I’m often asked what the “best” battery is or what the best for a regulated (or mech) mod might be. Unfortunately, the best choice for a particular vaper depends on how hard you’re using the batteries and your vaping style.
For vapers with multiple mods, who might like to switch up vaping styles (MTL vs DTL) or coils, or who want to use different mods at different times, that makes choosing batteries more difficult. Each mod or vaping style might benefit most from a different battery. That’s a pain in the .....
We can sometimes get good enough performance for many power levels and vaping style though from just one battery. It won’t be the one best battery for low power vaping. It won’t be the one best battery for very high power vaping. But it will give you good performance for just about any use that doesn’t go over its current rating.
Like any “best all around” product though, it cannot be the single best at everything. This needs to be taken into account when shopping for batteries. You would know that the “best all around” car tire wouldn’t be the best in the snow. But you would know that it would do a decent job at it and be okay to use in dry weather too. The convenience of having a great all-around tire can outweigh the inconvenience of changing tires (or using chains) when Winter comes.
Some would want the best performer though every time the situation changes, tires or batteries. For them it’s worth the time, money, and inconvenience. For others, a good performer no matter what the situation is can be enough. You get to decide which you prefer.
The current “best all-around” 18650, in my opinion, is the Molicel P26A or P28A, with the Sony VTC5A close behind them. They are great performers and being able to buy Molicels from authorized vendors so we know we’re getting recent manufacture, good grade, genuine cells is really important in my opinion.
But that does not mean they’re the “best” for all vapers and all situations. Under 20W vapers will get more vaping time from the low current rated, ultra-high capacity batteries like the Sanyo NCR18650GA. Ultra-high power vapers will get better performance (less voltage sag) from a hard-hitter like the Samsung 20S. Moderate power vapers, less than about 50W per battery (100W in a two battery mod) will get a bit more run time from a battery like the Sony VTC6, Samsung 30Q, or LG HG2.
But if you want one 18650 battery that is still a good performer for all your vaping styles, up to 25A/75W each, the Molicel P26A or P28A are a great choice. They essentially equal or outperform the Sony VTC5A and Samsung 25S, hitting hard while still having decent run time for regulated devices. Like the best all-around for any product, they can’t be the single best choice for every setup. But they will perform well and having just one battery type for all your vaping can be very convenient.
Is there a better choice for you? It depends on how you vape. If you have the time and want to research a little you might find a better choice. But if you just want to get on with vaping then an all-around great battery can be used and still give you great performance.
My Recommended Batteries tables have a few suggestions for you to try if you’re looking for batteries: Mooch's Recommended Batteries | E-Cigarette Forum
For vapers with multiple mods, who might like to switch up vaping styles (MTL vs DTL) or coils, or who want to use different mods at different times, that makes choosing batteries more difficult. Each mod or vaping style might benefit most from a different battery. That’s a pain in the .....
We can sometimes get good enough performance for many power levels and vaping style though from just one battery. It won’t be the one best battery for low power vaping. It won’t be the one best battery for very high power vaping. But it will give you good performance for just about any use that doesn’t go over its current rating.
Like any “best all around” product though, it cannot be the single best at everything. This needs to be taken into account when shopping for batteries. You would know that the “best all around” car tire wouldn’t be the best in the snow. But you would know that it would do a decent job at it and be okay to use in dry weather too. The convenience of having a great all-around tire can outweigh the inconvenience of changing tires (or using chains) when Winter comes.
Some would want the best performer though every time the situation changes, tires or batteries. For them it’s worth the time, money, and inconvenience. For others, a good performer no matter what the situation is can be enough. You get to decide which you prefer.
The current “best all-around” 18650, in my opinion, is the Molicel P26A or P28A, with the Sony VTC5A close behind them. They are great performers and being able to buy Molicels from authorized vendors so we know we’re getting recent manufacture, good grade, genuine cells is really important in my opinion.
But that does not mean they’re the “best” for all vapers and all situations. Under 20W vapers will get more vaping time from the low current rated, ultra-high capacity batteries like the Sanyo NCR18650GA. Ultra-high power vapers will get better performance (less voltage sag) from a hard-hitter like the Samsung 20S. Moderate power vapers, less than about 50W per battery (100W in a two battery mod) will get a bit more run time from a battery like the Sony VTC6, Samsung 30Q, or LG HG2.
But if you want one 18650 battery that is still a good performer for all your vaping styles, up to 25A/75W each, the Molicel P26A or P28A are a great choice. They essentially equal or outperform the Sony VTC5A and Samsung 25S, hitting hard while still having decent run time for regulated devices. Like the best all-around for any product, they can’t be the single best choice for every setup. But they will perform well and having just one battery type for all your vaping can be very convenient.
Is there a better choice for you? It depends on how you vape. If you have the time and want to research a little you might find a better choice. But if you just want to get on with vaping then an all-around great battery can be used and still give you great performance.
My Recommended Batteries tables have a few suggestions for you to try if you’re looking for batteries: Mooch's Recommended Batteries | E-Cigarette Forum
