I currently wear phonak virto B power CIC hearing aids (bought 2018) and due for an upgrade. Have been waiting for Phonak to extend their Lumity product line to include replaceable batteries RIC or CIC for awhile as I always want the cutting edge. Have moderate-severe hearing loss and here’s my audiology report in case you’re curious.
One of my major hesitations when it comes to trying the rechargeable RIC is the battery life. I’m a bit of an insomniac and have young kids so regularly go to sleep around 1am and get up at 6am. The thought of charging before the end of each day is of no interest to me. I also travel internationally 1-3 times a year so have 48hr stretches with limited sleep (need portable recharging option) and critical hearing moments as I go through immigration and see family for first time in awhile. Battery degradation is also a concern over the 5-6 year lifespan.
I was going to continue waiting but the other night I was at a networking dinner and really struggled with the restaurant noise and background music. Was very frustrating as I have some developing vision issues (Usher Syndrome) which compounded the challenges.
Wanted to ask for any thoughts on the reality of the battery life and if changing form factors from CIC to RIC would make a meaningful different in the challenging hearing environment. Thanks!