Vape Mods – Batteries vs Rechargeable Cells
It’s become common to buy “batteries” for your vape mod, even though strictly speaking, they’re rechargeable cells. So why rechargeable cells? If you open the battery compartment on an old laptop, you’ll find what are known as battery packs — “batteries” that aren’t all that different from the cells we use in vape mods. Laptop battery packs simply contain a lot more of them.
The difference is this: rechargeable cells are secondary cells. They can be recharged again and again. Disposable batteries are primary cells — you use them, then take them to a collection point. That said, some modern batteries are increasingly blurring the line and becoming rechargeable too.
By the way, what you definitely shouldn’t do is take cells out of old laptops and use them in your vape. We’ll explain why in a moment.
A few years ago, choosing batteries wasn’t just about the right model — it was also about whether they were protected or unprotected. And by “a few years ago”, we mean around five to six years back. The difference is fairly straightforward: protected cells have built-in protection against deep discharge and overload.
Five years ago, the first vape mods were either home-built devices or models with very little electronics inside. So the question of which batteries to use safely came up pretty quickly. Tests within the vaping community soon showed, however, that “protected” models weren’t suitable for vaping because they couldn’t supply enough current. Today, those early concerns are no longer an issue: modern vape mods all come with safety software and dual chipsets designed to protect both the device and the person using it. Electronic protection against deep discharge and overload is now standard in every good device.
By the way, the terms “protected” and “unprotected” were never about whether a battery would explode or not. That comes down entirely to handling batteries correctly. Chemically speaking, all brand-name cells are safe today when used properly.
New vape mods capable of delivering up to 300 watts will be hitting the market soon. So it certainly doesn’t hurt to take a closer look at batteries and how to use them properly.
We’ll explain how to handle batteries correctly next week.
