It’s often easier to leave your laptop plugged in while using it. Theories abound regarding the proper duration and frequency of charging a laptop battery. The thing to remember is that charging a battery is a chemical reaction. This means that the process cannot be repeated forever, and the reaction will weaken over time.
This does not mean that you should never charge your laptop, however. Lithium-ion batteries have been improved over the years to maximize their life. There are also ways to be gentler on the usage of your battery.
Don’t let it hit 0%
There are times when you can’t avoid the total depletion of your battery. We’ve all been there. However, some people have been taught to let it hit 0% before charging it. If you’ve done this, don’t worry; you’re not alone. This is a common myth, and will wear out your battery faster. If possible, set your laptop to an “eco” setting which will give a notification when you are around 10%.
I’ve seen a few recommendations to “refresh” your charge a couple of times a year. Get your battery to 5% or 6%, then let it charge complete in one session. This should not be done often, but it will help your battery re-calibrate if done infrequently.
Avoid 100%?
Video games, school exams, physical checkups; nearly from birth, we’re taught that 100% is the magical score we should strive to achieve. With laptop batteries, this might not be the case.
Charging your laptop to 100% can be necessary if you’re going to be away from a charger for extended periods of time, but for everyday purposes it might be best to avoid that. The general consensus is to keep your maximum charge around 80%. However, this subject is widely debated and just as many sources say that you can safely charge to 100%.
Extreme temperatures
As I said before, batteries are based on chemical reaction. Their performance is often dependent on their environment, and operating in extreme climates is not the best for regular laptops.
A comfortable room temperature is ideal for laptop operation, but this article explains it in much greater scientific detail.