How to Extend the Life of Your Hearing Aid Batteries

Hearing aids are invaluable for keeping you connected to the world of sound, and their performance depends on healthy batteries. Knowing how to extend the life of your hearing aid batteries can save you money and prevent those inconvenient moments when your hearing aid dies unexpectedly. In this guide, we’ll explain the factors that affect battery life, share practical tips to get the most out of each battery, and show you how to recognize the signs of a draining battery before it catches you off guard.

Factors Affecting Hearing Aid Battery Life

Several factors influence how long your hearing aid batteries will last in daily use:

Battery Size and Capacity: Smaller batteries (like size 10 or 312) have less capacity and typically won’t last as long as larger ones (like size 13 or 675). The physical size of the battery directly impacts how many hours of power it can provide.

Usage Habits: The more hours per day you wear your hearing aids, the faster the battery will drain. Additionally, using advanced features like Bluetooth streaming, wireless connectivity, or high volume levels can consume more power. For example, streaming phone calls or music through your hearing aids uses extra battery life compared to basic amplification.

Device Features: Modern digital hearing aids offer features such as noise reduction, feedback cancellation, and smartphone connectivity. While these features greatly improve your listening experience, they can increase power consumption. Hearing aids that are always listening for wireless signals or that process sound intensively will use up batteries more quickly.

Environmental Conditions: Batteries can be affected by the environment. Exposure to moisture or high humidity can cause batteries to drain faster or even corrode. Extremely cold or hot temperatures can also shorten battery life. It’s best to use and store hearing aids in a dry, room-temperature environment.

Battery Age and Storage: All batteries gradually lose charge even when not in use. If your battery is old or has been stored improperly, it may not hold a full charge. Keeping batteries in very humid places (like bathrooms) or in extreme heat can reduce their lifespan. Always check the expiration date on a battery package – expired or nearly expired batteries won’t last as long. Proper storage extends shelf life.

Hearing Aid Condition: A well-maintained hearing aid operates efficiently, whereas one with clogged sound outlets or dirty battery contacts might strain the battery. Regular hearing aid maintenance (cleaning the device and battery contacts) helps ensure the battery power is used efficiently.

Understanding these factors will help you manage your expectations. For instance, if you have a tiny hearing aid with a size 10 battery and you stream music often, you can expect to change batteries every few days. The good news is that with some smart habits, you can mitigate many of these factors and maximize battery lifespan.

Practical Tips to Extend Battery Life

By adopting a few simple practices, you can extend the life of your hearing aid batteries and get more hours of use each day. Here are some proven tips and tricks for battery care and usage:

Turn Off When Not in Use: Always turn your hearing aids off when you’re not wearing them. The easiest way to do this for battery-powered aids is to open the battery door slightly, which disconnects power and also allows any moisture to escape. If your hearing aids have a power switch, use it to shut them down during breaks. This prevents unnecessary battery drain when you don’t need the devices (for example, at night or during a nap).

Use the Five-Minute Rule: When inserting a new zinc-air battery, peel off the protective sticker and wait about five minutes before placing the battery into your hearing aid. This “five-minute rule” gives the battery time to fully activate by absorbing oxygen. It can lead to a longer overall battery life. Skipping this wait might cause the battery to have a shorter useful life in your device.

Store Batteries Properly: Keep spare batteries in a cool, dry place at normal room temperature. Do not refrigerate hearing aid batteries – modern batteries can be damaged by moisture from a fridge. Instead, store them in their original packaging until use, away from direct sunlight or heat sources. Proper storage preserves their charge.

Avoid Moisture: Moisture is a big enemy of battery life. Always remove your hearing aids before showering or swimming, and consider using a hearing aid dehumidifier or drying jar overnight. Storing your aids with a drying kit will not only protect the electronics but also prevent the batteries from corroding or draining due to humidity. Additionally, keep the battery compartment open at night to let air dry out any condensation.

Handle Batteries with Clean Hands: Wash and dry your hands before changing batteries. Grease, sweat, or dirt on the battery surface can interfere with a good connection or cause the battery to discharge faster. Also, when carrying spare batteries, keep them in a protective case. Don’t carry loose batteries in your pocket or purse mixed with keys or coins – metal objects can short-circuit a battery.

Use Battery Savers on Your Hearing Aid: If your hearing aids have a “low power” or “airplane” mode for when you don’t need full functionality, use it to conserve energy. Similarly, if you’re in a quiet environment, turning down the volume or disabling wireless streaming can help the battery last longer. Only use high-drain features (like direct audio streaming) when you really need them.

Rotate Batteries (for Spares): If you have multiple packs of disposable batteries, use the oldest ones first. Batteries can lose strength over time, so avoid stockpiling a large supply that sits for years. Buy fresh batteries periodically rather than one huge batch. This way, you’re always using batteries that are within their optimal shelf-life.

By following these practices, you’ll squeeze more life out of each battery cell. Small habits like opening the battery door overnight or waiting a few minutes after activating a new battery can add up to hours or even days of extra use per battery.

Signs of Battery Drain and How to Manage It

Even with the best care, every battery will eventually run out. It’s important to recognize the signs of a draining hearing aid battery so you can replace it before it dies at an inconvenient time. Look out for these common indicators:

Sound Becomes Weak or Distorted: One of the first signs of a dying battery is a drop in your hearing aid’s sound quality or volume. You might notice you need to turn the volume up higher than usual, or the sound may start to break up or become unclear.

Frequent Beeping Alerts: Most modern hearing aids will play a low-battery warning sound – often a beeping tone or spoken alert – when the battery is almost depleted. If you start hearing warning beeps, it means you have limited time (usually minutes to an hour of power left).

Intermittent Functioning: A hearing aid might start turning on and off by itself or suddenly stop working. It could come back on after a moment, indicating the battery is struggling to provide consistent power. This on-and-off behavior is a clear sign the battery is on its last legs.

No Response or Dead Device: Obviously, if your hearing aid stops working entirely (and it’s turned on and not muted), a dead battery is the likely culprit. If you open the battery compartment and close it again to reset the aid and it still doesn’t come on, the battery is probably spent.

When you notice any of these signs, it’s time to manage the issue to avoid losing hearing aid function at a critical moment:

Replace Batteries Promptly: As soon as you suspect the battery is low, put in a fresh one. It’s wise to carry a spare set of hearing aid batteries with you, especially if you’ll be out for extended periods. That way, a quick swap ensures you’re back to clear hearing immediately.

Keep a Regular Replacement Schedule: If you learn that your batteries typically last, say, five days, consider changing them on a routine schedule (like every fifth morning) before they get too low. A scheduled change can preempt sudden outages.

Use a Battery Tester: Battery testers are inexpensive accessories that can tell you how much charge a hearing aid battery has left. If you’re unsure whether a battery is still good, a tester will help you decide if you need to replace it. This can prevent throwing away batteries that still have life or conversely, identify weak batteries before you rely on them.

Double-Check for Other Issues: If a fresh battery doesn’t fix the problem (e.g., sound is still weak or intermittent), clean the battery contacts in the hearing aid (gently wipe with a dry cotton swab) in case dirt or corrosion is preventing good contact. Also inspect the hearing aid for moisture or blockage that could mimic a low battery issue. But in most cases, a simple battery change does the trick.

By being vigilant for low-battery signs and prepared with spares, you can manage battery drain proactively. The goal is to never be caught in a situation where you can’t hear because of an unexpected dead battery. With a little planning and the habits described above, your hearing aids will stay powered whenever you need them.

Call to Action: Keep your hearing aids running at peak performance by always using fresh, high-quality batteries. Shop our hearing aid batteries to stock up on reliable power sources for your devices. Having the right batteries on hand — and following these care tips — will ensure you enjoy uninterrupted hearing every day.