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Coin lithium (CR)

CR1216 battery: equivalents & specs

The CR1216 is a thin 3 volt lithium coin cell, 12.5 mm across and 1.6 mm tall, with a modest 25 mAh. It serves slim car remotes, thin digital watches and space-constrained electronics where even the 2 mm CR1220 is too thick.

CR1216 battery drawing: 12.5 mm across, 1.6 mm thick CR1216 3V + ⌀ 12.5 mm 1.6 mm
CR1216, face and side profile, drawn to scale: 12.5 mm across, 1.6 mm thick.
Voltage
3 V
Size (D×H)
12.5 × 1.6 mm
Chemistry
Lithium manganese dioxide (Li/MnO2)
Capacity
25 mAh

Same battery, other names

Every code below is the exact same cell as CR1216. Any of them will fit and work identically.

DL1216ECR1216BR1216 (wide-temp variant)

Compatible replacements

  • CR1220: Same 12.5 mm diameter but 2.0 mm tall; do not swap unless the holder accepts both heights.

Buying and replacement notes

The 12.5 mm lithium family has three members: CR1216 (1.6 mm), CR1220 (2.0 mm) and CR1225 (2.5 mm). Spring-loaded holders sometimes tolerate a neighbor size, but a too-thick cell can bend contacts or crack a snap-fit cover, and a too-thin one rattles and resets the device. Capacity drops fast with thickness, so the CR1216 also holds the least of the trio.

Commonly used in

thin car remoteswatches with digital moduleselectronic shelf labelsbike computers (thin)

Need a replacement?

Shop CR1216 batteries on Amazon →

Comparisons

CR1220 vs CR1216

⚠️ Keep away from children. Swallowed button batteries, especially 20 mm lithium coins, cause severe injury within hours. If a child swallows one, call the 24/7 National Battery Ingestion Hotline (US) at 800-498-8666 or poison control at 800-222-1222 immediately. What every parent should know.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a CR1220 instead of a CR1216?
Only if the compartment clearly accepts the extra 0.4 mm of height, which some spring-contact holders do. In a tight slot the thicker CR1220 stresses contacts or prevents the cover from closing. The safe answer is to fit the exact CR1216 the device specifies.
What is the CR1216 used for?
Slim devices: thin key fobs, watch modules, electronic shelf labels and compact sensors. Designers pick it when 1.6 mm is all the height available and the circuit draws little current, because its 25 mAh is the smallest in the 12.5 mm family.
How long does a CR1216 last?
One to two years in a remote used a few times daily, and up to several years in near-idle standby circuits. Its small capacity punishes chatty devices though; anything polling a radio frequently will need the thicker CR1220 or CR1225 design instead.

More Coin lithium (CR) cells

CR927CR1025CR1130CR1220CR1225BR1225CR1616CR1620CR1632CR2012