help selecting higher capacity 18650's

I have many 18650 batteries like most of us, and I have been buying them for about 8 years. I have never bought an 18650 that was outside the (3000mah, 20amp-ish) range - I.e. vtc6, 30q, and efest 3000mah. Except I bought some milk cell p26a’s once.

I am curious what people have good luck with in the 18650 > 3000mah range. I see Panasonic, Samsung, lg, Sanyo and vapcell have 3000mah-3600mah 18650’s and Im wondering what have the best performance and longevity.

What do you all recommend? I almost always buy from 18650batterystore.com, but I’m open to other suggestions.

Price is not a concern. I buy 18650’s every 2 or 3 years, so at an average of $4-$8 each, price does not matter too much.

For current discharge rate, I would like as close to 10amps as possible. These will be used for my osram emitter 18650 lights.

Thanks for your suggestions !

You can buy with more capacity, but it will be of higher internal resistance (less continuous current during discharge).

The best ones for capacity are:
Sanyo NCR18650GA (Aliya’s battery store, Lucky electronic(s) store) - has large and slightly protruding positive contact, good for multi battery ring connected flashlights - best current, solid continuous 10A (even ~13-15A, if you don’t let it overheat)
Samsung INR18650-35E (I don’t know a reliable seller for that) - very slightly more capacity than above, but a bit smaller continuous current
LG MJ1 (a little bit weaker, than these above, but maybe the best budget option)

Here's a list of places to buy high capacity 18650 cells:

http://batteries.parametrek.com/index.html?size=18650&mah=3400,_

The Vapcell F35 is made in China, so I would avoid that one.

(adam7027 recommends some of the best high capacity 18650 cells.)

Just posted this in another thread.

Even at 5amp a Samsung 30Q should be giving better runtimes than a 3500mAh Sanyo GA. The higher capacity only gives you slightly more runtime right when the voltage is too low to really be useful IMO.

At 10amp the 30Q would be an even bigger winner.

Just be aware high selfdischarge 30Q can have sometime. Developing gradually with time.

Above mentioned GA, 35E, MJ1 are OK. LG M36 is also option, however max current is 5A.


I like my MJ1’s. I use them in almost every light I need long run times out of. They have never let me down. Buying from Illumn and Liion have always done me good.

Thank you all for input. I will check other stores but I do like 18650batterystore, as long as they have stock.

I appreciate the 30q comparison Chicken D, I wouldn’t have known that they should technically work as long

Thanks for these informative charts, docware - it seems, that LG MJ1 holds it capacity pretty well.

It depends. Running a linear driver hotrod with a bit less powerful cell is better, because the difference of Vf (LED) vs Vbatt (during usage) will be smaller, so it will be less heat generated.

These powerful cells like VTC6 are good only, if the driver is efficient enough, otherwise you will pay for the higher initial lumens in the first 15-20s in an unpleasant way.

But if the driver is really efficient, then powerful cells are more useful to extend the time of LEDs with somewhat higher Vf (e.g. XP-L HI) running at sufficient output levels.

Batteries like the LG MJ1 and Sanyo GA are especially suited for headlamps, where one can depend on their extended runtimes during using lower output levels.