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18650 Button Top: Difference, Comparison and Power

Jun 28, 2020   Pageview:7022

If you have a flashlight, laptops, or similar device in your household, there’s a big chance you’re using 18650 batteries for them. It’s not a surprise. After all, 18650 batteries are some of the most reliable cells out there.

However, if you take a look at some 18650 batteries, you will notice that some of them have different appearances, especially if you look at the end of the cell. It turns out that the button top for some batteries differs for specific purposes. In this article, we will discuss all about the 18650 button top and its functions. The same goes for the flat tops, of course.

What is the difference between 18650 flat top and button top battery?

Some might wonder why we call 18650 as one of the most reliable batteries out there. Let’s look at its properties first. Another name for 18650 batteries is lithium-ion cells due to the material that created the battery. Its features allow us to recharge them when the energy is done. The rechargeable aspect makes the battery perfect for those who need to use power regularly without wanting to purchase new batteries. The reason why they are called 18650 cells is because of the size. Their sizes are 18mm x 65mm, making them larger than AA batteries for a bit.

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The battery is famous, not without reason. The 18650 batteries are known for their superb discharge rate and the amount of energy it contains. They are capable of storing 3000 mAh or even more. Due to the 6great discharge rate and the power it holds, many manufacturers lose to use 18650 batteries for their electronic 50device (such as laptops).

Although all 18650 batteries have the same properties and functions, there is are some aspects that might differ in each cell. Those aspects are no other than the physical appearance of the batteries.

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Some 18650 batteries have outer layers or extra coating. The purpose of the outer layer is to secure the battery correctly. After all, there are some chances of cells suffering from overheating. For this reason, some manufacturers take extra precautions. The covering is one of the forms of extra precautions. There are, however, some 18650 batteries that do not have additional coverage. The lack of extra coating is mostly for the purpose of function and usage.

Another difference in physical appearance is the top part or the end of the battery. There are some 18650 batteries with flat tops, while the rest comes with button tops. Finding the difference is not that hard, really. As long as the end is smooth, it’s a flat-top battery. If you see an end that looks like a button, it’s definitely a button top.

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Some batteries have both of their ends either flat-top or button-top. However, it is pretty common to see cells with both flat-top and button-top. In fact, they’re probably the kind of 18650 batteries you would see in supermarkets.

The difference is not without reason, of course. Batteries with flat tops are usually used by users or manufacturers of devices with built-in batteries. Older laptops, for example, actually used 18650 batteries in packs. Meanwhile, cells that have button tops are batteries usually sold at the supermarkets. Button-top batteries are batteries used for by us, consumer users, for our electronic goods that do not come with batteries.

The existence of button tops is also separated from the batteries. When primary manufacturers produce cells, they are actually made without button tops. Button tops are usually added by resellers such as KeepPower of Efest. This separation also means that the buttons are attached separately from the batteries.

Is 18650 button top battery better than flap top?

Although the ends of button-top and flat-top batteries are different, it does not mean that one of them is better than the other. Everything depends on the usage of the cell.

However, it should be noted that button-top batteries cannot be used for all devices. Some devices will find button-top batteries too lengthy, while some will discover flat-top batteries too short. The solution is the spring located in the section where you attach the cells. The spring (usually for the positive end of the battery) helps the batteries to reach the location it needs to activate the device. However, when the battery is too long, you have no choice but to purchase new batteries or take out the button top (which is hard to do unless you have some skills).  So, if you want to buy 18650 batteries, it’s best to check the device to see which battery suits it the most.

What is the highest mAh 18650 button top battery?

There are various amounts of mAh for different batteries. There are batteries with button tops with mAh as much as 3500. However, the buyer should buy batteries with mAh around 2200 mAh to 2600 mAh. Although batteries have been improved and are more than capable of storing a large amount of mAh, not all of them are stable. So if you want to buy button-top batteries with durable power, it’s best to purchase batteries with mAh ranging from 2200 to 2600. If you need more than the amount mentioned, make sure it doesn’t go beyond 3000 mAh.

From here, we can conclude that flat-top batteries are not that different from button-top cells. They are different in terms of general usage and length, so it’s best to check your device to ensure that the battery fits appropriately. There are, however, some batteries with both flat-top and button-top. They can be commonly seen in supermarkets. So if you can’t find your flat-top/ button-top only batteries, you can always opt for the third alternative.

If you want to use the button-top battery with high mAh, it’s best to purchase the one with 3000 mAh. There’s no guarantee that the performance will be stable if the mAh is beyond 3000. Once you’ve checked your device and know the mAh you need, you’re good to go!

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