Rechargeable Hearing Aid Batteries
Wearing hearing aids to correct hearing loss helps you hear the world around you and enhances your quality of life. If you depend on hearing aids you need to keep them working properly. The batteries powering your hearing aids are essential to their performance.
The batteries used in modern hearing aids are small, safe, long-lasting, light, mercury-free, and powerful.
Hearing aid manufacturers have determined that today’s best battery technologies are disposable zinc-air and rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
Older Battery Technology
Nickel-Metal Hydride Rechargeable Batteries
In the past, common rechargeable hearing aid batteries were nickel-metal hydride (NiMH). This type of battery has been used in hearing aids for many years.
However, NiMH batteries have a low energy density compared to the more common zinc-air disposable hearing aid batteries. Due to their low energy density, NiMH batteries do not last long before needing recharging. NiMH batteries can’t meet the energy needs of today’s power-consumptive digital hearing aids. Even when fully charged, a NiMH battery cannot provide enough power to operate most modern digital hearing aids for a full day. Also, NiMH batteries tend to lose capacity over time needing to be replaced annually.
Silver-Zinc Rechargeable Batteries
Silver-zinc rechargeable batteries (ZPower) for hearing aids are a newer technology, and they held a great deal of promise for the hearing aid industry. Silver-zinc rechargeable batteries have a high energy density and deliver enough power for 24 hours of continuous use on a single charge.
Unfortunately, silver-zinc rechargeable hearing aid batteries do not have enough charge cycles for practical use. These batteries would often last only a few months to a year and then would have to be replaced.
Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Batteries
Lithium-ion rechargeable (Li-ion) batteries power smartphones, tablets, laptops, and most modern consumer electronics, including hearing aids. Rechargeable hearing aid batteries are becoming more and more common due to their convenience. Li-ion has a high energy density and a small footprint, making it ideal for use in hearing aids. Li-ion rechargeable batteries provide enough power for all-day use for hearing aid wearers.
Lithium-Ion rechargeable hearing aid batteries benefits:
- Simple to use: No need to change the battery weekly
- Portable: Small and lightweight. Uses a charger with a USB connector
- Intelligent: Automatically charges when placed in the charger
- Fast: Overnight charge delivers all-day performance
- Hassle-free: Easy-to-use charger
- Long-lasting: 16+ hours of use on a single charge
- Flexible: USB charger cables can be used in vehicles as well as common power sources almost everywhere
Rechargeable hearing aid batteries are a great option for people with dexterity issues, as they don’t have to open and close the battery door every night and morning to turn the hearing aids off and on or change the small battery weekly. An additional benefit is that they can be safer around small children or animals, who might swallow disposable hearing aid batteries.
On the other hand, these types of hearing aid batteries do need to be recharged every night. That means forgetting to charge overnight could lead to a day without a working hearing aid.
Replacing Li-ion rechargeable Hearing Aid Batteries
Typically, Li-ion batteries are incorporated into the hearing aid case, providing better dirt and moisture protection. Li-ion batteries are usually not removable, but some hearing aid manufacturers (Oticon) did design specific hearing aid models with replaceable Li-ion batteries. Over time, Li-ion hearing aid batteries will need to be replaced. Since the batteries are incorporated into the hearing aid case itself, the battery replacement will need to be done by the hearing aid manufacturer themselves or a hearing aid repair lab like HearSource (hearing aid rechargeable battery replacement).
