I saw a Project Farm video where they tested various AA batteries, alkaline and lithium.

One of the tests was how long each battery could run a fan with a constant energy draw and Varta Longlife got the worst score by far.

Those had a made in Indonesia label though, I don't know if they have different plants in Germany with better specs under the same name.

Their website is really light on details about mAh[0], but Duracell are even worse[1]. I've found a comparison website, but no idea where its getting its sources[2].

Looks like VARTA is around 2400mAh and will last around 5-7 years, whereas Duracell is around 2700mAh and will last around 7-10 years. But let's be realistic here, no battery in the world lasts more 2 years without needing to be switched out. Definitely not worth staying with Duracell.

0: https://www.varta-ag.com/en/consumer/product-categories/batteries/alkaline/longlife-max-power-aa
1: https://www.duracell.co.uk/product/duracell-optimum-aa/
2: https://www.batteryskills.com/aa-battery-comparison-chart/

They even have lithium-ion batteries in AA!

Why is babushka a Super Saiyan?

Buy rechargeable. The rechargeable batteries sold at Lidl and IKEA are excellent in my experience and quickly pay for themselves. Just start cycling single-use batteries out as they expire and it's easier to keep track of who you're supporting with your purchase when it's a single annual purchase rather than something you buy every time you're at the supermarket.

Not European, but Eneloop batteries are rechargable, last a long time and are more eco friendly than throwaway batteries.

If you have Alza in your country they also have their own brand, though those might be chinese made batteries

Renata is also the king of lithium button cells in consumer form factors. A swiss company.

VARTA does the best high-cap OEM batteries for in-ear wearables.

Both VARTA and Renata have quite a range of options for IEC 61233 for medical safety applications. My company uses them for single-cells where we can because they are very consistent.

For AA and AAA rechargables though I always go with panasonic eneloop or ikea rebrands (IKEA allegedly uses eneloops for their branded rechargables) and they have worked extremely well in our laserliner where non-rechargable cells that came with it died fairly quickly.

*most are made in Germany

VARTA does have batteries produced outside of Germany, usually more niche types though. It’s always labeled on the front if actually made in DE, if not explicitly stated, it’s usually China.

Edit: I still rate them, if the type of battery I need happens to be made in DE I always get the Varta variant

I'm using AGM Varta battery for my car for 4 years. For now it is working fine.