LiFePO4 Battery Comparison

LiFePO4 batteries are trending in the market because of their exceptional features and performance. These are perfect for various applications including solar setups, mopeds, fishing boats, kayaks, mobility scooters, commercial liftgates, industrial flooring machines, electronic cigarettes, emergency lights, radio equipment, flashlights, and much more. 

Is it better to store lithium-ion batteries charged or discharged?

It is quite common to store lithium-ion batteries in the off-season when they are not in use. It is essential to be cautious while storing these batteries to ensure that you won't affect the battery’s capacity and health. You must store a charged battery. Storing in the charged state is not an option, rather it is a pre-requisite to keep the battery working. If you are wondering why this is so then you must know that every battery self-discharges over time whether in use or not. When you store a lithium-ion battery then it will lose 5% of charge in the first 24 hours and later it will self-discharge at 1 to 2% per month. If safety circuits are installed in the battery, which is installed in mostly batteries, then the self-discharge rate can rise to 3% on monthly basis. If your lithium-ion battery self-discharges below a certain level then it will cause immense damage to the internal structure and functioning of the battery. So, now it must make sense that if you store a battery that is completely discharged then there will be no room left for the battery to cover up the self-discharge rate. This will cause the battery to over-discharge which in turn damages the internal structure, capacity, and performance of lithium-ion batteries.

Ideally, you should store your lithium-ion battery when it is 40-50% state of charge to ensure that the battery will be ready to use after getting it out of storage. This state of charge offers 3.8 volts per cell energy which is ideal to keep the battery working at its best capacity. If the self-discharge rate pushes below 2.50 volts per cell then it will go into sleep mode which will damage your battery. 

3.2V 20A Low Temp LiFePO4 Battery Cell -40℃ 3C discharge capacity≥70% Charging temperature：-20~45℃ Discharging temperature: -40~+55℃ pass acupuncture test -40℃ maximum discharge rate：3C

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Are all LiFePO4 batteries the same?

LiFePO4 is the most efficient chemical composition of lithium-ion batteries. To your surprise, all LiFePO4 batteries are not the same. The LiFePO4 are built with varying quality checks by different manufacturers which implies that all these batteries won't be able to offer similar output. Rather their output depends on their built. Many times if you buy from a cheap retailer or a shady brand your LiFePO4 battery will die well before its’ warranty because the cells used in the battery can be faulty. 

You need to understand that there are 3 categories or grading of lithium cells used in LiFePO4 batteries namely grade A, grade B, and used grade. The output of these cells differs from one another so no matter if the manufacturer equips all other parts (anode, cathode, etc) with the same composition but with different grade cells of lithium, the performance and output of the battery will differ. 

Also, the number of cells stuffed in a LiFePO4 battery differs causing LiFePO4 batteries to offer varying performance. You can come across batteries of different sizes and capacities but of course, the manufacturer mentions the output you can expect from each of those batteries. A battery with 40 cells surely won't offer output to that of 18650 or 26650 cells (which is the most suited cell composition for a worthy battery). When it comes to the number of cells there is also one other interesting thing to note. If anyone cell among the pool of cells is faulty then it will compromise the working of the entire battery. So, it implies that the more the number of cells, the bigger the chance that there might be a faulty cell that will affect the battery output. But we don’t mean to scare you away from buying a bigger battery. What we intend to say is to buy a battery from a worthy retailer that uses premium quality cells and you can enjoy the maximum output from a bigger battery of 18650 or 26650 cells. 

Low Temperature High Energy Density Rugged Laptop Polymer Battery Battery specification: 11.1V 7800mAh -40℃ 0.2C discharge capacity ≥80% Dustproof, resistance to dropping, anti - corrosion, anti - electromagnetic interference

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Are LiFePO4 batteries the best?

LiFePO4 is surely ruling the market and all for the right reasons. These batteries are the best among all other traditional batteries as well as other lithium-ion batteries. And this is not just a phrase. LiFePO4 batteries offer a great benefit to consumers over other batteries available in the market. They might be more expensive than other batteries but every penny spent on these batteries is worth it and is considered a smart investment taking into account their features and lifespan. Without building any more suspense let's check out the features of the maintenance-free LiFePO4 battery that makes it the ‘best’ in batteries.

Low self-discharge rate: It has only a 2% self-discharge rate which is nothing in comparison to other lithium-ion and lead acid batteries (having a 30% rate)

LiFePO4 batteries are safest to use: In comparison to AGM or lead-acid batteries, LiFePO4 batteries don’t leak toxic fumes, and spill sulfuric acid. Also, like other lithium-ion batteries, it doesn’t get overheat and never catch fire. Even if you puncture the battery still it won't catch fire which makes it the safest battery among all others. 

Lightweight and compact: LiFePO4 batteries are lighter in weight and weigh almost 50% less than other lithium-ion batteries and 70% less than lead-acid batteries. Being lightweight and smaller they occupy only a small space in your vehicle or industry. Not only that, but they also consume less gas as compared to other batteries. 

Longer lifespan: LiFePO4 batteries last about 4-5 times higher than other lithium-ion batteries.  

Quick recharge time: It can be charged in 2 hours or even less.

Flat discharge curve: As compared to other batteries, LiFePO4 faces a flat discharge curve making it capable of offering a high number of cycles in a battery. Whereas lead acid batteries and AGM batteries can get damaged after reaching merely 50% of their capacity.