VapCell INR14500 1000mAh 10A H10: Small but Powerful

A few notes on some details:
1. The link in the heading goes to the VapCell store on AliExpress; it was provided by a company representative.
2. Not all the batteries shown are available in this store, so links will be provided to the VapCell website and/or the nkon store.
3. There are no datasheets or manufacturing dates for any of the batteries, but each has a page on the VapCell website with detailed specifications. These figures will be used as a reference for the tests. The VapCell website also often includes test results.
4. As usual, all batteries were tested in pairs to improve statistical accuracy.

The following equipment was used for the tests:
EBC-A10H battery tester, for testing at low currents
EBC-A20 battery tester, for testing at currents up to 20 A
FL-4H-LCD-D charger, as the closest equivalent to Opus-type chargers and similar models.
Thermal imager


Strictly speaking, VapCell is not a manufacturer as such, but belongs to the so-called “repackagers,” along with Basen, Liitokala, Varicore, and even the notorious TrustFire. Unlike Liitokala, however, it offers batteries with its own branding rather than visually similar clones of well-known brands (Liitokala HG2, VTC6, etc.).

VapCell is not a new company; references to its batteries date back to at least 2015. Its products are sold not only on AliExpress, but also in local brick-and-mortar and online stores, and even at the well-known nkon store.

I ordered 7 types of batteries with different sizes and capacities, in order to cover as much of the range of batteries on sale as possible. In addition, 5 types are “classic” Li-Ion, while the other two are the less common LiFePO4.



Model on the manufacturer's website - link
This model isn't available on AliExpress, so here's a link to nkon. Price: €3.75 each


Key specifications
Size - 14.3*49.4mm
Type - Flat top
Nominal voltage - 3.60V
End-of-charge voltage - 4.20V
End-of-discharge Voltage - 2.50V
Typical Capacity - 1000mAh (0.2C discharge)
Min capacity - 900mAh (0.2C discharge)
Weight - Max:24g
Internal resistance - Max:18mΩ(AC 1kHz)
Standard Charge - 500mA,CCCV 50mA cut-off
Quick Charge Current - 1500mA
Max Continuous Discharge Current - 10A

As you can see, the key feature of these batteries is that they are rated for a continuous discharge current of up to 10 A despite their very small size, which is quite impressive.

The batteries came in a small box with a scratch-off sticker to verify that the product is genuine. These are the only batteries in the test where the sticker isn't on the battery itself, presumably because of their small size.


I've noticed that all batteries from this company come in a fairly distinct range of colors, but I haven't figured out which colors correspond to which groups yet.
This model is light purple. The positive terminal is flat and flush with the top, while the negative terminal protrudes slightly.
The markings are clear and easy to read. They show the capacity in both mAh and Wh, as well as the maximum discharge current.


The dimensions match the specifications. The weight is slightly lower, at 21.7 g versus the stated 24 g, but maximum weights are often specified, so that's perfectly normal.


Even when measuring capacity with a basic charger, the batteries came in slightly below the stated 1000mAh at a discharge current of 500mA (0.5C), despite the fact that chargers like this usually overestimate the result.


At a charging current of 0.5A, charging took just under two hours, which also points to a lower capacity.


At 1C, the battery can realistically be charged in just over an hour; the extended CV phase is what takes the extra time.


The company has posted test results on its website, but in my opinion they aren't very reliable because the tests were performed with an EBC-A40L tester, which has relatively high measurement error at low charging/discharging currents. The batteries were tested at discharge currents of up to 12A.


My results were a little lower: 944mAh at 0.2C and 838mAh at 10A.


In terms of heat, the battery performed very well. Even at a discharge current of 12A, its temperature was around 82 degrees, and at the rated 10A it was almost 10 degrees lower.


The second battery performed slightly better than the first. The difference was just 10 mAh, which could easily be explained by a difference in air temperature or measurement error.


The temperature profiles were also practically identical.


These batteries were rated for an internal resistance of up to 18 mΩ. In reality, it was even lower, around 15–16 mΩ. The readings on the left are from before testing, and those on the right are after the “conditioning” cycle.


But these batteries behaved somewhat... strangely. Below are readings from the same batteries after all the tests, with only about 30–40 seconds between the photos.
Personally, this is the first time I’ve seen this kind of behavior. Usually, when you connect the probes to a battery, the readings stabilize within 2–3 seconds, with only minor fluctuations in the last digit after that. Here, though, the readings keep drifting for a long time. I can’t say which ones are accurate, so I’ve included both versions.


Aside from the somewhat strange behavior when measuring internal resistance, these are very interesting batteries overall. I’ve reviewed quite a few 14500 batteries, including cheaper ones, but none that can handle 10–12 A. So I can definitely recommend these, unless the price puts you off.