Panasonic NCR18650-GA 3500mAh 10A Button Top Battery 6-Pack with XTAR VC4SL & MC1 Chargers – High-Performance Long-Run Power Kit for High-Lumen Flashlights, Power Stations

What's in This Bundle

• 6x Panasonic NCR18650GA, 3,450mAh, Button Top (unprotected)
• 1x XTAR VC4SL 4-slot LCD USB-C charger
• 1x XTAR MC1 single-slot USB-C charger
• Cables, manuals, and storage pouch included with both chargers

This bundle exists because there's no clean single charger that handles exactly 6 cells at once. Rather than force you into a mismatched combo, we've paired the 4-slot VC4SL with the compact single-slot MC1 — together they give you 5 charging slots, so 5 of your 6 cells can charge at the same time, with the last one following right behind.

A note on Button Top GA cells: the market has two distinct versions sold as "NCR18650GA Button Top." The version in this bundle is an unprotected bare cell with a mechanically converted raised terminal — full 10A discharge capability, same internal cell as the Flat Top version. A separate, longer "Protected Button Top" version also exists elsewhere with a built-in PCB that caps discharge at 5A. If you've seen the GA advertised with a 5A limit, that's the protected variant, not what's in this listing.

This listing is for Button Top. Looking for Flat Top? Click here to buy: Panasonic NCR18650GA Flat Top + XTAR VC4SL 4+ XTAR MC1  Bundle.

Why This Pairing Makes Sense

The NCR18650GA is one of the most popular high-capacity 18650 cells on the market — strong energy density, a genuine 10A continuous discharge rating, and a long track record in flashlights, e-bikes, and general electronics packs. Six cells bought together as a matched set means consistent capacity and internal resistance across the whole group. Button Top is the terminal type required by devices with spring-loaded battery contacts.

The VC4SL handles the bulk of the charging with its LCD display and capacity-test (grading) mode — a genuinely useful check for this cell, given the wrap-printing quirk noted below. The MC1 rounds things out as a small, genuinely portable single-slot charger — useful on its own for topping off a spare cell, throwing in a bag, or keeping in the car, not just as filler to hit a slot count.

Panasonic NCR18650GA — Battery Specs

A note on wrap printing: due to regulatory changes in some markets, genuine GA cells are sometimes printed with their minimum capacity (3,300mAh) on the wrap rather than the 3,450mAh typical figure — the actual cell capacity hasn't changed, it's a labeling convention. This is exactly the kind of ambiguity the VC4SL's grading mode can clear up.

This listing is for Button Top. For Flat Top click here

XTAR VC4SL — Charger Specs (4 Slots)

XTAR MC1 — Charger Specs (1 Slot)

A realistic note on charging all 6: both the VC4SL (1A per slot with all 4 bays occupied) and the MC1 (1A) sit just under this cell's 1.475A standard charge current — a safe, unhurried rate across all 5 active slots. Expect a full charge in roughly 4-4.5 hours for those 5 cells, with the 6th following once a slot opens up.

Why the Capacity Test Mode Matters for a 6-Pack

Buying six cells at once is exactly the scenario where verifying consistency pays off — and for a cell with a wrap-printing convention that can understate its own capacity, being able to actually measure it rather than read it off the label is a genuine advantage. The VC4SL's grading mode runs each cell through a charge-discharge-recharge cycle and reports its actual measured capacity, so you can confirm all six cells are performing consistently across two batches of four (with the MC1 handling overflow) before committing them to a build.

Where This Bundle Actually Fits

• High-capacity flashlights and headlamps — long runtime is the main draw of this cell
• E-bike and general electronics packs — a long-standing popular choice for runtime-focused builds
• 6S, 2S3P, 3S2P, or similar DIY pack configurations where capacity matters more than burst current
• Portable power and backup power applications built from a verified, matched set of six

Not recommended for sub-ohm applications — this cell's 10A ceiling and energy-focused design make it a poor match for that use case specifically. If you need a vaping-focused cell, look at the Samsung 30Q or 25R instead.

Things Worth Knowing Before You Use This Kit

• This is an unprotected cell. Both chargers enforce their own voltage and current cutoffs, but your device still needs to handle discharge-side protection.
• Don't mix these cells with older ones you already own, even if they're also GA cells — that's exactly what the grading mode is for, if you want to check compatibility before combining batches.
• 10A is a real ceiling. Don't use these in devices that regularly demand more current than that.
• The MC1 charges one cell at 1A — it's not meant to replace the VC4SL for bulk charging, just to round out the slot count and serve as a lightweight backup charger.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this Button Top version protected or unprotected? Unprotected. This is a bare cell with a mechanically converted raised terminal, retaining the full 10A discharge rating. A separate "Protected Button Top" version with a built-in PCB also exists on the market, capped at 5A due to the protection circuit — that's not what's included here.

Can all 6 cells charge at the same time? 5 of the 6 can charge simultaneously — 4 on the VC4SL, 1 on the MC1. The 6th cell follows once a slot frees up.

Can this charger really tell me if a cell is underperforming? Yes — the grading/capacity test mode charges, discharges, and recharges a cell while measuring the actual capacity delivered, rather than relying on the printed rating. For a cell like the GA, where wrap printing can show a lower minimum-rated figure, that's a genuinely useful way to see the real number.

Why does the wrap sometimes say 3300mAh instead of 3450mAh? Some regulatory labeling requirements call for printing the minimum rated capacity rather than the typical figure. The cell's actual capacity hasn't changed — it's a labeling convention, not a different or lower-capacity product.

Is this kit protected-cell compatible? Both chargers support protected 21700 cells (the VC4SL also supports protected 20700) if you use them for those later. The Panasonic NCR18650GA cells included in this bundle are unprotected bare cells, standard for this model.

In stock now. This bundle ships as a matched set of six genuine Panasonic NCR18650GA Button Top cells with a verified XTAR VC4SL and XTAR MC1 charger combo — ready for high-capacity flashlights, e-bikes, and general electronics out of the box.