Taking great care of your battery is crucial to make your laptop last as long as possible and avoid having to replace it too soon. It’s not usually a big deal to replace a battery but it does cost money, so it’s worth taking care to maximize its lifespan.
It might seem like there isn’t much to caring for a laptop battery, but it actually takes some intentional effort. Keep in mind that what might be considered a best practice today may not apply if or when battery technology changes. That said, here’s how you can currently get the most out of your laptop battery.
Skip the entry-level laptops
If you’ve ever been shopping for laptops online, you’ve probably noticed that the cheapest ones seem like a great deal until you realize there’s hardly any RAM and the hard drive wouldn’t last you a month. While these barebones laptops work for some people, they don’t work for everyone. In addition to low RAM and storage space, they tend to come with batteries that have a lower capacity.
To maximize your battery life, begin by getting a high-quality laptop so you can start off with an advantage. Batteries naturally lose some of their charge over time and a good battery will slow that process.
You can find plenty of high-quality laptops on sale from reliable brands that offer a wide range of specs.
Keep your laptop away from heat sources
Batteries shouldn’t be exposed to heat either directly or indirectly by being in a hot environment, like a hot car, direct sunlight, or near a space heater. When your laptop battery heats up, it doesn’t have the ability to safely disburse the extra heat. A lithium-ion battery that overheats is at risk of exploding or starting a fire.
If you find your battery getting hot, power down your laptop and if possible, remove the battery to let it cool down. This can happen while you’re using it or while it’s charging. The potential for a battery to heat up and burn your skin is a good reason to not use a laptop directly in your lap. However, if you use a blanket or pillow, you risk cutting off the air circulation from the vents, which can increase the heat.
The ideal solution is to use your laptop on a flat surface, like a table, and put it on a cooling pad.
Use a battery health app
You can monitor your battery’s health by using a free app, like BatteryCare. It’s been around for a long time, but it’s still supported by the developer. This app will tell you important things like the temperature of your battery along with how many discharge cycles have been completed.
There are other apps available if you need options, but they’re all easy to install and simple to use. It’s a convenient way to keep an eye on your battery health to know when you should start planning for a replacement.
Don’t leave your laptop charging overnight
Lithium-ion batteries will start to lose their charge capacity if the charger is left plugged in when the battery reaches 100%. As it tries to flow charge into the battery, it can’t go anywhere, and it ends up damaging the battery.
Another reason you don’t want to charge your laptop overnight is the potential for fire. Experts say that when a battery catches fire spontaneously while charging, it’s because of a manufacturer’s defect. It’s best to unplug your laptop battery before going to bed to avoid these issues altogether.
Keep your charges between 20% and 80%
When possible, try to keep your battery charged no more than 80% and don’t discharge it past 20%. This will preserve more of your battery’s charge capacity and will help you avoid a costly replacement.
If it’s hard to keep track of the battery percentage, set a timer on your phone to unplug it after a certain period of time that you know will charge it to a certain percentage. Once you start this habit, it will get easier with time.
Keep using your laptop regularly
Last but not least, make sure you’re using your laptop on a regular basis and discharging the battery periodically. Batteries stored at high capacity tend to break down faster, so if you must store your laptop for a period of time, run the battery down to about 40% before tucking it away.
Your laptop battery won’t last forever, so you can expect to replace it sometime in the future. However, by following these battery preservation tips, you can maximize its lifespan.
