As the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, more and more Americans will continue to rely on hearing aids. As such, hearing aids will become more and more popular. Today’s market continues to respond to this increase in demand by formulating devices that are more technologically advanced than ever before. One of the better advancements in the last decade is the creation of a longer lasting hearing aid battery.
While battery life has improved overall, and manufacturers have been able to successfully create rechargeable batteries, a hearing aid battery’s life is determined by myriad factors, including:
- Type/style of hearing aid
- Size of hearing aid
- Equipped features
The general rule is: The smaller the hearing aid and hearing aid battery, the shorter the battery life will be; the larger the hearing aid and hearing aid battery, the longer the life will be. During your hearing aid fitting with Hearing Aid Consultants of North Mississippi, your audiologist will talk to you about battery information, including what brand and type you’ll need and how to best maintain your hearing aid battery.
Battery types
Two types of batteries are available on the market: zinc-air batteries and rechargeable batteries. Zinc-air batteries are the most common batteries in the hearing aid market. These batteries are activated once a factory-sealed sticker is peeled off the back of the battery. Once the sticker is removed, oxygen will interact with the zinc to activate; this process usually requires about one minute to finish.
Rechargeable batteries are available in all sizes. Most take about two hours to recharge. Unfortunately, not every hearing aid is suitable for rechargeable batteries; your Hearing Aid Consultant of North Mississippi audiologist will help you determine which is best.
Both types of batteries are available in four sizes: 10, 312, 13 and 675.
- Size 10: 5.8 mm wide by 3.6 mm high
- Size 312: 7.9 mm wide by 3.6 mm high
- Size 13: 7.9 mm wide by 5.4 mm high
- Size 675: 11.6 mm wide by 5.4 mm high
Because the sizes can be difficult to remember, hearing aid battery manufacturers have created a color-coded system to make it easier for consumers to remember:
- Size 10 batteries: Yellow label
- Size 312 batteries: Brown label
- Size 13 batteries: Orange label
- Size 675 batteries: Blue label
Some common types of hearing aid batteries include:
- Size 13 batteries/Orange label: In-the-ear hearing aids
- Size 312 batteries/Brown label: In-the-canal and mini behind-the-ear hearing aids
- Size 10 batteries/Yellow label: In-the-canal and completely-in-canal hearing aids
- Size 675/Blue label: Behind-the-ear hearing aids
Extending the life of batteries
How long the battery lasts depends on many factors, but usually, the battery size and your hearing aid accessories affect battery life the most Based on size, hearing aid battery life is as follows:
- Size 10/Yellow: 80 hours
- Size 312/Brown: 175 hours
- Size 13/Orange: 240 hours
- Size 675/Blue: 300 hours
At Hearing Aid Consultants of North Mississippi, we recommend that our clients keep the battery door of their hearing aids open when the devices are not in use. Doing so, while also storing the devices in a cool, dry place, can help extend the life of the hearing aid battery.
When it is time to change the battery of your hearing aid, you will be notified by a beep or notification from an associated app (if applicable). We recommend clients keeping extra batteries on hand at all times, as usage times can vary.