You buy a new laptop, and for the first few months, the battery life is amazing. You can work for hours without charging. But then, slowly, things start to change. Suddenly, you’re looking for an outlet every two hours, and before you know it, your laptop turns off at 20% like it just gave up on life, or it turns into a television that only works as long as there’s a power supply. We’ve all been there, right?
Laptop batteries can’t last forever if we’re being honest. But if you care for and maintain yours, you can keep it healthy for years. Here’s how to avoid turning your laptop into a permanent desktop (because it dies when you unplug it).
READ ALSO: How to Choose the Right Laptop Before Buying
1. Don’t Keep It Plugged In All the Time
Let’s start with a common mistake we all make: keeping your laptop plugged in 24/7. It feels logical, right? If it’s always at 100%, then it’ll never run out of battery. But here’s the problem: Lithium-ion batteries (which most laptops use) don’t like being fully charged all the time.
According to Azeez Kareem, a laptop vendor, continuously charging your laptop affects its full charge capacity, which determines how long your battery lasts on a full charge.
If your battery initially lasts five hours, over time, the charge capacity will reduce because the chemical and electrical components get weaker. The battery life will begin to decline, so in actual sense, what is declining is the full charge capacity, and your battery will no longer last as long.
Imagine eating a full meal and then being force-fed more food every 30 minutes, how will you feel?. That’s exactly what happens to your battery when you keep it plugged after it is full; it gets overstuffed and weakens over time.
What To Do Instead?
Keep your charge level between 20% and 80% most of the time to reduce battery stress.
If your laptop has a built-in battery health setting (some Dell, HP, and MacBooks do), turn on the option that limits charging to 80%.
Let your battery breathe; don’t suffocate it. If you must keep it plugged in, unplug it for a bit during the day to give the battery a break.
2. Stop Letting It Drain to 0%
On the flip side, letting your battery drain completely before charging is another habit that kills battery health. Older nickel-based batteries needed full discharge cycles, but modern lithium-ion batteries hate dropping to 0%.
Mr. Azeez explains why this is bad: “If your battery drains to zero completely, the laptop shuts off and hibernates. The battery cells will not return to their full charge capacity. You would have lost some of the chemical power from the battery. If you do this often, you are killing that battery gradually.”
Instead, try to plug it in before it drops below 20% and if you accidentally let it hit 0%, don’t panic, but try not to make it a habit.
3. Heat is the Enemy—Keep It Cool
Nothing destroys a battery faster than heat. Have you ever noticed how your laptop gets hot when charging? Or how using it on a pillow makes the bottom feel like a mini oven? Heat drastically shortens battery lifespan. According to Mr. Azeez, heat buildup occurs when the battery is overwhelmed:
Using a lower-wattage charger than recommended or keeping your laptop plugged in with additional devices like a phone charger adds extra load to the battery. This generates heat and damages the battery over time.
Also, if your laptop is getting heated, it means you’ve probably been using it for hours, and that’s its way of crying for help. Close it down for a while and let it cool off.
How to keep it cool:
Use your laptop on a hard, flat surface (a cooling pad is even better).
Don’t leave it in a hot car or under direct sunlight.
If your laptop gets excessively hot while charging, unplug it and let it cool down before using it again.
READ ALSO: 5 Laptop Power Banks That Will Keep You Plugged In, Wherever You Are
4. Avoid Cheap, Random Chargers
Lost your original charger and thinking of buying that cheap one from the guy down the street? Think again. Cheap, third-party chargers don’t regulate voltage properly, which can overheat your battery, shorten its lifespan, or cause electrical damage. Some are so bad that they can fry your laptop’s motherboard.
Mr. Azeez emphasizes the importance of using the correct charger:
If you’re using a lower-capacity charger than what is recommended, say, your laptop needs 45W, but you’re using 25W, it will take longer to charge and might generate heat. This overwhelms the battery cell and reduces its lifespan.
Instead, always use the official charger that came with your laptop. If you need a replacement, get one from the same brand or a reputable manufacturer. Avoid no-name chargers, no matter how cheap they are.
5. Store It Properly If You’re Not Using It for a While
If you ever plan to leave your laptop unused for weeks or months, don’t just shut it down and forget about it. Batteries lose charge over time, and if they go completely dead for too long, they might not turn back on.
How to store it properly:
Charge it to 50% before turning it off.
Store it in a cool, dry place (not a humid, hot room).
If you’re leaving it for a long time (months), turn it on occasionally and charge it back to 50%.
6. Don’t Use It While Charging (All the Time)
Yes, sometimes we need to use our laptops while charging, but doing this constantly can generate extra heat, which (as we’ve established) is terrible for your battery.
What to do instead?
If you can, unplug and use your battery sometimes to avoid constant charge stress.
When using it while plugged in, make sure it’s on a cool, ventilated surface.
7. Keep Your Software and Battery Drivers Updated
Software updates aren’t just for new features; they often include battery optimizations that can improve power efficiency. Running outdated software can make your laptop work harder than it needs to, draining your battery faster.
What to do?
Keep your operating system updated (Windows, macOS, etc.).
Update your battery drivers (on Windows, you can do this in Device Manager).
It’s All About Balance
Keeping your laptop battery healthy isn’t about never charging it or being paranoid about usage. It’s about balance; avoiding extremes like 0% or 100% too often, keeping it cool, and using a good charger.
“So how can you use your battery healthily?” Mr. Azeez asks. “It’s just the opposite of unhealthy practices. Don’t let it drain completely before charging, don’t use an underpowered charger, and don’t overload it by charging other devices with your laptop.”
