Batteries
LiPo Battery Guide: 2S, 3S, 4S and 6S, mAh, C Rating, Charging and Storage
A drone LiPo battery is described by three numbers: cell count (S — 3.7 V per cell, so 3S is 11.1 V and 6S is 22.2 V), capacity in mAh, and discharge rating in C. This guide explains those numbers, which pack suits which drone, and the charging and storage habits that keep packs healthy and safe.
Updated 26 September 2026 · by the Fioparts team, Gurugram
Reading the label: S, mAh and C
Cell count — 1S, 2S, 3S, 4S, 6S
A LiPo pack is one or more cells in series. Each cell is 3.7 V nominal, 4.2 V fully charged and should never go below about 3.0 V under load (3.5 V is a comfortable landing point). The “S” number is the cell count, so the pack voltage is:
| Pack | Nominal | Full | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1S | 3.7 V | 4.2 V (4.35 V HV) | Tiny whoops, 65–75 mm |
| 2S | 7.4 V | 8.4 V | Toothpicks, small planes, receivers and test benches |
| 3S | 11.1 V | 12.6 V | F450-class DIY quads, 3″ micros, older 5″ builds |
| 4S | 14.8 V | 16.8 V | 5″ freestyle and racing, 3–4″ cinewhoops |
| 6S | 22.2 V | 25.2 V | 5″ freestyle (the current standard), 7″ long-range, cinelifters |
Higher voltage means lower current for the same power, which is why 6S has replaced 4S on most 5″ quads. The “12 V” LiPo in a listing is a 3S pack; “24 V” is usually 6S. The motors, ESC and any voltage regulators must all be rated for the cell count — see Motor KV explained for how KV follows the voltage.
Capacity — mAh
Milliamp-hours: a 1300 mAh pack can deliver 1.3 A for an hour, or 26 A for three minutes. More capacity means longer flights but more weight, and weight costs both agility and, past a point, flight time — the sweet spot for a 5″ freestyle quad is 1100–1550 mAh on 6S. A “drone battery 5000mAh” makes sense on a 450–500 mm frame with 10″ props, not on a 5″ racer.
Discharge rating — C
The C rating is the current the pack can deliver continuously, as a multiple of capacity: a 1300 mAh 100C pack is rated for 130 A. Ratings are optimistic marketing numbers on most brands; what matters is that the pack stays cool and holds voltage under full throttle. Racing packs run 100C+; a DIY 450 quad on 30 A ESCs is fine on a 25–35C 3S 2200–5000 mAh pack.
Which LiPo battery for which drone
- Tiny whoop: 1S 300–450 mAh, HV cells (4.35 V) where the ESC supports it, BT2.0 or PH2.0 connector. 1S whoop batteries.
- 2–3″ toothpick / micro: 2S–4S 300–650 mAh, XT30. 2S packs · 3S packs.
- 5″ freestyle / racing: 4S 1300–1550 mAh or 6S 1100–1550 mAh, XT60. 4S packs · 6S packs.
- 7″ long-range: 6S 1800–2500 mAh LiPo, or a Li-ion pack for endurance — see 18650 vs 21700.
- F450 / S500 DIY: 3S 2200–5200 mAh, XT60. The 2200 mAh pack is the budget starting point; a 5000–5200 mAh pack nearly doubles flight time on the same frame — not in proportion to capacity, because the drone now carries the extra weight.
- Heavy-lift and agri: 6S–14S, 6,000–30,000 mAh, XT90 or AS150 connectors or the airframe maker’s own plug.
Brands we stock across those sizes: Tattu and the rest of the LiPo range.
Connectors
BT2.0 / PH2.0 on 1S whoops (BT2.0 carries more current), XT30 up to about 30 A, XT60 for 5″ and 450-class, XT90 for 7″ and heavy-lift, AS150 / XT150 on large packs. The number in the name is roughly the burst rating — continuous current is about half of it. The pack’s connector must match the drone’s pigtail — adapters add resistance and a failure point, so re-solder the pigtail instead. Battery & power connectors.
Charging LiPo batteries safely
- Always balance charge. Plug in both the main lead and the small balance lead so the charger equalises every cell. A pack whose cells drift apart loses capacity and becomes a fire risk.
- Charge at 1C — 1.3 A for a 1300 mAh pack, about an hour from empty. Many packs are rated for 2–3C charging; 1C is the kindest to the pack.
- Set the correct cell count and chemistry (LiPo vs LiHV vs Li-ion). Chargers auto-detect cells, but confirm on screen before pressing start.
- Charge in a LiPo bag or on a non-flammable surface, never on a bed or carpet, and never unattended. Keep a bucket of sand nearby, not water.
- Let a pack cool after a flight before charging it, and never charge a swollen, punctured or crash-damaged pack.
A 1–6S, 100–300 W balance charger covers every hobby pack; multi-port chargers pay for themselves once you own more than four packs. 1S–6S LiPo chargers · All chargers.
Storage and lifespan
- Store at 3.80 V per cell (3.85 V for LiHV) — most chargers have a “storage” mode that charges or discharges to that point. A pack left full for a week ages visibly; left empty, it can drop below the recoverable voltage.
- Keep them cool and dry, in a fireproof bag or ammo box, away from anything flammable.
- Land at 3.5 V per cell (about 21 V on 6S under load) and the pack will last 150–300 cycles. Land at 3.0 V and it may last 50.
- Retire a pack that puffs, gets hot on a normal flight, sags badly under throttle or shows a cell more than 0.1 V away from its neighbours after charging.
Disposal
Discharge a dead pack fully with the charger’s discharge mode or a resistive load such as a car bulb, tape over the connector and hand it in at an e-waste or battery collection point. A swollen or damaged pack should not be charged or discharged at all — keep it in a fireproof container outdoors and take it to the collection point as it is. Never put a LiPo in household waste.