New charged batteries in unopened items

[JoziNic]

What is the opinion that on unused / uncharged batteries in items.
I have a pair of in ear headphones purchased new a year ago, sitting in a cupboard. I haven’t yet opened them (as my old headphones are doing doing service, and this pair was purchased as a backup/replacement when my main set give up the ghost)

What is the opinion here, do I need to open and charge the batteries once to prevent them from going dead?
Or will they be okay if they remain unopened, unused, uncharged in the cupboard (could be for another 12 months or more I’m hoping)

Would giving them a charge add to their lifespan or no?

 

[Family_Dog]

Depends on the battery chemistry - Lithium, Ni-Mh, etc...

Lithium phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries should not be kept fully charged, the norm for storage is around 60-70% while Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries could be kept fully charged, if not in use check them every 3-4 months or so.


-F_D

 

[JoziNic]

The headphones have in them DC 3.85 V: Built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery

The question is, should I open the box, take them out and charge them to prevent the batteries going totally dead (ie affecting bringing them back online when will eventually use them?)
Or will they be okay staying unused/charged for the foreseeable future until such time as I might use them could be 12 months or 24 months.

 

[Family_Dog]

It most likely uses then a Lithium-Ion battery, these are more efficient for things like cell-phones etc than LiFePo4. Same rules apply to them as for LiFePo4 - only keep them ±60% charged if the device is not in use, no higher than that. Remember some years ago when cellphones suddenly burst into flames? That was as a result of overcharging the Li-Ion batteries. LiFePo4 batteries are a lot safer than Lithium-Iom batteries but not as efficient.

Charing once a year should be fine, but do not charge them fully to 100% unless you intend using the device soon afterwards.

-F_D