Are 18650 vs 14500 batteries interchangeable

1. What are the 14500 batteries
2. Is a 14500 battery the same as AA
3. What are 14500 batteries used for
4. What does an 18650 battery look like
5. What battery can I use instead of 18650
6. Advantages and disadvantages of 18650 vs 14500
   batteries
7. Similarities and differences between lithium 18650 vs 14500 batteries
8. Compare 18650 vs 14500 batteries – which is better
9. Are 18650 and 14500 batteries interchangeable

Now there are more and more cylindrical battery manufacturers, and the types of cylindrical batteries are also unclear. Next, we will introduce our most commonly used 18650 and 14500 batteries pros and cons, and discuss how we should distinguish between the two, how to compare and use. If 18650 vs 14500 batteries are similar, can they be interchanged?

What are the 14500 batteries

The 14500 battery is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Its width is 14 millimeter and length is 50 millimeter. It can deliver a strong current and can tolerate a great number of charging and discharging cycles. The voltage and energy capability of these batteries depend upon their chemistry.

Some of the 14500 batteries have already incorporated USB charging port. While others can be charged by lithium battery chargers. They have cylindrical shapes and can be used in various applications.

Is a 14500 battery the same as AA

There is a difference between a 14500 battery and AA battery. A 14500 battery and an AA battery have almost common size but they are vastly different in terms of voltage and capacity as they have different chemistry. The 14500 batteries are rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. While AA batteries are alkaline batteries having NiCad chemistry in them.

The voltage of AA batteries is less than 14500 batteries, a single lithium-ion battery operates at 3.7V(average), equivalent to three nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride batteries in series. There are also differences in density, with lithium-ion batteries weighing half as much as nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride batteries of the same capacity, and 20-30% as much as nickel-cadmium and 35-50% as much as nickel-metal hydride.

In terms of memory effect, memory effect refers to the phenomenon that the capacity of nickel-cadmium battery decreases during the charging and discharging cycle. Lithium-ion batteries do not have this effect. The 14500 lithium-ion battery does not contain harmful metals such as cadmium, lead and mercury. But now, lithium aa batteries are also available on the market, with a voltage of 3.7v.

What are 14500 batteries used for

The 14500 batteries are being widely used globally. Because these batteries are stable with enhanced capability. These batteries find their uses in automotive electronics, memory back-up, flashlights, tracking system, safety gadgets, alarms, automatic meter reading, diagnostic devices, electric shavers and electric toothbrushes etc.

What does an 18650 battery look like

The 18650 battery is a lithium-ion battery. This battery system has a nominal voltage. The 18650 batteries can be in protected as well as unprotected configuration. An internal circuit is used in a protected 18650 battery which protects the battery from overheating which may occur due to overcharging and discharging the 18650 battery.

These batteries are termed 18650 because of their specific measurements. In 18560 batteries the first four figures give the size in height and width of the battery. The last digit demonstrates that these are cylindrical batteries. This means they are 18 by 65.

What battery can I use instead of 18650

The 21700 batteries can be used as potential replacements for the 18650 batteries. These batteries also get their name from their specific measurements. Their diameter in 21 millimeter and length is 70 millimeter. The size of the 21700 battery is bigger than 18650 battery, so in the fixed size of 18650 equipment, 21700 can not replace.

Like 18650 batteries the 21700 batteries are also commercially available in two forms, protected 21700 batteries having an internal electronic circuit to protect the battery from overheating and unprotected 21700 batteries. The unprotected 21700 batteries are less expensive than the protected batteries but are not safe to use.

Advantages and disadvantages of 18650 vs 14500 batteries

18650 vs 14500 batteries are safe to use. There is no risk of explosion or combustion associated with the lithium 18650 and 14500 lithium batteries. As lithium-ion batteries have no memory effect, they can be charged and discharged at any time.

Advantages of the 14500 batteries
There are many benefits of the 14500 batteries compared to other batteries. Some of these are discussed below.
● Smaller than the 18650, making it lighter and more portable
● Short charging time
● Long life with high life cycles
● Many 14500 batteries are available with a built-in USB port and can be charged directly.

Disadvantages of the 14500 batteries
There are the many drawbacks of 14500 batteries compared to other batteries. Some of those are discussed below.
● The first drawback of using the 14500 batteries is that these are very expensive batteries compared to other batteries.
● For charging 14500 batteries particular chargers are required.

Advantages of the 18650 batteries
There are many benefits of 18650 batteries compared to other batteries. Some of these are discussed below.
● The 18650 batteries last longer as compared to 14500 batteries.
● They have high power capacity than other batteries.
● They can be combined in both series and parallel configurations.

Disadvantages of the 18650 batteries
There are the following drawbacks of the 18650 batteries compared to other batteries.
● The 18650 batteries are expensive compared to other batteries.
● A regular 18650 battery has a larger capacity than a 14500 battery, which will take longer to charge.
● It will weigh more than 14500 and cost more than 14500 battery because 18650 batteries have more capacity.

Similarities and differences between lithium 18650 vs 14500 batteries

18650 vs 14500 batteries are similar in nature, most notably lithium-ion batteries, lithium-ion batteries are being widely utilized in many gadgets such as tracking system and automatic meter reading, etc. There are many types of lithium ion batteries.  These are available in various shapes such as cylindrical, prismatic, and pouch shaped lithium ion batteries.

The 14500 and 18650 batteries are lithium-ion batteries. They both have a cylindrical shape and are used in various similar applications. To decide, out of these two battery types which type of battery should be used preferably it’s very important to understand the difference between these two lithium-up battery models. So before selecting the best battery for your gadget different points should be kept in mind. Some of these are :

● The 14500 lithium-ion batteries are small in size as compared to 18650 batteries. The 18650 have 18 millimeter diameter and 65 millimeter length.
● While comparing the weight of 18650 vs 14500 batteries we see that the weight of the 14500 lithium-ion batteries is little less than the 18650 lithium-ion batteries.

● After having a look at the shelf life of 18650 vs 14500 batteries we come to know that the 18560 lithium batteries have a long life and have more capacity as compared to the 14500 lithium-ion batteries. If we examine both batteries commercially we conclude that the 18650 batteries are somewhat better than the 14500 batteries. Depending upon the need, the 18650 batteries can be utilized in different capacities.

● When we study the performance of 18650 vs 14500 batteries we see that the power production of the 18650 batteries is greater than the 14500 batteries. The 14500 batteries are widely used in various devices which require low energy production. The high power of the 18650 batteries can cause harm to some devices. The energy density of the 14500 batteries are lower compared to the 18650 batteries.

● When we compare the applications of 18650 vs 14500 batteries we find that the 18650 batteries are used in flashlights, laptops, electric vehicles, compact DVDs, audio equipment, power walls, power banks, portable electronics, etc. The 18650 is also commonly used in series and parallel as a large capacity lithium battery like the 12v trolling motor battery.

The 14500 batteries are used in memory back-up, tracking system, alarms, automatic meter reading, etc. So 18650 batteries and 14500 batteries have many similarities. They are only different in terms of size, energy production and capacity. They can be used in a variety of devices depending upon the requirement of the battery in terms of size and energy output. If the power of the battery does not matches the device’s energy requirement it can damage the device.

Compare 18650 vs 14500 batteries – which is better

If you have a lithium 18650 battery versus a conventional nickel-cadmium 14500size aa battery, the answer is definitely, lithium 18650 batteries. As we all know, both cell types are mainly used for portable equipment. The 18650 lithium battery is lighter than 14500 size nickel-cadmium aa battery, with large capacity, long service life, more environmentally friendly, and safe.

Therefore, the 18650 lithium battery is a better choice in any application situation. If lithium 14500 cell and lithium18650 cell are used for comparison, it depends on the voltage required by the device. If the device supports 1.2v, 14500 battery is appropriate. The 18650 battery pack is particularly popular if you need a high voltage of 3.2 or 3.7v, or even a large device battery like a home energy storage battery, but note that the battery pack needs BMS as the balance protection and monitoring of the battery and so on.

The related energy storage bms manufacturers can be found in the link. In general, 18650 has a wider application range, and its structure and performance are more popular. In particular, Tesla is also loyal to 18650 battery.

Are 18650 and 14500 batteries interchangeable

Since the 18650 battery is larger in diameter and length than the 14500 battery, it is necessary to consider whether the original space can accommodate the replacement.  The second issue to consider is the matching of chargers. So the answer is no, 18650 and 14500 batteries are not exchangeable.

The reason is that 18650 batteries are larger than 14500 batteries. Also they have high current and high power capacity. These batteries will damage those devices which require low power to operate and work on 14500 batteries.

At the end of the article, if you want to know more about cylindrical batteries you can click cylindrical battery manufacturers, and there are more related articles below.

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