Rechargeable Hearing Aids UK: Are rechargeable hearing aids better than battery?

Battery vs rechargeable hearing aids

Why use rechargeable hearing aids?

Are rechargeable hearing aids better?

Rechargeable hearing aids are a type of hearing aid that uses a rechargeable battery instead of disposable batteries. These types of hearing aids can be convenient and cost-effective for people with hearing loss, as they eliminate the need to constantly purchase and replace batteries.

One of the main benefits of rechargeable hearing aids is their convenience. With traditional hearing aids, users need to constantly purchase and replace batteries, which can be inconvenient and costly.

Rechargeable hearing aids, on the other hand, can be charged using a charging station or a micro USB cable, which means that users only need to replace the battery every few years (depending on the specific hearing aid).

What are the differences between traditional and rechargeable hearing aids?

There is a definitive gap between the digital hearing aids of today and the ones your parents or grandparents used to use. Alongside Bluetooth technology, one of the most exciting recent developments is rechargeable hearing aids.

Hearing aids are either powered by disposable or rechargeable batteries. Whilst traditional batteries are still popular - more people are looking to the freedom and convenience of rechargeables.  Industry predictions are indicating that soon rechargeable solutions will become more attractive to consumers than traditional ones.

Phonak was the first hearing aid manufacturer to include rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in their devices, which simply mirrors the technology found in your smartphone and other rechargeable consumables.  Providing reliable connection and power even to the most power-hungry of Bluetooth devices.

Around four years later all the rest of the main hearing aid brands followed suit, as constant technology advancements led to increasing battery life and pathing the way for more malleable and smaller form factors. 

Is this the last redoubt of disposable batteries?

For a long time, hearing aids have relied solely on disposable zinc-air batteries. It’s easy to see why, as they are cheap, simple to replace, and widely available. But with rechargeable technology making headway in other consumer devices such as smartphones, e-readers, and tablets - people started to demand the same convenience with their hearing aids.

You might be thinking about upgrading, switching to a rechargeable device, and preferring not to change your batteries.  You won't be on your own, as hearing aid wearers are now making it obvious that they prefer rechargeable models over disposable ones.

Saying that they are not for everyone and along with useful information, discovering what's available, and our review further down the page - we hope to help you decide whether they are right for you.

Are rechargeable hearing aids worth it?  

What are the advantages of rechargeable hearing aids?

Are rechargeable hearing aids better than battery? 

There are many reasons to take advantage of lithium-ion rechargeable hearing aid technology. Take a look at the rechargeable hearing aid pros and how they work to see if you think investing in them would be a benefit to you.

1.  Rechargeable hearing aids are more convenient

If you are wondering how rechargeable hearing aids work, you simply place the rechargeable hearing aids in the charging dock overnight to charge and your hearing devices are primed and ready to go in the morning. Most models take advantage of inductive charging, which makes it even easier to charge your hearing aids before bed.

You don't have to remember to buy batteries or carry spares, and your battery won't let you down at the most inopportune times.

2.  Rechargeable hearing aids are better for the environment

Rechargeable hearing aid batteries also contribute to saving the environment. Batteries are fairly difficult to recycle and people don't usually make sure that they are carefully disposed of. Rechargeable batteries must of course also be carefully disposed of, but this is much less often than the average hearing aid battery!

They often contain heavy metals and other toxic substances that can leach into the soil and water.  These are usually corrosive materials and are commonly found in many hearing aid batteries because of the battery production process. The casing can disintegrate if the batteries are not properly disposed of, causing these harmful substances to leak into the environment.

This can lead to soil and water contamination and can negatively affect animals as well as humans. Rechargeable hearing aids, on the other hand, are more environmentally friendly, as they can be charged and reused multiple times.

3.  Rechargeable hearing aids are better for the less dextrous

You don't have to mess with small batteries every few days with rechargeable hearing aid batteries. If someone has visual or dexterity issues, the small size of conventional disposable hearing aid batteries and hearing aids themselves can be tricky to replace.

4.  The new rechargeable batteries are better

Batteries did not need to be replaced often with older hearing aid models because they had no wireless and digital functionality. But traditional zinc-air batteries do not last as long as they once did with newer hearing aid models, because of today's more advanced technology. You could have to switch the batteries a few times a week, instead of once a month.

But lithium-ion rechargeable hearing aid batteries can keep up with all the power needs of today's digital technology while maintaining enough charge for an entire day of the hearing.

 5.  There are more additional features with rechargeable hearing aids

In addition to these benefits, rechargeable hearing aids may also offer some additional features that can improve the overall listening experience. For example, many models come with noise reduction and feedback reduction technologies, which can help to improve speech understanding in noisy environments.

They may also come with directional microphones, which can help to improve speech understanding by focusing on the person speaking in front of the wearer.

Disadvantages of rechargeable hearing aids

 Are there any cons to rechargeable hearing aids?

What are the disadvantages of rechargeable hearing aids? 

While rechargeable hearing aids offer several advantages, they also come with a few potential disadvantages that individuals should consider before making a decision. Here are some of the drawbacks associated with rechargeable hearing aids:

Winner

Resound Nexia rechargeable hearing aids

Why we picked it

As well as benefiting from reduced feedback, maintaining amplification without sound quality loss and a 150% improvement in speech understanding, these rechargeable hearing aids have a powerful battery that gives you a comfortable 30 hours of wear from a single charge.  They are also durable as they have a nano-coating and come with either a premium, standard, or desktop charger.

Pros

• You will still have power for up to 24 hours with 8 hours of streaming
• Advanced Speech in Noise and processing both 360 and front focus
• Suitable for mild to severe hearing loss
• iPhone and Android connectivity
• Now includes Auracast Broadcast Audio technology
• The microRIE rechargeable hearing aid is 24% smaller than Resound's standard RICs

Cons

• Less technology levels are available compared to other models
• Less colour options

Second Place

Starkey Genesis AI rechargeable hearing aids

Why we picked it

This rechargeable hearing aid provides wearers with up to 80 million adjustments each hour along with advanced rechargeable technology. These cutting-edge hearing aids use their AI capabilities to redefine the way we process sound.  This range also features Starkey's DNN (Deep Neural Network) and the industry's most advanced Neuro processor.

Improvements in battery life can give up to 51 hours on a single charge and with just 7 minutes of charging, 3 hours of use when using the Premium Custom Mini Charge, for on-the-go charging. 

Pros

• Available in many hearing aid styles
• Includes modern features like tap control and hands-free
• Onboard health and data tracking
• Improvements in battery life with 2 charging options available

Cons

• Some models aren't compatible with the MyStarkey app
• Casing colours are limited

Runner Up

Phonak Audeo Lumity rechargeable hearing aids

Why we picked it

As well as giving you around 24 hours of power in just a three-hour charge, these rechargeable hearing aids are ideal for those who have an active lifestyle and want their hearing aids to keep up.  This is mainly because they enable you to understand and take part in conversations - even in challenging listening environments and strenuous activities.  

You can enjoy and stay a part of your environment even when you are swimming as these rechargeable hearing aids can be submerged in about 1.6 feet of water.  Lumity also boasts health data tracking, universal Bluetooth, and access to hands-free calling.

Pros

• MyPhonak app that manages health data tracking
• Compatible with iOS and Android
• Includes tap control feature

Cons

• Only available in an RIC hearing aid style
• Casing colours are limited

Best Rechargeable Digital Hearing Aids

The consumer rechargeable hearing aid ticklist

What should we be thinking about when considering digital rechargeable hearing aids? 

Here is our consumer ticklist for those who are thinking about rechargeable hearing aids and some ideas of questions you might want to ask your audiologist.  We hope you find this criterion useful: