Replacement Batteries for Macs

How long a Mac battery lasts largely depends on the usage of your Mac and how often you keep it plugged into power. If you regularly keep your Mac unplugged and let the battery run down each day, it should last you somewhere between 3-5 years before you need to replace the battery. However, if you use your Mac as a desktop and keep it plugged in at all times, you will reduce the number of cycles your battery goes through and thus prolong the life of your battery for several more years.

Your Mac battery health is primarily determined by the number of charge cycles it has completed since its purchase. For most MacBooks released after 2010, that number is 1,000; but for older models released before 2010, the cycle count can be as low as 300.

To check your battery cycle count – from the Apple menu, select “About this Mac,” then “System Report.” Under “Hardware,” click “Power.” Under “Health Information” you will see how many charge cycles your battery has experienced up to this point. If the cycle count is nearing the limit for your Mac model, or the condition is anything other than “Normal,” you should consider replacing your battery.

A good battery cycle count for a Mac laptop battery largely depends on the number of years you plan to use the Mac before replacing the battery. It also depends on how the laptop has been used. A battery that is older, but with fewer cycles can actually have less run time capacity than a fresher battery that has more run time cycles due to the impact of"exercise and use" on battery health. If your current Mac – or a used Mac you are buying – has a battery with less than 300 charge cycles, the battery should be capable of delivering reasonable run-time performance. If the laptop is still using the original battery, the age of the laptop (and thus, the age of the battery) will also be a factor in the battery life you can expect. Otherwise, a battery reporting near 1000 charge cycles, or more, is likely approaching it's maximum lifespan – it may be time to replace the battery.

If you are buying a used Mac released later than 2010 and plan on using the Mac for three years or more, we recommend purchasing a Mac with a battery cycle count of 300 or less. Otherwise, you should plan to replace the battery as the charge cycle count nears 1000.