Batteries are a big part of everyday life making it important to have good reliable batteries for use. It can be hard determining which the better battery is if you do not understand the differences among them. The lithium batteries have become very popular batteries especially for use with electronic devices and toys. There are several lithium batteries on the market today but the most reliable and lightweight of them all is the lithium polymer batteries.

The lithium polymer battery was introduced in 1996. It quickly gained the approval of many due to its lightweight construction and the fact that it was rechargeable. These batteries are now being used in many electronic devices such as portable video players, portable computers and many rechargeable electronic devices.

The energy density is one of the important components of a good battery and lithium has the highest energy density of any battery being sold. The life cycles are also longer and the degradation of the battery is much slower than many. These batteries do have some disadvantages such as exploding if they become overcharged, faster capacity loss and a longer recharge time.

The lithium polymer battery is much safer than its counter part the lithium ion. A lithium polymer battery has the lithium suspended in a polymer gel where as lithium ion has the lithium suspended in an organic solvent. The polymer gel is a lot less flammable than the organic solvent. The lithium ion also carries the possibility of bursting into flames if there is a short or if the battery is crushed.

An ion battery contains metal casing to house the suspended lithium whereas the polymer battery does not need them because the lithium is housed in the gel in which it is suspended. This in turn makes the polymer a more lightweight and flexible battery due to the elimination of the cylindrical metal casings. With the polymer being lightweight and flexible this appeals to the electronics developers and designers.

The polymer batteries are also referred to as LiPo or LiPoly batteries. These lightweight flexible batteries quickly replaced the nickel cadmium (NiCad) and nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. The lightest of all metals and offering the highest energy per unit the LiPo battery has definitely surpassed the old NiCad and NiMH batteries.

When purchasing batteries you will find that the lithium brands are more expensive than the nickel brands. In this case the greater expense signifies the better quality product. Lithium polymer is more expensive than lithium ion because it is the better lithium battery. You get what you pay for when it comes to buying batteries.

Based on the information and known facts, it is evident that a lithium polymer battery is currently a top of the line battery. These batteries are great for electronics because of their lightweight flexible design. They are more expensive but well worth the money you pay for them. Lithium polymer batteries are the way to go for a reliable high energy battery.