What is the voltage of CR battery?
In brief, CR batteries deliver a nominal voltage of about 3.0 volts. This family covers lithium manganese dioxide cells used in a wide range of devices, from watches to cameras, and their voltage stays near 3V for most of their life before gradually dropping toward the end. The following explainer outlines the standard voltage profile and what to expect across common sizes.
CR battery formats and nominal voltage
CR batteries come in several form factors, but they share a common nominal rating of about 3.0 volts. The following examples illustrate typical sizes and their nominal voltage.
- CR2032 — nominal voltage about 3.0 V
- CR2025 — nominal voltage about 3.0 V
- CR1632 — nominal voltage about 3.0 V
- CR1216 — nominal voltage about 3.0 V
- CR2 — nominal voltage about 3.0 V
- CR123A — nominal voltage about 3.0 V
Despite the identical nominal voltage, these sizes differ in capacity, size, and suitability for different devices. Always check device specifications for required battery size and capacity.
Voltage behavior during use
Voltage is not constant. The following overview describes what to expect across common CR sizes as a cell discharges.
- Fresh, unopened CR cells typically measure around 3.0 V on a no-load test (often 3.0–3.2 V depending on manufacturer and temperature).
- Under typical device load, the voltage remains near 3.0 V for most of the battery life, slowly declining as the cell approaches end-of-life.
- At the end of life, many CR cells reach a minimum voltage around 2.0 V; some devices may operate down to 2.4 V or lower before failing to operate reliably, depending on design.
- CR batteries are primary cells and are not rechargeable. Do not attempt to recharge; recharging can cause leakage, rupture, or fire.
- Temperature and discharge rate influence how voltage behaves and how much capacity you get from a CR cell; higher loads and heat can reduce usable capacity and shorten runtime.
In short, for most devices the voltage hovers near 3.0 V for much of the life and only falls off near end-of-life, making replacement the typical course of action when performance wanes.
Open-circuit vs. under-load voltage
Open-circuit (no-load) voltage measurements can be slightly higher than the voltage seen under load. In practical terms, devices rarely see the slight surplus voltage when the battery is connected and delivering current, so design and device cutoffs are based on under-load performance rather than a pure no-load reading.
Because CR cells are non-rechargeable, once the device can no longer operate reliably at its required voltage, it’s time to replace the battery with the correct size and chemistry for the device.
Summary
CR batteries are a family of primary lithium manganese dioxide cells, commonly coin-sized, with a nominal voltage of 3.0 volts. This 3V standard applies across popular sizes such as CR2032, CR2025, CR1632, CR1216, CR2, and CR123A, though capacity and physical size vary. Fresh cells may read around 3.0–3.2 V when not loaded, devices typically experience near-3.0 V through much of the discharge, and minimum operational voltage is usually around 2.0 V. They are not rechargeable; replace them when performance declines and use the correct size for the device.
