The only lithium button battery brand I recommend now - for serious safety reasons

Source: ZDNet

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Lithium button cells can cause severe injury or death if swallowed.
• Many makers coat their batteries in a bitter substance to discourage ingestion.
• Energizer has now added a marker dye to make it easier to spot ingestion.

Lithium button‑cell (sometimes called “coin cell”) batteries are everywhere—from car‑key fobs to Apple AirTags. While they seem innocent, ingestion can cause severe esophageal or airway damage in less than two hours and, in the worst cases, death.

Also: Using rechargeable batteries in your AirTags is not a smart idea – here’s why

Each year in the U.S. alone, ≈ 3,500 button cells are swallowed (mostly by children). I’ve seen these injuries in first‑aid training and they are no joke. Making button cells safer requires two things:

1. Preventing accidental ingestion.
2. Being able to spot a swallowed cell.

Bitter coating (Bitrex)

For several years, manufacturers have been coating batteries with Bitrex, the most bitter substance known. A thimbleful in an Olympic‑sized pool would make all the water bitter. Bitrex is also added to products such as bleach, antifreeze, and Nintendo game cards to deter ingestion. (You can even request a free taste‑test kit from the maker.)

Hard‑to‑open packaging

Manufacturers now use packaging that’s difficult to open without scissors, adding another barrier for both adults and children.

Adrian Kingsley‑Hughes / ZDNET

Adrian Kingsley‑Hughes / ZDNET

Energizer’s Color Alert line

Battery maker Energizer has taken safety a step further with its Color Alert line. In addition to the bitter coating and tough packaging, a food‑grade dye is applied in dots to the back of the battery, making ingestion easier to detect.

The Color Alert line includes common sizes such as CR2032, CR2025, and CR2016.

Adrian Kingsley‑Hughes / ZDNET

When the dye contacts water or saliva, it dissolves instantly, spreading a bright blue color that shows up vividly on skin, especially on the tongue.

Adrian Kingsley‑Hughes / ZDNET

Also: The best rechargeable batteries you can buy

The dye stains skin for many hours – in my tests it stayed on my skin for many hours, resisting several attempts to wash it off – and can alert caregivers that a button cell may have been ingested.

The dye gets everywhere and is very persistent! – Adrian Kingsley‑Hughes / ZDNET

Oh yes, and don’t forget about the Bitrex in the dye. I taste‑tested it and regretted it!

Yes, there’s Bitrex in the dye. Here I applied a small dot of the dye to my tongue and regretted it! – Adrian Kingsley‑Hughes / ZDNET

What to do if you suspect ingestion

• If you suspect that a button cell has been ingested, go to the emergency room immediately.
• If you are unsure, call Poison Control right away at 1‑800‑222‑1222.

The dye and Bitrex coating do not affect the usability of the batteries. There was an issue with some Duracell cells — see the report on the problem with AirTags and other devices — but I have not experienced any similar problems with the Energizer cells.

These are the safest button cells I’ve used, so I recommend buying only them. They keep you safe (not that most of my readers are going to eat batteries), keep children and vulnerable people around you safe, and also help keep pets safe (yeah, some of them will eat coin cells, too).

My experience with Energizer batteries

I’ve had no problems with Energizer batteries. I also use their lithium AA and AAA batteries when I need long life or resistance to cold temperatures, and the prices are reasonable:

• Lithium AA – Amazon link
• Lithium AAA – Amazon link

The most commonly used size, a six‑pack of CR2032 (the size that fits into AirTags), is only $7 – Amazon link.