I find them about the same at AW's..and mine don't have the "pole plate" that you mentioned...I think we call it a "nipple." Anyway, I use a little magnet on mine...works great. I think they last about the same because vapor disappears once the voltage drops to about 3.5V for me...they drop to that level about the same....I suppose if you were trying to keep using them after this (maybe not on a Reo), then the Panasonics might last longer (at least from test results).