Pros & Cons of Rechargeable vs. Battery Hearing Aids
With each passing day, hearing aid technology continually evolves, becoming more efficient and user-friendly. Put simply: hearing aids have come a long way since your grandfather started using them.
Consistent with this is the emergence of rechargeable hearing aid batteries. This means you are now presented with a choice: which one is right for your needs? Read on to find out more.
Battery hearing aids: the original mainstay
Disposable zinc-air batteries are among the most common types of disposable batteries used. Oxygen unlocks the batteries. This means the battery is activated by removing a tab to expose the battery to the air. They should be discarded when the power is consumed, just like any other disposable battery.
Benefits of battery hearing aids
- Widespread availability: Replacements of hearing aid batteries are easily found in drug and electronics stores.
- Less maintenance: There is no need to charge them at night.
- Lower initial costs: Battery hearing aids are usually much cheaper than rechargeable hearing aids.
Drawbacks of battery hearing aids
- Less battery level certainty: The wearer must be continuously aware of how much power is left in the battery.
- Inconsistent performance: Based on temperature, degree of hearing loss, and other factors beyond the wearer’s control, battery life can vary drastically.
- Tricky for those with dexterity issues: It can be complicated to change disposable batteries since they are tiny, and the packets are tightly sealed.
- Less convenient: New batteries must be purchased regularly. On average, 100 hearing aid batteries are replaced each year by hearing aid wearers.
The evolution of rechargeable hearing aids
Due to the advent of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, rechargeable hearing aids have increased massively in popularity in the last few years.
This technology generates energy by transferring lithium ions inside a battery cell from a negative electrode to a positive electrode. In recent years, lithium-ion rechargeable batteries have become a mainstay of portable consumer electronics and are currently the technology of choice in your smartphone, headphones, and laptop.
To reuse the same battery, you only need to put it in the charger at the end of the day, just like you would with your smartphone.
Benefits of rechargeable hearing aids
- Only one battery needed: Rechargeable hearing aids can operate between charges for up to 30 hours and can be used for about five years until they need to be replaced.
- Consistent runtime: If you remember to charge them before bedtime, you will never face a dead battery the next day.
- More eco-friendly: Rechargeable batteries can be used hundreds of times. This suggests that fewer batteries and packages are sent to the landfill.
- Easier to handle: Those with arthritis or fine motor skills issues no longer have to fiddle with the hearing aid battery door.
- More power: Rechargeable batteries will get you through a whole day use, even if you are streaming content with Bluetooth.
Drawbacks of rechargeable hearing aids
- Higher initial cost: Rechargeable batteries come with a price tag that is far higher than non-rechargeable disposable batteries. However, they are considerably more cost-effective in the long run.
- Preparation required: Regular charging requires you to build a routine to charge the batteries every night.
- More moving parts are involved: If the charger malfunctions, you won’t have any power until this issue is resolved.
Which one is right for me?
Rechargeable batteries can be the best option if you use your hearing aid several hours a day, especially if you want to take advantage of power-hungry features like Bluetooth streaming or directional microphones. Find out which brand with work best for you, Phonak, Widex, Signia, ReSound, or Starkey.
However, if you only have the budget for a battery hearing aid at this point, that is also fine. The important thing is that you get a hearing aid. The longer you leave hearing loss untreated, the more it begins to affect your relationships with your loved ones, as well as a lead to a host of health issues.
Now that you know more about the benefits of each, it’s time to make a decision. Contact us today to be connected to a local provider, and you could save thousands off of your next pair of hearing aids!
