Is there a way to extend the life of hearing aid batteries?

Depending on your hearing aid model and level of usage, your batteries will need to be changed every three to ten days. Most hearing aids give you a signal when the battery is about to die. However, waiting until the batteries are almost dead is not the best maintenance strategy. It puts you at risk of losing power during the middle of important activities—like a concert, meeting, or family gathering. It’s better to develop a habit of changing out batteries before they near depletion.

A better approach is to keep track of how often you need to change your batteries on a calendar. For example, if your level of usage requires a weekly replacement, give yourself a reminder on the calendar on the day of the week you need to replace them. Then change them on the same day every week.

Extend Your Battery Life

There are a couple of ways to extend the life of your batteries. A recent study found that batteries will last longer if you wait 5 minutes after taking the tag off of the battery before inserting it into the hearing aid. Hearing aid batteries are oxygen activated, so following the “5-minute rule” will allow them to fully activate so they’ll perform better and last longer as a result. Another way to extend the life of your batteries is to open the battery door on the hearing aid when you take them out for the night. Opening the door turns the hearing aid off, which reduces the power drain on the batteries when they’re not in use.

Rechargeable Options

For some hearing aid users, rechargeable hearing aids may be a good alternative to battery-powered hearing aids. Keep in mind, rechargeable hearing aids need to be recharged every night and will only last 18-24 hours per charge. Additionally, you will have to replace your rechargeable battery about once a year. Due to the higher cost of rechargeable batteries, it may not provide much—if any—cost savings. However, rechargeable hearing aids may be more convenient for you if replacing standard batteries on a regular basis is difficult or bothersome due to difficulty seeing or manipulating small objects.