The Pros and Cons of Rechargeable Hearing Aid Batteries

When you are given hearing aids to help with your hearing loss, the first thing you will likely notice is just how many options there are. Thankfully, your audiologist will always be keen to help you decide and ultimately they are going to know exactly which hearing aids are best for your needs. One of the differences between hearing aids is to be found in the batteries – because some have rechargeable batteries and others do not.

If you are wondering which is best and which you might need for yourself, you might need to know about some of the main pros and cons of rechargeable hearing aid batteries and hearing aids that have them. Let’s take a look at that right now, so you can better decide what’s right for you.

What Are Rechargeable Hearing Aid Batteries?

As the name suggests, these are simply batteries which you are able to recharge, meaning that you won’t have to worry too much about buying new batteries all the time. With disposable batteries, the other main type of battery that hearing aids have, you’ll find that you are much more likely to produce a lot of waste – and if you have forgotten to get some new batteries, then you might accidentally end up in a situation where you can’t use your hearing aids at all.

On the other hand, with rechargeable hearing aid batteries, those concerns are not going to apply and you’ll be able to enjoy the fact that all you ever have to do is ensure you keep them charged. Now that we have looked into the essential differences between the two main types of battery, let’s discuss some of the main pros and cons of rechargeable batteries.

The Advantages of Rechargeable Hearing Aid Batteries

First of all, the pros. What are some of the good things about having rechargeable hearing aid batteries for your hearing aids? Here are some of the main ones that you should be aware of.

Last Longer

Above all, you’ll find that rechargeable hearing aid batteries do tend to last a lot longer. This increased shelf life is really important for a number of reasons, not least the fact that you won’t have to worry about the expense of replacing batteries all the time. The current generation of rechargeable hearing aids use lithium-ion batteries, which are generally able to hold a charge for 30 hours or so, and last for about five years before needing a replacement.

Safer

One of the problems with the disposable type of battery is that they tend to be quite unsafe for children in particular, because they are often small button-sized batteries which can easily get choked upon and end up in places where you would rather, they weren’t. But with rechargeable batteries, this risk is not quite as high, because the whole hearing aid would have to be swallowed for choking to occur.

Eco-Friendly

More and more of us are trying to keep our environmental impact low. This is one way that you can do that. When you have a lot of batteries that you have to replace all the time, it essentially means that you are producing a lot of waste. That’s always the case with disposable options of any kind or any product, after all. So, it’s a really good idea to opt for rechargeable batteries instead.

Less Control

Because you can’t physically remove the batteries yourself, there is less control here – you’ll have to have an audiologist help you if the battery needs replacing, for instance. That can be less convenient than you might like.

Fewer Styles

There are altogether far fewer hearing aid styles to choose from with rechargeable hearing aid batteries, so it is not always possible for everyone. Your audiologist will be able to help you decide on this.

Dependent on Charging

Of course, you have to remember to charge the batteries in order to use the hearing aid, so that is something that can be problematic for some people and which you will need to be aware of.

Depending on the type of hearing aid you might need, it’s best to get in touch with a trusted audiologist such as Peninsula Hearing. You can contact their friendly Poulsbo team at 360-697-3061 or the Port Townsend team at 360-379-5458. We look forward to hearing from you.