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18650 Cells: Claims vs Capacity

Archived updated Feb 2026 batterydata

A drawer of “9900mAh” cells walks into a discharge tester. None of them walk out with their dignity. Every cell was capacity-tested at 0.5C down to 2.8V.

measured_capacity

printedactual% of claimverdict
9900 mAh780 mAh8%fire risk
6000 mAh1100 mAh18%junk
3000 mAh (named)2860 mAh95%legit
3500 mAh (named)3380 mAh97%legit
verdictAny unbranded cell over ~3500mAh is lying. Buy named cells from a seller who lists a real datasheet, and test everything before it goes in a pack.