Batteries
The best 2S LiPo batteries for RC cars
Two cells, 7.4 volts nominal, and the size that fits most of the hobby. A good 2S pack is the cheapest upgrade an RC car can have, and the difference between brands is real but smaller than the marketing suggests.
By Ryder M. · Published October 10, 2026 · Last reviewed
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The best 2S LiPo battery for most RC cars is a [Gens Ace](#gens-ace-2s-lipo) pack, because the only thing that really separates battery brands is pack-to-pack consistency and Gens Ace is the brand most people settle on after a cheap pack has puffed on them. [Ovonic](#ovonic-2s-lipo) is the sensible middle, [Zeee](#zeee-2s-lipo) is sold in twos for roughly what one premium pack costs, and [Traxxas Power Cell](#traxxas-power-cell-lipo) is the one to buy if the car is a Traxxas and the owner has never charged a LiPo before, because the iD chip means there is nothing to set up.
Short version: Gens Ace if you want one pack that behaves the same on its fiftieth cycle as its first. Zeee if you would rather have two adequate packs than one excellent one — which, for bashing, is usually the better afternoon. Traxxas Power Cell if the charger is a Traxxas charger and the owner wants zero decisions to make.
What 2S actually means, in one paragraph
The S number is the count of cells wired in series. A LiPo cell is nominally 3.7 volts, so a 2S pack is nominally 7.4 volts, a 3S is 11.1 and so on. That number sets how much voltage the motor sees, which is why cell count — not capacity — is what changes how fast a car feels. 2S is the standard for most 1/10 cars and for nearly everything smaller, which is why it is the size with the widest choice and the lowest prices. 2S vs 3S LiPo covers what changes if you go up a cell.
The two other numbers on the label are capacity in mAh, which sets how long the pack runs, and the C rating, which describes how hard it can be discharged. Capacity is the one to pay attention to on a 2S pack; the C rating on anything sold for a basher is almost always more than the car can use. What does the C rating mean explains why, and RC car battery sizes covers the physical dimensions, which matter more than people expect.
How we ranked them
- Consistency over headline numbers. A pack that holds its voltage under load on cycle fifty is worth more than one with a bigger number on the shrink wrap.
- Then value per usable pack. Two adequate batteries beat one premium battery for almost everyone, because run time is the real constraint in this hobby.
- Then ease of ownership. LiPo intimidates new owners. Anything that removes a setting — like the Traxxas iD system — has real value for a gift.
- Then fit. A pack that does not physically fit the tray, or has the wrong connector, is useless regardless of quality.
- Then availability in common sizes and connectors, so the pack can be replaced like for like in a year.
- Honest cons on every pick. Every card states real downsides; the premium packs cost more for a difference you may not notice.
The packs
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gens Ace 2S LiPo batteryThe brand most people settle on once they have been burned by a cheap pack that puffed after a month. | The reliable default | 8.7 | |
| 2 |  Ovonic 2S LiPo batteryThe sensible middle: better built than the bargain packs, cheaper than the premium ones. | Middle ground | 8.4 | |
| 3 | Zeee 2S LiPo batterySold in twos for about what one premium pack costs — the reason so many garages have a stack of them. | Two packs, low spend | 8.1 | |
| 4 | Traxxas Power Cell 2S LiPo batteryThe no-thinking-required upgrade if the car in question is a Traxxas. | Traxxas owners | 8.6 |
Illustrative photo — not this exact model.
#1 · The reliable default
Gens Ace 2S LiPo battery
The brand most people settle on once they have been burned by a cheap pack that puffed after a month.
8.7/10our score for this use
LiPo is the standard rechargeable battery chemistry for RC cars: lighter than the older NiMH type and it holds its power right up to the end of the run rather than gradually fading. 2S means two cells — the size most 1/10 cars take.
What it does well
- Consistent pack-to-pack quality, which is the whole argument for paying more for a battery
- Holds voltage under load, so the car feels the same on lap ten as on lap one
- Sold in all the common connector types and sizes
What it does badly
- Costs more than the budget brands for capacity you can measure but may not notice
- Like all LiPo packs it must be stored at partial charge, not full, or it degrades
- Needs a balance charger — it cannot be charged with the wall plug from a toy car
Illustrative photo — not this exact model.
#2 · Middle ground
Ovonic 2S LiPo battery
The sensible middle: better built than the bargain packs, cheaper than the premium ones.
8.4/10our score for this use
A mid-priced LiPo brand that has built a reputation for reliability without the premium price. For a car that gets used on weekends rather than raced, this is the tier that makes sense.
What it does well
- Noticeably better built than the cheapest packs on the shelf
- Widely available in the common sizes and connectors
- Good value if you want two packs instead of one premium pack
What it does badly
- Not the last word in performance if the car is being raced
- Quality is consistent but not at the level of the top-tier brands
- Still requires a proper balance charger
Illustrative photo — not this exact model.
#3 · Two packs, low spend
Zeee 2S LiPo battery
Sold in twos for about what one premium pack costs — the reason so many garages have a stack of them.
8.1/10our score for this use
The budget end of the LiPo market, usually sold as a two-pack. For a gift where the goal is more driving time rather than maximum performance, two adequate batteries beat one excellent one.
What it does well
- Two-packs at a price that makes a spare battery an easy decision
- Perfectly adequate for bashing, which is what most of these cars do
- Widely stocked in the common sizes
What it does badly
- Pack-to-pack consistency is not at the level of the premium brands
- They tend to age faster if they are stored fully charged — which beginners do
- Not the choice for racing
Illustrative photo — not this exact model.
#4 · Traxxas owners
Traxxas Power Cell 2S LiPo battery
The no-thinking-required upgrade if the car in question is a Traxxas.
8.6/10our score for this use
Traxxas' own LiPo packs carry an iD chip that tells a Traxxas charger exactly what the battery is, so there is nothing to set and nothing to get wrong. For a gift recipient who has never charged a LiPo, that matters more than a few percent of performance.
What it does well
- The iD system removes the single most intimidating part of LiPo ownership
- Fits Traxxas battery trays without adapters or foam packing
- Available at any shop that stocks Traxxas
What it does badly
- Costs more than an equivalent third-party pack
- The iD advantage only applies with a Traxxas charger
- Same LiPo storage rules apply — it still needs care
Specifications from Traxxas' batteries and chargers range.
Two packs or one good one?
For bashing, two. This is the most useful thing on the page. A 2S car typically gives something like fifteen to twenty-five minutes of driving and then needs an hour on the charger, and that ratio is the single most common reason an RC car ends up in a cupboard. Nothing about a premium pack changes it; a second pack halves it. If the budget covers one Gens Ace or two Zeee packs, and the car is used for fun rather than raced, the two packs are the better purchase and it is not close.
The case for the premium pack is different and narrower: consistency. If the car is being raced, or if the owner is the sort of person who is irritated by a vehicle that feels different from one run to the next, a better-built pack genuinely does hold voltage more evenly and age more slowly. For everybody else, that is money spent on a difference you can measure and probably will not feel. How long do RC car batteries last sets realistic expectations on both counts.
What a 2S pack needs from you
Three things, none of them difficult. A balance charger, because a LiPo has to have its cells kept level and the wall plug from a toy car cannot do that — the best RC battery chargers covers which one to buy once. Storage at partial charge rather than full, which is the single biggest factor in how long the pack lasts: how to store LiPo batteries covers the routine. And charging inside something fireproof, because LiPo failures are rare and energetic.
Which to buy
- One pack, bought properly, for a car that gets used a lot: Gens Ace.
- Two packs, more driving time, ordinary bashing: Zeee, sold as a two-pack.
- A sensible middle, better built than bargain but not premium money: Ovonic.
- A Traxxas car and an owner new to LiPo: Traxxas Power Cell, for the iD system.
- A household that has never charged a battery pack: consider NiMH first — it tolerates neglect far better. LiPo vs NiMH makes that case.
- A car that wants more speed, not more time: that is a 3S question, not a 2S one. See 2S vs 3S LiPo.
How we assessed this
By ranking packs on the two things that actually differ between brands at this size — consistency and value per usable pack — rather than on headline capacity or C rating, which at 2S are rarely the limiting factor. We publish no price figures anywhere on this site, so each pack's buy control goes to the live listing, where the current price and capacity options are shown. We do not test these products first-hand; our methodology page explains exactly what that means for a battery roundup.