Dec 18, 2019 Pageview:942
Lithium batteries are all over the world. If you are using a device that you charge everyday, chances are you are using lithium batteries. 18650 are lithium-ion batteries that you can charge and are used to power high-drain devices. They have changed the world of portable devices making everything seem so easy.
But 18650 batteries were not always for consumers. When batteries were still new on the market, such chemistry was reserved for devices manufacturers. Today things have changed and you can find them quite easily. The only issue is that most of them are standardized. They are just like the normal rechargeable AAs flowing all over the market.
As a good user, it is vital to ensure you have bought the right 18650 batteries. With so many fakes on the market, you need may drive you into wasting your money on batteries that will not give you the right service. There are many people who have regretted buying batteries and blaming all manufacturers, simply because they did not take time to research properly.
We are here to help you. We shall show you a few tricks that will give batteries that fit the value of your money.
What factors should a good quality 18650 battery have?
Let us start by understanding what 18650 batteries are. We may assume that we know them because we such batteries on the market.
The batteries get their name from their size. They measure 18mm by 56mm, hence the name 18650. They a bit larger than the common AA batteries have larger capacity and perform better. Most people today prefer them, whether primary or secondary ones.
These batteries provide performance of a lithium cell. They come in different capacities, ranging from 1800mAh to 3500mAh and a nominal voltage of 3.7V. You can find the in high-drain devices like laptops and power-banks where several of them are connected into battery packs.
Here are the features of a quality 18650;
Long battery life
The first and most important thing to look for in an 18650 is it life. As you many already know, lithium batteries loose power even when they are not in use. This means, their shelf life is the same as when you are using them. Consider a battery that can give you a longer life. In essence, this should be one that has recently left the manufacturer plant.
Voltage
A quality battery is all about voltage. This is the power that will flow into and run your device. A quality 18650 battery should have a voltage of 3.7V. This is the nominal voltage. Some fake 18650 cannot reach even 2.0V. There are bad dealers who rebrand worn 18650 batteries and take them back to the market. Such batteries will be huge waste of your time and money. And that is why you need to understand how to measure voltage.
Capacity
How big is the battery? This may determine how much power the battery will hold. The higher the capacity, the better the batteries. As stated above, even strong batteries like 18650 lose their ability to hold power with time. If you are no careful, you will buy one that has already lost this ability. Do not go for a battery just because they are new. Take one because they can serve you longer.
Secondary cell
There are 18650 batteries that are non-rechargeable, called primary cells and other that are rechargeable; secondary cell. Your choice should depend on the device you are using and how much power you need. For device like digital camera, both rechargeable and non-rechargeable 18650s can be used. But for other devices, you must ensure the batteries are rechargeable.
Compatible with your device
Just because the battery is powerful doesn’t mean it is good for your device. Check the type of batteries in your device before replacing them.
Safety
There have been a number of situations in the past where 18650 batteries burst into flames. You need to identify one that has go through all the tests to ensure safety.
How do you choose a good quality 18650 battery?
Unfortunately, 18650 is not a standardized cell. Different manufacturers come up with different features in a bid to impress users. Therefore, there are many variations in these batteries which can make choice overwhelming, especially for first time users.
But there are a few things you should ask about to make your work of selecting easy. The first thing is to consider the continuous discharge rating (CDR). This is also called amperage capacity.
Electrical current in batteries is measured in amps (A). One of the biggest disadvantages of high batteries is overheating when this current is pulled from the battery. CDR is the rate at which this process takes place. To be on the safe side therefore, march the CDR of the 18650 you are buying with the draw of your device. That way you will find a battery that does not come with the risk of overheating.
It therefore means one has to be sure about the brand they are buying. Not all brands have the best features for batteries. They are not user-focused, which ends often ends up in disasters. But there are many others who have focused on offering only the best quality. Take your time to research and buy batteries from brands that can guarantee best performance and long life.
What brands have good quality 18650 battery?
The key to buying quality 18650 is knowing trusted brands. We have taken the liberty of listing the top once and a few of their products to make your work easier.
Sony. This giant electronics manufacturer has made 18650 batteries like Sony VTC5A and A and Sony VTC6.
Samsung. There Samsung 25R and 30Q are some of the best you can get on the market.
LG. They come with LG HD2 and LG HG2
Orbtronic
When you buy these batteries, remember to also get an 18650 charger. Most of the other chargers cannot accept 18650, or will only end up destroying them. Since you have found quality batteries, you don’t wish them to be wasted.
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