14500 Lithium ion Battery – Everything you need to know

Lithium batteries come in a variety of sizes. One of the most common sizes used in household appliances is 14500 battery. There are many questions about this battery, such as the size, where to use, how to charge, etc. This article will share everything you need to know about 14500 rechargeable Li-ion battery.

What is a 14500 battery

14500 battery is a rechargeable cylindrical lithium ion battery. The dimensions of a standard 14500 battery are 14mm in diameter and 50mm in length. The nominal voltage is 3.6V or 3.7V.

The rechargeable 14500 batteries can take up to 4.2 volt maximum and their charging current can be 1C. The discharge rate is 0.5-1C.

What is the mah capacity of a 14500 battery

Depending on the chemistry of the 14500 lithium ion battery, its capacity is between 500 to 800 mAh.

Advantages of 14500 lithium battery

The 14500 lithium battery has mainly 5 advantages compared to any aa-size alkaline, NiMH battery.

Battery life: Compared to the disposal alkaline batteries, 14500 battery offers extended life service. If the battery is recharged intelligently, it can get more than 500 recharge cycles. It is eco-friendly.

Voltage: this battery comes with about 3 times more voltage than any AA NiMH rechargeable batteries, ideal for remote-controlled toys and flashlights.

Self-discharge rate: It has a low self-discharge rate, approximate 3% per month, less than half of alkaline batteries.

Memory effect issues: the lithium ion battery has no memory effect issues. So it can be charged at any time without affecting the use capacity.

Protection features: the protected 14500 battery come with built-ion protection circuit, which manages over-charging, over-discharging and short circuit issues.

14500 vs aa battery

Both 14500 and AA batteries are almost the same size. But in terms of power output, they have big difference. The AA Alkaline and lithium batteries come with a voltage output of 1.5V, but 14500 batteries come with 3.6/3.7V approximately. If you want to use rechargeable 14500 batteries to replace your Alkaline AA batteries, please check the voltage specifications of your device and make sure it supports both cells.

Where to use 14500 battery

The 14500 lithium battery use mainly in small flashlights as an effective alternative to aa disposable alkaline batteries. In addition to this, these batteries use in hearing aids, EKG monitors, medical devices, tollgate systems, utility metering, security devices, alarms, professional electronic equipment, automatic meter reading, utility metering, and memory back-ups systems, etc.

Where to buy 14500 batteries

XTAR, as a top rated brand in lithium ion battery and charger manufacturing, provides bulk 14500 rechargeable 3.7V Li-ion batteries.

What 14500 battery charger should you use

Due to the length and the capacity of the 14500 battery, you should use a charger that intelligently charge small li-ion batteries.

There are 3 best 14500 battery chargers in 2022.

XTAR FC2: a basic two-bay Li-ion and NiMH battery charger supporting seletable charging current. Friendly to those small batteries.

XTAR VC2SL: a two-bay Li-ion and NiMH battery charger come with LCD screen. It intelligently adjust the charging current and displays the real-time charging status of your battery. Battery internal resistance test is a big bonus. Also it supports USB ouput function.

XTAR VC4SL: a smart 4-bay Li-ion and NiMH battery charger and analyzer. It supports selectable charging current from 0.25A to 3A. Besides charging, it also has grading and storage function. It detect the battery internal resistance, test the real capaicty of battery, and adjust the voltage to optinal rate when you want to store batteries for a long time.

Can I replace 14500 with any other batteries

You can use two 14250 batteries to replace a single 14500 battery if the device’s battery compartment accommodate the battery size. But as the voltage of two 14250 batteries is double the value of a single 14500 battery, you should make sure the circuit condition can accommodate the higher voltage without damaging the device.

Generally, a battery with the same chemical material and the same rated voltage can replace with a lithium-ion battery, depending on the size of the battery compartment and the device’s compatibility. There are possibilities to get the LED circuit damaged due to higher voltage.

Can I replace AA alkaline batteries with 14500

Lithium batteries are not an alternative to alkaline batteries, because of their voltage output. But, if the power capacity and voltage are within the acceptable limit of your device, you can use a 14500 lithium-ion battery instead of an AA alkaline battery. There are some AA flashlights or headlamps that also support 14500 batteries on the market.

Conclusion

The 14500 Li-ion battery is widely used in various electronic products. When choosing a battery, the most important thing is to ensure the battery is suitable for your device. Also, for durability and longest life cycle, you must buy batteries from a reliable source.