Even though the battery performance for hearing aids might sound like a straightforward question to answer, in truth it depends on a variety of factors. One factor is the manufacturer of the hearing aid. Battery performance differs by manufacturer and also by model from the same company. The actual life of a hearing aid battery also depends upon the amount of time each day that the hearing aid is on. As you would expect, the more you use your hearing aid, the faster the batteries will be used up.
There are even varying battery lives in the same size of hearing aid battery depending on the manufacturer, and depending on if you are purchasing that manufacturer’s “premium” line or their “normal” line of batteries. Hearing aid battery life also depends on battery type; for example some varieties are only discharging power when they are inside a hearing aid that is on, and other varieties (such as, zinc-air batteries) start burning stored energy as soon as you remove the adhesive strip on the bottom of the battery and they’re in contact with oxygen, regardless of whether the hearing aid is on or not.
If you are looking for a new hearing aid, you might wish to do some research first to see which have the best ratings for battery life, because that could influence your choice of which type or which model of hearing aid to purchase. The same research suggestion holds true if you have an existing hearing aid and are looking for the batteries with the longest life for it; you can uncover a great deal from consumer ratings and comparative reports.
Thankfully, when shopping for hearing aid batteries, their manufacturers have made things a little easier for you by standardizing their sizes and color-coding each size; the identical color codes are used by all manufacturers. The hours listed below for each size are approximations, but can give you a basic idea of how long batteries of each size ought to last given normal use:
- Yellow – #10 about 80 hours
- Orange – #13 about 240 hours
- Brown – #312 about 175 hours
- Blue – #675 about 300 hours
To ensure the longest life for your batteries when they’re in the hearing aid, turn the hearing aid off when you’re not wearing it. To ensure the longest shelf life for hearing aid batteries you have purchased but haven’t used yet, store them indoors, at room temperature, and in their original, unopened packaging.