The 8 Best CR2025 Batteries
Updated by · How we research
Panasonic cells led or came close in independent coin cell tests, so the Panasonic CR2025 leads these eight CR2025 batteries. Key fob and child-safety tips included. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Makers' datasheets and independent tests show real differences in how long coin cells last, even though every brand looks about the same. A CR2025 is a 3-volt lithium cell, 20 millimeters across and 2.5 millimeters thick, used in car key fobs, watches, calculators, scales and remotes. Only a few brands add features meant to protect small children.
From the manual
- Rated 165 milliamp-hours at a steady 0.2-milliamp drain, with high-rate pulse discharge listed as a design strength. p. 1
- Rated from -30 to 85 C, but Panasonic asks to be consulted before use at 70 C or above. p. 1
- Keyless entry remotes and memory backup top Panasonic's list of intended uses. p. 1
- Panasonic Canada lists an eight-year shelf life for the 10-pack. Panasonic Canada page
Why the Panasonic CR2025 is our top pick
Our pick lasted longest in the one long logger test that ran both brands, and it carries the wider heat rating, while our runner-up, the Energizer 2025, is the safer choice around toddlers. In the Cave Pearl Project's 2023 test of the thicker CR2032 size, Panasonic cells ran about 1,500 hours to Energizer's 1,307.6 A 2010 Texas Instruments study of short current bursts, the kind a key fob draws, found Panasonic cells delivered most of their rating, while some name brands managed only about half.7
On paper the two cells are close: 165 milliamp-hours for ours1 against 170 for the runner-up.3 The gap is heat. Its maker rates our pick from -30 to 85 C, though it asks to be consulted before use at 70 C and up;1 the runner-up stops at 60 C.3,4 That margin matters for a fob that spends summer in a parked car.
The runner-up wins elsewhere. It adds a bitter coating and a dye that turns a child's mouth blue,5 which our pick lacks, and its maker claims 10 to 12 years in storage4 against eight for ours.2 Edward Mallon, who designs the Cave Pearl Project's open-source data loggers for environmental research, noted in June 2023 that his runs "were not thermally controlled and we don't know how old the batteries were,"6 so read the roughly 15 percent gap as a lead, not a verdict.
| Panasonic CR2025 | Energizer 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Rated capacity | 165 mAh | 170 mAh |
| Operating range | -30 to 85 C | -30 to 60 C |
| Storage life claim | 8 years | 10 to 12 years |
| 2023 logger test, CR2032 size | About 1,500 hours | About 1,300 hours |
| Child-safety coating | None on this pack | Bitter coating, blue dye |
Sources
- Panasonic CR2025 1Datasheet (Feb 2026, PDF), p. 1 2Canada 10-pack page
- Energizer 2025 3CR2025 datasheet (archived Jan 2026, PDF), p. 1 4CR2025 product page 53-in-1 Child Shield page
- 6Cave Pearl Project (Edward Mallon): CR2032 logger discharge test, June 2023
- 7Texas Instruments SWRA349: coin cells and peak current draw (2010, PDF), p. 4
From the manual
- Stored at room temperature, coin cells lose about 1 percent of capacity a year, for a 10- to 12-year shelf life. p. 5
- The blue alert dots sit on the positive face; Energizer advises keeping device contacts off that area for best performance. p. 5
- Cold cuts voltage and runtime, so a sensor can quit in winter; the loss reverses once the cell warms up. p. 3
- After years in storage a cell can sag briefly when first used, and an ether-like smell on opening is harmless. p. 5
Energizer lithium coin handbook and application manual (PDF)
Compare the specs
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Product | Rated capacity (mAh) | Operating range (°C) | Shelf life claim (years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Panasonic CR2025 | 165 | -30 to 85 | 8 |
| 2. Energizer 2025 | 170 | -30 to 60 | 10 to 12 |
| 3. Duracell 2025 | 150 to 185 | -20 to 60 | 10, guaranteed |
| 4. Maxell CR2025 | 170 | -20 to 85 | 10 |
| 5. Murata CR2025 | 160 | -30 to 70 | — |
| 6. Renata CR2025 | 180 | -30 to 70 | Up to 10 |
| 7. Toshiba CR2025 | 165 | — | — |
| 8. Tenergy CR2025 | — | -20 to 60 | 10 |
The makers' own figures. Capacity is measured at a light, steady drain, so it doesn't predict life in a key fob; the guide covers independent tests. Duracell publishes CR2025 sheets rated 150, 165 and 185 mAh without saying which pack uses which. Renata's figures are for its CR2025.MFR-E; its CR2025 MFR is rated 165 mAh. Maxell asks to be consulted before use outside 0 to 40 °C, and Panasonic above 70 °C.
Sources
- Panasonic CR2025 datasheet (Feb 2026) Canada CR2025 10-pack page
- Energizer CR2025 datasheet (archived Jan 2026) CR2025 product page
- Duracell Technical data sheets CR2025 product page
- Maxell CR2025 datasheet Europe CR2025 blister page
- Murata CR2025 datasheet
- Renata CR2025.MFR-E datasheet Designer's guide, coin cells (distributor copy)
- Toshiba Coin battery lineup
- Tenergy CR2025 product page
From the manual
- Duracell publishes 150, 165 and 185 milliamp-hour CR2025 sheets and doesn't say which retail pack matches which. tech library
- Rated for -20 to 60 C; Duracell recommends storing spares between 5 and 30 C. p. 2
- Duracell asks device makers to keep contacts 3.2 millimeters in from the edge of the coated negative face. p. 3
- Self-discharge is rated under 1 percent after a year at room temperature. p. 1
From the manual
- Rated 170 milliamp-hours, measured to 2 volts at a 0.2-milliamp drain at 20 C. p. 1
- Rated for -20 to 85 C, yet Maxell asks to be consulted before use outside 0 to 40 C. p. 1
- Maxell's December 2025 lab tests found fake CR2032s delivering 124 to 140 milliamp-hours against a genuine cell's 220. counterfeit notice, p. 1
From the manual
- Rated 160 milliamp-hours to a 2-volt cutoff at a 0.2-milliamp drain. p. 1
- Rated for -30 to 70 C, a lower heat ceiling than cells rated to 85 C. p. 1
- Murata moved the line to Maxell on March 1, 2026; Maxell now handles support, and Murata-logo stock ships for a while. Murata notice
From the manual
- Rated 180 milliamp-hours at a 0.3-milliamp drain, losing under 1.5 percent a year at 23 C. p. 1
- Rated for -30 to 70 C; Renata asks to be consulted if the cell will see more than 60 C. p. 1
- Renata's other version, the CR2025 MFR, is rated 165 milliamp-hours, so the cell in a pack may not match this sheet. Renata CR2025 MFR page
Editor's Notes
November 4, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
We read the CR2025 datasheets from six of the eight makers and Energizer's coin cell handbook, added a spec table and a section on why the Panasonic is first, and noted that Murata handed its coin cell line to Maxell in March 2026. We also added a June 2026 study of Energizer's burn-resistant cell and corrected a 2021 note's claim that every CR2025 holds 170 milliamp-hours.
October 14, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The LiCB 10-pack is off the list. In May 2026 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled the same seller's CR2032 cells because their packaging wasn't child-resistant, and many owners of the CR2025 pack report cells that were dead on arrival. The Celewell, Skoanbe and Philips packs from the 2021 version are no longer sold. Sony's coin cells went to Murata, which handed the business to Maxell in March 2026.
Coin cells from different brands look alike, so we relied on makers' datasheets and independent tests. No one has published a multi-brand test of CR2025s, so this list draws on tests of the thicker CR2032, which the same brands make with the same chemistry. Panasonic led or came close in those tests, which is why it's first. Energizer and Duracell are the picks for homes with small children, because they're the only ones here with a bitter coating.
Whatever you buy, check the date on the pack. Buyers of several brands report receiving old stock.
Earlier notes
April 6, 2021, by Kaivaan Kermani:
Most of our picks of CR2025 batteries from the previous update are still in this list, apart from the Duracell, which I’ve removed because I think it’s a tad expensive now compared to other options. Apart from that, you can probably observe for yourself that our list promotes brand variety, as well as affordability, with all options falling between 30¢ to a little over a buck per unit.
The Duracell on the other hand was selling for more than twice as much as the second most expensive unit in our list, and did very little to justify that cost, since CR2025 batteries are, by definition, 170 milliamp-hour batteries, so you’re not going to find massive fundamental differences like battery and shelf life between brands. [2026 update: makers rate their CR2025s anywhere from 150 to 185 milliamp-hours, and independent tests of the same brands' CR2032s have found real differences in how long they last; see the buyer's guide.] I believe that this was just the case of a name brand taking liberties by massively inflating prices, and I’d love to reintroduce the brand to this list, since I’m fond of their batteries, but not until they bring their cost per unit down a little.
February 16, 2020, by Kaivaan Kermani:
The first thing I always like to do with any list involving batteries is to see whether the current options still offer fresh cells, as many sellers like to buy in bulk, and as a result, can often end up supplying you with older packets of cells that might contain duds. After all, no one wants cells that are DOA (Dead On Arrival). With regard to this, the GloFX Lithium Buttons and Energizer 10-Pack seemed to be struggling with quality issues, so they’ve been removed or replaced.
Unfortunately, I also had to remove the Chao Chuang 20-Pack and AmVolt 8-Pack because they were struggling with availability issues. The Chao Chuang is some generic Chinese option that isn’t going to be a huge miss from this list, but it’s a real shame that I couldn’t find any replacement AmVolt CR2025 packets, because the company makes some great button cells, but I’ve recently found many of them struggling with availability issues, not just CR2025 cells - I don’t know if they’re rolling back on manufacturing of button cells to focus on producing larger batteries, or perhaps I’m just overreacting.
For replacements, I’ve looked at a couple of things, namely, my understanding of the cells’ reliability and their cost per unit. Fortunately, I found packages like the LiCB 10-Pack and Celewell 5-Pack, which are both great options from brands that I’m quite familiar with. The Celewell quotes a capacity of 170 mAh, which is higher than the average 150-160 mAh for CR2025 cells, though I couldn’t tell you how accurate their claim is, since I don’t have a discharge curve from the lab – but I’m trusting them on this.
Among many of the generic options that were disappointing to say the least, I did manage to pick up the Skoanbe 5-Pack. The cells have Japanese writing on them, so the manufacturer is probably Japanese, and they are definitely fresh as the advertised batch was supposedly manufactured in October 2019, so they’ll be good till 2023, according to them, which seems about right, as lithium cells have a self-discharge rate of around 10% in 5 years. Just a note with regards to primary cells, a lithium-based battery is denoted by CR to differentiate it from alkaline (LR) and silver-oxide (SR) cells. Also, the first 2 digits of a button cell denote its diameter, and the second 2 denote the thickness multiplied by 10; so, a CR2025 cell has a diameter of 20 mm and a thickness of 2.5 mm.
Also, there’s been some speculation regarding whether the Philips Lithium Minicell pack is a counterfeit from some Chinese company, and I can’t tell you whether this is true, but it’s still a good option with fresh cells that seem quite reliable, and so I’ve left it in.
Does The Brand Really Matter?
To check a cell, a fresh one reads a little over 3 volts on a meter.
More than the identical-looking cells suggest. Every CR2025 has the same size and voltage, but tests find big differences in how long they last. In a 2023 test that ran CR2032 cells in data loggers until they gave out, the Cave Pearl Project found that Panasonic lasted about 1,500 hours, Energizer and Duracell about 1,300, and a no-name cell about 640. A Texas Instruments study of short bursts of current, the kind a key fob draws, found that some cells delivered only about half their rated capacity. Results differ from test to test: a 2025 Belgian test by Test Achats put Duracell near the top.
Counterfeits are a real problem online. Maxell's lab measured fake CR2032s from major online marketplaces at little more than half their rated capacity. Buy from listings sold by the brand or by Amazon itself, keep spares in their original packaging, and check the expiration date printed on the pack.
To check a cell, a fresh one reads a little over 3 volts on a meter. A meter with no load can make a weak cell look fine, because a worn cell's rising internal resistance shows up as a voltage drop when something draws current, as Energizer's coin cell handbook explains, so a battery tester that puts a load on the cell gives a truer answer.
CR2025, CR2016 Or CR2032?
All three are 20 millimeters across and 3 volts. The last two digits give the thickness in tenths of a millimeter: a CR2016 is 1.6 millimeters thick, a CR2025 is 2.5 and a CR2032 is 3.2. Capacity rises with thickness, and Toshiba rates them at 85, 165 and 220 milliamp-hours. They aren't interchangeable, so use the size your device names. A CR2025 in a CR2032 slot may work if the contacts are springy, but it can lose contact when bumped and runs down sooner. A CR2032 forced into a CR2025 slot can bend the contacts or crack the case. Two stacked CR2016s make 6 volts, not a CR2032. DL2025 (Duracell), ECR2025 (Energizer) and 5003LC are other names for the same cell.
Key fobs vary even within one model: Mazda's 2020 CX-5 used a CR2025 in one key and a CR2032 in another, and Nissan's Leaf changed sizes between the 2023 and 2025 models. Check the old cell or the owner's manual. Apple's AirTag takes a CR2032, even though some listings sell CR2025s "for AirTag."
There's no rechargeable drop-in. A "rechargeable CR2025" is a lithium-ion LIR2025, which runs at up to 4.2 volts and holds a fraction of the energy, so it may not be safe in a device built for 3 volts.
Coin Cells And Children
A swallowed coin cell can cause serious internal burns in as little as two hours, and 20-millimeter cells like this one are the most likely to get stuck in a child's throat. Since 2023, under Reese's Law, coin cells sold in the U.S. must come in child-resistant packaging with warning labels, and devices must keep their battery compartments closed with a screw or a two-step latch (CPSC). Recalls since then have caught sellers shipping coin cells in easy-open packs, including CR2025s, so skip plain bags of loose cells.
Duracell and Energizer coat their cells with a bitter-tasting compound, and Energizer adds a dye that stains the mouth blue. Panasonic sells coated cells in Japan and told Consumer Reports in July 2026 that it plans to bring them to the U.S.; the Panasonic pack here has none. Energizer's newer Ultimate Child Shield cells, which are replacing the 3-in-1 line the pick here belongs to, are designed to prevent the burn itself. In a 2026 peer-reviewed study on pig esophagus tissue, a team led by Kris Jatana, MD, a professor of otolaryngology at Nationwide Children's Hospital and Ohio State University, found they reduced the severity of tissue injury, but his specialty's academy says a swallowed one is still an emergency (AAO-HNS). A UK government review found little evidence that bitter coatings alone prevent swallowing (OPSS), so packaging and storage still matter most.
If you think a child has swallowed a battery, go to the emergency room right away and call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 800-498-8666. For a child 1 year or older who swallowed it within the past 12 hours, the National Capital Poison Center advises giving 2 teaspoons of honey every 10 minutes on the way, up to six doses. Don't make the child vomit.
When a cell is used up, cover both sides with clear tape and take it to a battery drop-off rather than the trash (EPA).
How we researched this
We compared more than 20 CR2025 listings and read the makers' own documents for the eight picks: Panasonic's February 2026 CR2025 datasheet, Energizer's 2026 coin cell handbook and its archived CR2025 sheet, Duracell's CR2025 datasheets, Maxell's 2024 sheet, Murata's DS-CR2025-003 and Renata's CR2025.MFR-E sheet, plus Toshiba's lineup table and Tenergy's product page, the only specs those two publish. How long the cells last comes from the Cave Pearl Project's 2023 logger test, a 2010 Texas Instruments study and Test Achats' 2025 test, all on the thicker CR2032 size, since no one has published a multi-brand CR2025 test. A search of CPSC recalls as of November 2026 found none for these makers' own CR2025 packs; the 2026 coin cell recalls hit resellers' easy-open packs, among them LiCB, EEMB and loose Panasonic-branded VL2020 cells sold in bags.
Sources (46)
- Panasonic CR2025 datasheet (2026)
- Panasonic Canada CR2025 10-pack page
- Panasonic coin lithium technologies (bitter-coated E models)
- Energizer CR2025 datasheet (archived January 2026; withdrawn by Energizer)
- Energizer 3-in-1 Child Shield
- Energizer lithium coin handbook and application manual (May 2026)
- Energizer CR2025 product page
- Energizer Ultimate Child Shield 2025 product page
- ABC News: Energizer's new coin battery replaces its 3in1 line (May 2026)
- Duracell CR2025 product page
- Duracell technical data sheets
- Duracell CR2025 185 mAh datasheet
- Duracell DL/CR2025 datasheet
- Duracell CR2025 165 mAh datasheet
- Duracell CR2025 150 mAh datasheet
- Maxell CR2025 datasheet
- Maxell Europe: counterfeit CR batteries (Dec 2025)
- Maxell Europe: counterfeit CR battery test results (PDF, Dec 2025)
- Maxell Europe CR2025 blister page
- Murata CR2025 datasheet (DS-CR2025-003)
- Murata: micro battery business transferred to Maxell (March 2026)
- Renata CR2025.MFR-E datasheet
- Renata CR2025 MFR product page
- Renata designer's guide, 3V lithium coin cells (distributor copy)
- Toshiba coin battery lineup
- Tenergy CR2025 product page
- Cave Pearl Project: CR2032 discharge test (2023, updated 2025)
- Texas Instruments SWRA349: coin cells and peak current draw
- Test Achats: best CR2032 batteries (2025)
- Consumer Reports: safer button batteries (July 2026)
- AAO-HNS: study of Energizer's esophagus-protective battery (June 2026)
- Contemporary Pediatrics: protective battery study in a porcine model (June 2026)
- CPSC recall 26-484: LiCB lithium coin batteries (2026)
- CPSC recall 26-465: EEMB coin battery pouches (2026)
- CPSC recall 26-510: loose Panasonic-branded VL2020 cells (2026)
- CPSC button cell and coin battery FAQ
- National Capital Poison Center: button batteries
- UK OPSS: emerging technologies in button battery safety (2025)
- Apple: replace the AirTag battery
- Mazda 2020 CX-5 owner's manual: key battery
- Nissan Leaf 2023 owner's manual: Intelligent Key battery
- Nissan Leaf 2025 owner's manual: Intelligent Key battery
- Nissan owner's manual: Intelligent Key battery life
- TSA: lithium batteries
- EPA: used household batteries
- CPSC recalls
Frequently asked questions
Are CR2025 and CR2032 batteries the same?
They have the same diameter and voltage, but a CR2032 is 0.7 millimeters thicker and holds about a third more energy. Use the size your device names.
Can I use a CR2032 instead of a CR2025?
Usually not. A CR2032 is too thick for a CR2025 slot and can bend the contacts or crack the case. A CR2025 sometimes works in a CR2032 slot, but it can lose contact and runs down sooner.
How long does a CR2025 last in a key fob?
Nissan estimates about two years, depending on use and temperature. A weak cell shows up as shorter range or a key warning light on the dashboard.
Is there a rechargeable CR2025?
Not as a drop-in. Rechargeable LIR2025 cells run at up to 4.2 volts and hold far less energy, so they may not be safe in devices built for 3-volt cells.
Can I take CR2025 batteries on a plane?
Yes. Under TSA rules, spare lithium coin cells go in carry-on bags, protected from short circuits in their packaging or with taped terminals. Cells inside devices can go in either bag.
Can I use a CR2025 in an AirTag?
Apple specifies a CR2032 for AirTag. A thinner CR2025 can lose contact and holds less energy.
