Batteries for laptops have a unique challenge - they must be small and lightweight. In fact, the laptop battery should be invisible to the user yet be capable of delivering enough power to endure the various tasks that are required of it. Technologies for Laptop Batteries are always improving and staying on top of current trends is an important aspect of being an informed consumer. Our laptop battery buyers guide will help you navigate through the wide array of choices available.

Battery Chemistry

Technologies for Laptop Batteries are always improving and have evolved from the pioneering days of nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cad) and Nickel-Metal-Hydride (Ni-MH) to the current state of the art of Lithium ion (Li-ion) powerhouses.

Ni-MH - Nickel-Metal Hydride - Still in use in some older laptop models, Ni-MH batteries are the next level up from NiCad. They offer up to 40% more capacity per volume than NiCad. They are also more environmentally friendly. The biggest advantage of Ni-MH over NiCad is their ability to accept a charge at any time without suffering from the "memory effect". The best way to charge Ni-MH batteries is with regular charging. Do not allow Ni-MH batteries to discharge completely.

Lithium Ion - Li-Ion - The most widely used current battery type for laptops, Li-Ion batteries are more efficient than their Ni-MH counterparts and have a very low discharge rate (self-discharge is less than half that of nickel-based batteries). They are also lighter and can hold more charge. Also they are much safer to dispose of, as they do not contain poisonous metals such as lead, mercury or cadmium. Lastly they are very low maintenance which means that no scheduled cycling is required to prolong battery life. The only real current disadvantage of Li-Ion Batteries is the cost as they are more expensive to produce.

Lithium Polymer - Lithium polymer batteries use lithium as an active ingredient. Lithium is a volatile material, but the lithium in these batteries isn't packed into cells as it is in lithium ion batteries. Instead, it is contained in a polymer gel. These gel batteries can't provide the same sort of energy density as lithium ion batteries, but that's now a plus as there is less of a fire hazard with them.

Number of Cells

A battery cell is the simplest operating unit in a storage battery. Manufactures will list the number of cells in a battery. Each cell will have a certain capacity. So the more cells the more battery life; For example, a 4 cell battery will only have 66% of the capacity of a 6 cell battery.

Please check-box the Number of Cells you are looking for below then press the "search" button to see the updated list of products matching your criteria on the right

mAh (Milliamp Hours)/Capacity

Milliamp hours are a measure of a battery's total capacity. The higher the number (ex. 600 mAh, 1,500 mAh) the more charge a battery can hold and usually, the longer a battery will last under a certain load.

Battery Runtime

The runtime of a laptop battery is based on the activity of the computer. The basic functions, which the computer needs to stay alive, draw less power than, for example, surfing the web, writing, rendering video, etc. Manufacturers prefer using idle time with minimum LCD brightness when specifying runtime. Some laptops claim up to 8 hours worth of up-time on their battery - take this figure with a grain of salt, sometimes manufacturers use maximum possible runtime including additional battery in expansion bays. Expect more in the range of two or three hours per stock battery under continual use. If you plan to be on flights, trains, or buses for 10 hours at a time, buy some extra batteries, make sure you have a power plug handy, or make sure you get a model that has a nice add-on battery feature that can hold a lot of charge.

Summary

With all of the above considerations in hand you should now be better equipped to make an more informed choice when choosing a Lap Top Battery that best suits your needs.