The advantages of choosing the best 18650 battery over other options are clear; this lithium-ion battery type can be rechargeable and used multiple times. Choosing this kind of battery will undoubtedly save you money but there are so many more specifics to be considered before you should make any purchase.
To help you navigate through what makes a battery of this kind superior and will be worth your money we have developed this comprehensive guide. Using this information, you will be better equipped to choose the best 18650 battery for your purposes and your budget.
Consider When Buying a New 18650 Battery
- Cost. Cost is obviously one of the main reasons to choose a 18650 battery over a traditional option, but it is also a major separation factor between the different kinds of 18650 batteries. You should determine how much use you would like to get from these rechargeable batteries and how much you are willing to spend. More expensive options will allow for higher voltage and amps and more charges while less expensive options may be great for low voltage use like in a flashlight, for example.
- Usage. How you will be using your 18650 batteries is incredibly important in choosing which kind is the best. Usage will affect the voltage that you need the batteries to work with. Some appliances and items that require batteries only need a few volts like a remote control while others may need up to 10V.
- Charging. While you will simply discard traditional batteries, you will need to recharge most 18650 batteries to get your money’s worth out of them. This means either buying batteries that come with a charger or buying a charger that is universal and will be suitable for all of the batteries that you have. Before you make a purchase, you should determine how much the charger will add to the overall cost and if the batteries you are choosing need a special charging component.
Top 6 18650 Batteries Comparison
| Picture | Name | Features | Price | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
  |
2600mAh 3.7V Protected |
$ |
NA
|
|
  |
9900mAh 3.7V Protected |
$$$ |
NA
|
|
  |
2500mAh 3.7V 35A Discharge Protected |
$$$ |
NA |
|
  |
2500mAh 3.7V 20A Discharge Unprotected |
$$ |
4.5
|
|
  |
3000mAh 3.7V 20A Discharge Unprotected |
$ |
NA
|
|
  |
3500mAh 3.7V Unprotected |
$$$ |
NA
|
Finding a Good 18650 Battery
There are technical terms and specifics used to describe how powerful and how efficient a battery will be in use. Here are some of the most important specs to consider and how to navigate which ones are better.
- The voltage that a battery has is essentially the power that it has. While 3.60V is the nominal voltage for lithium-ion batteries like the 18650, some manufacturers mark theirs as higher, which would indicate higher watt-hours.
- Milliampere-hour or mAh is one-thousandth of an ampere-hour and is the term used to discuss how much charge a battery can hold. This means that the higher this number is, the longer the battery will provide you with operating power.
- The density of a battery is also important when you consider that a higher density means the battery has better performing electrodes and in turn a battery that operates at a higher quality with little or no issues.
Interesting fact: As the purpose of these batteries is to provide long-lasting power, they are preferred for use in devices that are often used in emergency situations like portable radios or flashlights.
Top 3 Best 18650 Battery Reviews
1. 2600mAh 3.7V Button Top 18650 Rechargeable High Performance battery
It should also be noted that these can be charged with their own specific charger or with one that has been designed for universal usage. This means you can decide where you will be charging the most and buy accordingly rather than having to stick to a traditional wall-charger.
2. 9900mAh 3.7V Button Top18650 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery
The first time that you use these strong batteries they will take a few hours to charge and then you will be well on your way to happy usage. With their 9900 mAh, they work for hours on and off without ever wavering in power. Even as the battery drains, it will not deliver weaker strength but rather maintain the high-quality usage and then no longer produce any power at all once it has been drained.
The consistency and reliability of these batteries are really something that you cannot compare with others. They are everything you want from a 18650 battery and more. One of the best things about these batteries is that they will charge time and time again within reason. Obviously, they cannot be used thousands of times but still enough to get more than your money’s worth.
3. 2500mAh 3.7V Button Top 18650 Rechargeable Lithium Battery
One of the absolute best features of the EBL 3.7V batteries is that there is no effect on their memory when charged or partially charged which means that they can be recharged up to 1000 times without any negative effects on the power that the battery will put out. Whether you are using these batteries for a flashlight, toy, or camera, it will always work reliably until it has been completely drained.
The higher voltage output is also a huge advantage to using these batteries over others. Purchasing these batteries also becomes the clear choice when you hear that they are able to hold their energy for a long time on standby too. It should be noted that these are button-top batteries, which may mean that the charger you have will not fit them or that you will need to buy a specific charger.
It is definitely recommended that you buy more than 2 of these batteries if you plan to use them often or constantly. This way you will never be without power when you need it.
