Battery health is something many users consider when using and charging devices like laptops and smartphones, but it's just as important to consider when talking about wireless peripherals, as one Reddit user who goes by u/Molti_gfx recently discovered. The user posted to r/spicypillows about their SteelSeries wireless mechanical keyboard that developed a case of battery bloat from being plugged in permanently. They noticed a "weird bump" in the keyboard's plate, caused by the battery swelling, and was forced to remove the battery from the keyboard for safety reasons.
All Li-ion batteries will eventually degrade as their users burn through charge cycles, and, although many brands put protections in place in their battery management systems (BMS), there will almost always be some percentage of cells that bloat as they degrade. It's unclear how long the SteelSeries keyboard was left plugged in, but, as the user explains, they left it connected to their gaming PC in order to benefit from reduced latency.