For those who have been using an aftermarket battery for a while...

[617660]

for a while >= 6 months
replacement battery = Preferably from a 3rd party. Not OEM from Apple.

I've read some horrible stories about aftermarket battery (the fact they don't last nearly as long as OEM's really bothers me). So tell me about your experience. Worth it? If so, what brand did you pick up?

Here is my battery status. My 2011 MBA is overdue for a replacement battery.

 

[4sallypat]

I had this issue on my recent acquisition of 25 Macbook Airs from 2012 - they were going bad as they all sat around too long discharged, cold storage and had very low battery cycles.

Asking around for replacement batteries, forum members all pointed me to: NuPower / NewerTech batteries.

They are so much better than the factory - they have 10% more capacity, much healthier cells after a year of use!

I love them!

 

[617660]

I see that you had asked the same about 2 weeks ago. How did you already have a year of use? 🤔

 

[4sallypat]

I see that you had asked the same about 2 weeks ago. How did you already have a year of use? 🤔

I bought 3 used NewPower 55Wh batteries from an eBay seller who had used them for a year in an Air.

When I put these used batteries into the 3 Macbooks, they all turned up with 90+ % charge capacity and less than 100 charge cycles which tells me they are not failing even after sitting around for awhile.

Very impressed with these batteries - so I bought some new ones!

 

[617660]

Curious if the pre-retina macbook air (2017 and prior) OEM batteries are interchangeable from year to year? I think my battery part number is A1405. A look at eBay seems to suggest they are interchangeable. If so, I may just buy a low cycle used OEM battery instead.

 

[4sallypat]

Curious if the pre-retina macbook air (2017 and prior) OEM batteries are interchangeable from year to year? I think my battery part number is A1405. A look at eBay seems to suggest they are interchangeable. If so, I may just buy a low cycle used OEM battery instead.

Yes, your MBA has the same battery as the 2012 I have (A1405).

The biggest issue with buying a used OEM battery is that the battery condition may be service or replace mode. Even with a low cycle count, the battery may not be in good shape like the ones I got.

Make sure you ask the seller 2 things:
1. Battery health condition (Good, Service, Replace)
2. Charge capacity

I had bought 2 factory OEM Apple batteries from an eBay seller and they turned out to be lemons (low cycle count but were in Service condition) -they were from 2017 MBA so I was disappointed...

So far, by getting NuPower / NewerTech batteries - even used ones a year later, they seem to outperform even the OEM batteries...

 

[617660]

Thank you for sharing your experience.

It is $85 for my 2011 13' MBA which is pricy for an aftermarket battery. I should have Apple serviced my MBA while it was still possible back then.

 

[Macdctr]

You can find replacement batteries for your 2011 Air new for $45.99 with free shipping here

Genuine Original Apple MacBook Air 13" A1369 2011 A1466 2012 A1405 Battery for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Genuine Original Apple MacBook Air 13" A1369 2011 A1466 2012 A1405 Battery at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

or you can order the replacement battery and tools from the ifixit website here instead and pay more

A1496 Battery for MacBook Air 13" A1369 + A1466 Late 2010-2017

An aftermarket replacement battery compatible with a MacBook Air 13" laptop.

www.ifixit.com

 

[Mopar]

I bought a Nupower replacement battery for my 2013 11" Air back in October 2018. After 14 months of use it has had 410 cycles and is at 82% health. From memory this is not quite as good as the factory battery – which I replaced after five years - but I haven't had any issues with it, either.

The only reason I'm thinking of replacing my seven-year-old 11" Air is because the screen is well dated and startig to show sings of burn-in.

Like everyone else, I really want another MacBook Air, but I don't want a crappy keyboard. My wife replaced the keyboard twice on her Macbook Pro, so I don't want to go through that.

 

[617660]

Thanks for sharing your experience. We need as many data point as possible.