Less cycles

More cycles

Fast charging, say less than less than 2 hours*

Slow charging, 4 hours or more*

Very high battery temperatures during charging.

Lower battery temperatures during charging

Charging when the ambient temperature is outside the range 18 and 25°Celsius (64 and 77°F)

Charging when the ambient temperature is the battery between 18 and 25°Celsius (64 and 77°F)

Using a dumb charger

Using a smart charger with safety features

Using a poor quality charger (e.g. el cheapo chargers)

Using a poor quality charger, see The Doc’s recommendation

Discharging the battery below 0.9 volts**

Cutting off the battery at the correct voltage (0.9 volts)**

Using low quality battery cells, e.g. Chinese made

Using High-quality battery cells, e.g. Japanese made

Overcharging the battery (a single overcharge can irreparably damage a cell)

Correctly charging the battery

Never conditioning the battery

Conditioning the battery every 10 cycles

Using a charging rate over 1000 mAh for AAs*

Using a charging rate of 1000 mAh or less for AAs*

Storing battery cells either flat or in an indeterminate state

Storing batteries partly charged (40% is recommended)

Discharging the cell quickly (high drain devices)

Slower discharging (lower drain devices)

Charging and using battery cells individually.

Charging and using battery cells as a set.