Gadgets

Should you replace your laptop battery?

Published

2 weeks ago

September 6, 2024

Empowerment

Key Takeaways

Laptop batteries degrade over time due to factors like temperature extremes and overcharging.

Replacing a laptop battery is cheaper than buying a new laptop, costing $25-$200 depending on the laptop and manufacturer.

Never discard old laptop batteries in the trash — find a local e-waste recycling center for proper disposal.

Say you’ve had your laptop for a few years, and you’ve noticed that it won’t turn on unless it’s plugged into the charger. Or, maybe your laptop dies quickly if it’s not constantly plugged in. Either way, you might have begun to consider buying a new laptop. But why not replace the battery instead of spending up to $1000 on a new laptop?

For most laptops, you can replace the battery yourself, or you can send it back to the manufacturer and get the battery replaced for a fee. Today I’ll be exploring whether or not it’s worth it to replace your laptop’s battery, or if you should just save yourself the trouble and get a new laptop. Read on to find out.

Why do laptop batteries degrade over time?

Lithium batteries discharge and lose quality over time

Lithium batteries degrade with use and time.
Factors include temperature extremes, overcharging.
Proper care can prolong battery health and performance.

If you’ve used the same laptop — whether it’s a Chromebook or a MacBook — for some time, there’s no doubt you’ve noticed that it just doesn’t hold its charge the way it did when you first bought it. It’s because the lithium batteries that are used in laptops, as well as most other electronics, decay over time. There are multiple factors as to why a lithium battery degrades, from temperature extremes to overcharging. But, on average, a laptop battery should last around two years of standard use, or roughly 500+ battery cycles, before you begin to notice its performance is decreasing.

Once a laptop battery hits its maximum cycle count, its performance will degrade faster over-time. For many, this ends with having to keep your laptop plugged into a charger at all times, which nearly eliminates its portability factor. You can, however, minimize how quickly your laptop’s battery degrades over time by taking proper care of its battery health.

When you create habits like minimizing brightness and keyboard lighting, not leaving your laptop plugged in all the time, and making sure you keep your laptop stored in temperature-controlled environments, they all play a part in prolonging your battery’s viability. You should also monitor it, which you can do in the battery settings on both Windows laptops and MacBooks.

Checking in on your battery’s health routinely can flag any abnormalities that your battery might be experiencing.

While not always convenient, it’s vital that you properly dispose of any batteries from any electronics correctly.

You should never throw a lithium battery in the trash. Not only is it environmentally harmful, but it can be downright dangerous for your garbage collectors. Just last week in my neighborhood, a garbage truck caught fire during its collection route, and the culprit? Multiple improperly discarded lithium batteries. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says you should never discard a lithium battery in the trash, but should instead find your local e-waste recycling center or a hazardous waste center. Lithium batteries disposed of incorrectly can lead to wildfires and can cause pollutants to leach into the soil or waterways more easily.

While not always convenient, it’s vital that you properly dispose of any batteries from any electronics correctly.

This is one of the major benefits of sending a laptop to a repair shop or to the manufacturer to have its battery replaced. When you send a battery in, the repair technician will typically recycle the old battery for you, meaning one less trip to a recycling center on your end. While you will save money by replacing an old battery at home, you’ll have to take the extra step in disposing of the battery the correct way.

Overall, whether you are sending in a battery in to be replaced or buying a replacement online and doing it at home, it’s still worth it to replace an old laptop battery over buying a new laptop altogether, especially if the laptop isn’t that old. In some cases, if your laptop was more than five years old, it might be time to invest in a new laptop, but if you have a newer laptop with a battery that’s hit its peak, it’s worth saving some money by replacing the battery yourself.

Scenario	Recommended Action
Need to dispose of a battery?	Take lithium batteries to e-waste recycling centers or hazardous waste centers to avoid environmental and safety risks.
Want to replace an old battery?	Opt for professional battery replacement services at a repair shop or through the manufacturer to ensure the old battery is recycled correctly.
Considering a DIY battery replacement?	When replacing the battery yourself, dispose of the old one properly. This cost-effective solution can eliminate the need for a new laptop purchase.
Wondering if it’s time to replace your laptop or battery?	Replace your laptop if it is over five years old. For newer laptops, simply replacing the battery can be an economical way to extend its lifespan.