If you’re tired of swapping out disposable button batteries from your hearing aids every few days, know that there is another option. Rechargeable hearing aids are becoming increasingly popular, and there’s now more on the market than ever before. In fact, according to a 2022 study, “52% of people surveyed in 2022 had a rechargeable hearing aid.” We review more about rechargeable hearing aids in this post.
The Benefits of Rechargeable Hearing Aids
Below we review some of the benefits of rechargeable hearing aids:
- They hold a long charge. Many rechargeable hearing aids can hold a charge for as long as 30 hours; however, if you’re streaming a lot, it will be less—more like 18 hours.
- The batteries themselves are long-lasting. Not only do they hold a long charge, but rechargeable hearing aid batteries are designed to be able to reuse for up to five to seven years—as long as your devices last before it’s time to upgrade.
- They’re easy to handle. For those with dexterity issues, rechargeable hearing aids are much easier to handle than hearing aids that take tiny button batteries, which need to be swapped out.
- They’re safer for pets and children. Whether you throw your hearing aid batteries in the trash (which you shouldn’t do!) or store them in a container until you take them somewhere they can be recycled, you run the risk of pets or children getting into and ingesting the batteries, which are toxic even if they’re used.
- They’re more environmentally friendly. You may go through up to 100 disposable batteries a year! Over the lifespan of your devices, you would likely only go through one rechargeable battery per device as opposed to as many as 500 disposable batteries.
The Downfalls of Rechargeable Hearing Aids
As with most good things, there are some downfalls as well. Some of the downfalls of rechargeable hearing aids are:
- They’re dependent on a charger and outlet. If you go out of town and forget your charger or you’re spending the day at Moroney Park with no access to power, you could be left without your sense of hearing.
- They’re limited in style options. Because rechargeable hearing aids are relatively new, there aren’t a ton of styles available.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a hearing aid expert, call North Shore Audio-Vestibular Lab today.