Cart battery capacity is measured in mAh. It stands for milliampere-hour and indicates how much energy the battery can store. The higher the mAh, the longer the battery will last on a single charge. If you’re comparing 510 batteries for your oil cartridges, the mAh capacity is a key comparison figure. So what do cart battery mAh values *actually* mean for you?
Here’s a guide of how long a cart battery will last on a single charge;
280mAh Cart Battery: 1-2 Hours of use
350mAh Cart Battery: 1-3 Hours of use
400mAh Cart Battery: 2-4 Hours of use
650mAh Cart Battery: 4-6 Hours of use
900mAh Cart Battery: 6-8 Hours of use
1100mAh Cart Battery: 8-10 Hours of use
1300mAh Cart Battery: 10-12 Hours of use
These numbers should be taken as a guide. The exact time that a cart battery will last depends on a number of variables. After the mAh capacity – The voltage heat setting will be the most influential. Vaping at a higher voltage will generate more heat & use up your battery charge faster. Times will also depend on the size of your hits, and the age of the battery. Whether the 510 cartridge battery has extra features such as an OLED display screen or multiple LED lights. Or even if the battery has the capability to draw from multiple carts at once (such as a double cart battery or triple cart battery).
Benefits of a higher mAh cart battery
Battery will last longer between charges
Useful for heavier vapers who hit their carts all day
Better for vapers who enjoy hitting at a higher voltage
Allows you to go off-grid for longer, without access to charging
Suitable for clumsy vapers who often damage or lose their battery
Bigger isn’t always better! There are many factors to consider when choosing your vape battery – not just the highest mAh capacity. Do you like to vape oil cartridges under the radar? Then a stealth cart battery might be for you! These are typically smaller, have lower mAh capacities, and much easier to conceal.
On the other hand – you might want a multi-use cart battery that can also be used to vape wax or dry herb. These typically do need higher mAh capacities, to enable the versatility in uses. Choose your 510 vape battery based on all the device features – not just the mAh battery capacity!
Another consideration is whether you’d like a 510 vape battery that is button activated, or auto-draw activated (fires when you take a hit). A button-activated device with variable voltage will deliver a similar strength hit, regardless of how much charge is left in your battery. Whereas an auto-draw device will deliver less powerful hits, as your battery level decreases. Your hit at 100% charge will not be the same as 50%. Auto-draw activated cart batteries are slightly more convenient, but don’t deliver as consistent hits as button activated batteries!
How long does a Cart Battery take to charge?
It takes 90 minutes – 2 hours to fully recharge a cart battery.
This time may be quicker for cart batteries with a smaller mAh capacity. Brand new devices, and those with rapid USB Type-C charging, should also fully charge in less time than this.
The time to fully recharge may be longer for cartridge batteries with a larger mAh capacity, or ones with Micro USB charging. An older cart battery that has been heavily used, might never reach ‘full capacity’ charge level, like it used to when the device was brand new. Batteries degrade over time. This means they take longer to recharge, and last less time per single charge. How do you prevent this? Invest in a cart battery constructed with high quality components, made by a premium brand!
Charging a cart battery is super simple. There are generally 2 types of charging; a USB charging port, or 510 thread charger.
Some cartridge batteries have a charging port on the device. These will fit a USB-C, Micro-USB or similar type of USB charging cable.
Some cartridge batteries work with a 510 charger. These are screwed onto the same 510 thread that the cartridge is attached to.
Typically an LED light will display when your battery is fully charged. Do read the instruction booklet that comes with your vape battery – This will tell you key information about charging your individual device. Importantly this will include whether you should use a charging brick, laptop, or wall socket to plug your charger into.
Why do Dry Herb Vaporizers have higher mAh batteries?
The information above is for 510 vape cartridge batteries. You might read the mAh size guide and think “Woah! A dry herb vape will last for weeks at a time”.
Well, not quite. The PAX 3 has a 3,500mAh capacity battery. The Auxo Calent has a 2,900mAh capacity battery. Even the more affordable Yocan Vane has a 1,100mAh capacity battery. But this doesn’t mean the batteries will last all month on a single charge.
Dry herb vaporizers have much higher mAh capacities than cart batteries, because they need to in order to deliver a high quality experience. Their cutting edge heating systems, such as 3D ceramic ovens or conduction heating, require much more power. Manufacturers know they must meet these power requirements, whilst also creating a vape that will last long enough for a communal smoke session with friends.
James is our Head of Vaping Community. He’s a crucial part of Discount Vape Pen team – he listens to our customers and acts as the voice of the people. James is a proud advocate of CASAA, and is a top online contributor on the Vaporents subreddit – Which is Reddit’s largest flower vaping community.
Away from his keyboard – James will be listening to EDM music or walking his dog, Winnie! Meet all our Discount Vape Pen Authors here.
