How Do You Manage Your Hearing Aid's Battery Life?

Hearing Aids
#1

I’m a rechargeable hearing aid user and mine usually lasts for around 12 hours a day. I sometimes find myself needing to recharge halfway through the day and I wonder if any of you face similar experiences.

How long does the battery life on your aids last? Are there times where you worry about running out of battery? Can you share any memorable experiences you’ve had when your hearing aids ran out of power during an important task or event? How did you handle that situation?

I also wonder if anyone has devised strategies to make the battery last longer or to work around the limitation of battery life. Are there certain features that you avoid using to conserve battery life?

#2

Others will likely give a lot more detail, but the basics are:

  1. Reduce unnecessary streaming. Streaming is demanding of battery life.
  2. Try to figure out a time during your day when you could remove your hearing aids and give them a brief charge. A 10-30 minute charge can add considerable running time.
  3. If you’ve noticed a decrease in running time since new, the aids should be returned to manufacturer and even if no change has been noted, they should be returned just before warranty expires. Many (all?) manufacturers will replace the batteries if sent back under warranty.
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#3

I have Phonak Audeo Paradise P90R

If I save a program that’s been modified and use it my battery life is much much shorter

On a good day using autosense with no changes I just last 15 hours. I wear them 17 hours. Not good enough

So I charge for an hour around dinner time. That means no hearing aids. And that causes trouble for me at home

#4

Were they always like that? That would be unacceptable to me. I wear mine 16-17 hours a day and still have battery remaining (after 1 year). My audi told me that eventually they wouldn’t last as long, and when that happens she will replace the batteries (while under warranty). After warranty I will have to pay but it can still be done in her office at short notice. Maybe you need new batteries?

#5

My left lasts 11 hours. My right always has 60% when I go to bed.

#6

I posted my own “fix” in a separate thread, but to clarify here: try updating the OS on your cell phone. If Android, then OS 13, 14 or later should be installed.

Just updating from OS 12 to OS 13 on my Android phone improved my rechargeables time from 11 hours a day to 17.5.

Granted, still not the DAYS worth I used to enjoy with old-fashioned battery-powered aids, but hey, maybe the hearing aid makers will get real, walk in our shoes, understand that folks need DAYS, not HOURS of use from a charge.

If they wore them, they’d GET IT. But they don’t. So they make sub-optimal decisions for half the folks out here who either want to wear battery aids or only wear battery aids.

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#7

I wear my Resound One rechargeables about 15-16 hrs a day. They are 2 years old. At the end of the day i still have approx 40% charge left, same as when new. I dont stream that much, mostly only phone calls.

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#8

I’ve got new Phonak L90s and they barely last 16 hours.

But most days I take a half hour nap after lunch and that solves the problem (I work at night).

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#9

Thanks for your suggestions on extending battery life. Indeed, cutting back on unnecessary streaming, taking quick recharge breaks, and utilizing the manufacturer’s warranty are great tips.

#10

I also charge toward the late afternoon when work finishes. I am on the phone most of the day so need to spend a lot of time streaming.

Recharging mid day allows me to limit the cycle count (number of times the battery recharges fully from 0 to 100) which preserves battery life.

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#11

I read somewhere that for longest battery life you should never charge it more than 90% or let it drain lower than 20%.

I didn’t follow up on that, so I don’t know if it’s fact or one author’s opinion.

I charge mine every night, and if I take a nap (I work at night) I put it in the charger. When the batteries wear down, I’ll have them replaced.

#12

I think the talk here is about how long they last while in use.
I use mine 15-17 hrs. That’s with my Paradise P90R’s. If I stream at all or attend a zoom meeting my H A. batteries are toast after 5 hours or so. I need to recharge them or they will fail at the most inconvenient time.

Mine were awarded as compensation for hearing loss due to loud noise at work.

#13

The problem with trying to manipulate charge cycles is that you don’t know what the integrated BMS is doing. What you see as 100% is likely only 80%. And 0% is likely only 40%

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#14

I think mine would barely last the 17 or so hours I’m up, if I didn’t give them a midday boost while I nap. That depends on how much I’m using Bluetooth.

Fortunately, the recharge rather quickly.

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#15

Genuinely this is the reason why I do not want to have rechargable hearing aids. I know at some point in the future that is all they will provide but I prefer to use batteries. Mine last about 8 days, however I do not stream because they are not bluetooth so that is probably why I get so long out of them.

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#16

Well, there ya go. It’s folks who stream for many hours a day that have issues with rechargeable aids. I stream phone calls and not much else. My Signia ax7 telecoil battery aids get 36 hours, it’[s claimed. I have no idea, because after using them all day I still have tons of battery life left. I recharge them before bed or overnight, and keep them in the charger when I shower or nap or read. I like quiet time so this is not an issue for me–but I have good hearing in one ear, so my circumstances are different from others with more profound loss.
I wore replaceable battery aids for many years. if you get 8 days from these, and don’t stream much, rechargeables will meet your demands. Get Telecoil, as that battery is slightly larger and lasts even longer.

#17

@craftycrocheter

I don’t want rechargeable batteries either.
Today I put my hearing aids in at about 7:30 am. I just got low battery warning at 9:30.

14 hours

2 short phone calls.

Phonak Audeo Paradise P90R HA.

Mine are awarded due to exposure to loud noise at work. I didn’t get to choose

@jeffrey

That’s my experience. I have issues because my batteries don’t last a normal day. I’ve checked with my dispensing audi. He says they’re in good condition. He gave me a second charger that I keep in my car just-in-case. Next time I’ll make sure that I have replaceable batteries.

#18

I only tried rechargable aids once and quickly gave up.That was before Li Ion. I used 13 batteries for many years and they lasted maybe a week. As bluetooth streaming came on, it helped my life with both phone and TV. So, I switched to Phonak Naida with the 675 battery. I now change batteries every other Saturday. The hearing aids are huge, but at my age vanity is in the rear view mirror. You ought to see my shoes.

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