The 510 thread battery is the standardized power unit of the vape world. The universal screw thread fits nearly every pre-filled cartridge on the market, which is why dispensaries, delivery services, and brands buy these batteries in bulk as the default hardware to sell alongside carts. Buying wholesale is straightforward once you know which specs matter and which failure points generate returns.
The three specs that matter
Three specs affect the user experience: capacity, voltage behavior, and activation style. Capacity of 350-900 mAh will determine if the battery will last a day or a weekend. The variable voltage of a battery, whether you can set it yourself with a dial or with pre set levels, will determine which oil in your collection will vaporize the best at any given temperature. The two most common forms of activation for a battery are draw-activated and button-activated. The draw-activated form of a battery will feel the simplest to use and is recommended for the most basic of customers. The button-activated variety will have preheat and is recommended for customers who want more control over their device. Stock the simplest draw model and the variable voltage model and you will cover 90% of your customers.
Quality: where cheap batteries fail
Wholesale quality falls apart at the cell level and at the thread level. The cheap battery often fails at the solder joint between the threads and the cell. It may die in a matter of weeks. At that point it can begin to take a toll on your good name. If you’re wholesale, find out where your supplier is getting the cells for the batteries you’re selling. Find out the supplier’s warranty rate for the batteries. Find out what kind of certification testing the batteries have gone through. The battery that costs a bit more but returns at a fraction of the rate is actually the cheaper option in the long run because every return is a conversation you’d rather be having with someone about how your product failed.
Branding the barrel
Branding batteries works well because they live in your pocket and on your table for months. A Pad printed logo on the battery barrel, Custom colored batteries to match your packaging, and boxed presentation to look like a gift able product. Retail dispensaries that sell house-branded batteries next to third party carts get to brand every session regardless of who made the oil that got loaded into the cart.
How much to order
Bulk pricing starts low, but per unit cost dramatically decreases as you go up in hundreds of units. Match your order volume to your cart sales. Typically for retailers, one battery pack per 15-20 cart(s) is the average attach rate. You can safely overbuy for the battery hardware because they don’t expire quickly. Just make sure to read storage guidelines as lithium cells are typically stored in a cool environment at partial charge.
Ordering custom batteries
Buying custom batteries follows the normal process of selecting the correct models, selecting how many of each model to buy in the various colors, then sending the logo artwork for the custom print on the ends of the battery. Finally, approval of a pre-production sample. The lead times on batteries are typically longer than for soft goods (like custom t-shirts, etc.) due to safety testing and restrictions on the packaging and shipping of lithium cells. Plan on 6-8 weeks or so, and then reorder a few days before you are down to the last of the boxes.
See the TriVolt 510 battery, custom vape pen battery, and the full custom vape collection.
