394 Battery Equivalents and Replacements: LR936, SR936, SR936W, SR936SW, AG9, SG9, LR45, SR45 Batteries
394, LR936, SR936, SR936W, SR936SW, AG9, SG9, LR45, SR45, etc. batteries are small and compact button/coin-cell batteries commonly used in toys, micro-flashlights, watches, wearable electronics, remote controls, and similar.
These very popular batteries come in alkaline and silver-oxide chemistry, often sharing the same labels, leading to certain confusion among the users. But, with the most reputable brands producing excellent silver-oxide models, end-users should not have issues in getting the new 394 battery replacements.
Published: March 25, 2021.
394/LR936/SR936 Batteries Features and Specifications
394/LR936/SR936 are button/coin cell featuring physical dimensions of 9.5 x 3.6 mm (0.3740 x 0.1417 inches) and they come in two chemistries: alkaline and silver-oxide.
Alkaline 9.5 x 3.6 mm batteries feature nominal voltage of 1.5 volts, cut-off voltage of ~0.9 volts, and nominal capacity around 45-50 mAh.
Nominal capacity depends on the drain current, battery temperature, battery age, and similar.
Alkaline 9.5 x 3.6 mm batteries are commonly labeled as LR45, LR936, AG9, but some manufacturers often add their custom labels.
LR936 batteries usually feature a shelf life of 2-3 years. Also, during discharge, their output voltage drops over time.
Silver Oxide 9.5 x 3.6 mm batteries feature nominal voltage of 1.55 volts, cut-off voltage of 1.2 volts, and nominal capacity of 60-85 mAh - nominal capacity depends on the drain current, temperature, battery age, and similar.
Silver Oxide 9.5 x 3.6 mm batteries are commonly labeled as 394 (low-drain), 380 (high-drain), SR45, 1161SO, SG9, SR936, SR936W (high-drain), SR936SW (low-drain), etc.
Low-drain silver-oxide 9.5 x 3.6 mm batteries may have a higher standard current than high-drain batteries, but they are not designed for strong pulse currents, required by some devices.
But, thanks to the developments in technology, most modern silver-oxide 9.5 x 3.6 mm batteries are multi-drain 394/380 batteries suitable for various applications.
When compared with alkaline LR936 batteries, 394/380 batteries have longer shelf-life and much more stable output voltage.
394/380 Battery Cross Reference Chart
The following cross reference chart lists some of the most popular silver-oxide 394/380 (SR936, SR936W, SR936SW, SG9) batteries with their most important features and specifications:
| Battery | Nominal/Cut-Off Voltage | Nominal Capacity | Operating Temperature | Annual Self-Discharge Rate | Standard Discharge Current | Datasheet |
| Duracell D394 | 1.55V/1.2V | 84 mAh, 15kΩ, down to 1.2V @20°C | 0°C to +60°C | ≤10% @20% | - | Duracell D394 |
| Energizer 394/380 | 1.55V/1.2V | 63 mAh, 15kΩ, down to 1.2V @21°C | - | ~2% @20°C | 101 μA @1.51V 15kΩ @21°C | Energizer 394/380 |
| muRata SR936 | 1.55V/1.2V | 75 mAh, 15kΩ, down to 1.2V @23°C | -10°C to +60°C | - | ~60 mAh @1 mA, ~17 mAh @10mA | muRata SR936 |
| Renata 380/SR936W (High Drain) |
1.55V/1.2V | 82 mAh, 15kΩ, down to 1.2V @20°C | -10°C to +60°C | ≤10% @20% | 103 μA 15kΩ @21°C | Renata 380/SR936W |
| Renata 394/SR936SW (Low Drain) |
1.55V/1.2V | 84 mAh, 10kΩ, down to 1.2V @20°C | -10°C to +60°C | ≤5% @20% | 156 μA 15kΩ @21°C | Renata 394/SR936SW |
As one can see, the nominal capacity of the silver-oxide 9.5 x 3.6 mm batteries in the chart depends on the drain current and temperature.
Self-discharge rate depends on the temperature, but it is usually given for storage at room temperature (20-25°C) and varies between 2 and 10% annually.
Standard discharge current is ~0.1 mA, but silver-oxide 394/380 batteries may provide currents up to or even more than 10 mA, but with certain capacity loss.
394/380, LR936, SR936 Batteries Safety Issues
As with all similar small batteries, 394/380, LR936, SR936 should be kept away from kids and pets - batteries are small, shiny objects that are small enough to be swallowed.
Although modern 394/380, LR936, SR936 batteries feature 0% of mercury and other heavy metals (cadmium, lead, etc.) and as such, they are not poisonous, button/coin cell batteries when swallowed can cause electrolytic reactions creating chemical burns inside human/pet body.
If 394/380, LR936, SR936, or any similar battery gets swallowed, contact immediately nearest emergency center, explain what happened, and act according to their instructions.
Long Story Short: Both alkaline and silver-oxide 9.5 x 3.6 mm batteries are fairly cheap and easy to find batteries.
Silver-oxide batteries offer more stable voltage which can be very important for watches, calculators, and similar devices.
Also, they feature higher capacity and generally longer shelf-life.
If You are looking for a 394/380 battery replacement, go for 394/380, SR936, SR936W, SR936SW or similarly labeled silver-oxide battery from some of the most reputable brands with good reviews - such batteries have been already tried and tested by numerous users in real-life situations ...
