Is there an alternative rechargeable battery for Oticon Opn ZPower?

Hearing Aid Batteries
#1

I didn’t see any recent topics on these, so if there is one, please point me there.

I have Oticon OPN hearing aids - the original ones (and yes, I TRIED to get Oticon to replace them with the S or whatever when Z-Power went belly up. Oticon wasn’t interested). And I’ve been using the Z-Power rechargeables. My audiologist knew they were going away and got me some spares, so I’ve been OK for the last couple years. But, one of the problems with these batteries has ALWAYS been that the FIRST TIME they run down all the way, they NEVER work as well again.

A brand new pair of Z-Power rechargeables would last around 18 hours. After the first run-down they’d immediately drop to 14, which made them much more prone to running dead and after the next time they’d be down to around 12 hours. They’d stay there and slowly deteriorate, eventually being good for around 10-12 hours. I’ve never had a set last more than about 6-8 months.

I’ve exhausted my supply of spare Z-power batteries, and since they’re now going for at least $60 each, buying more isn’t going to happen.

Is there a viable, cost-effective alternative for rechargeable 312 batteries that will charge in the hearing aid? If I’m going to have to pull them out and put them in EVERY DAY I may as well go back to non-rechargeable batteries. Power One SHOWS rechargeable 312 batteries, but will they work in the Z-Power charger?

If not, I go back to regular batteries and put the Z-power charger on the wall to remind me when it comes time to replace these Oticons.

#2

I suspect your best bet is to go with disposables.

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#3

You can use regular 312 batteries in your aids, you may need your Audi to change the battery doors

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#4

You need to Replace the battery drawers / doors to accept the disposable 312 batteries and look forward to knowing when your batteries will die so you can plan accordingly. Don’t look back. I also look at that ZPower charger and all the dead batteries every day and it pi$$e$ me off! I need to trash them for peace of mind. My charger also was a problem. More than 1.

I also tried to get upgraded to OPNS from the OPN 1 rechargeable mess, but nope! My wonderful Audi retired during Covid and I no longer had an advocate in that practice, so I can’t really completely blame Oticon.

Make sure you send in your OPN 1 for repair before the end of the warranty period.
Oticon repaired mine instead of replacing them. That was a first for me as a long time Hearing aid user. Always sent new replacements. Again - no advocate.

My opinion is don’t throw good money at Bad – ZPower is Bad! Good Luck

#5

The ZPower batteries have the Silver Zinc chemistry. Most other 312 rechargeable batteries (if there’s still in the market by now even) are of other type of chemistry, usually of the Nickel Metal Hydride type. You cannot charge that type in the Zpower battery charger. And they don’t have anywhere near the power density of a fresh Zpower battery to last you 10-12 hours anyway.

I would just go back to the disposable Zinc-Air type. You can just put them in the ZPower battery doors, or replace with the original empty doors first if you want. I’d just leave the ZPower doors on anyway, in case you want to use the less-than-optimal-but-still-fully-charged-for-much-shorter-cycle-time ZPower batteries as spare or something, in the event you run out of your disposable batteries and have not had a chance to get new ones yet.

My first 2 sets of Zpower batteries only lasted about 4 months each wearing them full days of about 12 hours. Luckily by the time I was on my third set last year, I no longer have to wear hearing aids all day long anymore because I’m already retired. So I just plop the HAs back into the ZPower charger when I go work out or take a nap during the day, or when I’m reading or eating and don’t need my HAs on. And because of this use model of just wearing the HAs for a few hours (4 or 5 hours) at a time, then recharge then wear them for a few more hours again, they seem to last me a year so far. On rare occasions when I needed to wear them all day, they did last me about 12 hours, but definitely not 18 hours for sure, no siree.

But I’m not going to spend any more money on more new ZPower batteries. When this last pair go out, I’m just going to go back to the disposable Zinc-Airs.

#6

You can buy the ZPower batteries directly from them.
Go to their website.
I think the last battery I bought was 32.00.
First set of batteries lasted six months.
Second set one lasted 19 months one lasted 22 months.
I wear my aids between 12-14 hours a day. Occasionally longer.
I like the convince of the recharging.
Plus I have arthritis in my hands.

#7

It looks like they’re charging $65 per battery now (see latest screen shots below). Totally not worth it.

Wish my ZPower batteries lasted as long as yours. My first set lasted 4 months. Second set lasted 4-6 months. Both of these sets gave me around 10-12 hours a day until they ran out of juice. I stream a few hours a day.

If all their batteries lasted as good as your experience has shown (19 months, then 22 months per set), I think Oticon might have stuck with ZPower for the OPN S and More already. Unfortunately for the majority of us, they didn’t even last a full 12 months as advertised. I wonder what your secret sauce is?

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#8

I agree I have to think long and hard about spending that much.
No real sauce.
Not real hard on my aids.
I charge them everyday.
I remember the site said never open the door unless you take the batteries out.
If you leave the door open with batteries in they continue to discharge and it can degrade the battery.
I’ve had one new one seven months and one four months.
The first one came from Amazon directly from ZPower. That one cost me 42.00.
The second came from ZPower direct. That one 32.00.
Amazon had stopped selling them.
I hope I get about the same time from these.

#9

Follow up.
Probably just dumb luck.

#10

Actually, I don’t need to have the doors replaced. The 312s work fine in the same doors. I’ve always had the normal batteries ‘cause when I travel I can’t count on being able to charge the Z-Powers.
I tend to keep things around to remind me of my mistakes and to help ensure I NEVER give companies that screwed up another shot. This charger will be prominently displayed as a reminder of how Oticon took care of their customers.
Z-power may have been the pointy end of the spear, but I blame Oticon. They HAD the chance to make it right. My audi pushed VERY hard to get me switched when Z-Power composted… Oticon gave us both the big “screw you” because the OPNs were 2-years-old and a year on the Z-Power stuff.
Hopefully, I’ll have the opportunity to return the favor.
One of my OPNs had one go in shortly before they went out of warranty. I HAD an advocate, but Oticon did the “at our discretion” and fixed the one with the dead microphone.
Yeah, if I could RELIABLY expect the Z-Powers to run 16-18hours/day, for at least 19 months, regardless of how many times they’d run themselves dead during the day, they MIGHT be worth $60+ each, but as it is I can’t buying ANYTHING from them when my experience is that they’re not going make it 8 months.