Panasonic NCR18650B 3400mAh
(11 reviews)
The undisputed benchmark of 18650 batteries: 3400 mAh of capacity, flawless Japanese quality and reliability that make it the basis of many battery packs.
Characteristics
- Capacity / Voltage: 3400 mAh / 3.6V-3.7V
- Rechargeable: Yes, Lithium-ion (Flat Top)
- Pack size: Sold per cell
- The 18650 benchmark, high capacity and reliability
Detailed overview: Panasonic NCR18650B 3400 mAh 18650 battery
The Panasonic NCR18650B is, quite simply, the benchmark of the 18650 format. This cylindrical lithium-ion cell (18 mm diameter, 65 mm long) offers one of the highest capacities in its category, 3400 mAh, which is why you find it at the heart of countless products: high-end torches and headlamps, rebuilt battery packs, power banks, e-scooters and e-bikes, cordless tools and many gadgets.
We offer it here in an unprotected Flat Top version, whose positive terminal is flat. This choice makes it more compact (65 x 18 mm exactly) and compatible with the maximum number of devices and cell holders. It also exists in a protected Button Top version, slightly longer, with a protection circuit: some torches require it, so you should check the format your device expects before buying.
On the electrical side, the NCR18650B has a nominal voltage of 3.6 to 3.7V, a maximum voltage of 4.2V at full charge, and should not drop below about 2.8V on discharge. It recharges several hundred times (around 500 cycles) using a charger specifically designed for 3.7V lithium cells, never with a standard NiMH battery charger.
Two warnings are worth repeating. First, this format is massively counterfeited online: many cheaply sold cells are recycled or overrated in capacity; the NCR18650B offered here are 100% genuine. Second, a bare lithium cell requires care: a suitable charger, careful handling, no short circuit or over-discharge. For an informed user, the NCR18650B remains, year after year, the best 18650 basis available, unmatched in performance and consistency.
Our tester's review: Pierre Freysinger
In the 18650 world, the NCR18650B is the yardstick, and for good reasons. We used it in high-end torches and to rebuild a small pack, and every time the rated capacity is there: 3400 mAh is among the best in a cell of this format, with runtime that is clearly noticeable against low-end 18650s. Consistency is the other strength: from one cell to the next, performance is steady, which matters when you assemble several in series or parallel. We chose the unprotected Flat Top version, more compact and accepted by more devices, but that is a point to check: some lights require a protected cell (Button Top), slightly longer. Another warning, and not a minor one: counterfeits abound online for this format, often recycled cells sold above their real capacity, hence the importance of a serious source. Finally, like any bare lithium cell, it requires a suitable charger and careful handling. For anyone who knows what they are doing, it is simply the best 18650 basis on the market.
Frequently asked questions: Panasonic NCR18650B 3400 mAh 18650 battery
The Flat Top has a flat positive terminal, without a protection circuit: more compact, it is compatible with more devices. The protected Button Top is slightly longer and includes electronic protection, required by some torches. Check the format your device expects.
Only with a charger designed for 3.7V lithium-ion cells (18650-compatible), never with a NiMH battery charger. The cell charges to 4.2V maximum and should not be discharged below about 2.8V.
It powers powerful torches and headlamps, serves as the basis for battery packs, power banks, e-scooters and e-bikes, cordless tools and many gadgets. Its high 3400 mAh capacity makes it a benchmark choice.
This format is heavily counterfeited online, with recycled or capacity-overrated cells. You should buy from a serious source. The NCR18650B offered here are 100% genuine Panasonic cells.
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Published on 08/07/2026, updated on 14/08/2026