When choosing a laptop battery, consider compatibility, materials (LiON and Li-Poly are best), power rating, lifetime, brand vs generic, and new vs refurbished. Look for guarantees and safety standards.
When choosing a laptop battery, you should first make sure it’s compatible with your computer, then consider the materials it’s made from. It’s also best to look at the power rating and lifetime, as they have a big impact on performance and lifetime. You may also want to consider whether you want a brand or generic replacement, as well as whether you want a new or refurbished battery. Whichever you choose, you should also look into the guarantees offered and make sure that it complies with safety standards.
Compatibility
The first thing to look for when buying a new laptop battery is compatibility with your computer. Most are made to work with specific computer models and this information is listed in the product descriptions. To make sure it works with your computer, you’ll need to know the make and model number of your laptop; if you don’t know it right away or don’t have the necessary documents, check the inside of your laptop’s battery compartment while it is turned off and unplugged. You may also find the battery part number, which can be found on its casing.
Materials
You should also consider the material from which the battery is made: nickel cadmium (NiCad), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), lithium ion (LiON), or lithium ion polymer (Li-Poly). NiCad batteries are largely obsolete, as they are very heavy and don’t last very long. NiMH batteries last longer than NiCads, but significantly less than LiON and Li-Poly. They also weigh more and have the ‘memory effect’, which causes them to lose the ability to fully recharge.
In general, LiON and Li-Poly batteries are the best choice, as long as they’re compatible with your laptop, as they’re lightweight, last longer than NiMH, and are about a third lighter. In addition, they charge faster and are also more environmentally friendly. Regardless of the type of laptop battery you get, you should make sure that the cells are manufactured in a way that meets international laptop battery safety standards, such as those designated by Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
Capacity
Capacity, or power rating, is another important consideration. This is the amount of energy the battery can produce and is usually written in milliamperes (mAh). The larger the capacity, the longer the battery can run before needing to be recharged, so look for the higher mAh number. Most new ones are rated at at least 5,000mAh.
Life service
Like other technology products, laptop batteries have a designated service life, the length of time in which they should function optimally. This is usually written in terms of cycles, with one cycle being to fully discharge the battery and then fully recharge it. Most are capable of between 300 and 1,500 charge cycles and can be used after reaching their maximum number of cycles, but may also not hold a charge. Some computers come with a built-in cycle counter, but free online cycle counting software is also available for download.
Branded vs. unbranded
You may also want to consider whether you want to buy a branded laptop battery, like the one that came with your laptop, or a generic replacement. Many brand name companies and generic battery companies get their components from the same manufacturers, so it might not make a huge difference, but some branded versions meet more stringent safety standards than generic ones, and some use different, higher quality components. . Also, some branded versions come with better warranties than generic ones. However, brand name batteries tend to be more expensive than generic ones, so if you compare a brand name laptop battery and a generic one and find that they are largely similar, then you may want to go with the generic one.
New vs Refurbished
In addition to the brand issue, you should also think about whether you want a new laptop battery or a refurbished one. While some refurbished ones are very good and are often much cheaper than new ones, it is a bit risky to buy refurbished since you don’t really know how old the battery is and it could suddenly die. Also, many refurbished batteries don’t come with very good warranties, so it might be worth buying a new one, especially if you use your laptop a lot.
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