It’s only natural that vapers devote most of their
attention to selecting the most advanced, high-tech mod, the most impressive
coil configurations and the most flavorful e-liquids when creating their
setups. But the batteries
used to power mods should never be overlooked, as they are just as
important. Not only do batteries
determine the capabilities of your mod, but they also play a role in the safety
of your mod as well.
We know that the world of batteries can be quite
confusing to the novice vaper, who is already trying to understand basic vaping
terminology. For that reason, we’ve come
up with a simple guide to knowing the differences between the main types of
vape batteries you’ll find on the market today, which are ICR batteries, IMR
batteries and hybrid batteries (a hybrid between IMR and additional
configurations). This way, you’ll know
what to look for in a high-quality, long-lasting and safe battery from this
point on.
Why You Should Pay Attention to Your Vape Batteries
As we said, batteries are perhaps the most overlooked
component of a traditional mod-based vaping setup. This is easy to understand, as batteries
don’t come with cool features like the rest of one’s vaping hardware. However, the batteries that you choose have a
lot more to do with your overall vaping experience than you may realize.
ICR Batteries
Associated with LiCo02 and LiCd models, these are standard
lithium-ion batteries that many of us are familiar with. ICR batteries are basically obsolete by
today’s vaping standards, although you can find them on the market without much
effort regardless.
So, why are ICR batteries obsolete? Well, they’re produced using lithium cobalt
oxide, and this makes them fairly unstable.
They contain protective cells that are intended to keep the batteries
safe, and while this makes them sound ideal, it actually just indicates how
potentially unsafe they are compared to other types of batteries. Basically, they were once the standard for
vaping, back when vaping mods typically operated at lower wattages.
Now, as you probably know, box mods have gotten more
powerful than ever before. While 150
watts used to be considered incredibly high, many of today’s models operate at
up to 230 watts. ICR batteries are
better suited for lower output levels, so vaping high wattages with these
batteries makes them less reliable, and increases the likelihood of damage to
your device, as well as potential harm overall.
This is because inherently, they have a lower amp limit than IMR and
hybrid models.
IMR Batteries
Quickly becoming standard throughout the mod industry,
simply because they are more suitable for the sustained high output levels that
most vapers enjoy nowadays. They use
lithium manganese (LiMn), which makes them far more stable, and therefore more
capable of providing safe, reliable, and consistent power to devices operating
at high wattage and temperature levels.
IMR batteries are more available than ever before, and
most vape shops will tell you that they’re the only way to go for modern vaping
devices. The risk of an IMR battery
exploding is phenomenally low compared to ICR batteries, and vapers feel safer
using them as a result. They also
provide more consistent output, which is important if your mod allows you to
explore all kinds of output settings.
Without this kind of consistency, your output could waver as you vape.
Furthermore, ICR batteries are low-draining, while IMR
batteries are not. This means that even
though their mAh rating is often lower than those of ICR, they will last longer
between charging sessions due to being high-draining. They also have a lower internal resistance
for more sustainability.
Hybrid
A newer class of batteries that you’ll find on the
vaping market and elsewhere. They
combine the chemistry of IMR batteries with those of INR or NCR to bring up the
capacity that is sometimes lacking in straight IMR models. This results in high-draining, high-capacity
batteries that essentially give you the best of both worlds for longer-lasting
vapes that sustain adequate power levels and maintain consistent performance
and overall reliability, while also being extremely safe compared to ICR
batteries.
Because of the unique features of hybrid batteries,
they’re quickly becoming the go-to choose for serious vapers. Especially, ones who maintain high output
levels while vaping. The technology is
still fairly new, but you can find a wide array of high-quality hybrid models
on the market that are great for modern vaping devices. Anyone coming from ICR batteries will likely
be quite surprised by how much longer their hybrid batteries last, even when
vaping at the highest output levels that their device has to offer.
Choosing the Best Battery for Your Needs
At this point, it’s clear that hybrid batts are likely
the best choice for one’s vaping needs.
ICR batteries, as we said, are largely obsolete due to common issues
we’ve described in detail above. Of
course, there are still some devices on the market that are only compatible
with ICR batteries, and so vapers using these devices will have no choice.
However, if you’re looking for safety, IMR or hybrids
are ideal. If you want the features of
IMR batteries but want a higher capacity, hybrids are the clear winner. Now, you can find the perfect vape batteries
to complete your setup.
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