Test/review of Vapcell INR26650 5500mAh (Red) 2019

Vapcell INR26650 5500mAh (Red) 2019







Official specifications:

  • Model: INR26650 5500mah 20A

  • Size: 26.6*65.2mm

  • Nominal voltage: 3.60V

  • End-of-charge voltage: 4.20V

  • End-of-discharge Voltage: 2.5V

  • Typical Capacity: 5500mAh (0.2C discharge)

  • Min capacity: 5400mAh (0.2C discharge)

  • Weight: Max: 96g

  • Internal resistance: Max: 16mOhm at AC 1kHz

  • Standard Charge: 2000mA, CCCV 100mA cut-off

  • Charging Time: 4hours(standard charge)

  • Quick Charge Current: 3000mA

  • Max Continuous Discharge Current: 20000mA



A high capacity 26650 cell that can deliver a good amount of current.












The two cells math nicely and capacity is nearly constant up to 15A, at 20A I stop the test slightly early due to temperature.
It looks like there is a problem with one of the cells at 30A
























Conclusion

This 26650 has a nice combination of high capacity and fairly high current, but the rated 20A is best done with a little bit of cooling.



Notes and links

The batteries was supplied by Vapcell for review.

How is the test done and how to read the charts
How is a protected LiIon battery constructed
More about button top and flat top batteries
Graphical comparison to 18650 and other batteries
Table with all tested LiIon batteries

This Vapcell appears to perform slightly better than the impressive Shockli 5500mAh cell you tested in 2017.

Question is, will this last? Long ago heard in the grapevine the PLB INR26650-55A was going to be discontinued, but looks like the informer was wrong. Thank God.

Thanks for the test.

I bought a bunch of these for my MF01 Mini and Nightwatch flashlights. Great cell.

It’s impressive that the capacity stays about the same under different currents. So for example at 10A, the 5000mah Samsung 50E only makes about 4550mah whereas the 5500mah Vapcell 26650 actually makes about 5800mah. The difference in capacity is actually a whopping 1,300mah under higher current applications despite the 500mah difference on paper!! :+1: Really hope they don’t discontinue this like with the 18350 1200mah

Thanks for the test :+1:

Thanks for the test. Will you be testing the 5900mA purple 26650 Vapcell; also, the new 5300mA gold Vapcell?

This is a very nice review. I have 4pcs of this battery and the performance was really good.

I do not have any Vapcell branded batteries in queue at the moment.

I got the Vapcell 5900mAh 26650 (purple) but not the Vapcell 5500mAh 26650 (red). Also have a Shockli 5500mAh.

Doing discharge capacity testing with the SkyRC MC3000 (1A discharge current), the Vapcell 5900mAh and Shockli 5500mAh tracks very very similarly.
Using YR1030 IR tester, they also have basically the same AC IR value (I think only 0.1-0.2mOhms difference when I tested with the YR1030).
They also weigh similarly. My guess is that they are the purple Vapcell 5900mAh would be exactly the same cell as the Shockli 5500mAh 26650.
Unfortunately I don’t have a Vapcell 5500mAh 26650 (red) for testing…

But it may be possible that the Vapcell 5500mAh (red) and Vapcell 5900mAh (purple) are the same cell internally too?

Bear no doubt, my young padawan. :-D

Vapcell changed the way they rate cells sometime ago. The Power Long Battery 5500 mAh rating is a 1C rating, versus other big manufacturers which use a 0.2C rating. The 1C rating is, in my opinion, an overall better approach.

When you rate or measure your products in a just for brags best case scenario you can only end up like a loser when compared to other manufacturer's products.

There is also a version of this cell with a small button top at illumn.com:

https://www.illumn.com/batteries-chargers-and-powerpax-carriers/batteries/26650-vapcell-inr26650-5500mah-20a-high-discharge-button-top.html

HKJ has not tested it. I am not sure who adds the small button top, Vapcell or Illumn?

I have a pair of the Illumn red, button top cells. I had a bad expereince with some of the new gold Vapcell 1000mAh 14500 cells having loose button tops, so I checked these new red 26650 cells. The button top is spot welded to the battery anode via a metal strip, so it has good electrical connection, but it does not have great mechanical connection. It is floating on a plastic insulator, held in place only by the plastic heat shrink wrap.

That certainly could improve, I've seen much better solutions (i.e. button top firmly spot welded multiple times over the battery anode, six welds in hexagon pattern if I do recall right). I took the time to remove the button carefully, I literally had to mill the thing with my rotary tool and below is what I found:

I took that picture when the job was nearly finished, some small bits of the button top can still be seen to the west, southeast and to the north-northwest of the penta-lobe/leg top.

I bought some Vapcell Tesla 5000mah 21700 with button top added on by Vapcell. The performance in my E07 was even weaker than using a NCR18650B. Maybe Vapcell improved their method of adding button tops since then but I wont trust any button tops unless it was by the OEM or tested by HKJ or Mooch. Otherwise I rather buy a flat top cell and solder on a solder blob than trust aftermarket added button tops.

I’d rather solder a metal contact button on the flashlight’s driver if possible, rather than add a solder blob to the cell. A welded on button like Barkuti mentioned looks like the preferable method of adding a button to a cell though. Manufacturers take note….

I seriously doubt that a spot welded button top can handle any type of high current. Those tiny nickel strips aren’t rated for that kind of load. Solder blob is the best bet

Has anyone used or tested these types of cells recently? Do they still pack these high capacity cells?
I just ran two P50 capacity tests on Vapcell S4+, but it was only 4600-4700 mAh out of 5000 mAh, with a discharge current of 500mA.

And of course thanks for the test!

Fresh batteries, came 2 weeks ago, one flat top, one button top

Wow! I can not believe. I think I will replace my new G53 cells, they barely have 5000mAh. It is incredible and gratifying that these cells are still so good after all this time. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.