New products from 18650.UK

Hello everyone!

Its been a while, but we’ve not forgotten all of the help we had this time last year when we were looking at new products to hold in UK stock for our closest customers.

On the back of advice from the forum users, we expanded the range a little, taking care to balance performance against price. More recently, I’ve been gathering up cells to run some tests on, pull apart and see just what you’ve/we’ve all been paying for and the sad truth is, its not a lot. I’ve detailed a lot of it in a blog post here - https://18650.uk/unbranded-protected-cells-from-18650-uk/ (That’s one of my airsoft torches in the photo :wink: )

The simple fact is, there is a huge range of manufacturers, brands and prices but only a finite number of cells suitable for use in torches and everyone is effectively doing the same thing. Taking an OEM cell, placing a protection circuit on it, putting it in a new wrap, and selling it. Some (most) of them go as far to place a ludicrous price on them, and then come up with come marketing “fluff” to justify it. Its just fluff.

Here’s a worst case example - While researching, i found a 3500mAh 18650 battery on a UK website make by “Fenix”. Its of course not made by them but re-wrapped. The price was circa £25. Our LG MJ1 equivalent, with the same performance characteristics, is £5.45. Delivered.

Im keen to continue on this path, so if there are any commonly used cells you cant see on our torch page (https://18650.uk/shop/torch-batteries/) that you want to see at a more reasonable price, please do let us know. We have the facilities in house to add button tops and protection to any of the cells we currently stock in 18650 format. Im just waiting on finalisation of the 26650, 20700 and 21700 protection circuit designs in order to offer these too.

Again, thank you to the forum users for the assistance in helping us, better serve you! Dont forget, the BLF10 discount code still exists!

Ben - Sales Director.

EDIT - If anyone would like some direct comparisons drawn, i have run fill discharge tests on all of the products we have just launched and compiled them in the individual product datasheets. Pop me an email to wholesale@18650.uk and ill gladly fire them over to you.

Great news!

Agree that branded protected cells are overpriced, and for me, the nameless or budget brand (trustfire/Meaco etc) carry too high a risk of fake cells.

All my cells now come from you guys, having learnt the hard way (fake 30Q cells from Banggood)…

Thanks!

Hi Ben,

Great to see clear wraps, I like to see the cells underneath. I’ll be ordering some of these to take a look at.

Thanks for creating more choice in the market for good protected batteries, keeppower are good, but expensive compared to bare cells, your new ones seem well priced.

Thank you. Look forward to the new items.

Hi Ben,

I’m sure your still working on the website update, I can see them on that linked blog post, but not on the torch page yet.

Cheers,

edit: I’ve ordered a selection for testing in the LT1 (5 x GA, 5 x MJ1)

Thanks very much for the kind words and support guys. If theres anything you want to see on there, do let me know and we’ll get onto it if there’s enough interest :slight_smile:

Hi. Are you able to sell protected 14500 and 26650 cells too. Thanks.

Good to know :slight_smile:

I’ve been having trouble getting decent protected 26650s lately. As usual, my Keeppower ones are too fat for half my lights!