Did they not come with a charge/battery case to drop in your bag like those for earbuds? The Lumity ones I’ve got on trial have a case with battery for an additional 3 days charging.
I guess it is the landfill headed used batteries I just find odd in this day and age. So I was wondering if there was some overwhelming advantage I was missing with disposables. Beyond small size (so CIC), and concerns about longevity (Phonak say their rechargeables are tested to 6 years), and from the answers here, it does not seem so.
But thank you all for the comments, this forum is very helpful.
Yep, we charge our phones etc. because there’s no choice, not because it’s a great experience. Meanwhile, since forever hearing aids have used an amazing, unique battery technology that has the highest power density (by weight and by volume), is tiny and light, and lasts for days. On top of all that, there’s an established global supply chain that makes them available to us for pennies (ok, dimes). The almost-perfect technology for hearing aids, and those of us who appreciate its value don’t want to give it up for one-size-fits-all rechargeable technology that actually doesn’t fit hearing aids well at all.
Phonak says… user experience is different.
Will phonak (Widex, Starkey…) guarantee to replace the rechargeable battery at a reasonable price after 5-10 years? Their answer will be: “it’s an old model, service support is over buy a new one for 1500USD”
If the battery fails, do you have a replacement hearing aid for the service period? Will your spare hearing aid be functional if it is put away somewhere for a year? (No)
I am describing my own experience, my Widex Aikia “died” after 15 years, I took the spare Clear out of the drawer after 7 years and it works.
It’s about priorities…Write a table with pros and cons
BTW Air zinc batteries are not toxic waste.
If you have the money for new hearing aids every 5 years and assured replacement during service/production, go ahead, protect the planet, I’ll wish you well
I get 5 days out of a pair of 312 batteries in my Oticon Real 1’s, with a little streaming. That’s 146 batteries per year, at 1/2 gram each, for a total weight of 73 grams or 2 1/2 ounces per year, not including packaging.
Phonak and the other manufacturers say lots of things. From what I’ve read here, Phonak rechargeable users expect to need one or two battery replacements to get to 6 years.
For those with profound hearing loss and the HA’s that go with that problem, the rechargeable batteries are not capable of the extra power required. The disposable 675 batteries I use last at least 7 days and often more.
Well, take a trip to Greece - or maybe just camp in the woods for a holiday weekend - and you may join the legions here who prefer TINY batteries to clunky charging bases and (at least for Phonak) fatter, less comfy rechargeable aids.
I took my 312-battery aids to Europe, and found that when traveling to smaller islands in Greece, there weren’t always sockets in accessible places for a charging base (let alone the accessory mic had I even taken that with me!).
With my tiny battery aids, I packed enough batteries to last a full month, and never had to worry about my aids dying mid-day. My rechargeables give me 15 hrs MAX, so on a long international flight, I’d have been waltzing through Customs in a foreign country DEAF AS A CINDERBLOCK. Yes, there are portable batteries and power cords and charging bases and backup aids and yada yada for traveling with rechargeables. But I was carrying my bag on my back, and keeping gear to a minimum.
You also bring up the challenge of power outages, and um, er, well, I’ve lived in the USA on top of a mountain with regular winter power outages, and now in the swamps of the SoEast where a hurricane could have me boiling water in my camping stove. I would not want to be DEAF (check my audiogram - no margin there!) in such circumstances.
I’m lucky, cuz I’m definitely in the “profound” camp, but seem to do fine with 312 or 13 batteries. Granted, I’ll get fewer days of use than others, but I still get DAYS of use vs mere HOURS with rechargeables.
My Pure Charge&Go 7 T IX will do two 2 consecutive days of 18 hours with above average streaming and tv connector before needing a recharge. I recharge nightly
but for grins I’ve skipped the nightly recharge a couple to times.
Similar to its cousin Signia, I can report that with the bluetooth on my phone turned off, and my Costco Rexton telecoil hearing aids turned off at bedtime and turned on in the morning, with no recharging, the batteries function for 39 hours before shutting down.
@AlexE Haha - I told myself I was going to resist this one, but here I am, commenting . If you do a search you will find this this topic has been debated several times, and I think some of us just don’t want to get into it again lol. It seems to me that those who prefer disposable batteries have valid reasons for their preference that are very important to them and therefore they feel very strongly. However, there are also lots of people that prefer rechargeables, but have no reason or motivation to try to convince others - so there is no point in arguing over it. I am relatively young with no dexterity issues, I work full time in an setting where I attend lots of meetings, I travel frequently and wear my HAs for ~17 hours routinely, sometimes longer. I have had both types, and given the choice (which I was) I vastly prefer rechargeables. So I don’t think you are missing anything, its just that different people have different preferences.
Different people have different needs not just preferences. Those needs relate to degree of hearing loss, hours of work and needing to hear reliably in emergency situations.
Rechargables aids are not going away. The degree to which they are supported and for how long remains untested. Many people on this forum have worn hearing aids for decades and have seen the time well looked after aids can still be useful but also know that manufacturers limit the time they carry spare parts/replacement aids etc. Eventually the aids are just not supported any more. When new aids are a major cost replacing them because the battery can’t be replaced would be a big disadvantage.
No one suggests rechargables aids should be discontinued but that is what has been happening to aids run on disposable batteries. It was good to see Phonak bring back a disposable battery version of the last line (lumity) but there seems to be no guarantee that new lines will be released with disposable battery versions. That is why there are many people speaking passionately about the topic.
I have mild to moderate loss. Both HAs have been replaced since new, but one was only replaced once early on. In a couple weeks I’ll have had them 3 years, so they are both less than that in age. My wear time for last week according to the app is 11 hours, 15 min. Un-recharged day is more like 9 hours. I charge them when I shower. Even then, one often dies (rt) when I am getting ready for bed. Left will be about 10 or 12%. I will wear airpods to listen to podcasts when no one is around me in the morning. I’d be using the HAs then too, if I wasn’t concerned about the battery. Im glad they are going to send them in to factory in a couple months (The audiologist wasn’t concerned about being out of warranty. “We can send them in anytime.”) but if I didn’t have the US Gov’t backing me, and that was on my money, I’d not be so happy.
One thing that gets me on this debate is that Dispensing companies advertise “Rechargeable” as a selling point. They imply their new product contains much more advanced technology as it’s listed alongside “Bluetooth” etc.
Those of us, preferring disposables feel we have to push our cause, as the industry is trying to “cancel” us. I will shift to rechargeables, but only when:
New rechargeable battery technology is developed that mean the batteries don’t degrade over time (I feel the same about cars on this).
Self replaceable rechargeable batteries become available. I’d carry a charged pair with me, as I do with disposables.
Benefits of disposables (to me):
Small pack of batteries that sit in my wallet and last around a month. Others in house/car.
Much less bulky than a charger/plug/USB cable combo. I’d need a bag for all that, and I don’t generally carry one.
My 2 pairs of spare HAs need zero maintenance, and will work, as new, whenever needed. No need to keep a charging schedule to keep them alive.
No need to check percentages, and limit streaming time.
Being concerned about upcoming events, and how and when to do a quick charge. If it’s that important, I just put new ones in.
Peter
If you’re going to replace your aids as soon as they need major service after going out-of-warranty, often three years, then rechargeable may save you some money. May.
But the longer you want to keep your aids, the more money you will save using disposable batteries. Many hearing aids, including my ReSound Quattros, have rechargeable batteries that are integrated into the circuitry, so they cannot be swapped out. When the battery loses its ability to recharge and get you a full day’s service, typically in three or four years, the aid must be replaced. You can do it in three years and have it replaced under warranty. Your warranty on that replacement ends quickly. After that it will be quite expensive, since you’re basically buying a replacement hearing aid body, and that’s if they even still have some sitting around to sell you. Typically that’s not going to be possible once the aid is somewhere between five and ten years old.
Also the chargers are quite expensive (several hundred dollars). Not a problem if you never lose or break yours. A problem if you do.
I would seriously consider going back to disposable batteries when the time comes to replace my Quattros. I’m not a big fan.
When I first was given rechargeable aids I never thought I would like them, but now 5 years later I am absolutely happy with rechargeable hearing aids. With also having rechargeable hearing aid chargers there isn’t any worries about if the power goes out. I absolutely love my Oticon INTENT1 aids with the smart charger, tje charger will charge from any usbc cable connected to a usb charging port. The charger can charge my INTENT1 aids at leadt 3 times to a full charge, and on average will do so 5 times. I stream daily on average of 4 hours, and my aids have a battery life of 22 hours. The charger is small enough to fit in my jean’s front pocket or any jacket pocket.
On that, I’ve got some slightly spring loaded glasses with straight arms so they don’t curve behind my ears, but where should the bte part of ric hearing aids sit? They have forward and (the wire end) and backwards (near the other end) sets of microphones (or appear to have), should the little teardrop unit sit near the top of your ear so the forward mics can “look forward” or is it ok for the whole unit to sit lower down behind your ear?
That is a great question.
For me personally, disposable batteries work for my life style. They last 7 to 9 days depending on my streaming. It is simple to change the battery when it dies. I have easily changed a battery during a movie in a theatre.
I don’t have to worry that there is a problem with the charger. My friend has had problems where they have not charged or have not charged fully. Luckily her hearing disability is not as severe as mine.
When traveling, I don’t have to worry about remembering to pack a charger. I can have several packs of batteries in my carryons and on me. Even if I forgot the batteries, I can easily purchase them. I have heard of people who have forgotten their charger or the charger did not work in that country and they had to find adapters.
With a severe hearing loss, I must have my hearing aids to communicate. I can’t gamble on a failed charge.
I recycle my batteries. I donate my older hearing aids. I keep the previous hearing aids as backup hearing aids.
Also, batteries are cheap, especially at Costco. 48 batteries for under $9.00.
I always have go bag packed for emergencies, the bag has my backup aids and backup chargers. It also has a cleaning kit. And even a battery backup battery pack. Along with charger for my phone and watch. Also a couple changes of clothes and needed medicine and toiletries. It is an old habit from my military days and my field service career days.
