The title of this item is incorrect. It's actually U9VL, not UPVL. Apparently the 10 year claim is valid for the U9VL-J battery (that's the same battery Amazon is selling here). Here's a thorough study where they validated it:
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I had 3 of these installed in smoke alarms in May 2003, so was disappointed when two of them failed after about 4 years, and the last one just began to beep after exactly 5 years.

But then I discovered that the alarms I'm using have dual sensors (First Alert SA301), containing both an ionization and a photoelectric [these are not hard-wired, the battery does it all]. Therefore, if in reality, the batteries are running two detectors at once, I guess it shouldn't surprise me that they lasted half as long as advertised. Also, my alarm doesn't qualify for the 10 year warranty, because it contains a photoelectric sensor - the warranty is for ionization sensors only.

Cost wise it's probably a wash, one could buy several alkalines for the cost of this one. But the savings is on time: not having to change the batteries as often.

I have the an Ultralife 10 Year Smoke Detector Battery model U9VL-J. It has a use by date of 2017. The battery was installed in an ionization smoke detector on 07/05/2007. It was purchased 1-2 years before that. The detector just began giving the low battery warning on 4/30/2008. It did not even last a year. I generally get at least a year out of regular alkaline batteries in this detector. Maybe this battery is better suited to backup applications where the primary power source is house current.

Bought a few of these in 2004, two have started giving out, three years later.

I haven't yet used the Ultralife 10-year battery but I can vouch for the 5-year version. I just pulled one from a smoke alarm and I had dated it July 13, 2003. So it lasted four years and four months, less than five years but it was also the smoke alarm closest to the kitchen, and thus was probably a bit drained by the fifty or so burnt cooking false alarms over the past four+ years.

Ultralife makes a truly great product so I gladly upgraded and ordered four of the 10-year batteries. The added safety and convenience makes them worth every cent.

I'll update this review in 8-10 years when these batteries stop working.