I am sure this has been covered but I cant keep up if there have been any newer ones released. . . .
Which are the BEST 18650’s to buy??? will give me the absolute best performance, regardless of price. Button top preferably.
The best all around 18650s are the Samsung 30Q, Samsung 25S, LG HG2, Sony VTC5A, Sony VTC6, etc.
You’ll get the same all around performance from them IMO, so getting something like a 30Q would be your best bet.
For maximum capacity, the Samsung 35E would be great, or an NCR18650GA if not available.
For future reference, you can compare different cells at HKJ’s site HERE. There are also links to individual test results for each cell from that page. There’s just too much to consider in choosing a “best” cell. It will depend on your application.
The hardest hitting 18650 is the Vapcell INR 18650 Black/Gold 2000mAh beats the VTC5A/D also the Samsung 25S and most others in my high amp lights 15+ amps on up……if your looking for a heavy hitter
My TN42 XHP70.2 P2 1A is making over 9500lms, 9564 to be exact…… 
There are several 18650 with around 3500mAh capacity and 10A maximum continuous discharge current.
Those are the best all rounders i.m.o.
But if you want higher currents you’ll find 3000mAh 20 A cells.
As mentioned above, there are some serious current pushers out there too.
But they have smaller capacity (less mAh)
What light do you want to use them for?
I can go on and on about different 18650s I’ve had and have seen tested beyond its ratings…The BEST, the good, the decent, and the garbage…! If your looking for unprotected cells there are many to choose from Sony, Panasonic, Samsung etc, they are always good cells to choose… However, If your looking for the BEST performing 18650 that’s a protected high drain button top cell… You wanna get the “TENERGY T35P”…!! I can assure you these batteries are NO joke and a steel at around $22 dollars a pair! There worth every penny…!
Where can I get these?
I want get the most out of my BLF GT 70
I would get the Samsung 30Qs then:
Best performance depends on how much current you’re drawing from the battery.
Some 18650s have very long runtime at low currents. Other 18650s give higher output at high currents because they have less voltage drop.
The Sony US18650VTC6 3000mAh outperforms all of those cells in all categories, it is the best unprotected 18650 period and rated at 30 amps… I have a dozen of them…
Thats a very cool chart but it definitely needs an update… The IMR 18650 TENERGY T35P 3500mAh 3.6V 12.20Wh (HIGH DISCHARGE CURRENT RATE, CHARGE/DISCHARGE PROTECTION) is NOT on the list… Although they are rated at current draw up to 8 amps… We have tested multiple sets of the T35P and have seen these discharge at 15 amps without ever tripping the overload circuit… The only cells that I’ve ever seen do this was unprotected ones but for a shorter amount of time…
Thanks for all the answers guys 
will certainly buy several of each. Need to expand my collection anyways also.
I second Flashem on the Sony VTC6. It has been proven to out perform the Samsung 30-Q though only slightly. Beware fakes! Order from Illumn.com or Liionwholesale.com.
How old is the BLF 30Q ??
Wait. What? 
You should probably start with defining for us what “performance” means to you. Best performance could mean max current delivery or it could mean max capacity. Choose one. Or you could choose neither and pick something in the middle.
I would also recommend educating yourself on protected and unprotected cells, as well as button top and flat top so that you can make sure you chose a cell that will in fact work in your light. For instance, I’ve got some flat tops that I run in my zebralight headlamps but those cells are too short for my Olight m3xs and will not power it. So make sure you are buying the right cells for your lights so you don’t waste money.
Max current delivery
Best all-around in my opinion is still the 30Q. The VTC6 slightly outperforms it, and the Samsung 35E and Sanyo NCR18650GA cells have 16.67% more capacity, but they are all considerably more expensive. The 30Qs can easily be found for under $5 a piece, and can be found with both button and flat tops depending on what you need.
So sure, the others might have small performance gains, but they are pretty minimal, and not worth the additional cost per cell in my opinion.