Pros and cons of hearing aids with rechargeable batteries

Hearing aids these days are powered by either one of two types of batteries: Disposable, removable "button" batteries or rechargeable batteries that cannot be removed.

• Disposable hearing aid batteries are removable and require you to put fresh batteries in every few days to weeks, depending on your hearing aid.
• Rechargeable means they can be docked on a charger at night and are never removed from the device. You may hear this style referred to as "rechargeable hearing aids" or "hearing aids with rechargeable batteries"—these are the same thing.
• Rechargeable and disposable hearing aid batteries do exist, but they are uncommon. These batteries need to be removed and charged at least nightly, and replaced every few months. A separate charger is required.

As the technology improves, hearing aids with rechargeable batteries are quickly becoming the more popular option for many people. However, some people may prefer hearing aids with disposable batteries, depending on their circumstances.

What is a rechargeable hearing aid battery?

Rechargeable hearing aids have built-in batteries that do not require regular removal, unlike hearing aids with traditional disposable batteries. Instead of removing the batteries themselves, you dock your hearing aids each night on a charging unit, similar to how smartphones recharge. 

Most rechargeable hearing aids are best-suited for people with degrees of hearing loss ranging from mild to moderate. However, rechargeable "power" hearing aids for people with severe to profound hearing loss are available from some brands.

Should I get a hearing aid with rechargeable batteries?

If you're ready for rechargeable hearing aid batteries, switching is more complicated than simply going to the drugstore and purchasing rechargeable button batteries in the correct size. These don't exist.

Instead, the best thing you can do is talk to your hearing healthcare professional about purchasing new hearing aids that are already equipped with rechargeable batteries.

So how do you decide if rechargeable hearing aids are right for you? It's a personal decision based on preferences and finances. Knowing the advantages and disadvantages of hearing aids with rechargeable hearing aids can go a long way to helping you and your hearing care practitioner pick the best style for you. 

Advantages of using rechargeable batteries

• Long shelf life. Current generations use lithium ion batteries, which can hold a charge for up to 30 hours and last approximately five years before they need to be replaced, although this can vary a lot depending on how much you use battery-draining features, such as wireless streaming. (Meanwhile, hearing aids with disposable batteries require you to swap in new batteries every few days to weeks, depending on the hearing aid model.)
• Safer for kids. Disposable button batteries are extremely dangerous if accidentally swallowed by pets or kids, yet it happens fairly often. Rechargeable hearing aids don't pose this risk, unless the entire hearing aid is swallowed (which does happen!).
• Environmentally friendly. Because you're recharging batteries instead of buying new ones, you're creating less waste. However, all batteries are environmentally hazardous when not disposed of correctly.
• Easier to handle. People who have dexterity issues or those who don’t want to worry about constantly buying and changing batteries might benefit from wearing rechargeable hearing instruments. That's because disposable batteries tend to be tiny, and the packaging can be difficult to manipulate. 

“If peeling the tab off a battery and not dropping it, or being able to get it to fit into the compartment, is difficult for somebody, then rechargeable would be a huge advantage,” said Tim Cross, a hearing instrument specialist and owner of Earzlink Hearing Care in Hillsboro, Ohio.

For example, a 90-year-old patient of Cross's found them to be invaluable. “Quite frankly, you could drive down the street and hear her television or pound on the door and she would not hear you,” he said. “She had limited dexterity and sight — and wouldn’t wear hearing aids because she couldn’t change the battery.”

He fit her with rechargeable hearing aids and kept an extra charger in his office so she wouldn’t have to live without her hearing aids if a problem occurred.

“It totally changed her life,” he said, “and gave her family peace of mind.”

Disadvantages of rechargeable batteries

But not everyone is well suited to wear rechargeable hearing technology.

“For the most part, it’s very simple and basic,” Cross said, “but some people might not think beyond the normal routine and process (such as power outages or if the grandkids accidentally unplug the charging unit). Someone with a highly active lifestyle may need immediate access and not have time to recharge,” he added. “In these situations, it’s much easier to just pop in a new set of batteries.”

Other disadvantages include:

• Lack of user control. “In many rechargeable hearing aids, the battery is encased in the instrument and the user cannot remove it themselves,” he said. “If it happens the battery has to be replaced, you usually have a down time where you don’t have your hearing aids. That can be inconvenient because even a loaner (hearing aid) doesn’t have your particular settings.”
• Dependency on a charging unit. It takes about three hours for most hearing aid models to recharge. “The battery does have to be recharged every single day,” Cross said. “If you interrupt the charge cycle and assume your batteries are charged and fully functional and then get into your day, one of your instruments may stop working. You also have to deal with what happens if you forget your charger, it stops working or the cord goes bad.  Most people don’t carry an extra charger with them.”
• Additional upfront cost. Contrary to popular belief, rechargeable hearing aids aren’t any less expensive than their traditional counterparts. Cross said that, although every hearing center sets its own policies, the cost of the charging unit ($250-$300) as well as the cost for replacement batteries ($25-$35) aren’t typically included in the price of the hearing instruments. Over the lifetime of your hearing aids, though, you may spend less since you don't have to keep buying new batteries.
• Fewer hearing aid styles to choose from. Most rechargeable hearing aids are worn behind-the-ear, connected to a small speaker that's worn inside the ear. If you're interested in smaller models that fit completely within the ear, you likely won't get to use rechargeable batteries. More: Pros and cons of common hearing aid styles.

Rechargeable hearing aids increasing in popularity

Cross predicts rechargeable hearing aid instruments will become even more commonplace as sound quality, battery efficiency and interchangeability, and cosmetic appeal continue to improve.

“Over 35 years I’ve seen rechargeability come out as a means of drawing people into the hearing aid marketplace,” he said. “It resurfaces every seven years or so as something fresh and new and then it goes away. This last wave has become more of a mainstay. The current generation of technology has come close to meeting consumer requests, that’s why I think it’s going to become normalized moving forward.”

His patients who wear rechargeable hearing aids “like them and are comfortable with them. They got them for a reason,” Cross said. “They were appropriate for them and met the needs that they have.”

Interested in learning more?

Of course, there are plenty of other factors to consider when buying a hearing aid, so it's important to talk in depth with your hearing care professional about the best hearing aid for you—which may or may not come with rechargeable batteries. Visit Healthy Hearing’s online directory of hearing clinics to find a trusted provider near you.