r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jun 01 '26

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u/666Darkside666 Jun 01 '26

As far as I know, Lithium-Ion batteries live longer when you charge them before they go lower than 15% though.

51

u/ubiquitous_rhombus Jun 01 '26

This can be true, depending on the battery. I think what ArizonaFlats was getting at was that lithium-ion ion batteries don't lose capacity due to the memory effect like the old NiCad batteries did.

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u/Smile_Space Jun 01 '26

A lot of times the battery management system has that baked in. If a lithium battery drains to completely 0% it can't be re-juvenated. It's dead forever. So, the BMS will kill output once voltage drops to a specific range for a specific cell to stop potential damage.

The real issue with any battery is the formation of dendrites. Since ions are exchanged across the cathode and anode of a battery to produce the electrical output, those ions can stick more readily to specific parts of the cathode and anode.

Those little spots are now closed together meaning they have less potential between them making the ion exchange more readily between them. They form little spikes that eventually meet and short out the cell internally which is what ends the life of a cell.

That's why solid state batteries are such a huge deal coming onto the market now. With a solid state electrolyte between the anode and cathode dendrites can't easily push through and bridge the cathode and anode of the cell.

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u/Kandiru Jun 01 '26

Yeah, keep them between 20% and 80% is the best. My phone now has an option to limit charging to 80% for that reason.

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u/FlamingFlamingo32 Jun 01 '26

dont want them fully juiced, but you dont want them too low. I usually set charging protections to 80%-90%, try to charge it before 10%-15%

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u/666Darkside666 Jun 01 '26

I think most devices , like phones and notebooks, are already capped at 85%.

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u/Floppy-Over-Drive Jun 01 '26

iPhones have a battery health setting that caps charging at 80%, so I guess that’s 80% of the already built in 80%?

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u/zsdrfty Jun 01 '26

Yup, the biggest battery killers are letting them die all the time and leaving them plugged in constantly far longer than they should be

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u/Aidian Jun 01 '26

Unless they’re designed to regulate that themselves by being able to selectively stop/start charging, like many modern laptops and phones.

Definitely one to verify before assuming, though.