The 8 Best LR44 Batteries
Updated by · How we research
The Duracell 76A tops our eight LR44 and SR44 picks for its five-year storage guarantee. Compared on shelf life, child-safe packaging and makers' data sheets. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
A swallowed button cell can burn a child's throat within hours, which is why child-resistant packaging matters with these cells. An LR44 is a 1.5-volt alkaline cell, 11.6 millimeters across and 5.4 millimeters thick, also sold as AG13, A76 and 357A. It powers watches, calculators, toys, kitchen scales, laser pointers, thermometers and key fobs.
From the manual
- Rated 105 mAh on a 6,800-ohm load down to 1.2 volts; Duracell notes real capacity shifts with load, temperature and cutoff. p. 1
- Rated to operate from -4 to 130 F. p. 1
Why the Duracell 76A is our top pick
The deciding difference is shelf life. Duracell guarantees the 76A for five years in storage,1 while our runner-up, the Energizer A76, is rated to hold power for up to three.4 Most LR44s wait in a drawer until a watch, scale or key fob dies, so two more years of promised storage matter more than small gaps in rated capacity. Its maker also states that the card is child-secure and takes scissors to open.1 The A76's product page says nothing about packaging,4 though Reese's Law has required child-resistant packs for every button cell sold in the U.S. since 2023.5
On run time, the paperwork doesn't separate them. Both makers test on a 6,800-ohm load, but the 76A's sheet stops at 1.2 volts and rates 105 milliamp-hours,2 while the A76 is counted down to 0.9 volts for 150, and Energizer's own table has it at 1.20 volts after 80 percent of that.3 The only sheet we found for our pick is a 2015 copy on a distributor's site, though it adds an operating range of -4 to 130 F;2 the A76's sheet sits on its maker's site.
So the pick rests on the storage guarantee, not on a run-time win. For a busy gadget that goes through cells quickly, the runner-up is just as sound a buy.
| Duracell 76A | Energizer A76 | |
|---|---|---|
| Storage life | 5 years, guaranteed | Up to 3 years |
| Rated capacity, 6,800-ohm load | 105 mAh to 1.2 V | 150 mAh to 0.9 V |
| Operating range on the sheet | -4 to 130 F | Not given |
| Data sheet | 2015, distributor copy | On Energizer's site |
Sources
From the manual
- Rated 150 mAh, but only down to 0.9 volts, on a 6,800-ohm continuous load: about 720 hours. p. 1
- Voltage slides as it drains: 1.55 volts fresh, 1.33 at 40 percent used, 1.20 at 80 percent. p. 1
- The cell bulges a little as it discharges but stays within the standard maximum height. p. 1
- Built for electronics that draw short, high-current pulses. p. 1
From the manual
- Rated 150 mAh to 1.2 volts on a 6,800-ohm continuous load, about 734 hours. p. 1
- Designed for a steady low drain with high pulses on demand. p. 1
- Its storage chart shows cells kept at 40 C losing capacity far faster than at 20 C; store spares somewhere cool. p. 1
- Cold sags it: at 14 F the older 357 sheet shows 1.06 volts at 40 percent used, against 1.40 at room temperature. 357 sheet, p. 1
From the manual
- Maxell rates its LR44 at 110 mAh to 1.2 volts, and its silver oxide SR44 at 165 on the same cutoff. p. 3
- Never mix cells of different type, age or brand in one device; Maxell warns it can cause leaks or overheating. p. 1
- Don't take several cells out of the pack and pile them together in storage; keep them in the pack until needed. p. 1
- The month and year of manufacture are marked on each cell, so you can check how fresh a pack is. EU declaration, p. 1
Editor's Notes
November 4, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
We read the makers' data sheets for four of the top five picks, including Duracell's and Maxell's, which the October update had missed, and added a section on why the Duracell 76A leads and notes from each sheet. We corrected the A76's weight, its test load and its broken data sheet link, added a 2025 recall of LR44 packs from another brand, and corrected an old note's claim that motherboards use LR44 cells.
October 19, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The Duracell 76A takes over from the Duracell Duralock 12-Pack: it's the same cell on a smaller card that costs less up front. The old list also leaned on bulk packs from brands that have since faded. The LiCB 20-Pack is gone, and the same brand had a lithium coin cell recall in 2026 over missing child-resistant packaging. The Beidongli Cells are no longer listed, the Amvolt Round Cells cost a lot per cell for a generic, and the Bluedot Trading pack added nothing the remaining bulk cards don't.
The Maxell LR44, POWEROWL LR44 and Loopacell LR44 stay. New picks add the Energizer A76, which comes with a real data sheet, a low-cost house-brand 12-pack, the Tenergy LR44, and the Energizer 357/303, a silver oxide cell for calipers and watches.
One correction. The old page suggested these cells for hearing aids, but hearing aids run on zinc-air cells, a different type. We also found no independent lab test of LR44 brands, so the capacity numbers printed on packs, including these, can't be compared head to head.
Earlier notes
April 2, 2021, by Kaivaan Kermani:
Despite the AmazonBasics Cells surprisingly reliable and durable, they appear to have become quite a bit more expensive and quality issues were a growing concern too since our previous update, so I’ve removed them. I’ve also removed name-brand options like the Energizer Button 20-Pack as well as the Sony Alkaline Batteries, and added the Duracell Duralock 12-Pack, which I believe currently offers better value as a name-brand option. My personal experience with Duracell buttons and batteries of all sizes has been largely positive, and I’ve always found them to have more stable voltages and longer lifespans and shelf lives than cells from other distinguished brands. To top our list off, I’ve added some off-brand choices in the Powerowl Coin Pro 40-Pack and Beidongli Cells which may just surprise you.
January 18, 2020, by Kaivaan Kermani:
You’ve got a range of options here and your pick will really depend on whether you prioritize cost or quality. Generally, a 1.50V LR44 battery has a capacity of around 150mAh, so discharge time depends on the power needs of your application, of course. Energizer is always a reliable and trusted option, if you don’t mind paying marginally more for the brand name. If you don’t want to do that then the LiCB 20-Pack and Amvolt Round Cells are both good, durable picks. I’m quite a fan of Amvolt’s batteries since I have a Casio watch with an Amvolt LR44 that I’ve taken through some pretty extreme weather conditions. It’s been well over a year now and it’s still ticking on with the same battery.
Price isn’t always a measure of quality, but it is relatively good estimate, and you’ll see that here in this list too, with options from household names like the Sony Alkaline Batteries and Energizer Button 20-Pack being more expensive, but offering slightly better quality too and lower self-discharge rates. However, there are quite a few notable exceptions here like the Maxell 2 Pack, which comes from a known battery brand/manufacturer, but whose cells seem to offer only average results in terms of capacity and life.
On the flip side, some of the lesser known and more ‘generic’ brands have been surprisingly impressive. The cells in the LiCB 20-Pack seem to last forever, despite being so cheap. They would be my ‘best-value-for-money’ pick. Do keep in mind that batteries also tend to get cheaper per-unit-cost when bought at large quantities, but I didn’t want to saturate the list with 100-packs since you probably don’t need them and they aren’t always sold like that anyways - but if you were looking for a bulk-buy, then I’ve left in the Loopacell 100 Pack.
Note that the voltage in alkaline batteries (like the LR44) decreases with battery life (or battery usage), which is a measure of the capacity left. At 50% capacity, the voltage in an LR44 battery typically drops to below 1.3V. LR44 batteries are quite good however for ultra-low-power, long-term operations, and that’s why they’re frequently used in motherboards, along with CR2032 batteries. [2026 update: computer motherboards normally take a 3-volt lithium coin cell such as the CR2032, not an LR44.] LR44 batteries also typically have a self-discharge rate of around 5-10%, depending on the quality of the battery.
LR44 can be replaced with multiple alkaline and silver-oxide batteries. The SR44 is a good silver-oxide replacement and it has a stable operating voltage throughout its life and then drops towards the end (after around 90-95% usage).
Special Honors
Renata Silver Oxide Cells Renata is a Swiss maker of silver oxide button cells, part of the Swatch Group, and its 357-size cell is widely used in the watch trade. The company says its 10-count blister packs are certified child-resistant under the U.S. packaging rule. Watch shops and battery specialists carry its cells, so look there if a watch or caliper calls for SR44 and you want a maker that focuses on silver oxide. renata.com
LR44, AG13, 357 And SR44: Same Size, Different Cells
LR44 is the international code for an alkaline button cell 11.6 millimeters across and 5.4 millimeters tall.
LR44 is the international code for an alkaline button cell 11.6 millimeters across and 5.4 millimeters tall. The same cell is sold as AG13, A76, 76A, L1154, V13GA, GP76A and PX76A, so any of those names on a device fits. Energizer's A76 data sheet gives the full picture for the alkaline version: 1.5 volts nominal, 1.97 grams, and 150 milliamp-hours when drained slowly to 0.9 volts.
SR44, also sold as 357 or 303, is the silver oxide cell of the same size. It costs more, and it holds its voltage much better. On Energizer's sheets, the alkaline A76 falls from 1.55 volts fresh to 1.33 volts at 40 percent drained and 1.2 volts at 80 percent. The 357 silver oxide cell is still at about 1.34 volts at 80 percent. Devices that measure something, such as digital calipers, light meters and many watches, often call for SR44 for that reason. An LR44 will usually run them, but it may need replacing sooner, and some displays drift as the voltage sags. Toys, calculators, laser pointers and key fobs are fine on alkaline.
One size people mix up: hearing aids don't use LR44. They take zinc-air cells in sizes 10, 312, 13 and 675, which are activated by air and sold separately. The 357 and 303 numbers sometimes appear on LR44 packs as cross-references, but if a manual says SR44 or silver oxide, buy that.
Capacity Claims, Shelf Life And Pack Size
Pack claims of 110 to 200 milliamp-hours sound precise, but they can't be compared. Capacity depends on the load and on the voltage where the test stops. Energizer rates its A76 at 150 milliamp-hours to 0.9 volts on a 6,800-ohm load, while Duracell's 2015 sheet for the 76A and Maxell's catalog give 105 and 110 milliamp-hours, both to 1.2 volts. Energizer's 357/303 sheet rates the silver oxide cell at 150 milliamp-hours to 1.2 volts on 6,800 ohms. Most generic packs give a number with no test at all. We found no independent lab test of LR44 brands, so no list, including this one, can rank them on run time.
Shelf life is easier to compare. Duracell guarantees its 76A for 5 years in storage, Energizer rates the A76 at 3 years and the 357/303 at 5, and several bulk sellers claim 3 years. Check the date code on the card when it arrives. Alkaline cells lose a little charge every year, and old cards are the ones most likely to leak.
Pack size is where the savings are. The cost per cell drops sharply from a 4-card to a 40- or 100-pack, often to a tenth or less. But a big pack only pays off if you use the cells before they age. Count the LR44 devices in your home, guess how often each needs a cell, and buy about 3 years' worth. Always replace every cell in a device at once, and don't mix brands or old and new cells.
Button Cell Safety: Packaging, Storage And Swallowing
Button cells are a real hazard for small children. Dr. Toby Litovitz, an emergency physician who directed the National Battery Ingestion Hotline for 36 years, put it plainly in a 2016 National Capital Poison Center release: a cell stuck in the esophagus "must be removed within just two hours to prevent terrible injuries." The same release names the 3-volt, 20 mm lithium coin cell as the worst offender, since it does damage faster than a 1.5-volt cell like the LR44, and warns that even spent cells can harm a child. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says it knows of 27 deaths and about 54,300 emergency room visits from swallowed or inserted button and coin cells from 2011 through 2021.
Reese's Law, signed in August 2022, responded to that. Button and coin cells made or imported after Feb. 12, 2023, must come in child-resistant packaging with warning labels, and new products that hold them need a battery door that takes a tool or two hands to open. Look for a card you need scissors to open, and be wary of loose cells in bags. In 2026, CPSC recalled LiCB lithium coin cells that were sold without that packaging, and in November 2025 it recalled Great Lakes Select LR44/357 24-packs sold in stores nationwide for the same reason.
Keep spares in their original card, up high, and never in a pocket, pill box or junk drawer where they can touch keys or coins. Tape over the battery door of any toy or remote whose door doesn't lock. If you think a child has swallowed a cell, go to the emergency room right away and call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 800-498-8666. Take used cells to a battery drop-off point rather than leaving them on a counter.
How we researched this
We screened about 60 LR44 and SR44 listings and compared 18 packs in detail. We read Energizer's data sheets for the A76 and for the 357 and 357/303 silver oxide cells, Duracell's 2015 data sheet for the 76A/LR44, Maxell's silver oxide and LR button battery catalog, and the makers' product pages for storage and packaging claims; the house-brand and bulk packs publish no data sheets. Safety facts come from the CPSC's Reese's Law notice and the National Capital Poison Center. A CPSC recall search in November 2026 turned up no recall of any of these eight cells; two recent recalls for missing child-resistant packaging, Great Lakes Select LR44/357 packs in 2025 and LiCB CR2032 coin cells in 2026, involve other brands.
Sources (17)
- Energizer: A76 product data sheet
- Energizer: 357 product data sheet
- Energizer: 357/303 product data sheet
- Energizer: LR44/A76 product page
- Energizer: 357/303 watch battery product page
- Duracell: 76A alkaline battery product page
- Duracell: 76A/LR44 data sheet, 2015 (distributor copy)
- Maxell: silver oxide and LR button battery catalog
- Maxell: alkaline button battery EU declaration of conformity, 2026
- CPSC: Reese's Law button cell and coin battery standard
- CPSC: LiCB lithium coin battery recall, 2026
- CPSC: Great Lakes Select button cell recall, 2025
- National Capital Poison Center: Button battery ingestion
- National Capital Poison Center: Button battery incidents release, 2016
- National Capital Poison Center: Toby Litovitz, MD
- CPSC recalls
- Renata: company site
Frequently asked questions
What is an LR44 battery equivalent to?
LR44 is the same size as AG13, A76, 76A, L1154, V13GA, GP76A and PX76A, all 1.5-volt alkaline. SR44, 357 and 303 are the same size in silver oxide, at 1.55 volts.
Can I use a 357 or SR44 instead of an LR44?
Yes. A silver oxide 357 or SR44 is the same size and runs at 1.55 volts against the LR44's 1.5, so it works in its place and holds its voltage longer. Going the other way, an LR44 in a device that calls for SR44 may work but run out sooner.
Which LR44 battery lasts the longest?
No independent lab has ranked LR44 brands, and makers rate capacity to different cutoff voltages, so pack numbers don't compare. To the same 1.2-volt cutoff, Maxell rates its silver oxide SR44 at 165 milliamp-hours and its LR44 at 110, so a 357 or SR44 lasts longer in watches and calipers.
What uses LR44 batteries?
Watches, calculators, toys, laser pointers, digital thermometers, kitchen timers, small flashlights, key fobs and some glucose and blood pressure monitors. Check the battery code in the manual or on the old cell.
Do hearing aids use LR44 batteries?
No. Hearing aids use zinc-air cells in sizes 10, 312, 13 and 675. An LR44 won't fit or work in them.
What should I do if a child swallows a button battery?
Go to the emergency room right away, and call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 800-498-8666 or Poison Help at 800-222-1222. Don't make the child vomit.
