These tests below only note my personal opinion for the ESTIMATED ratings for the batteries I tested at the time I tested them. Any battery that is not a genuine Samsung, Sony, Murata, LG, Panasonic, Molicel, or Sanyo can change at any time! This can be one of the hazards of using “rewrapped” or batteries from other manufacturers so carefully research any battery you are considering using before purchasing.
Misusing or mishandling lithium-ion batteries can pose a SERIOUS RISK of property damage, personal injury, or even death. Never use them outside of a fully protected battery pack and you use them at your own risk. Never exceed the battery’s true continuous discharge rating (CDR), never let it get colder than 0°C or hotter than 60°C, and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition. Never use a battery that is physically damaged in any way.
Testing batteries at their limits is dangerous and should never be attempted by anyone who has not thoroughly studied the dangers involved, understands the risks, has the proper equipment, and takes all appropriate safety precautions.
If the battery has only one current rating number, or if it only says "max", then I have to assume the battery is rated at that current level for any type of discharge, including continuous.
Test Results
I last tested these years ago so it seemed like a retest would be good to do. Especially since they are still very popular in Asia.
Unfortunately these were a bit worse than the ones tested before. This could be due to them being 2019-dated. They were ordered from a known, trusted vendor but these cells are hard to find lately and older cells might be the only ones available. I’m going to try to find a different batch being sold and test those. If the results are the same then these will probably be moved down my list of Recommended Batteries.
This doesn’t mean these are bad cells! These are still decent performers and were the new hotness a few years ago, a nice jump up in performance from the Samsung 25R that was so popular then. But the Molicel P26A performs a bit better than the VTC5A and the P28A is much better at higher discharge current levels.
Like the cells tested before, these ran too hot IMO to have the 30A continuous rating listed in the datasheet. I recommend staying below 25A (about 75W) continuous and 35A non-continuous and never letting them get above their 80°C max rating! But for long cell life I recommend keeping them below 45°C when used continuously and never exceeding 60°C if using them for short periods.
These cells are rated down to 2.0V but the ones I tested delivered 2510mAh and 2517mAh down to 2.5V so they easily meet their 2500mAh rating (which uses the 2.0V cutoff).
18650 Ratings and E-Scores Table:
www.e-cigarette-forum.com
20700/21700 Ratings and E-Scores Table:
www.e-cigarette-forum.com
Continuous Current Discharge Graphs
Ratings and Performance Specs Graphic
I want to work for the community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability, battery testing and news, and a say in what I test, then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: Battery Mooch | creating battery and device tests | Patreon.
To see how other cells have tested check out this link: Links To All 21700, 26650, 18350, 18500 Battery Tests
Misusing or mishandling lithium-ion batteries can pose a SERIOUS RISK of property damage, personal injury, or even death. Never use them outside of a fully protected battery pack and you use them at your own risk. Never exceed the battery’s true continuous discharge rating (CDR), never let it get colder than 0°C or hotter than 60°C, and keep the plastic wrap and top insulating ring in perfect condition. Never use a battery that is physically damaged in any way.
Testing batteries at their limits is dangerous and should never be attempted by anyone who has not thoroughly studied the dangers involved, understands the risks, has the proper equipment, and takes all appropriate safety precautions.
If the battery has only one current rating number, or if it only says "max", then I have to assume the battery is rated at that current level for any type of discharge, including continuous.
Test Results
I last tested these years ago so it seemed like a retest would be good to do. Especially since they are still very popular in Asia.
Unfortunately these were a bit worse than the ones tested before. This could be due to them being 2019-dated. They were ordered from a known, trusted vendor but these cells are hard to find lately and older cells might be the only ones available. I’m going to try to find a different batch being sold and test those. If the results are the same then these will probably be moved down my list of Recommended Batteries.
This doesn’t mean these are bad cells! These are still decent performers and were the new hotness a few years ago, a nice jump up in performance from the Samsung 25R that was so popular then. But the Molicel P26A performs a bit better than the VTC5A and the P28A is much better at higher discharge current levels.
Like the cells tested before, these ran too hot IMO to have the 30A continuous rating listed in the datasheet. I recommend staying below 25A (about 75W) continuous and 35A non-continuous and never letting them get above their 80°C max rating! But for long cell life I recommend keeping them below 45°C when used continuously and never exceeding 60°C if using them for short periods.
These cells are rated down to 2.0V but the ones I tested delivered 2510mAh and 2517mAh down to 2.5V so they easily meet their 2500mAh rating (which uses the 2.0V cutoff).
18650 Ratings and E-Scores Table:
18650 Battery Ratings and Performance Table
You are responsible for your own safety! These batteries are designed, manufactured, and sold only for use in a battery pack with the proper protection circuitry and battery management system. They were not designed for vaping (electronic...
www.e-cigarette-forum.com
20700/21700 Ratings and E-Scores Table:
20700 + 21700 Battery Ratings and Performance Table
You are responsible for your own safety! These batteries are designed, manufactured, and sold only for use in a battery pack with the proper protection circuitry and battery management system. They were not designed for vaping (electronic...
www.e-cigarette-forum.com
Continuous Current Discharge Graphs
Ratings and Performance Specs Graphic
I want to work for the community full time! If you feel what I do is worth a couple dollars a month and you would like early access to battery availability, battery testing and news, and a say in what I test, then please consider becoming a patron and supporting my testing efforts: Battery Mooch | creating battery and device tests | Patreon.
To see how other cells have tested check out this link: Links To All 21700, 26650, 18350, 18500 Battery Tests
