Best LiPo RC Battery Brands
Price, Performance, Lifespan, Availability

by John Salt - Updated March 2025

I know, stating "Best LiPo RC Battery Brand", is on the same level as telling you what beer you should be getting; it's totally personal preference. Everyone has their own opinions based on subjective & anecdotal experiences with many varied flying/driving/boating styles from different locations worldwide - that all plays a roll.

In this hobby, there are lots of opinions & endless anecdotal experiences from all over the world!

CNHL's G+ Series Are #1 On My Best LiPo Battery List

I'm also not a hot shot 3D, F3C, or speed sponsored pilot with unlimited resources & money. Like most average folks in the hobby, I have to budget my pennies and stretch my dollars. In short, my top RC LiPo battery brands are based on best value.

Hopefully that means the same to you as it does for me; "getting the most performance and life out of your packs for every dollar you spend."

Let's face it, next to our models, LiPo's represent the single largest ongoing investment & cost most of us face in this hobby.

One thing I've learned over the past 17 years of electric powered RC flying is the old adage you get what you pay for doesn't apply in the slightest to LiPo's. Some of the most expensive packs currently on the market are some of the worst, while some of the least expensive can hold their own. Don't buy into the LiPo BS that many brands are pushing.

The unfortunate truth is many RC LiPo brands pray on our ignorance of this power source and there are no rules to stop them from making total BS claims to justify higher pricing.

One of the worst ones with an exorbitant advertising budget boasting of lifetime warranty (read the fine print) continually reaches out to me to include their overpriced, over hyped packs on this page. It won't happen!

On top of all that, due to new LiPo shipping regulations & dangerous goods classifications which started around 2014 in many countries (Canada where I live being one of them), it's almost impossible or at least prohibitively costly to order and ship LiPo packs from outside your own country.

I like many now, only purchase my LiPo's from national hobby shops & warehouses, because I don't want to pay more in shipping and import fees than my entire battery order is worth.

Anyway, people often ask me what RC LiPo batteries I use and recommend.

So without further ado, here are my three favorite brands of choice out the many I've tried over the past two decades based on long term ownership and real world usage in both RC helicopters and EDF jets.

I follow all my LiPo Battery Care & Use Procedures to the letter to get the most life out of all my LiPo packs because it doesn't matter how good any particular LiPo battery is; if it's abused, they will all live short lives!

Best LiPo Pick #1: CNHL LiPo Packs

My Number 1 LiPo battery pick goes to CNHL, specifically their G-Plus Series with the 70C ratings

Most CNHL packs get very good feedback from others I talk to, and CNHL have a HUGE assortment of LiPo packs to power pretty much anything that flies, drives or floats.

I've been using their G+ 6S 5000 mAh 70C packs in all my larger 600 to 800 size helicopters & 80-90mm EDF jets, and can't get over how well they are performing and holding up in these high current sucking RC aircraft, considering their very attractive price tag.

My top rated LiPo's before these were Gens-Ace 80C rated packs (now my #2 pick), but these CNHL G+ 70C packs are less than half the price here in Canada, give the same or slightly better performance and are holding up just as well with no LiPo puffing while maintaining their capacity and very respectable low IR measurements.

CNHL 6S 5000 mAh 70C LiPo Pack Low Internal Resistance Measurements. WOW!

They are also slightly lighter which is most noticeable when flying the EDF's. In fact, I try to use them exclusively in the EDF jets now, and use the Gens-Ace packs mostly in the helicopters.

No question, the jets are harder on the packs. The 80 & 90mm EDF jets are constantly pulling over 110 Amps at full throttle with around 60 Amps at mid stick cruise, so these packs get a workout every single flight. They maintain great punch through the entire flight yet come down barely warm. I of course always try to land at no more than 75% discharged regardless of jet or heli.

My LiPo Hungry Monsters Are Loving CNHL G+ Packs

CNHL Worldwide Warehouse Locations

The other obvious reason I like CNHL so much is they have a warehouse in Canada so no shockingly high shipping and import / brokerage fees attached.

In fact, shipping is free on orders over $100 which is easy to meet on even a moderate sized LiPo order.

CNHL have warehouses worldwide, so it's not hard to find a nearby shipping option in many countries.

The few times I've contacted CNHL, they have always replied quickly with great customer support. If you live in one of the listed countries shown above and you're looking for excellent RC LiPo batteries for an excellent price, check out CNHL.

Best LiPo Pick #2: Gens-Ace

Gens Ace LiPo Batteries Are Some of the Best

Gens Ace - The Proven Performers

As I said, Gens Ace LiPo packs were #1, but are now #2 on my best LiPo list. That of course doesn't mean I don't like them.

I'm still a huge Gens-Ace fan boy and if they were the same price as the CNHL packs, they would remain #1 on my list due to both brand loyalty and outstanding long term value / performance. But at over twice the price of $220 CND for their 6S 5100 80C packs vs. $95 CND for the CNHL 70C G+, you can hopefully understand my change of heart.

All the Gens Ace LiPo packs I have are holding up incredibly well, performing like champs and have been doing so for many years and many current demanding flights. In that respect, they have proven themselves more than CNHL packs so far.

Just like the CNHL G+ 70C packs, they barely get warm in either the EDF's or helicopters. They are all showing little gain in internal resistance, no capacity drop and no puffing.

While being more costly than CNHL, they are still less than other "big name" packs and are also available from worldwide dealers in most countries.

The guys at Rotor Quest here in Canada originally got me into Gens Ace and is where I personally order all my Gens Ace packs from so no import fees. Buddy RC carry them for those of you in the US.

I have searched high and low for a best LiPo source for Gens here in Canada & the US. Rotor Quest in Canada and Buddy RC in the US almost always have the best pricing & selection.

Another added bonus is shipping is free from Rotor Quest as long as your order is over $250 (pretty easy with a couple larger LiPo packs). They also have regular sales on almost every holiday weekend with discounts from 10% to 15%, and there are no import/brokerage fees attached.

In other words, when you take into account shipping (which always was expensive from places like Hobby King even when they were using EMS post to Canada), and if you wait for one of RotorQuest's regular holiday sales, and order enough to meet the free shipping threshold; you can pick up several Gens Ace LiPo packs for a pretty decent price.

Best LiPo Pick #3: Turnigy Original & HD

Turnigy LiPo Batteries Often Represent Best Value vs Performance.

Most of my Turnigy Packs are still going strong after a decade+ of use!

3rd on my recommended LiPo list are HobbyKing's line of Turnigy, Turnigy HD & Turnigy NanoTech LiPo batteries.

I first stared using Turnigy LiPo's 16 years ago while getting into larger electric helicopters (600 size and up). Many are still working after all that time and hundreds of cycles! Not to their full potential of course, but little in the way of capacity drop or much electrolytic decomposition (gassing/puffing). One caveat is their Nano-Tech ones don't seem to be holding up as well as their normal or the better HD (heavy duty) ones.

Turnigy Heavy Duty Packs Are Their Best IMO.

Before finding Turnigy, I was dishing out around $250 CND for a single 6S 5000 mAh battery pack back in 2009. FlightPower & ThunderPower were what I was using back then. Adjusted for inflation, that would be around $350 CND for each pack today!

Turnigy is what (pardon the pun), "turned" things around and finally made large electric flight affordable for me. That same size, capacity, and C rated Turnigy pack was only $75 CND back then ($100 today); so less than 1/3 the price of what I was using with better performance and longevity no less.

More and more brands have gotten competitive with Turnigy. As I mentioned many years ago when Turnigy packs were actually #1 on this list, even if you hated dealing with HobbyKing (which I did), it was their Turnigy LiPo batteries that drove LiPo pricing down everywhere; at least with the competitive brands that aren't blowing BS to justify their overpriced / over hyped packs.

What About Smart LiPo Batteries?

Smart LiPo Batteries Are Not The Best LiPo In My Opinion.

A smart LiPo battery such as Spektrum's Smart LiPo packs contain a small electronic control board.

These boards communicate with brand specific smart chargers and on board telemetry systems so the charger/model knows exactly what battery is being hooked up to it, capacity, health, individual cell voltages, state of charge, etc.

The built in board will even put a small load on the pack when fully charged and not used for a few days to bring them back down to a safe storage state.

The benefit is you don't have to understand the basics of LiPo charging and care because the on board electronics along with the proprietary systems these smart LiPo's are connected to do all that stuff for you.

If you've already read my RC Charger page, you know I'm not a fan of this proprietary Smart Battery technology.

Why? Well, you pay a price premium for it. You are forced to use the brand's propriety chargers and other support equipment (at least if you want the benefits of the smart technology). You greatly limit your LiPo choices (both in terms of brand & sizes/capacities). You can't easily para-charge. You can get better quality LiPo packs for less money.

In short, you are giving up value, flexibility and options for convenience.

If however you don't care about any of that, and just want an easy & safe RC LiPo usage experience, then a Smart LiPo & charging system may be the best LiPo battery pack options for you.

Best RC LiPo Battery Connector

I cover this topic in depth on my RC LiPo Battery Connector page, but thought I should at least make mention of it when discussing best LiPo batteries.

You'll need to make sure the battery you choose also comes with the correct plug on it that your model's ESC uses.

Makes perfect sense right?

Problem is, you really limit yourself and your LiPo battery selection when you are trapped by something as simple as the connector type it comes with.

If you don't know how to solder RC connectors, I really encourage you to learn this most useful skill. You won't regret it - I promise!

My dad taught me to solder when I was eight. If an eight year old can learn to solder, anyone can.

This is a hobby after-all, and part of electric RC'ing is simple soldering. As I said, it's not difficult, soldering equipment (a soldering gun, solder, and flux) is inexpensive, and it's such a useful skill that has far reaching applications over and above that of RC.

Not only that, even if you find the best LiPo battery for your needs and it comes with the correct connector type, you most likely will have to replace it due to wear & tear. Plugs have finite cycle life after-all. Same goes for the plugs on your ESCs, even more so.

Learning to fly an RC heli or plane is much harder than learning to solder. Work on that easy skill so your best LiPo battery choice is not narrowed substantially by something as minor as what connector it comes with.

The video below shows exactly how I change a connector on a brand new LiPo safely so you can understand the process better.

Best RC LiPo Conclusion

To sum this entire page up, here are my best LiPo battery tips.

Ignore marketing hype. "Award winning LiPo's", the RC LiPo industry is currently saturated with such bogus, nonsensical claims. High pricing most certainly does not equate to best quality, performance, or longevity in this game. Beware however of too good to be true pricing.