Best LiPo Battery in 2024: Top Picks and Specs You Need to Know

When it comes to RC hobbies like RC cars, FPV drones, and RC planes, having the right LiPo (Lithium Polymer) battery is crucial for optimal performance and enjoyment. In this blog, we will explore the top 5 LiPo battery brands in 2024 that have established their reputation for excellence in each of these categories. We will cover brands that prioritize power, reliability, longevity, and safety, ensuring you make an informed choice for your specific RC hobby needs.

1. Gens ace

Gens ace is a renowned brand known for producing high-quality LiPo batteries specifically designed for FPV racing. With a focus on power, reliability, and consistency, Tattu batteries have become a popular choice among professional racers, It has high capacity, low internal resistance and it is lightweight. It’s rather expensive. Use this in your race event to shave some weight off your drone. It can make a difference! Their batteries offer a high discharge rate, allowing for bursts of speed and quick acceleration. Tattu batteries also prioritize safety with features such as fireproof casings and advanced cell balancing technology.

2. Turnigy

Next up, we have the Turnigy batteries. In terms of durability and performance, we think it is pretty close to the Gens Ace. The overall life cycle of the battery though is not as good as the Gens Ace. Nevertheless, these are awesome, especially considering you can get them for cheaper.

One major benefit we found with the Turnigy is that the brand manufactures pretty good battery chargers and other battery-related accessories. So if you want to pick a brand that offers everything LiPo battery-related and stay with it for consistency, we recommend Turnigy!

Here is a Gens Ace vs Turnigy test someone else did (Back in 2012). Our observations were quite similar but we feel the Gens Ace has better benchmarks vs the Turnigy relative to his findings. It may have to do with the year in question:

3. CNHL

CNHL (China Hobby Line): CNHL has gained recognition for offering 1S/2S/3S/4S/5S/6S lipo batteries, expecially the 4s LiPo batteries, and 6s lipo batteries that strike a balance between performance and value. Their batteries are known for providing ample power while maintaining a reasonable price point. CNHL batteries also offer good longevity, making them suitable for both racing and freestyle flying. With a wide range of capacities and voltage options, FPV drone enthusiasts can find the perfect CNHL battery to suit their needs. It’s not the cheapest, but it is certainly affordable, especially since you will need a lot of LiPo batteries. In terms of quality, many people swear by it. In fact, it ranked 2nd in the 2020 Drone Racing International FPV freestyle go-to battery poll.

 4. ZEEE

Reason for voting: The best-selling brand of RC lipo batteries on Amazon.

Huizhou Zeee Power Co, Ltd., produces high-quality Li-Po, LiFePO4 rechargeable batteries and relevant accessories. They offer an affordable variety of quality RC batteries that can be used in radio-controlled boats, planes, vehicles and helicopters, etc.

Zeee Power Lipo batteries offer excellent performance at high discharge rate and low temperature, flat discharge curve, and power your RC models, to reach the top speed with the most stability. Zeee 2S Lipo Battery 7.4V 50C 5200mAh RC lipo batteries are the most favored ones among its users.

5. SMC

What is an SMC LiPo Battery? SMC LiPo (Lithium Polymer) batteries are a type of rechargeable battery that utilize lithium-ion technology. What sets them apart from conventional lithium-ion batteries is their unique design and construction. LiPo batteries are known for their high energy density, lightweight nature, and excellent power-to-weight ratio. They consist of multiple cells, each containing a positive electrode made of a lithium compound and a negative electrode made of carbon.

What Factors will affect you buying a Lipo Battery?

Price

First and foremost, how much are you ready to pay? Some brands are more expensive than others. While the adage “you get what you pay for” is generally useful, we ask you to hold on before deciding to purchase the most expensive LiPos out there just because they are expensive. Though we don’t endorse buying cheap Chinese knockoffs off eBay, don’t fall for the “appeal to wealth” fallacy. From our research and experience with different LiPo brands, it is hardly useful.

Durability

This is an important consideration. How long will the battery last before puffing out and becoming absolutely useless? (This is assuming you have taken care of your LiPos well of course) We’ve found out that some battery brands tend to last longer than others. This is true in terms of number of cycles and also when used in rough conditions like putting them through large power draws.

Availability in different configurations

Another thing to note is that not all battery brands manufacture the exact same configuration you are looking for. If you are looking for a specific battery with a specific capacity and C rating, you may have to sacrifice your freedom of buying from a specific brand.

However, if you are tad bit more flexible with your builds, most manufacturers offer batteries that fall under similar categories anyway, with slight differences.

The most important difference you may encounter with different brands is the type of connector. If you can’t connect the battery, what’s the point? X-T60 and deans are some of the most common types of connectors that come with LiPo batteries these days.

It is possible to work around this problem by making your own connectors. Cutting and soldering the type of connector you want to any battery brand is a good solution. Nevertheless, it can be a pain. Choose a LiPo brand that can get you up and running with minimum hassle.

Performance

Performance? Yes! Different brands may manufacture batteries with the exact same configuration and yet, the batteries may perform different. What does “performance” mean in this context? Let’s be specific:

How much flight time or run time the battery will offer, with each charge?

How much power the battery is capable of generating? Two batteries from different brands may have the same C rating, but you would often notice that your craft performs better on one instead of the other.

Note: Performance is especially important if you are planning on doing competitive RC racing.