What is the best primary lithium battery?

Last Updated: August 17,

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Single-use batteries &#; officially called &#;primary&#; batteries &#; have a role in your emergency kit even if you&#;ve tried to standardize your gear around multi-use ones. And, thanks to modern battery tech, you can save money and reduce how much you throw in a landfill by skipping over the common and cheapest alkaline disposables (eg. a basic Duracell pack) and sticking with a mix of rechargeable batteries and lithium primary batteries.

Preppers like lithium non-rechargeable batteries when:

• You just need a device to work for as long as possible without the hassle of recharging or rotating batteries (eg. during a bug-out or short-term emergency)
• You don&#;t have access to a charger or power source &#; or you just really dislike the idea of recharging
• Lithium primary batteries are excellent at holding a charge for a really long time, so they work well in gear you only pick up once every year or five

More: Check out the rechargeable batteries review or the beginner&#;s guide to batteries if you&#;re not sure about basics like lithium vs. alkaline or how to think about different sizes and types in your emergency preparedness.

Quality lithium batteries have over double the capacity and almost double the lifespan of high-end alkaline batteries, so you can store more electricity in a smaller, longer-lasting package. Even though you pay about 3X the price of high-end alkalines for that major boost in capacity and lifespan, lithiums are worth it for emergencies and always our preferred choice.

Unlike most of our survival gear reviews, this category doesn&#;t yet require a lot of deep field testing &#; mostly because there aren&#;t many worthwhile contenders to begin with. That&#;s partly due to the more complicated nature of building lithium-based batteries (which goes hand-in-hand with their rare chance of catching fire).

Our Pick

Best AA:

Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA

These are best lithium primary AA batteries on the market, and are ideal for any preps that can use their combination of long life and high storage capacity.

Best AAA:

Energizer Ultimate Lithium AAA

For gear that takes the smaller AAA size, these lithium primaries can't be beat. Long life, high capacity, and safety make these a winner.

We automatically disqualified products made from unknown or Chinese brands, which left us with one clear winner: The best disposable battery for preppers is the Energizer Ultimate Lithium line at $33-$37 for a 12-pack of either AA or AAA. You can trust Energizer&#;s manufacturing and quality controls to deliver a predictable product, so you avoid any of the mystery-meat risk from lessor-known brands. They&#;re also the top of the heap for shelf life and capacity, holding their charge for up to 20 years!

The Ultimate Lithiums are commonly found in big-box retailers, so if you don&#;t want to buy a stockpile all at once, try to grab a smaller pack every month or so during a normal trip to the store.

Also Great

Energizer Ultimate Lithium 9V

Smoke detectors and many other types of preps take 9V batteries, so an up-front investment in these premium, high-capacity lithium 9V batteries will pay off in years of always-ready preps.

The market for C and D cell battery sizes isn&#;t nearly as robust as it is for the other sizes in this review. So while there are a number of lithium primary options on the market, there are none from makers that we trust. All of the batteries in this range that we found appear to come from Chinese factories with questionable quality variances. Unfortunately, that means we can&#;t recommend any lithium products in this category &#; use plain alkalines in the meantime, while moving your gear away from C and D sizes and/or embracing rechargeables.

There is an Energizer Ultimate Lithium 9V battery ($30 per pair), however, and we particularly like the long life of lithium batteries in 9V because many always-on but low-power-trickle products take that size (eg. smoke detectors). Which means you save money through less frequent battery changes and, because those products don&#;t kill batteries too quickly, they&#;re a backup source in case you need to cannibalize for more power after an emergency.

Our Picks

Best CR:

Sony CR

These quality coin cell batteries are perfect for powered firearm optics and other compact electronics. Reliability, safety, and longevity at a great price.

Best CR123:

SureFire CR123A

A favorite of hardcore flashlight and camera enthusiasts, these batteries are the benchmark that all other lithium primaries are measured against.

The best CR batteries are the $12 per box of 10 Sony CR, and just a handful of these tiny, long-shelf-life batteries will keep many popular powered rifle optics going for decades. Many firearm optics use the CR coin cell format, which is a prime example of an application where there&#;s really no point in looking for a rechargeable. Why bother with the reduced capacity of Li-Ion CR and the bulk and bother of a battery charger when you can just buy a few extra lithium primaries and call it a day?

CR123A is another common battery size outside of the AA family, often used in outdoor-oriented torches and weapon lights (eg. the ubiquitous Surefire Scout). Many enthusiasts and our own experts reach for $21 per box of 12 SureFire CR123A batteries every time. Sure, some flashlight geeks have their own idiosyncratic favorite brands, but the SureFire CR123A remains the most widely loved and commonly recommended lithium primary in this category.

With competitive price and timely delivery, SUNJ ENERGY sincerely hope to be your supplier and partner.

Why you should trust us

In addition to the 8 hours of research for this article, I interviewed a battery expert and an engineer at one of the top battery and charger makers. I also have an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and am one of the founders of the popular technology website Ars Technica. I&#;ve spent much of the past 20 years explaining complex technical topics to readers, and have written a book on microprocessor architecture.

Zinc-carbon, also known as carbon-zinc or the Leclanché battery, is one of the earliest and least expensive primary batteries. It delivers 1.5V and often come with consumer devices. The first zinc-carbon invented by Georges Leclanché in was wet.

Alkaline. Alkaline-manganese, also known as alkaline, is an improved version of the zinc-carbon battery and delivers 1.5V. Lewis Urry (&#;) invented alkaline in while working with the Eveready Battery Company laboratory in, Ohio, USA.

Alkaline delivers more energy at higher load currents than zinc-carbon. Furthermore, a regular household alkaline provides about 40 percent more energy than the average Li-ion but alkaline is not as strong as Li-ion on loading. Alkaline has very low self-discharge and does not leak electrolyte when depleted as the old zinc-carbon does, but it is not totally leak-proof.

All primary batteries produce a small amount of hydrogen gas on discharge and battery-powered devices must make provision for venting. Pressure buildup in the cell can rupture the seal and cause corrosion. This is visible in form of a feathery crystalline structure that can develop and spread to neighboring parts in the device and cause damage.

Lithium iron disulfide (Li-FeS2) is a newcomer to the primary battery family and offers improved performance compared to alkaline. Lithium batteries normally deliver 3 volts and higher, but Li-FeS2 has 1.5 volts to be compatible with the AA and AAA formats. It has a higher capacity and a lower internal resistance than alkaline. This enables moderate to heavy loads and is ideal for digital cameras. Further advantages are improved low temperature performance, superior leakage resistance and low self-discharge, allowing 15 years of storage at ambient temperatures.

The disadvantages of the Li-FeS2 are a higher price and transportation issues due to the lithium metal content in the anode. In , the US DOT and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned bulk shipments of primary lithium batteries on passenger flights, but airline passengers can still carry them on board if the allotted lithium content is not exceeded. Each AA-sized Li-FeS2 contains 0.98 grams of lithium; the air limitation of primary lithium batteries is 2 grams (8 grams for rechargeable Li-ion). This restricts each passenger to two cells, but exceptions have been made in which 12 sample batteries can be carried. (See BU-704a: Shipping Lithium-based Batteries by air)

The Li-FeS2 includes safety devices in the form of a positive thermal coefficient (PTC) that limits the current at high temperature and resets when normal. The Li-FeS2 cell cannot be recharged as is possible with NiMH in the AA and AAA formats. Recharging, putting a cell in backwards, mixing in a depleted cell or adding a foreign cell could cause a leak or explosion. (See BU-304a: Safety Concerns with Li-ion)

Figures 1 and 2 compare the discharge voltage and internal resistance of alkaline and Li-FeS2 at a 50mA pulsed load. Of interest is the flat voltage curve and the low internal resistance of lithium; alkaline shows a rapid voltage drop and a permanent increase in resistance with use. This shortens the runtime, especially at an elevated load.

Figure 1: Voltage and internal resistance of alkaline on discharge.
The internal resistance rises, causing the voltage to drop. Source: EnergizerFigure 2: Voltage and internal resistance of lithium on discharge.
The internal resistance remains low and the voltage stays flat. Source: Energizer

Lithium-thionyl chloride (LiSOCI2 or LTC) is one of the most rugged lithium-metal batteries. The ability to withstand high heat and strong vibration enables horizontal drilling, also known as fracking. Some LTC are said to operate from 0°C to 200°C (32°F to 392°F). Other uses are in medical and sensor applications.

With a specific energy of over 500Wh/kg, LTC offers twice the capacity of the best Li-ion. The nominal voltage is 3.60V/cell; the end-of-discharge cut-off voltage is 3.00V. The runtime is not based on capacity alone; thermal conditions and load pattern also have an effect. Constant current is more enduring than pulsed load; a phenomenon that applies to most batteries.

Like alkaline, lithium-thionyl chloride has a relatively high resistance and can only be used for moderate discharge loads. If stored for a time, a passivation layer forms between the lithium anode and the carbon-based cathode that dissipates when applying a load. This layer protects the battery by granting low self-discharge and a long shelf life. (See BU-701: How to Prime Batteries)

LTC is one of the most powerful and potent battery chemistries and should only be used by trained workers. For safety reasons, this battery is not used in consumer devices.

Lithium manganese dioxide (LiMnO2 or Li-M) is similar to LTC but has a lower specific capacity and is safe for public use. The voltage is 3.0&#;3.30V and the specific energy is about 280Wh/kg. Li-M is economically priced, has a long life and allows moderate loads but can deliver high pulse currents. Operational temperature ranges from -30°C to 60°C (-22°F to 140°F). Typical uses are meter sensing, medical devices, road toll sensors and cameras.

Lithium sulfur dioxide (LiSo2) is a primary battery with a voltage of 2.8V and an energy density up to 330Wh/kg. It offers a wide temperature range of --54°C to 71°C (-65°F to 160°F) with a projected shelf life of 5&#;10 years at room temperature. LiSo2 is inexpensive to make and is commonly used by the military. The Iraqi war used tons of these batteries, but it is giving way to the more superior Li-M.

Note: Primary lithium batteries are also known as lithium-metal. The cathode is carbon and the anode holds the active material, the reverse of Li-ion, which features a carbon anode.

Table 3 summarizes the most common primary batteries.

Primary CellAlkalineLithium iron disulfide
(LiFeS2)Lithium-thionyl chloride
(LiSOCI2 or LTC)Lithium manganese dioxide
(LiMnO2 or Li-M)Lithium sulfur dioxide
(LiSo2)Specific energy200Wh/kg300Wh/kg500Wh/kg280Wh/kg330Wh/kgVoltage1.5V1.5V3.6&#;3.9V3&#;3.3V2.8VPowerLowModerateExcellentModerateModeratePassivationN/AModerateModerateModerateModerateSafetyGoodGoodPrecautionGoodPrecautionPricingLowEconomicalIndustrialEconomicalIndustrialShelf life10 years15 years10&#;20 years10&#;20 years5&#;10 yearsOperating temp0°C to 60°C0°C to 60°C-55°C to 85°C, higher for short time-30°C to 60°C
some enable from
-55°C to 90°C-54°C to 71°CUsageConsumer devicesSwaps alkaline for higher power and long runtimeHorizontal drilling, (fracking). Not for consumer use.Meter sensing,
medical devices, road toll sensors, camerasDefense; being replaced by
LiMnO2Table 3: Summary table of common primary batteries. Values are estimated.

CAUTION:

LTC and Li-M are safe but workers handling these batteries must be familiar with safety precautions, transportation and disposal. Protect the batteries from heat, short circuit, and physical or electrical abuses.

The company is the world’s best lithium primary battery supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.