Where to buy a 26650 for a Lumintop ODF30C for about $10?

I bought this light for my dad (he’s been using a 60 lumen Surefire incandescent and I decided it was time for an upgrade) as a gift I will give him in October. I need a 26650 cell for it.

I know I need to watch out for fakes and get a safe battery. I also want to spend only $15 including shipping (so maybe up to $10 for the cell?) to the USA, which I think is reasonable (tell me if it’s not).

Where should I buy from to know I’m getting a good deal on a real cell?

I see some rock bottom prices out there which make me afraid. Then there are $20+ cells that look about the same. Looking for some guidance.

https://www.illumn.com/26650-vapcell-inr26650-5500mah-20a-high-discharge-flat-top.html

Illumn as mentioned above is a good seller of genuine cells.

I have used both MTN Electronics and Lithium Ion Wholesale:

https://liionwholesale.com/products/vapcell-26650-20a-flat-top-5000mah-battery-genuine?variant=28408760991838

As you have mentioned, there is alot of junk out there. I always check the battery tests done here before making a decision on which cell to buy:
https://lygte-info.dk/review/batteries2012/Common26650IndividualTest%20UK.html

Great, thanks!

What do you guys think about needing a protected cell for this kind of flashlight? Do USB lights generally not need protected cells?

Many powerful lights pulling alot of current in high/turbo modes will require an unprotected battery to both reach the higher outputs and most probably to fit in the light. If you are using the batteries in trustworthy well known brands that have low voltage protection, I wouldn’t worry too much about having a protected cell…

I can’t comment specifically on the Lumintop.

I do own a few protected cells, and I find majority of the time they don’t fit in the flashlight either due to length or width constrictions.