PRO Battery Extreme Testing & Review

Renogy sent us their new top of the line 100Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate PRO battery to test out. Instead of just installing it and using it under normal conditions, we put it through some extreme testing to see if it stands up to their claims of quality, reliability, performance, and safety.

How extreme? Over a few days, we tried to light it on fire to test the fire retardant casing, froze it solid to test the self-heating process, submerged it to test its waterproof casing, and tried to rattle it on a very bumpy ride…and more!

Spoiler Alert…it passed all of our EXTREME testing! Read on to learn the details about how this new bad ass battery performed.

Differences Between the PRO Battery and Other Renogy LiFePO4's

Having tested, installed, and used a variety of Renogy's Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries over the years, it may be possible that they thought of everything when they designed this new PRO battery!

• Built-in Bluetoothfor easy monitoring with the DC Home app or Renogy ONE Core monitor.
• Automatic self-heating function makes it a "no brainer" for winter camping, ski trips, or even ice fishing.
• High-quality EV-grade components and equipped with 60+ EV-grade BMS protection to help monitor voltage, temperature, and current more accurately.  
• Active back-up protection, so there's a second line of defense to ensure the safety of battery, system, and users, even if other key components fail in the battery.  
• Components are enveloped in a fire-retardant casing which is ALSO waterproof, dust-proof, and corrosion resistant to protect it from anything Mother Nature throws its way.
• Vibration proof or those bumpy roads you'll encounter while overlanding and boondocking in off-grid locations.
• Equipped with mounting holes for brackets (sold separately) so that you can easily secure it to any surface in your RV, van, or truck.
• All future firmware changes can be downloaded via the DC Home app using the OTA (over the air) feature, so you'll always have the most updated version.

Before putting it through some extreme testing, we connected it to Bluetooth via the DC Home app  on our smart phone and charged it up a bit with our 20A AC to DC charger, (like other batteries, these can also be charged with solar power, DC to DC chargers, & generators).

Bluetooth pairing is simple.  Download the DC Home app from the place you get your apps (Google Play Store or Apple Store). Click on the plus (+) button in the upper right-hand corner, click on "Add Device," and choose "Confirm."  From here, you can rename each device if you'd like - PRO Battery 1, PRO Battery 2, etc. Then, the DC Home app will monitor your off-grid system, or you can monitor via the Renogy ONE Core.  

Another new option of the PRO battery is the OTA (over the air) feature that allows your PRO batteries to receive future firmware updates via the DC Home app.  To check for updates, simply click on the battery icon from the home screen, click on the three dots in the upper right hand corner, click "OTA," and lastly, click "Check for Updates."  Your screen will tell you if you have the most up-to-date firmware version.  

Charge it up!  To give it a quick charge before testing, we used our 20A AC to DC battery charger designed for Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries. Since that time we've also effectively recharged it with our 2 x 100W flexible solar panels and our 30A Dual Input DC to DC charger in our truck & camper.  All charging sources worked well to recharge the battery up to 100%, which is actually 105.97 Ah (giving you a bit more amp hour bang for your buck).  At a maximum 100A continuous charging, the PRO battery is designed to charge quickly and efficiently.

Extreme Tests for the PRO Battery

1. Deep Freeze Test (Self Heating Feature)

One of the great features of some LiFePO4 batteries is that you can use them year-round, regardless of the weather. To test the self-heating function, we put this battery in a freezer for 12 hours, then transferred it to our ICECO VL45 12V fridge-freezer so that we could keep it cold while heating and charging. The freezer was set to 2℉ and the inside ambient temperature remained under 20 degrees to simulate heating and charging during cold winter temperatures.

We started the test with the battery cells at 14.7℉ and the DC Home app displayed 2 low temperature warnings. This is normal - you can expect to see these warnings when the battery cells are near or below freezing (32℉)

In order to start the automatic self-heating function, the battery needs about 4A of charging current. We once again attached our 20A AC to DC battery charger, and the self-heater immediately came on and started heating the battery. It took 64 minutes to bring the battery up to a safe charging temperature.

Once the battery temperature was up to 39 degrees, it began charging at around 16A, while the additional 4A from the AC to DC charger kept heating the battery. Thirty eight minutes later, the battery cells reached 51 degrees, the self-heating mode automatically turned off, and the battery continued to charge at around 19A.

Check! The process went smoothly and passed the freeze test.

2. Waterproof Tests (Waterproof Casing)

We used two different scenarios to test the efficacy of the waterproof casing - splashing and complete immersion. After each test, we connected the battery to our testing board which consisted of our Renogy 700W inverter and a small lamp to show that it was still delivering current.

For the first waterproof test, we ran a garden hose over the top of it for 15 minutes. After drying it off with a towel, we hooked it up to our testing board. The light turned on immediately and stayed on until we turned it off.

For the second test, we completely immersed the battery in a tub of water for another 15 minutes. After drying it off, we again hooked it up to the testing board. Once again, the light turned on immediately and worked as normal.

Check! We were impressed with the waterproof casing on this Renogy PRO battery. It's the perfect battery for marine environments.

3. Burn Test (Fire-Retardant Casing)

This one had us a bit worried, as we weren't sure what to expect. While outside in an open area, we used a blowtorch for 15 seconds to try to light the casing on fire. After letting it cool down, we repeated the test. Even after 30 seconds of direct flame on the plastic casing, It only left a little bit of scoring, which is just cosmetic. The fire-retardant plastic casing never ignited or even melted.

Check! It gives us great peace of mind to know that these batteries can withstand direct flame.

4. Bluetooth Distance Test (Bluetooth Connectivity)

We tested the integrated Bluetooth under 3 different conditions: open air, metal box, and vehicle.

First was the open air test, with no obstructions like a house, fence, vehicle, etc. We were able to walk about 40 yards away from the battery before the Bluetooth dropped from the DC Home app.

Next, we place the PRO battery inside of a heavy duty metal grill to simulate a metal battery box. Again, the DC Home app stayed connected for about 40 yards before dropping out.

Finally, we placed it inside our truck, and you guessed it, it remained connected for about 40 yards.

After each test, we observed how far away we were when the app reconnected to the Bluetooth. Each time we tested, it reconnected when we got within about 25 yards of the battery.

Check! The PRO's integrated Bluetooth is much stronger than our BT-2 module which we've used for about 3 years now! Our current BT-2 module works within our camper itself, but doesn't work at all through the thin aluminum walls of our camper when we are outside with the door closed.

5. Vibration Road Test (Electrical Current)

Next up, since we love to boondock in remote places, we wanted to see how well the battery would perform under some off-road conditions. We strapped the PRO battery down to our testing board and loaded it into the back of an ATV, then drove around the farm for about 30 minutes - trying to hit all of the biggest bumps and potholes that we could find on the property.

Check! Nothing seemed to phase the PRO battery (or our Renogy 700W inverter for that matter). The battery current just kept on flowing and the lightbulb stayed on the entire time.

6. Battery Discharging Test (Electrical Load)

Finally, after all of that abuse, we installed two PRO batteries in parallel in our camper. We put a sizable load on the batteries using our lights, fan, and vacuum cleaner. The batteries discharged as expected - at around 30A. Note: While we don't have an inverter large enough to handle it, the maximum continuous discharge rate is 100A, allowing you to run numerous high amperage appliances such as heaters, toaster ovens, hair dryers, and air conditioners without missing a beat.

Check! Even after all of that extreme abuse, the batteries are working great to power our lives. If you haven't already, be sure to check out our video review to see these tests in action.

We've put this Renogy 100Ah LiFePO4 PRO battery through its paces.  We've tried to light it on fire, drown it, shake it apart over some rough terrain, AND freeze it solid.  None of these common scenarios seemed to phase it.  Even after all this abuse, the battery just kept on performing.  We would highly recommend this battery if you're in the market to do some off-grid camping, or boating, as it's perfect for just about any scenario (or weather) you can throw at it.

Shari Galiardi & David Hutchison have turned their higher education backgrounds, desire for life-long learning, and thirst for adventure travel into writing, photography, video production, and public speaking tours from coast to coast. Known to their friends as simply Shari & Hutch, you can learn more about their full-time, solar powered adventures on their website at freedominacan.com. Or, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube as "Freedom in a Can."Save an additional 10% off most products using our promo code CANLIFE - even on sale items!