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Well, friends, I got my hands on the highest-capacity 18650 battery—or at least, that's what they say "on the internet." I ordered them specifically to check whether that's true, and to add them to my "database" of various batteries.

A new batch of batteries arrived not long ago, and today I'm reviewing the first one: the Panasonic NCR18650BD, rated at 3200 mAh.

Originally, I wanted to title this review “Affordable LG INR18650MH1 Batteries,” but then I checked the current price and was a little disappointed. Why, along with everything else, you’ll find out in the review. There will also be a little food for thought at the end.

Today I’m reviewing the well-known Murata US18650VTC6 battery, but in a “new wrapper.” A review, tests, and most importantly—a comparison with the regular “green” VTC6.

Many years ago, I posted a review of the Samsung INR18650-25R batteries. They were good batteries, and I really liked them back then. But time has passed, and they’ve landed on my workbench again. Of course, these aren’t the same ones I tested back then, but new ones bought quite recently. I decided to repeat the tests, especially since my testing method is now more complete and accurate.

I’m adding to my collection of Sony / Murata batteries, and today I’m reviewing a rather old type, the VTC4. As it turns out, they’re still pretty decent, especially if you’re on a tight budget but want a quality battery. After the jump: tests and a comparison with its closest competitor from Samsung.

These batteries are high-current models, but they’re also budget-friendly, with a capacity of just 1500 mAh and a lower price than higher-capacity cells like the VTC5, HE4, and so on. Unfortunately, they’re no longer available for sale, although this may only be temporary. I think you may be able to find them in other stores, too.

Another battery in the high-current category, with a rated continuous discharge current of 20 A. It is essentially a competitor to the well-known Murata VTC5, although it falls slightly behind in terms of load performance. Still, it's best to check out the full review, which includes tests and a comparison chart.

Not long ago, I reviewed some fake batteries, including what was supposedly a genuine Samsung ICR18650-22P, but it had an old production date and arrived almost completely discharged. Today I'm reviewing new, genuine batteries of the same type, so there will be comparisons as well as measurements.

Another battery review, but this time we'll see what's going on "on the dark side"—that is, among Chinese battery manufacturers and rewrappers. In this case, we're looking at Liitokala, a company known not only for its batteries and chargers, but also for how deftly it can turn one battery into another simply by changing the wrapper :)

The last battery from my test order at nkon, and I saved it for "dessert" because it’s not only a high-current battery, but also comes in the relatively new 21700 form factor, with a capacity of 4000 mAh. What’s more, today I’ll be testing it at currents above 30 A.

Well, friends, judging by the claimed capacity, these could be considered record-breakers in the 18650 form factor. I mean, 3600 mAh—is that really what they deliver? A review, tests, and conclusions, as usual.

Looking for an alternative to the well-known Panasonic 18650B and Samsung 35E, I decided to see how LG, another well-known manufacturer, was doing with high-capacity batteries. So I ordered two types, and today I’ll be talking about the first one.

So, I’m done reviewing batteries I already knew pretty well, and I’m moving on to models I’ve never tested before. I’ll start with the relatively new VTC5D series batteries. I hope this will be useful.

I won't go into a long account of the purchase this time—just a brief review of a couple of popular VTC6 cells. As a bonus, I'll compare them with cells sent to me earlier by one of my readers and bought from the same store, nkon.

I've already reviewed quite a few batteries from nkon, but those were sent to me by one of my readers. Now I've finally got around to buying from the store myself, and as it turns out, it's not difficult at all. But it's best to read all about it in the review.

A friend once brought me a couple of batteries to test. He bought them from us, but as far as I know, they came from AliExpress, either from the Liitokala store or Charger Battery Store. In any case, they’re essentially the same batteries, so I thought, why not test them? It might come in handy for someone.

Not long ago, a friend asked me to do something like an inspection of four 18650 batteries he’d bought at our local market. They were being sold as genuine, but he had his doubts and decided to check. So I decided to put together a short article based on this, with some real-world examples.