# 18650 Battery for Zebralight H600FC III



## Bedwards (Jun 17, 2017)

Hey everyone,

I just received a Zebralight H600FC III and a XTAR VC4 for my birthday, but I don't have any 18650 batteries. I am little overwhelmed by which battery to buy. Do I get protected or unprotected? I have heard mixed reviews on whether or not the Panasonic NCR18650B fits the Zebralight. Any help would be much appreciated! Thank you.


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## dmsoule (Jun 17, 2017)

I use the batteries below for all my 18650 Zebralights, great performance and runtime.
https://www.illumn.com/batteries-ch...r18650ga-3500mah-high-discharge-flat-top.html


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## TCY (Jun 17, 2017)

NCR18650GA +1. You simply can't go wrong with this battery, especially for Zebralights.


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## tyler_jet (Jun 18, 2017)

I've just switched over to the Sony vtc6 I use them in thrunite th10 or my main lamp armytek Wizard Pro v3 XHP50 Magnet USB and have to say up to now I'm impressed

https://www.nkon.nl/sony-us18650vtc6.html


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## Bedwards (Jun 18, 2017)

Awesome! Thank you guys!


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## jb509 (Aug 18, 2017)

tyler_jet said:


> I've just switched over to the Sony vtc6 I use them in thrunite th10 or my main lamp armytek Wizard Pro v3 XHP50 Magnet USB and have to say up to now I'm impressed
> 
> https://www.nkon.nl/sony-us18650vtc6.html



Is it a good fit? Does it rattle and is it exactly 65.00mm. I want to try but Zebralight has a very tight fit. Thx


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## tyler_jet (Aug 19, 2017)

They fit nicely I tried some Panasonic 18650 with protection they were very tight hard to get out. I’m not sure if there exactly 65mm I have no means to measure them precisely


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## ven (Aug 19, 2017)

Only flat top and high drain for this light as that is what it designed around. As said the GA cell 10a 3500mah makes a great choice, the sony vtc6 also works great and the samsung 30Q. Other flat top high drains should fit, however they have a little less in the tank over the newer/later cells(3000mah +).

Which country are you from?


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## Mikery (Nov 16, 2017)

Yeah, flat top with high drain is the way to go. I went with the Eastshine 18650 rechargables with a Nitecore s2 Charger. The batteries hold a great charge, and they fit perfectly in the light. Together, the battery and charger were around $45. I got them a year ago, and they are well worth it.


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## Tachead (Nov 17, 2017)

ven said:


> Only flat top and high drain for this light as that is what it designed around. As said the GA cell 10a 3500mah makes a great choice, the sony vtc6 also works great and the samsung 30Q. Other flat top high drains should fit, however they have a little less in the tank over the newer/later cells(3000mah +).
> 
> Which country are you from?



This is correct for many ZL models but, not for the H600 series. The H600 headlamps can run on pretty much anything on do not need high drain cells. I have both the H600Fc and Fd MKIII and they run great on anything from protected button top Panasonic NCR18650B's to unprotected flat top Sony VTC6 and anything in between. Mostly I run them on protected Thrunite 3400mAh(Panasonic NCR18650B's) as I have 4 of them and they need to get used instead of wasted. If I were buying new today however I would likely go with protected or unprotected Sanyo GA's, LG MJ1's, or Samsung 35E's depending on ones preference.


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## ven (Nov 17, 2017)

Good to know tachead, i was thinking of the sc range.


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## Tachead (Nov 17, 2017)

ven said:


> Good to know tachead, i was thinking of the sc range.



For sure, that is what I figured Ven:thumbsup:. Just wanted to clear it up so everyone knows the H600 MKIII's are very flexible cell wise.


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## justanotherguy (Apr 8, 2018)

tyler_jet said:


> They fit nicely I tried some Panasonic 18650 with protection they were very tight hard to get out. I’m not sure if there exactly 65mm I have no means to measure them precisely



*18*650 18 is diameter, in mm.
18*650 *650 is the length, in mm


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## tech25 (Apr 8, 2018)

I bought 2 protected batteries from ZL when I got my H600fc (mk3)


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## chummels (Apr 12, 2019)

I realize this is an old thread, but I had a related question to the OP. I too recently purchased a Zebralight H600w Mk IV. Based on what I read on these forums, I bought the 18650 Sanyo NCR18650GA 3500mAh battery at this link: https://www.illumn.com/batteries-ch...r18650ga-3500mah-high-discharge-flat-top.html . It works great so far!

However, my plan is to use this light on a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, where it's important to minimize extra weight. Thus, I didn't want to have to carry a heavy charger to charge up the battery if I can help it. I discovered some 18650 batteries that have a micro-USB port *right on the battery itself*, obviating the need for a charger at all, so I ordered one: https://www.nitecorestore.com/Nitec...le-18650-Battery-p/bat-nite-18650-nl1834r.htm

While it is slightly longer than the Sanyo, it still fits inside the Zebralight battery chamber, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to power the Zebralight. It is spec'd as the same voltage and current as the Sanyo, so I'm not quite sure it isn't working, but maybe something to do with being protected? But then I saw in this thread that people had used protected 18650s with the Zebralight so I got confused. Does anyone know if there is a battery that will work with the Zebralight H600w Mk IV that has this micro-USB port located on it for direct charging? I'd love to not have to carry an extra charger with me on trail if I can help it. Thanks for your help!


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