Electronic – use batteries of higher amperage

amperagebatteries

I have a device that uses a pair of 1.2 volt NiMH rechargeable AAA batteries at 550 mAh (Philips HB550L).

Would it be harmful at all to replace these batteries with rechareable 1.2 volt AAA Duracells (or other brand) at 800 mAh or even 13000 mAh? Would it be safe, would it affect longevity of the device or batteries?

Are there other considerations when using higher amperage batteries?

Best Answer

The unit "mAh" is not amperage but is, instead, electric charge (the product of electric current and time).

Further, the product of the battery's voltage and the electric charge rating is the amount of energy the fully charged battery can (ideally) supply.

In short, using batteries with extra energy capacity will not harm your device, but would, instead, power the device for a longer time (all other considerations unchanged).