People that already use them know how great they are. Forget all the other NiMH batteries, these are #1 after all these years. I've tried all sorts of different batteries and cells. The best ones are always the ones that are made in Japan, but even then these are the best of the crop.

You might save a lot of money buy buying cheap in the short run, but if you are looking on keeping your batteries out of the landfill, and want them ready to go whenever, you can't beat eneloops.

They lose only about 20% charge a year vs pretty much unusable for other NiMH cells. They are very close to their actual rated capacity of 2000 mAH vs other cells that promise 2500 mAH, but really only have 2100 mAH for a relatively short time. This might be fine if you are using the batteries right away, but what good is it if a few months later your rated capacity left is 1800, and if your batteries are a few years old it might only last weeks and retain only 50%.

Yes, batteries do age and lose capacity whether you use them or not. I've also found the Eneloops live longer overall. My 3 year old Eneloops still have 1900+ mAH, where as my other third party ones are practically useless if not used right away and can't be relied on when used on the job or where it counts.

(I use a Maha / PowerEX MH-C9000 charger for testing rated capacities over the years).

Look for them at Costco periodically as they typically have the best package deal that comes with a charger and adapters. But to get the best results, use a different charger. I recommend the Maha MH-C9000 but also use a LaCrosse BC-500.