A survey of 1,000 hearing aid users done by Hearing Tracker found that the most popular hearing aid battery size is 312. In addition, the average hearing aid user wears their hearing aids 13 hours a day, and their batteries last an average of seven days.
Powering up your hearing aids is absolutely essential, but there are some things you can do to get extra life out of your batteries, and keep your hearing aids working at peak performance.
To help make your hearing aid batteries last longer, here is some more information about hearing aid batteries that you may find helpful.
- Wait before taking the sticker off your batteries. That’s because zinc air hearing aid batteries are powered by oxygen. The sticker seals the battery, keeping it fresh until it is used. The battery is activated when the sticker is removed. If you allow your battery to sit exposed to air for 1-2 minutes prior to inserting it into the hearing aid, you will maximize your battery life.
- It is best to store hearing aid batteries at room temperature (68-77°F). Heat also can shorten their lifespan and humid environments are not suitable for storage.
Many other things affect the life of hearing aid batteries, including:
- Amount of time the battery is in use. Be sure to turn your hearing aids off by completely opening the battery door at night and when not in use.
- Size of battery.
- Amount of hearing loss; power required.
- Environmental influences (humidity and temperature).
- Changes in listening environments, such as higher levels of background noise.
- Use of additional features, such as Bluetooth streaming, which requires more energy.
Under normal circumstances, batteries should have a two to three-year shelf life. To be certain you get the freshest batteries, buy them from a professional clinic rather than from a drugstore, at shopping clubs or online. Look for a use by or fresh by date on the packaging. Professional batteries work best with the digital technology and wireless connectivity features found in high-performing hearing aids. This means that although less expensive batteries are available, they could end up costing more if they power your hearing aids for a shorter period of time. In addition, less expensive batteries can negatively affect the performance of your hearing aids especially if they have an unstable voltage delivery.
Safety Tips
Small button batteries used in hearing aids can be a safety hazard if accidentally swallowed. This is a concern if you have children, grandchildren or pets in your home who are attracted to these small shiny objects. Here are some additional tips to consider:
- Keep batteries in a container with a lid for safety, and keep them in a closet or cabinet on the highest shelf you can reach.
- Keep your batteries separate from your medications. Hearing aid batteries are the same size and shape as many prescriptions and can be accidentally swallowed, even by adults.
- If someone in your home accidentally swallows a battery, call 911 or seek medical attention immediately.
Recycling Your Batteries
Most hearing aid batteries no longer contain mercury, but they do contain other chemicals that should be handled carefully and recycled. The safest way to dispose of these batteries is to take them to a community recycling center where any chemicals can safely be removed, and the remaining components properly disposed of.
Be sure to talk with your audiologist about which batteries work best with your hearing aids or visit our battery page on our website.
