What is so special about 18650 battery?

The 18650 battery has a voltage of 3.6v and has between 2600mAh and 3500mAh (mili-amp-hours).  These batteries are used in flashlights, laptops, electronics and even some electric cars because of their reliability, long run-times, and ability to be recharged hundreds of times over.

Average Cost of a 18650 Battery

The cost of a 18650 battery can range widely depending on the brand, package size and whether it is a protected or unprotected battery. For example, the PKCELL 18650 battery can range in wholesale price from $1 to $2 (these batteries are cheaper than most other brands when factoring in discounts), depending on the particular battery variation you are interested in.
These batteries use a professional lithium battery charger on the battery, making charging easy. They're slightly less expensive than the rest because they're built with safety first, have three banks of thermal protection to prevent short circuits, so you can get up to 500 charge cycles from a single battery without worrying about exploding or over-discharging . Some unprotected batteries are on the market for less, but as with anything you buy online, it's important that you take more into consideration than just price when making your purchasing decision.

How Long Does It Take to Charge a 18650 Battery?

The average 18650 battery takes about 4 hours total to charge. Of course, this can vary a bit based on the health of your battery and the type of charger you are using. To check the health of your 18650 battery, try to take note of how long it takes the battery to charge up, whether it is accumulating more heat than usual while it charges, if it is not producing as much power as it once did, or holding a charge as well. These are all indicators that your battery is reaching its end of life.

PKCELL ICR26650 11.1v 15AH 3S3P 5000mAh Lithium Ion Battery Rechargeable Battery Pack2

How Long Do 18650 Batteries Last?

Most 18650 batteries have a life cycle of around 300-500 charge cycles. For example, PKCELL batteries are rated for 500 cycles. This means that the battery will be able to fully charge to at least 80% of its initial capacity. Once it reaches that threshold, the battery’s “life cycle” is considered over. Though you can still probably get plenty more charges out of the battery, it’s capacity will slowly diminish further with time.

Pro Tip: Make sure to never charge your 18650 batteries in below freezing temperatures! This can cause significant degradation and damage. For example, don’t leave your batteries to charge in a freezing garage in the winter.


Post time: Feb-23-2023