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The Ultimate Guide to E-cig Batteries

E-cig batteries provide the power to your vape coil. Without them you can’t vape and they are key to a consistently good vaping experience.

In this ultimate guide to vape batteries we will cover the types of battery available, how to care for them, and how to maximise their lifespan.

Read: Battery Safety Guide


What Are The Vape Battery Types?

There are so many different types of vape batteries to choose from. But let us break them down into groups so we can easily see their differences.

Avatar Silver 18650 Battery

Removable vape batteries

Removable e-cig batteries can be taken out of your vape mod and are charged externally in a separate battery charger. They come in a variety of different sizes and are usually in higher powered, advanced vape mods such as the VOOPOO DRAG 4.

Shop Removable Cells here

Eleaf iStick T80 Mod

Integrated vape batteries

Integrated vape batteries are built into the e-cig body and cannot be removed or replaced, they require much less maintenance and no additional purchases of equipment to charge, such as in the Eleaf iStick i80. Once the batteries stop working (as all batteries do eventually) the whole mod needs replacing, as it is the battery.

Shop Integral Batteries here


E-cig Battery Sizes

There are a range of different e-cig battery sizes when it comes to the removable type, but what do these numbers actually mean?

The numbers you see, such as ‘18650’ refer to the physical dimensions, diameter & length of the cell. There are also letters such as ‘IMR’ which refer to the internal chemistry of the battery.

Letters on a removable battery:

  • F: Iron “Fe”. Iron is tolerant to being stored at full voltage for long periods of time.
  • C: Cobalt. This is high energy density for a bigger battery capacity and long lifespan.
  • N: Nickel “Ni”.
  • M: Manganese. This gives batteries a low internal cell resistance. Great for fast charging and higher discharging rates.
  • I: Lithium-ion (Li-Ion). Outputs a high voltage of 3.7 volts, zero memory effect, high energy density and a high number of charge/discharge cycles.
  • R: Refers to the fact that the battery is round or rechargeable.

Onto numbers. The first two numbers are the diameter of the battery. The last three numbers are the length of the battery. If we look at the most popular removable vape battery, the 18650, it will become clear.

  • 18: The battery diameter is 18mm.
  • 650: The length of the battery is 65mm, but it is expressed in tenths of millimetres, so 650.

What Is the Difference Between Battery Capacity and Voltage?

This is a topic in which you can dazzle with science and make things extremely overcomplicated. We don’t do that, so let’s simply break these two down.

Think of battery capacity as a water tanker; the bigger the water tank, the more water it can store. This means more battery life. It is expressed as the ‘mAh’ number on your battery, the bigger the number, the longer it lasts between charges.

Voltage is like electromotive force. In vaping, voltage is directly tied with coil resistance. In general, if you increase the voltage (open up the tap more), amperage increases too, which increases the wattage at the coil; this means more heat and vapour production.


How Long Do Vape Batteries Last?

How long your vape battery lasts between charges will vary from person to person, as everyone will use their vape in different amounts. However, a fully charged standard vape should get most people through a day before a recharge is needed. If you are looking for a long battery life, then something like the Eleaf iStick Power 2 Mod should last 1–2 days.

A vape battery lifespan should be expected to last between 6 and 12 months, depending on how often you use them and your vaping habits. Your battery will show signs it needs replacing, such as not holding charge as long and taking longer to recharge.

All batteries have what is known as a charge cycle. This is the number of times it can be recharged throughout its lifespan. This is usually somewhere around 300 times. As most people charge their vape batteries every day or two, it is around a year.

If you recharge your batteries more frequently, the overall lifespan of your battery will be reduced.


How to Maximise Vape Battery Lifespan

There are some simple steps you can follow to increase the lifespan of your battery.

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Don’t overcharge or over discharge your vape battery

Modern e-cig batteries don’t have an ‘internal memory’ like your phone or laptop. So, you don’t need to fully discharge and fully recharge them. Don’t overcharge or over discharge your batteries, as this depletes their overall lifespan. In fact, if you over discharge an external battery, you should stop using it. As soon as your battery light starts flashing or otherwise indicates that it has depleted, you need to charge your vape battery. When it has fully charged, you should take it off charge as soon as possible.

 

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Temperature

Don’t expose your batteries to extremes of temperature. If your battery gets too hot, or too cold, it can affect the internal chemistry and prematurely discharge your vape battery.

 

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Correct battery storage

Store your battery in a none conductive container, an appropriate battery case, or sleeve where possible. Shop Battery Cases and Sleeves here

 

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Treat them well

As mentioned above, correct storage is important, but also treat them carefully. Not only to minimise any risk, but if a battery casing is damaged, you have to stop using it.

 

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Minimise charging

We have spoken about charging cycles. If you have a vape battery that you are having to charge twice a day, it will not be long until you have to replace it. Choose a battery that has a higher mAh rating so you aren’t charging it as often.

How to dispose of a vape battery

Once your vape battery has come to the end of its life, it is important that you dispose of it safely, or else it can harm the environment. Here are some ways in which you can safely dispose of your vape battery:

  • Recycle at participating battery recycling points or a designated battery bin, as they contain electrical elements that need to be safely disposed of
  • Bring your battery to any Totally Wicked store nationwide, or to the TECC Accrington store, which offers a WEEE recycling service where you can return your battery
  • Check with your local recycling centre, as most of them should be able to take batteries for recycling

E-cig Batteries from TECC.co.uk

This was the ultimate guide to e-cig batteries. Here at The Electronic Cigarette Company, we stock a massive range of vape batteries suited to all types of vaper. Including the latest in removable battery mods and integrated battery e-cigs.

Shop all Vape Mods & Batteries here

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