Rechargeable hearing aid batteries for everyone.
Hearing aid technology has come a long way in the past decade, matching the most advanced smart electronic devices on the market. Many hearing aid manufacturers offer products that link up with iPhones, tablets, televisions, and digital sound systems, with apps that allow the wearer to control programs and volume wirelessly.
With these innovations, however, comes a new problem to solve: how to efficiently and responsibly power these newer hearing aids with wireless features?
Most hearing aids operate in the 1 to 1.6 voltage (V) range, with the most common battery the zinc air. Prior to new wireless features, zinc air hearing aid batteries could last anywhere between one to two weeks, which meant binaural hearing aid wearers used, on average, 100 zinc air batteries a year. Now, with the higher energy usage of wireless technology, zinc air batters last no longer than one to two days, on average. It is estimated that 150 billion zinc air hearing aid batteries are disposed of annually. This comes as a cost to both the hearing aid wearer and the environment.
Rechargeable Hearing Aid Models
In recent years, manufacturers began to offer hearing aid models with their own line of rechargeable power options. Siemens has the eCharger, a chamber into which you insert your hearing aids and which will dry out moisture and recharge batteries simultaneously. Similarly, Starkey offers the VFusion Rechargeable Battery System that recharges batteries via USB, but only for their non-wireless models. These solutions, while on the right track, are specific to the brand that hearing aid wearers use.
Convert your current hearing aid to rechargeable
Fortunately, there is a more inclusive solution on the market: the new silver-zinc (AgZn) rechargeable hearing aid battery from ZPower. This AgZn rechargeable battery solution includes three main elements: a rechargeable battery, a charger, and a new battery door custom made for selected hearing aids. As such, this battery can be used for a wide range of hearing aid models, regardless of the manufacturer. Even with wireless hearing aids, the AgZn battery lasts at least 24 hour before it needs another charge.
In terms of performance and fit, AgZn batteries do not interfere with the electrical and audio components of your hearing aid. After a battery door is custom-fitted on your hearing aid, you will only need to access this door once a year when it is time to replace the rechargeable battery. This ease of operation comes as a relief to many hearing aid wearers, who were previously changing their batteries multiple times a week or month.
In addition, the shelf life of the AgZn battery is a major benefit to both wallets and the environment: hearing aid wearers need to replace this battery once a year, and since they are reusable, the battery parts will be recycled by the manufacturer (as opposed to zinc air batteries which go straight to landfills). In other words, this means hearing aid wearers who use AgZn replaceable batteries are only purchasing one battery per hearing aid per calendar year – a significant reduction from 100 zinc air batteries!
If you are looking for more sustainable power solutions for your hearing aid, please visit or call the hearing professionals at Lifestyle Hearing Solutions to talk about options for a rechargeable AgZn battery.