LR44 vs SR44
The 357 is simply the retail name for the SR44 silver-oxide cell, which shares the LR44's exact 11.6 by 5.4 mm dimensions. Every device that takes an LR44 accepts a 357. The 357 costs more and repays it with a steady 1.55 volts and up to double the capacity.
| LR44 | SR44 | |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | Alkaline (Zn/MnO2) | Silver oxide (Ag2O) |
| Voltage | 1.5 V | 1.55 V |
| Diameter | 11.6 mm | 11.6 mm |
| Height | 5.4 mm | 5.4 mm |
| Capacity | 110-130 mAh | 150-200 mAh |
| Also sold as | AG13, A76, L1154, LR1154 | 357, 303, SR1154, SR44W (357) |
Battery naming does its best to obscure a simple situation. LR44, AG13, A76 and L1154 all mean the alkaline cell; 357, 303, SR44W and SR44SW all mean the silver-oxide one. Two products total, in one shared size. The 357 designation specifically marks the high-drain silver version, and it is the number most commonly printed on packaging at watch counters and pharmacies.
Choose by device. Watches, calipers, multimeters, light meters, medical gear: buy the 357, because these devices reward its flat discharge with accuracy and long service. Cheap toys, blinking novelties, tea lights: the LR44 does the job at a third of the price, and losing runtime hardly matters.
One caution about mixed stacks. Devices that take two or three cells in series should get all-new, all-same-chemistry batteries at once. Mixing a fresh 357 with an old LR44 makes the weaker alkaline cell the bottleneck and can drive it into deep discharge, which is when button cells leak.