Given that alkaline batteries will eventually leak, why do some manufacturers like Solity advise using only those types?
That is because the lock (and majority of current locks) are designed for
prevalent (easy to get, affordable, sufficient power for usability) battery technology: 1.5V nominal voltage alkaline batteries.
Until the whole consumer
electronics industry is disrupted to accept a lower nominal voltage of 1.2v that comes with rechargeable batteries, just stick to a regiment of replacing earlier than later and sticking to known brands, will generally avoid battery leaks issue.
Of course, you can get locks that comes with rechargeable battery packs (built in or otherwise). These are almost all of Chinese origin. Korean origin locks (for domestic Korean use) do not use rechargeable packs by (Korean)
regulation. This regulation was removed recently (in 2025), so you may see Solity embracing rechargeable battery packs more , as lock power consumption increases with lock functionality.
PS.
. We must also be aware that rechargeable batteries comes with it's own set of issues. Replacing AA batteries with a new pack (every xx months) gives consumer
consistency with battery power delivery which translates to usability. That cannot be said for rechargeables and consumers being diligent in charging and recharging to consistently deliver the same power every cycle.
. There are 1.5 volts AA rechargeables in the market but you can't find them easily (if at all) in the shops. I am not sure about quality and design (with the use electronic circuitry to step down the voltage, with some power loss). For those going this route for cost savings, be cognizant that you get what you pay for.
Really, for now and for most consumers, use AA alkaline as requested by manufacturer and stick to earlier than later replacements, and use Panasonic Evolta or Energizer.