Test/review of Vapcell INR21700 4200mAh (Green) 2019

HKJ · 2019-03-26T16:03:20.000Z

Vapcell INR21700 4200mAh (Green) 2019

Official specifications:

Model: INR21700
Size: 20.5*70.2mm
Nominal voltage: 3.6V
End-of-charge voltage: 4.20V
End-of-discharge Voltage: 2.50V
Typical Capacity: 4200mAh (0.2C discharge)
Min capacity: 4000Ah (0.2C discharge)
Weight: Max: 70g
Internal resistance: Max: 11mOhm (AC 1kHz)
Standard Charge: 1500mA,CCCV 100mA cut-off
Charging Time: 4hours(standard charge)
Quick Charge Current: 3000mA
Max Continuous Discharge Current: 30A
Operating Temperature: Charging: 0°C ~ 45°C, Discharging: –20°C ~ 75°C
Storage: Temperature –5°C ~ 35°C, Humidity <75%RH
Standard environmental condition: Temperature: 23±5°C, Humidity: 45-75%RH

This is a high current 21700 cell with good capacity.

The two cells match perfectly, but the capacity is slight low.

Something went wrong during my discharge and the B battery melted my battery holder, but as can be seen it did not get that hot (Temperature sensor is a bit slow to register temperature). The A battery got hot enough to stop the discharge.

Conclusion

This is a good quality high current battery, but the 30A may be a bit optimistic for continuous discharge.

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

SKV89 · 2019-03-26T17:26:43.000Z

I received two of these cells last week and they tested 4,159 mah and 4,231 mah. I’m glad you added this to your database so I can confirm them to be the exact same as the Molicel P42A using your battery comparator. This is a really good cell and Mooch’s review says it beats the Samsung 40T.

vapcell_Dennis · 2019-03-27T09:57:44.000Z

Thanks you very much,Hkj

Lothar · 2019-03-27T10:40:15.000Z

I just compared this battery to the Samsung INR18650-30Q 3000mah and Sanyo NCR18650GA 3500mah on HKJ’s comparison tool (Battery test-review 18650 comparator), and these cells are far superior with high currents. Why aren’t we using these more in our lights? Is the bigger diameter to 18650’s the only reason?

Superstocker · 2019-03-27T14:26:26.000Z

Thanks again HKJ!

SKV89 · 2019-03-27T15:25:45.000Z

Lothar:

I just compared this battery to the Samsung INR18650-30Q 3000mah and Sanyo NCR18650GA 3500mah on HKJ’s comparison tool (Battery test-review 18650 comparator), and these cells are far superior with high currents. Why aren’t we using these more in our lights? Is the bigger diameter to 18650’s the only reason?

21700 cell will not fit in 18650 lights. 21700 lights just started coming out last year. Also previously, the best 21700 battery was the Samsung 40T and Sony VTC6A. This Vapcell rewrap of the Molicel came out after the Samsung and Sony so it’s not that well known yet. But surely I’ll be switching over to this as my go to high current 21700 to replace the 40T and VTC6A.

For high capacity, the Lishen LR2170SF is superior to the Samsung 50E and LG M50 per Mooch’s testing. I also bought 5 of them and they do make more output in my E07 than the 50E and M50, and they average 4,750 mah in my discharge tests despite being labeled 4,500mah.

toobadorz · 2019-03-27T17:17:51.000Z

SKV89:

For high capacity, the Lishen LR2170SF is superior to the Samsung 50E and LG M50 per Mooch’s testing. I also bought 5 of them and they do make more output in my E07 than the 50E and M50, and they average 4,750 mah in my discharge tests despite being labeled 4,500mah.

I have bought Lishen LR2170SF for several times, from different batches. I must point out that within the same batch their consistency is good, however their capacity/performance can vary greatly from batch to batch. I conducted 15A discharge tests down to 2.5V to compare them. Some poor batches are of ~4200mAh only, while the average/good batches are of ~4500mAh (exactly the same as labeled). Some better batch (I only got two pieces) are of ~4900mAh. And the best batch (unfortunately I only got one) is of 5380mAh!? I suspect that one is actually the 5000mAh model called LR2170SC. That 5380mAh one is the best high capacity 21700 I have ever seen, but I’m unable to get more, what a pity.

SKV89 · 2019-03-27T17:27:01.000Z

I think I read Mooch said theres different grades of the same cell so depends on which grade you get, the performance varies. Just like the 40T and VTC6A, there are better grades and revisions that perform better than the lower grades and earlier revisions.

Wow 5.3k mah is insane.! I will try to find that one.

toobadorz · 2019-03-27T17:49:48.000Z

SKV89:

I think I read Mooch said theres different grades of the same cell so depends on which grade you get, the performance varies. Just like the 40T and VTC6A, there are better grades and revisions that perform better than the lower grades and earlier revisions.

Wow 5.3k mah is insane.! I will try to find that one.

The China seller told me Lishen doesn’t produce the high capacity models (LR2170SF/LR2170SC) regularly, instead they are produced only upon a customer request. And of course some more amount (still a large number to the retail market) will be produced in that case. Those remaining ones will then be leaked to the retail market, and that’s what we actually got. That explains why the consistency between two batches can be bad, and why these models are rarely seen/available to us.

And to my understanding, this is also the case for the PLB INR26650-55A. So sometimes this cell model is unavailable simply because no customer request in that period, and thus no remaining ones can be sold. The amount needed by the flashlight/retail market is too small for the factory to produce a new batch.