Battery Basics for Mods: IMR or Protected ICR?

As mod users, we depend heavily upon batteries. To assist novices to choose which battery to use in their mod I have written this guide. Our choices are  IMR,  protected  ICR Li-Ion, and a new class of  Hybrid batteries.

High quality  IMRs are currently recommended in place of Protected Li Ion for all applications.

IMR (Li Mn) batteries are the safest batteries available to us for vaping. They use safer chemistry, so they don't require protective circuits like ICRs do. They have higher tolerence to stress, and although they may vent during failure it is less likely to be as dramatic as a ICR. Should protective circuits fail in ICRs they can vent violently in flames and possibly explode.


High Quality, Brand Name Batteries. Batteries are not created equal. Mod battery experts recommend the following brand name IMR and hybrid batteries:
 
AW IMR
18650 2000mah 10Amp CDR
18650 1600mah  24A
18490 1100mah  16.5A
18350 ​700mah 6A

MNKE IMR
18650 1500mah  ​ 20A

Panasonic ​or  Orbtronic hybrid
CGR18650CH (IMR/hybrid) 2250mAh 10A
NCR18650PF (LiNiCOMnO2) 2900mAh 10A
NCR18650PD (LiNiCoAl) 2900mAh 10A
Orbtronic 18650 SX22 2000mAh  22A
Orbtronic 18650 SX30 2100mAh  ​ 30A

Sanyo
UR18650EX 2000mAh  20A

Samsung hybrid (LiNiCoMnP)
INR18650-22P 2200mAh 10A
INR18650-20R 2000mah  22A

Sony hybrid
US18650v3 IMR 2250mAh 10A
US18650VTC3 1600mAh  30A
US18650VTC4 2100mAh  30A
US18650VTC5 2600mAh  30A

Efest IMR
18650 2250mAh 10A
18650 2000mAh 10A
18650 1600mAh  30A
18490 1100mah 8.8A
18350 800mah 6.4A
purple 18650 2500mAh  35A
purple 18500 1000mAh  15A
purple 18350 700mAh 10.5A

If you do sub-ohm coils, you must use a battery which has  over 10 amps CDR.


Lower Quality Brand-Name Batteries. Trustfire, Ultrafire, and Surefire are a second-tier name brand battery in terms of quality and safety. Not recommended.


​Generic Batteries. ​Not recommended. Seen at Amazon & EBay at cheap prices or thrown in for free in a kit when you purchase a mod made in China. These are unknown batteries of unknown quality by an unknown manufacturer, and not worth the risk using in your mod. Never assume because they were included with your mod that they are safe or the correct battery to use.


Be wary when shopping for batteries online. Unprotected ICR batteries should  NEVER be used in a mod. I recommend buying only the batteries from the list above, paying attention to model numbers.


If uncertain about the quality or type of a battery, don't buy or use it. Do not use over-the-counter batteries like those from Radio Shack, etc. Buy only from trusted e-cig vendors.. Use the type of battery that your mod calls for. For example, Provape recommends using only AW IMR button top batteries in the Provari; using magnets on flat top batteries will void the warranty because this is an unsafe battery practice.


Battery Chargers. Get the best charger that you can reasonably afford. Statistically most battery incidents occur during the charging phase on a charger.  Pila,  Xtar, and  Nitecore Intellicharger ​are the highest recommended brands.

 Always use safe battery practices and common sense with all batteries. Even the safest battery available to us can fail.  From what I've read, most battery failures are the result of rapid discharge, either from the fire button inadvertantly being pushed for too long, or the battery being shorted from metal objects (keys, change, etc) completing the circuit when carrying a battery in a pocket or purse. Use Battery Cases. Do not stack batteries.


·         If you are using  sub-ohm coils in an RBA/RDA, it is extremely important to use the highest quality IMR battery. Coils < 0.8 ohm require an  IMR battery that has a maximum continuous discharge rate over 10 amps​. This is extremely critical.


PROTECTED or IMR BATTERY : ​Which is best for your application?

IMR Li Mn. Lithium manganese batteries. Also called "high drain", "safe chemistry", "unprotected".


·         These are used in regulated mods that use buck boost circuitry to achieve variable voltage-wattage ,but they are now also recommended for single voltage mechanical mods as a safer alternative to protected Li Ion batteries. ​


·         This class will have less capacity in mAh rating compared to protected batteries, but aresuperior when maximum load current is required, such as in regulated mods, mechanical mods using a Kick, or using an RBA.

​ Hybrid batteries.

·         New mixed chemistry batteries that are both safe chemistry/high drain and extended capacity in one.


·         ​A good choice for applications that demand both maximum load current and longer battery time. Can be used for either mechanical or regulated mods.

Protected ICR Li Ion. Lithium ion class batteries, also called "protected batteries".