CR2032 vs CR2016
Both are 20 mm 3 V lithium coin cells. The CR2032 is 3.2 mm thick against 1.6 mm, giving it more than twice the capacity.
Last reviewed
Same width, same 3 volts, but the CR2016 is exactly half the thickness and lasts well under half as long. A CR2016 will drop into a CR2032 slot, though it often sits too low to touch the contact. One important warning: some devices take two CR2016 stacked on top of each other. That pair adds up to 6 volts, not 3, so it is not the same as a single CR2032 — never swap one arrangement for the other.
- Verdict:
- CR2032 unless the holder is genuinely too shallow
- Interchangeable:
- sometimes — check the fit
Side-by-side specifications
| Specification | CR2032 | CR2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | Lithium | Lithium |
| Type | Coin Cell | Coin Cell |
| Nominal voltage | 3 V | 3 V |
| Diameter | 20 mm | 20 mm |
| Height | 3.2 mm | 1.6 mm |
| Typical capacity | 210–240 mAh | 85–100 mAh |
| Rechargeable | No | No |
| Also sold as | DL2032, BR2032, ECR2032 | DL2016, BR2016 |
Size comparison
Both are 20 mm across, so only thickness separates them: CR2016 at 1.6 mm against CR2032 at 3.2 mm.
Thickness
Exactly half: 1.6 mm against 3.2 mm. A CR2016 fits inside a CR2032 holder but frequently sits too deep for the sprung contact to reach, which reads as a dead battery.
Runtime
85–100 mAh against 210–240 mAh. The CR2016 delivers roughly 40% of the runtime, so expect to replace it more than twice as often.
The 6 V trap
Two stacked CR2016 measure the same 3.2 mm as one CR2032, and some devices are designed around exactly that pair. Stacked, they deliver 6 V. Fitting two CR2016 where one CR2032 belongs doubles the voltage and can destroy the device.
Where the CR2016 genuinely belongs
It is not simply a worse CR2032. Slim key fobs, credit-card remotes, some fitness bands and a great many cheap LED novelties are built around 1.6 mm because the product is too thin for anything else. In those the CR2016 is the correct part and a CR2032 will not close the case.
Half the thickness, less than half the life
Capacity does not fall quite in step with thickness — 85–100 mAh against 210–240 is nearer 40% than 50% — but internal resistance rises as the cell gets thinner, so a CR2016 also sags harder under a current pulse. In a device that transmits, that shows up as a shorter usable life than the raw numbers suggest.
How to check what a device wants
The compartment usually has the code moulded into the plastic beside it, and most manuals name it in the specifications rather than the battery section. Where neither helps, measure the old cell: the last two digits of any CR code are its thickness in tenths of a millimetre, so a 1.6 mm cell is a 2016 whatever the brand calls it.
Can I use a CR2016 instead of a CR2032?
It depends which way round. Both cells are 20 mm across, so the only difference is thickness. The thinner CR2016 will usually drop into a holder built for the CR2032, but it can sit low and lose contact with the sprung terminal. The reverse does not work: a 3.2 mm CR2032 will not fit a compartment cut for a 1.6 mm CR2016, and forcing it risks bending the contact or the cover.
Check before you swap. Batteries with similar dimensions are not always interchangeable. Always verify voltage, chemistry and the requirements printed in your device manual before fitting a replacement.
CR2032 vs CR2016: common questions
Is the CR2016 a direct replacement for the CR2032?
Same width, same 3 volts, but the CR2016 is exactly half the thickness and lasts well under half as long. A CR2016 will drop into a CR2032 slot, though it often sits too low to touch the contact. One important warning: some devices take two CR2016 stacked on top of each other. That pair adds up to 6 volts, not 3, so it is not the same as a single CR2032 — never swap one arrangement for the other.
What is the difference between the CR2032 and the CR2016?
Both are 20 mm 3 V lithium coin cells. The CR2032 is 3.2 mm thick against 1.6 mm, giving it more than twice the capacity. In short: cR2032 unless the holder is genuinely too shallow.
Are the CR2032 and the CR2016 the same size?
No. The CR2032 is 20 × 3.2 mm and the CR2016 is 20 × 1.6 mm.
Which lasts longer, the CR2032 or the CR2016?
The CR2032. It is rated at 210–240 mAh against 85–100 mAh for the CR2016 — roughly 2.4× the capacity, though real runtime depends on how much current your device draws.
Background reading
The wider questions behind these two codes.