What Battery to Use with Your Vape Device

Understanding battery safety and the general rule of thumb is key

19 April 2022 | Hannah Rubery

When you first step into vaping, it’s easy to forget about one of the core aspects of your vaping device. Making sure that your E-Liquid is the right ratio, flavour and type of nicotine is important, as is deciding on your type of device, but making sure your device has the correct power is just as important.

What is a vape battery?

A vape battery is the part of an E-Cigarette/vape device that powers the vape. Some are integrated batteries built into the kit, others are external that can be replaced.

Types of vape battery

When you buy a vape battery, you’ll likely notice a series of letters on the packaging such as “ICR” or “IMR”. These explain the materials of the battery which can be important due to the different ways these materials act. The “I” stands for lithium-ion which makes up any battery that is used for vaping devices. Similarly, “R” stands for rechargeable meaning that the battery can be recharged with the correct charger. The other letters stand for:
• C – Cobalt
• F – Iron
• M – Manganese
• N – Nickel
Different materials will result in different performances from your battery. For example, an IMR (Lithium-manganese) battery allows a lot of current to flow through without increasing the temp of the battery. This makes them much safer for vapers to use. An INR (Lithium-manganese-nickel) has the benefit of manganese but the added plus of nickel, meaning they offer high current, low temperature and higher capacity than an IMR battery.

Common Vaping Battery Sizes

Most commonly, vapers use 18650 + 21700 batteries, with the latter growing in popularity over the last few years for their larger capacity allowing for longer vaping before recharges. There are other batteries used in some devices such as 26650 or 18350s, but these are a lot less common due to the strange sizes.

At first, the names of these batteries might not make a lot of sense but if you break them down, it boils down to simply the size of the battery. For example, the 18650 is 18mm by 65mm in size. When picking your battery it's best to ensure what size battery your device can take – the last thing you want is batteries that are too large for your casing.

Battery capacity vs Battery Voltage

This is where things start to get more complicated. A battery’s capacity is the measured lifespan of a single charge and is measured in mAh (milliamp hours). The higher the rating, the higher the capacity, and depending on how much power is drawn out, the longer it will last before it needs to be recharged. There are vape batteries that are adjustable allowing for greater variety. Battery voltage is simply the power you are applying to the current. Therefore, you could apply the same voltage to two different batteries with different capacities, and the one with higher capacity would last longer.

Importantly, the coil you use with your device can also impact the capacity of your battery. If you’re using a lower resistance coil such as those for sub-ohm vaping, you will draw more power than if you were using a higher resistance coil. Making sure you’ve got a battery with high capacity is a must for these devices unless you want to be recharging often – which repeatedly recharging can also kill your battery quicker.

How to use vape batteries safely

Understanding your batteries is how you ensure the safety of them and your device. Things get more complex when looking at rebuildable kits and custom mods, so today we’re going to just cover the basics.

Make sure the batteries you use are suited for recharging and only use the correct charger. If the batteries are integrated into the device then it will come with its own charger. If you’re using external batteries or a mod, then there may be several chargers that are suitable. Just ensure that it has the correct charging cable and comes from a reputable source – not a knock-off variation that may not have the safety measures in place to stop batteries overcharging and more.

We’d always recommend using an external battery charger for any devices that have removeable/replaceable batteries, and not using the USB port to charge them through the mod if possible. This will ensure a much safer charging experience as well as prolonging the life of your batteries.

Don’t be stingy with your batteries. If you find cheaper batteries, then there’s a likelihood that they’re counterfeit or poor quality. This not only affects performance but the safety of your batteries and device. Ensuring you’ve bought quality batteries is the best way to be safe and have an optimum vaping experience.

Look out for any damage to your battery. If it is just the wrap that is damaged or torn, you can have these replaced or replace them yourselves. A lot of the time it is just the wrap that is compromised, not the battery itself. If the battery however is deformed in shape or appears to be leaking then it must be thrown away.

Never carry loose batteries in your pocket. It’s one of the most common reasons for accidents. If batteries rub against loose coins of your keys, it can cause the battery to discharge and spark in your pocket.

Don’t leave your batteries charging for too long. Many people are prone to this bad habit but leaving things charging overnight or for longer periods of time than needed, can lead to the batteries taking in too much charge. This can damage the lifespan of your batteries leading to them lasting less and less.

Always use the right batteries for your device. As mentioned before, making sure you have the right sort of battery for your device is crucial. If in doubt, visit a vape store to get expert advice, or check out the vape battery legend himself, Mooch who covers all things vaping batteries.

How to improve battery life

There are several ways you can help maximise the life of your batteries and many of them are super simple to do. Here’s our top 7 tips for helping improve your vape battery life.

1. Storage – keep your batteries in a cool, dark place. Keep them out of the sun or places that get easily hot. It’s ideal to keep them in a battery storage case to keep them safe and prevent any possible damage to them. If storing for a long period of time, make sure that they’re charged. This allows for them to discharge a little over time whilst ensuring there’s still power left in the batteries to keep the internal circuitry alive.

2. Regular use – most vape batteries are designed for regular use so if they’ve been sat around for some time, they may end up losing some of their charge – charge that may not return resulting in batteries that last shorter than intended.

3. Don’t let the battery fully drain – batteries undergo more strain when recharging after fully depleting than they do with some charge still left inside.

4. Don’t fully charge – likewise, the same can be said for fully charging your batteries. Many manufacturers actually set it so that the batteries show as fully charged when the battery is at 90% to help compensate for this.

5. Equally, don’t charge too often – similarly, charging to often can create the same sort of problem. It’s ideal to wait until your battery is around 20% to recharge and then finish charging before it’s fully charged.

7. Turn off the device when not in use – it’s easy enough for a vape device to fire up in your bag or pocket due to some pressure against the fire button. Save your battery life and your coil by making sure it’s turned off when not in use.