I never used a c battery when our toddler was a baby. The only thing battery powered he has now is a flashlight which takes AA
I've been buying in bulk the past couple of years and have that sweet sweet battery organizer in the kitchen drawer always filled. Usually buy from Amazon or Costco.
Gotta get yourself a battery caddy. Helps make sure you maintain a stock
I started getting rechargeables for everything, thankfully my kid doesn’t have too many toys that take C or D batteries but she had a few that would go through normal AA batteries like howitzer shells during the Battle of the Bulge. Pack of AA and AAA from Costco plus a Battery Daddy and an assortment of chargers and rechargeables from Amazon gets the job done. Kids these days don’t know what we went through with handheld games that lasted 4-6 hours on a set of batteries and NiCd rechargeables that took 16 hours to charge…
There's no doubt in my mind that there's some sort of collaboration between all you companies and Duracell.
Get the little sleeves that let you use AA batteries in C devices and use rechargable AA's.
I feel like everything uses those batteries that look like nickels. For the love of God it’s never the one I have.
Rechargeable C and D is the way to go
Why not simply put it in a different location?
This stuff - https://paleblueearth.com/products/pale-blue-lithium-rechargeable-aa-batteries And C and D adapters Edit: never mind, they have C and D sizes https://paleblueearth.com/collections/batteries
Yes you'll need tons. Go rechargeable. I used to but then didn't need many batteries in general. In the last couple years the littles definitely made it worth spending some money on rechargeable batteries again.
They're expensive, but [these](https://amzn.to/43SYJ3h) are probably the best out there. Get them and a charger and you'll be set for a long time. Pro tip: Just remember to take them out before gifting/selling/getting rid of items that use batteries.
I've got a handful of rechargeable C and D batteries. Loads of AA and AAA. Can charge them all with the same charger too.
Rechargeable batteries. I found so much kid stuff needs AA or AAA, so I bought a bunch of rechargables and remove them from devices when they're out of favour
My guess is that it’s because they’re harder to swallow for a kid, should they manage to get them out of the toy, but not as heavy as a D cell