People are often surprised by modern hearing aids. Nowadays, hearing aids come in a variety of sizes, from the more recognizable ones that sit behind your ears to tiny hearing aids that are basically invisible once you have put them in your ears.
Along with size variations, there is plenty of engaging hearing aid technology to enjoy, from crystal-clear hearing aid Bluetooth streaming to rechargeable hearing aid batteries.
What Are Rechargeable Hearing Aids
If you haven’t heard about rechargeable hearing aids before, then you are in for a treat. Since pretty much nobody likes to scrounge around for batteries—let alone the small batteries that hearing aids use—most of our technology is becoming rechargeable and hearing aids are no exception. So, along with charging your smartphone at night, you can now set up your rechargeable hearing aids.
Rechargeable hearing aids are designed to be sealed hearing aid units that can be placed on a charger to refresh the power level. Many of the best rechargeable hearing aids have a quick charge ability that allows you to leave your hearing aids to charge for 30 minutes and get around 3 hours of clear hearing, just in case you forgot the night before. Some hearing aids can go over 30 hours without needing a charge if you start the day with a full battery.
Types Of Rechargeable Hearing Aids
When it comes to the types of available rechargeable hearing aid technology, there are two basic types—silver-zinc batteries and lithium-ion batteries.
Silver-Zinc Batteries
Hearing aids that use silver-zinc rechargeable batteries are a popular option for several reasons. For one thing, these rechargeable batteries are not sealed away and can be changed out when the battery no longer holds a charge. Generally, a rechargeable silver-zinc battery will be able to be recharged for a year, then need to be replaced.
You can also swap out the rechargeable battery for a normal zinc-air hearing aid battery if you forgot to charge your hearing aids, making this type of hearing aid battery pretty versatile. Also, you can recycle silver-zinc batteries when you are done with them.
Lithium-ion Batteries
With lithium-ion batteries, they generally last several years of recharging before needing to be replaced. However, when this type of battery is no longer able to hold a charge, the entire unit needs to be replaced, as the hearing aid is sealed to protect users from potential fire hazards.
While you can’t swap out batteries or recycle lithium-ion batteries, they do hold a charge for longer, which can be helpful if you want to do things like stream music to your hearing aids.
Common Questions About Rechargeable Hearing Aid
As many people are more used to the hearing aids their grandparents had, our hearing health care professionals at Hearing Associates of Las Vegas have heard a lot of the same questions. To help answer some of your questions about rechargeable hearing aids, we have gathered and responded to the top common question regarding rechargeable hearing aids.
Do rechargeable hearing aids work?
Yes, rechargeable hearing aids work! As long as the charging instructions are followed, you should be able to enjoy clear sound quality and fully charged hearing aids on a daily basis.
What hearing aids are rechargeable?
At this time, only Receiver-In-Canal (RIC) style hearing aids are rechargeable. The smaller hearing aids that sit in your ear are a bit too small for rechargeable technology.
Can you get rechargeable hearing aid batteries?
You can buy rechargeable hearing aid batteries. But if your hearing aids are not designed to support rechargeable batteries, they won’t do anything for you.
However, some hearing aids can be retro-fit to be rechargeable hearing aids. If you want to see if your current hearing aids can be upgraded to be rechargeable, be sure to contact us for a consultation with our hearing instrument specialists.
How long do rechargeable hearing aids last?
Silver-zinc hearing aid batteries will generally last six months to a year. These can be changed out for fresh rechargeable batteries.
Lithium-ion hearing aid batteries will last for about four years. Once they are no longer able to hold a charge, the whole hearing aid will need replacing.
Who makes rechargeable hearing aids?
All the major hearing aid brands make at least one style of rechargeable hearing aid as well as the smaller hearing aid manufacturers. So, if you are interested, you will have plenty of options to choose from.
How much do rechargeable hearing aids cost?
The rechargeable hearing aid batteries on their own don’t cost too much. On average, silver-zinc batteries will cost around $25-$50 per battery. As for lithium-ion batteries, they tend to cost around $200 per battery, with the higher price point being off-set by the longer lifespan.
As for the rechargeable hearing aid themselves, those can be on the pricier side. Often, one rechargeable hearing aid can cost $1,500-$3,000 on average. However, that price is similar to other non-rechargeable hearing aids, especially if they come with the amount of advanced hearing technology that rechargeable hearing aids usually include.
Benefits Of Rechargeable Hearing Aids
There are many benefits to using rechargeable hearing aids. While not all the benefits may be what you need, there is likely several advantages that you will enjoy when it comes to using rechargeable hearing aids.
- Safer to use – Having loose disposable hearing aid batteries can pose a risk to children and pets, as they are highly toxic if ingested. That risk is eliminated with rechargeable batteries.
- Excellent runtime – Older rechargeable batteries of just a decade ago wouldn’t last more than 8-14 hours. Yet, with modern rechargeable hearing aid batteries, you generally can get 30 hours of runtime without any issue.
- Effortless handling – Changing out tiny, disposable hearing aid batteries can be incredibly frustrating, especially if you have issues with your dexterity. With rechargeable hearing aids, you just need to pop them on their charger and call it good.
- Convenient charging – Hearing aid charging stations are often small, making it easy to find a spot on your dresser to put your hearing aids away for the night. Also, some rechargeable hearing aids come with small, portable charging stations, so you can charge on the go.
- Cost-effective – Rather than constantly buying replacement batteries—and potentially losing some of the replacements anyway—rechargeable batteries are more of a one-and-done kind of deal. Even if you have to replace two silver-zinc batteries once a year, that is more budget-friendly than the $200+ you may end up spending a year on disposable batteries.
Top Three Rechargeable Hearing Aids
Widex EVOKE Hearing Aids
From the hearing aid manufacturer Widex, you can enjoy outstanding rechargeable hearing aids when you choose the EVOKE rechargeable hearing aids. With these hearing aids, you can manage your tinnitus with the Widex Zen Therapy built into EVOKE hearing aids as well as enjoy excellent sound clarity.
As the Widex EVOKE hearing aids come with silver-zinc rechargeable hearing aid batteries, you can easily replace the old rechargeable batteries when they wear out and not have to replace the entire hearing aid.
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New from Oticon is the Opn S rechargeable hearing aids. The upgraded Opn S hearing aids come with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries built-in. If you prefer silver-zinc rechargeable batteries, the original Opn still comes with silver-zinc rechargeable hearing aid batteries.
With the Opn S, you can enjoy the smallest rechargeable hearing aids available, as Oticon offers mini Receiver-In-Canal hearing aids. So, you can have rechargeability along with other excellent features while enjoying discreet hearing aids.
Signia Styletto Hearing Aids
Created by Signia, the Styletto brings fashion to rechargeable hearing aids. Signia redesigned their lithium-ion battery to create a more sleek hearing aid that can act as an accessory to your overall outfit, rather than being something you want to hide.
The Styletto comes with a pocket-sized rechargeable pack that can carry a charge without being plugged in. You can recharge the Styletto hearing aids three times with just the pack before you need to recharge the portable charging station.
Find Rechargeable Hearing Aids At Hearing Associates Of Las Vegas
No matter how great hearing aids are, what really matters is how well the hearing aids are programmed for your hearing needs. That’s why our hearing health care professionals take the time to provide personalized care here at Hearing Associates of Las Vegas. Our hearing clinics are independent, so you can always be assured of quality care and access to the best variety of hearing aids, from high-tech rechargeable hearing aids to more streamlined analog hearing aids.
If you are interested in rechargeable hearing aids, please contact us! We look forward to helping you see if rechargeable hearing aids are right for you and your hearing needs.
info@hearingassociateslv.com
