Lithium batteries in cold weather

How do lithium batteries handle freezing temperatures

You might have tried bringing your smartphone outside in the winter time, and suddenly the battery level has dropped way faster than usual. This is a typical example of lithium batteries in cold weather, which many people can relate to.

We will try to dig a little bit deeper, and explain why batteries react to cold temperatures and give you some tips on how to get the most out of your batteries in the cold.

Skiing in cold weather with Suprabeam headlamp

Cold weather tips

Lithium batteries in cold weather

Keep them warm

First of all, make sure to keep them warm when you are not using them. Keep the battery itself or the entire light in a pocket, close to your body. If you don’t have room in your pockets, wrap the light in something warm like a wool sock before leaving home, this will help maintain the temperature in the battery.

Start in low output

When using a cooled down battery, start the flashlight or headlamp in a low output mode. The battery will gain inner temperature, and this will allow it to operate at higher output after a short time. Starting at too high output can cause the lamp to turn off.
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Never charge below 0°C

Charging the battery below 0°C can damage the battery, and shorten the lifetime. We recommend charging your lithium battery between 10°C and 30°C to prolong the lifetime.
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What happens inside the battery?

Temperature can affect performance

Inside a lithium battery there is a chemical reaction going on which enables the battery to be charged and discharged. When the battery is exposed to freezing temperatures the inner resistance rises dramatically which causes the chemical reaction to slow down, making the battery work less efficient. This means that the battery capacity drops and your lithium battery powered devices will run out of power quicker.

You see this reaction with electric cars which looses a big chunk of their range in the winter time.

This does not mean that you can’t use your lithium powered Suprabeam lights in the cold, because you definitely can! But you must expect that the performance and battery life is going to be affected by the temperature.

Suprabeam batteries in the cold

Rated to -20°C

Suprabeam rechargeable lithium batteries are rated for use down to -20°C.

The battery won’t perform as well at -20°C as it does above 0°C, but we can guarantee that your Suprabeam flashlight/headlamp will work at -20°C and that it does not damage the battery.

At -20°C you must expect a 30-50% drop in battery capacity.

See all our rechargeable lights here.