Today’s Fire Prevention Tip: Avoid Cheap Lithium-Ion Batteries

ByMike Moffit

We always recommend buying from reputable manufacturers rather than no-name brands, especially for products with lithium-ion batteries, such as power banks, Bluetooth speakers, flashlights, power tools, e-bikes, and more. In a 2025 study, industrial scanning company Lumafield CT-scanned over 1,000 lithium-ion battery cells from ten different brands, including reputable manufacturers like Samsung and Panasonic, as well as low-cost and outright counterfeit brands sold through retailers like Temu. The results were troubling: nearly 8% of the low-cost and counterfeit batteries had dangerous manufacturing defects that significantly increase the risk of internal short-circuiting and battery overheating, potentially leading to fires. None of the name-brand batteries showed these defects. The few dollars you might save on a no-name battery aren’t worth the risk.

(Featured image by iStock.com/Pradit_Ph)

Social Media: A study found that nearly 8% of cheap lithium-ion batteries have dangerous manufacturing defects that can cause catastrophic failure—even fires—while name-brand cells had none. Stick with reputable brands.

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