Should you buy an aftermarket laptop battery?

Sooner or later, you will need to replace your laptop battery. Every battery degrades with use, even rechargeable ones. When your laptop battery no longer keeps a charge or the battery life is too short, it is probably well-worn and in need of replacing.

Should you buy a OEM (original equipment manufacturer) battery, or opt for a less-expensive, but potentially risky, aftermarket alternative? OEM laptop batteries are painfully expensive. There is really nothing terribly proprietary about a battery except the shape of its case. If it supplies the right voltage and current to your laptop, any maker's laptop battery should be satisfactory. But there are unscrupulous aftermarket manufacturers who sell batteries that tend to leak, don't take a full charge, or don't last as long as they should. Aftermarket batteries are an unknown gamble but much cheaper, often half the cost of OEM batteries. Research an aftermarket brand carefully to see what customers have to say about its longevity, performance, and the vendor's service.

Computerworldˇ¦s Brian Nadel put to the off-brand laptop batteries in various laptops - Cheap laptop batteries: Good deal or risky business? The result of his test?

"Without a doubt, aftermarket batteries are a good way to replace a dead battery without spending a lot of money. Despite costing $20 to $70 less, the aftermarket replacements proved to be just as good and reliable as the originals in my tests."

Besides, know the difference between recycled and refurbished batteries before you want to shop for a new laptop battery. A recycled replacement laptop battery is one that has been salvaged from a discarded laptop. It's used, and there's no telling how much life is left in it. A refurbished replacement laptop battery has been taken apart, had its chemical cells replaced with new ones, and restored to OEM specifications. Some refurbished batteries even last longer than OEM batteries of older model laptops, because their chemical cells are of newer technology that holds more charge. Unfortunately, you can't tell a recycled battery from a refurbished one by sight; so again, check the maker's reputation with a Google search before buying. Oh, and before you spend your money on a new battery for your laptop, check to see if your battery is still under warranty, or if there are any recalls for it. A shiny new free battery from the manufacturer beats paying for one any day of the week!

LaptopTraveller is committed to offer high quality replacement laptop batteries and power adapters, both OEM, aftermarket laptop battery. Our complete line of laptop batteries are specifically designed for each laptop brand and model.