RC LiPo batteries are the power source for your remote-control cars, planes, boats, and drones. They come in different capacities, discharge rates, brands, and materials. They are also the most expensive components of RC devices.
There is quite a good amount of best RC LiPo batteries of different brands. But what makes one battery better than the other? Before choosing the best RC LiPo battery for your needs, there are many factors to consider.
For instance, you might want a battery that lasts longer or is more lightweight. You may also need a specific voltage or amp hour rating. The good news is that plenty of options is available to suit your needs.
If you are looking for a specific type of battery that suits your needs, or want to learn more about the battery types, this article is for you.
What You Should Know About RC LiPo Batteries
LiPo batteries (Lithium Polymer batteries) are the rechargeable battery that has seized the electric RC industry by storm, particularly for helicopters, planes, and drones.
They are the primary reason that electric flight has become a feasible alternative to fuel-powered versions.
LiPo batteries have few advantages over traditional rechargeable batteries like NiCad or NiMH.
LiPo batteries are small and light, and they may be produced in practically any shape or size.
LiPo batteries have high capacities, which means they can store a lot of energy in a compact space (high energy density).
As they drain, LiPo batteries effectively keep a steady voltage/power output. However, compared to NiMh, NiCad, or PB, the voltage/power drop when they reach a wholly discharged level is very fast (and destructive).
LiPo batteries feature fast discharge rates, making them ideal for powering the most demanding electrical RC vehicles and aircraft. LiPo batteries also have relatively quick charge rates, allowing for recharging in 60 minutes or less.
Unlike NiMh or NiCad batteries, LiPo batteries have no memory effect.
Electric RC boats and cars have been around for decades. Still, it wasn’t until LiPo battery technology appeared on the scene that helicopters, electric planes, and multi-rotor began to appear. And they are now outperforming turbine, gas, and even nitro in terms of energy to weight ratios.
LiPo batteries are more expensive than NiCad and NiMH batteries. They have dropped drop in cost over the years, but they are still relatively expensive.
LiPo batteries, while improving, do not have particularly extended longevity. Especially when used in larger power demand applications such as RC flight, probably just 100-300 cycles of charge. Moreover, their life expectancy decreases as they are pushed harder.
However, if used gently in low-load devices, they can easily endure over 500 cycles.
Due to increased energy density storage combined with the flammable electrolyte used in LiPos, they can explode or catch fire if mishandled.
Because of this fire hazard, most shipping facilities globally now classify RC LiPos as dangerous goods, making shipment problematic, costly, and even impossible for all except the lowest capacity LiPos.
LiPo batteries, more than almost any other battery tech used in RC, require special and proper maintenance if they last for an extended time.
Application of Hard and Soft Cases to RC LiPo Batteries
Some Lithium Polymer batteries come with hard cases.
Hard case provides them with additional protection from moderate collisions and rugged use. It is also very useful in standard in-ground RC vehicles such as trucks and cars, where weight savings take precedence over safety.
Many of the hard-cased packs in the photo have bullet connections incorporated into the case to receive the maximum power and balancing cables.
However, soft case LiPo batteries are commonly used in RC air vehicles (helicopters, aircraft, and quad/multi) rotors.
The primary advantage of a soft case is obvious: lighter weight and a smaller form factor due to the absence of a bulky shell surrounding the cells.
Another benefit of soft-cased RC LiPo batteries is that you can tell when puffed or bloated.
On the other hand, puffed cells in hard-cased packs can be disguised entirely inside the case. Still, the hardshell case will commonly explode when the puffing becomes terrible enough.
LiPo cells wrapped in thin heat shrink provide slightly more excellent heat dissipation than those housed in a hard casing.
Discharge Ratings
Typically, RC LiPo rechargeable batteries will display the maximum discharge rating constant C.
The higher the C grade, the more expensive and, in some cases, slightly heavier. That’s where you might save money and possibly even some weight.
Purchasing an incredibly high discharge rated battery is always the best way. Of course, when you won’t be able to pull the entire amount of power, it isn’t necessary, but still, it won’t hurt either.
An essential point to remember is that you cannot choose a discharge C value that is too low or harm your battery.
Products: 5 Best RC LiPo Batteries
There are numerous high-quality Lithium Polymer batteries for RC devices on the market. I understand how difficult it is to select the most efficient one for a specific RC device. I’ve got you covered.
Check out the products listed below to see which ones are best suited to your needs.
- Zeee B076Z778MJ 7.4V LiPo Battery 2S 50C 5200mAh LiPos Hard Case with Dean-Style (Best for Drones)
Zeee is the most well-known LiPo battery producer in the world, having spent decades focusing on the research, development, and manufacturing of Li-Polymer batteries.
Zeee is focused on offering its global consumers high-quality products and first-rate services.
To control the quality and security of batteries, Zeee imports the most sophisticated manufacturing technology and tight QC teams.
Zeee offers you a 2S 7.4V and 5200mAh capacity battery. For this huge capacity, these batteries have been reliable for RC devices for quite a long time.
There are many LiPo batteries made for RC devices that cannot perform well in extreme temperatures. That means if the temperature is either very low or very high, it can’t perform very well.
However, Zeee RC LiPo batteries are excellent when it comes the performance in extreme temperatures.
Zeee uses exclusive materials from Korea and Japan for their batteries. Besides, their power density is up to 234Wh/kg. As a result, they are very highly reliable and can provide a very consistent high power.
The discharge rating of the Zeee battery is 50C. So, you can discharge up to 50% of the overall capacity without damaging the battery’s lifespan.
Moreover, the batteries’ internal resistance is very low. So, they are very good for powering up RC devices in no time. You won’t experience any loss of performance in this manner for sure.
Sometimes, there can be an issue of the batteries not holding the full charge for a long time after purchasing, as well as the battery charge drains faster. Zeee took the issue into their consideration and fixed it.
Using a very balanced charger is recommended if this issue occurs. And most importantly, you may need to charge and recycle a few times at first, and then this issue will be resolved on its own.
Overcharging and over-discharging are always harmful to all types of Li-Polymer batteries. So, if you want to use this battery for a really long time, then you have to be careful about the charging and discharging.
Specially, don’t leave the batteries unattended while charging.
The dimension of this battery is 138*47*25mm/5.43*1.85*0.98inch, and the weight is 250gram or 8.82 oz- which are the average size and weight of an RC LiPo battery.
You’re gonna get a hard case for these batteries. LiPo batteries with the hard case are usually higher in power for the RC devices. They are an ideal fit for 1/8 and 1/10 RC vehicle models.
Zeee batteries are specially compatible with 1/8 and 1/10 RC Losi, car, HPI Strada XB, 1/10 Tamiya, RTR Electric Buggy, Axial, Duratrax, Redcat racing, Jammin, Exceed RC, Bandit as long as the dimension, voltage, and plug of the battery matches.
The product comes with a 2S JST-XH Charge Balancing Connector.
Pros
- Sophisticated technology
- The battery is 7.4V
- The battery capacity is 5200mAh
- It performs very well in extreme temperatures
- The power density of the battery is 234Wh/kg
- The discharge rating of the Zeee battery is 50C
- Hard case
- The configuration of the battery is 2S
- Lower internal resistance for more producing power
- Lightweight, only 250g
- Ovonic B07CVBQW5T 2s Lipo Battery 7.4V 50C 5200mAh RC Lipo Batteries (Best for RC Monster Truck)
Ovonic is a professional LiPo battery brand that focuses on research, development, production, and sale of Li-Polymer batteries from 1996.
Ovonic like to provide their customers with safer and more effective LiPo batteries.
The product comes with two 7.4V batteries with a capacity of 5200mAh. With this capacity, it’s great for all kinds of RC devices.
The battery’s discharge rating is 50C. That means you can discharge this battery to its capacity’s 50%.
The battery got international quality certification from ISO. It’s safer than most other RC LiPo batteries. They have the protection technology incorporated so that the battery won’t overcharge or overheat easily.
Premium materials like LiCoO2 are used in this battery. As a result, you’ll get a longer life cycle around 220 times. The battery running time is also increased on one charge, which is about 12% better than other conventional RC LiPo batteries.
Most RC devices need quite a good amount of power to operate. This battery’s internal resistance Level is 4 percent lower than other batteries. Lower internal resistance helps the battery to produce more power for its devices.
The battery is compatible with RC monster truck, Buggy, car associated 1/10 RC short course, crawler.
The Battery Dimension is 137x46x24mm or 5.39×1.81×0.94inch (LxWxH), and the weight is 245g or 0.54 pounds. According to Ovonic, the battery dimension can be ±3mm, and the weight can be ±5g, respectively.
JST-XHR-3P charging plug and the battery’s discharging plug is Dean-Style T Connector. And the case type of this battery is hard.
Pros
- The battery is 7.4V
- Battery capacity is 5200mAh
- The discharge rating is 50C
- ISO certified in the safety segment
- Has a battery life of around 220 charge cycles
- Configuration 2S
- 12% average longer backup in one charge than other conventional LiPo batteries
- 4% lower internal resistance, more powerful than other batteries
- Lightweight
- POVWAY B086D71TZC 5200mAh 2S LiPo Battery (Best for RC Cars)
POVWAY brings these amazing rechargeable 7.4V 2S Lithium Polymer batteries for your RC devices. These batteries have a capacity of 5200mAh – the capability to provide longer backup time without any hassle.
The battery has quite a long life span – around 150 cycles of charge. It also has a higher power density which is up to 200Wh/kg – very recommended for RC devices.
The discharge rating of this battery is 50C. So, without bringing harm to the battery’s overall lifespan, you can discharge the battery up to 50% of its capacity.
POVWAY has used advanced technology to ensure consumers’ safety. In-built protection technology prevents the battery from overcharging and from all possible short circuits.
The battery comes with a very balanced lead protector. This is very effective in preventing the plug from falling off.
The burst rate of the battery is 80c which, I’ll say, is very significant, specially for the RC devices. All the RC devices need a higher power to start and perform. 80c burst rating will give an exclusive boost when starting the device.
The battery dimension is (LxWxH): 136x45x24 mm or 5.35×1.77×0.95 inch, and the weight is 281 gram or 9.9 oz – which are very average weight and size of a 2S RC LiPo Battery.
POVWAY 2S LiPo batteries are very recommended for RC buggy, car, Truggy, truck, etc.
POVWAY is offering a 30-day money-back offer while providing so many features in their products. Let me tell you one thing. When a company offers you a money-back facility, it ensures the high quality of the product.
No brand will ever make a faulty product and offer a money-back facility. So, this battery can be the next LiPo battery for your RC device.
POVWAY recommends the battery be charged regularly. So, I would say you don’t wait for the battery to discharge on its own fully to charge them. A regular charge will keep them alive, and they will serve you for a really long time.
The connector type is T plug, and the balancer connector type is JST-XH.
Pros
- The battery is 7.4V
- The battery capacity is 5200mAh
- Product configuration is 2S
- Advanced technology to save the battery from overcharging and overheating
- High burst rate of 80C
- 150 cycles of battery life
- Discharge rating of 50C
- Lightweight
- 30 days money back warranty
- HOOVO B093S2164J 6S 22.2V LiPo Battery 8000mAh 100C RC LiPo Batteries (Best for RC Boats)
If you are literally looking for a powerhouse for your RC devices, HOOVO will be the right choice for sure. This 6S battery has a huge 22.2V and capacity of 8000mAh.
Besides providing a very long-lasting backup on one charge, the overall battery life of HOOVO battery is great as well. You’ll be able to charge-discharge at least 150 times before experiencing any kind of performance lag.
The discharge rating of this battery is 100C. That means you can easily deeply discharge this battery for a longer power backup to your devices.
The energy density of this battery is 200Wh/kg – great for RC devices.
The dimension of this battery is 163×45.5×63.5mm/6.42×1.81×2.5 inches (LxWxH), and the approximate weight is 986.3 grams or 34.8 Oz. The size is like other 4S or 6S LiPo batteries, but the weight is almost double of a 4S battery.
HOOVO Lithium polymer battery is great for RC boats, cars, trucks, Emaxx, Traxxas Slash, Bandit vxl, etc. – as long as the voltage, dimension match.
The EC5 plug connector is provided for discharging.
Like other RC LiPo batteries, it’s also recommended to charge and discharge the newly purchased HOOVO battery for a stable discharging rate.
Pros
- The battery voltage 22.2V
- Battery capacity is 8000mAh
- 150 charge cycles of life span
- Power density is 200Wh/kg
- The discharge rating is 100C
- Battery configuration is 6S
Cons
- Little heavier than other RC LiPo batteries
- Zeee B093DG3W3C 4S Lipo Battery 14.8V 5200mAh 100C LiPo Batteries (Best for RC Planes, Helicopters)
Zeee is the most well-known Lipo battery producer in the world; they have spent decades specializing in the research, development, and manufacture of Li-Polymer batteries.
Zeee is devoted to providing products and a-grade service to their customers worldwide.
To control the quality and security of batteries, Zeee integrates the most advanced manufacturing technology and strong QC teams.
Zeee 4S LiPo battery has a capacity of 5200mAh with a higher voltage of 14.8V.
For its batteries, Zeee employs only resources from Korea and Japan. Furthermore, their power density can reach 234Wh/kg. Therefore, they are extremely dependable and can deliver very steady high power.
The internal resistance of the batteries is quite low. As a result, they are ideal for quickly powering up RC gadgets. You will not, without a doubt, feel performance lag in this manner.
This is a deep-cycle battery. The discharge rating of this battery is 100C. That means you can almost fully drain this battery, and it won’t harm the battery’s overall lifespan at all.
Many LiPo batteries designed for RC devices do not work well in severe temperatures. That is, it cannot work well if the temperature is either extremely low or extremely high.
However, when it comes to performance in high conditions, Zeee RC LiPo batteries are unrivaled.
The dimension of Zeee 4S battery is 154×48.5×32.5mm, and 6.06×1.91×1.28 inch (LxWxH), and the weight is 518g or 18.27 oz. Compared to a 7V or 2S Zeee battery, this 4S battery is almost twice heavier, and the size is a little bigger as well.
Manufacturing also informed the consumers that the dimension could be ±2mm and the weight can be ±15g. Let’s just appreciate the transparency the company showed.
Zeee 4S Lipo battery is compatible with RC airplane, helicopter, multirotor, Car, Boat, Truck, Slash 4×4 VXL. Slash VXL, E-Maxx Brushless, Spartan, and E-Revo Brushless and Spartan models as long as the voltage, dimension match.
There was a problem with the batteries not keeping a full charge for an extended period of time after purchase, and the battery charge was draining rapidly. Zeee took the matter into account.
If this problem happens, Zeee recommends using a very balanced charger. Most essentially, you will need to charge and recycle a few times at first before this issue resolves itself.
Overcharging and discharging are always detrimental to all Li-Polymer batteries. So, if you wish to use this cell for a longer length of time, you must exercise caution when charging and draining it.
Do not, in particular, let the batteries unattended when charging.
There is a soft case of this battery. It’s particularly beneficial to keep an eye on the battery expansion. Moreover, it’s helpful for better power supply as well.
The product comes with an EC5 JST-XH connector for charging.
Pros
- Advanced technology from Korea and Japan has been used
- The battery is 14.8V
- The battery capacity is 5200mAh
- It performs very well in extreme temperatures
- The power density of the battery is 234Wh/kg
- The discharge rating of the Zeee battery is 100C
- Soft case
- The configuration of the battery is 4S
- Lower internal resistance for more producing power
- Lightweight, only 518g
Frequently asked questions
Will the LiPo battery be permanently damaged if I over-discharge it?
The battery will be harmed. However, it is dependent on the battery’s quality, size, capacity, how it’s being used when it is overcharged, and how long it has remained in an over-discharged state.
If you want the simplest option, I recommend checking the discharge rating of the LiPo battery. It displays how much discharge can be done to the battery without causing any harm to its health.
You should not discharge more than that. And, without a doubt, regular overcharging will render your battery dead in no time.
How long will a LiPo battery last?
Although LiPo batteries do not have expiration dates, you may experience a decline in performance after extended use or passing the time up to a year and a half.
Why do LiPo batteries explode?
The lithium ions inside a LiPo battery don’t like being exposed to air. All LiPo explosions happen for the same reason- one or more of the cells in the packs are pierced or ruptured in some way, exposing their insides to air.
What happens if you overcharge a LiPo battery?
Overcharging LiPo batteries is among the most prevalent ways that LiPo cells are abused. When users keep their batteries charged for an extended period of time, the batteries may become damaged, their performance may suffer, and their life lifetime may be reduced.
Final Thoughts: Most Advantageous Batteries for RC Devices
RC LiPo batteries are types of batteries on which you always need to do a little research before buying. This is because they offer a lot of features and each of them should be taken into account, literally.
Total capacity, voltage, discharge rating, internal resistance, configuration type, weight, and every other feature I have discussed really matter a lot. You just can’t select a product randomly and try using them in any RC device.
In case if you do that, there is a good chance that the battery may not fit into your devices. And the reason? I already explained this in the article.
Products mentioned in this article are, without any doubt, the best RC LiPo batteries in the market. But they are different in features and everything. For your convenience, I have listed the types of RC devices compatible with each battery.
So, which one you’re buying?