LiPo Storage Voltage Chart (1S–12S) and How Long to Store

LiPo storage voltage chart, 1S to 12S

Every value below is the per-cell figure multiplied by the cell count: storage 3.80–3.85 V, full 4.20 V, a sensible landing point around 3.70 V, and an absolute floor of 3.00 V per cell. All are resting voltages, measured after the pack has sat unplugged for a few minutes.

Reading the chart correctly

Voltage under load reads lower than resting voltage, and a pack bounces back up once you land. That's why an in-flight low-voltage alarm is usually set a little below your resting landing target, and why a pack that read 3.5 V per cell on telemetry can show 3.7 V on the bench a few minutes later.

The 'land around 3.70 V' column is a common rule of thumb that leaves roughly 20–30% in the pack. Landing there is kinder to the cells than flying to the alarm every time, and it gives you a margin for a go-around. The 3.00 V floor is not a target: treat any resting cell near it as a warning sign.

Storage chargers differ slightly. Some stop at 3.80 V, some at 3.85 V, some let you pick. Anywhere in that band is fine. If your pack maker publishes a different figure, use theirs.

Why storage voltage matters

A LiPo at 4.20 V per cell is at the top of its window, and lithium chemistry ages fastest when it sits there, especially when warm. Leave packs full for weeks and they tend to gain internal resistance, sag harder under load, give shorter flights and eventually puff.

The bottom of the window is just as bad. Every pack self-discharges slowly, and a pack put away nearly empty can drift below 3.00 V per cell over a long layup. Over-discharged cells lose capacity, and some makers advise not recharging a cell that has gone very low at all.

Storage voltage sits in the middle, where the cells are under the least stress. It's the single cheapest habit for making packs last.

How long to store a LiPo (and how long it can stay full)

• Won't fly within a few days? Storage-charge the pack. A one-off rained-out weekend with full packs is not a disaster; making it a habit is what wears packs out.
• At storage voltage in a cool room, a healthy LiPo can sit for months. Check resting voltage every month or two and run another storage cycle if it has drifted down.
• For a winter layup, storage-charge every pack before you put it away, then check them all at the start of each month.
• Charge to full on the day you fly, or the evening before. Full packs are for flying, not for sitting in the flight box.
• After a flight, a pack you landed at about 3.70 V per cell only needs a short top-up to reach storage.

Where to store LiPo packs

• Somewhere cool and dry, at room temperature or a little below. Avoid hot cars, summer sheds, attics and direct sun.
• Inside a LiPo bag or a fire-resistant container, on a non-flammable surface, away from anything that burns.
• Unplugged from the model and the charger, with balance leads tucked away so they cannot short or snag.
• Damaged or puffed packs kept apart from the rest until you can dispose of them.
• If packs have been somewhere cold, let them warm to room temperature before charging.

LiHV, LiFe and Li-ion storage voltages

Other lithium chemistries have their own windows. Use the per-cell values below and multiply by your cell count, or pick the chemistry in the calculator above.

NiMH and NiCd receiver packs

Nickel packs, still common as receiver and transmitter packs in gliders and nitro models, don't use a storage-voltage target the way lithium does. Follow the maker's storage advice, expect them to self-discharge over a few weeks, and always charge and check them before a flying day. A tired receiver pack is one of the classic causes of a lost model.

Getting packs to storage voltage

Use your charger's Storage mode with the balance lead connected. Set the chemistry and cell count carefully: a LiPo charged on a LiHV profile is pushed past 4.20 V per cell, which is a fire risk. Discharging a full pack down to storage is slow on most chargers, so the easiest routine is to fly first and store from used.

The number is easy; remembering is the hard part. RC Flight Log marks every pack as Charged, Used or Storage and reminds you when packs have been sitting charged, so a full pack doesn't sit forgotten in the flight box.