I have had the best luck with Ray-O-Vac but I believe that is due to the fact my local supplier, Batteries + Lights, has a very high turnover in alkaline batteries so they are almost always straight from the factory fresh. But yes alkaline batteries do swell and they do leak especially if they are stored in a high temperature environment. I literally dug two alkaline batteries out of a test device the other day that had completely ruptured and the only thing readable on the outside were the words "guaranteed not to leak". 🤷â€â™‚ï¸
I often rely on flashlights and keep several around the house, shop, and camper. All of those that I own today are LEDs, and all but one have built-in NiCad or Lithium Ion batteries. Rather than toss them in a drawer, as I was inclined to do with replaceable battery lights, I generally keep them somewhere convenient and charging (a great use for old iPhone chargers). After four or five years of this my flashlights are always charged, have never shown any signs of swelling, never leak, still last hours longer than any alkaline battery ever did, and are orders of magnitude brighter. I am particularly fond of those that have both a beam and work light mode, and so far I have never found myself in a position where any flashing red or white light would have been useful — but if I ever did need that it could literally be lifesaver.
