What Amps Should You Charge a LiPo At?

How to set it on your charger

In the video I'm using a SkyRC iMAX B6AC V2 — the exact flow is the same on basically every balance charger. Select LiPo Balance Charge mode, set the amperage to your pack's capacity ÷ 1000 (for my 4-cell 1300mAh pack, that's 1.3A), then set the cell count to match the battery (4S for that pack; hit enter and drop it to 3S for a 3-cell). Plug in both the main lead and the balance lead, double-check the screen matches the battery in your hand, and start the charge.

That double-check matters more than anything else on this page: the most dangerous mistake in LiPo charging isn't a slightly-high amp setting — it's telling the charger the wrong cell count and letting it push a 3S pack toward 4S voltage. Modern chargers usually catch it. Don't rely on usually.

Why 1C is the safe default

"1C" means a current equal to the pack's capacity: for an 850mAh pack, 1C is 0.85A. Charging at 1C means the charge takes roughly an hour, and it's the rate essentially every LiPo on the market is designed to accept for its full life. Charge current drives heat and stress inside the cells — internal resistance turns charging current into warmth, and pushing lithium into the cells too fast is what ages them (and in the worst case, what makes them dangerous). At 1C, a healthy pack barely gets warm. It's the rate that costs you nothing: no meaningful time saved by going higher, measurable battery life lost.

When NOT to go above 1C

Some modern packs advertise 2C, 3C, even 5C charge ratings, and a quality charger can deliver it. Fine — but only when all of these are true: the manufacturer explicitly rates the pack for it, the pack is healthy (not puffed, not old, not recovering from a crash or an over-discharge), and you're around to keep an eye on it. Never fast-charge a pack that's puffy, damaged, hot from flying, or of unknown history — and honestly, even with a fast-charge-rated pack, 1C is what I run unless I'm genuinely in a hurry at the field. Slow is smooth, and your batteries will thank you with more cycles.

Always balance charge

A 3S pack is three cells in series, and the charger's main lead only sees their total voltage. Cells drift apart over time — and an unbalanced pack can have one cell dangerously overcharged while the total still looks fine. The balance lead (the small white connector) lets the charger watch and correct every cell individually, topping each one to 4.20V. So: use Balance Charge mode with the balance lead plugged in, every charge, not just occasionally. It's slower by minutes and safer by a lot.

Fire safety basics

• Charge where a fire can't spread — in a LiPo-safe bag or ammo can, on a fireproof surface, away from anything flammable. Never on the workbench next to the foam board scraps.
• Stay nearby. A charging LiPo is not an overnight appliance.
• Let packs cool before charging. Straight off the plane, a pack is warm and its voltage is still settling — give it 15–20 minutes.
• Retire damaged packs. Puffed, dented, or crash-damaged batteries get discharged and recycled, not recharged.
• Store at storage voltage (~3.8V/cell) if a pack will sit for more than a few days — most chargers have a Storage mode for exactly this.

Go deeper

This page covers one setting on the charger. For the full picture — C-ratings on discharge, storage care, cell counts, and how to pick the right pack for a plane — read my LiPo battery basics guide. And when you're sizing a pack for a build, the RC calculators will estimate flight time and current draw so you buy the right capacity the first time.