I use to think the same as you about the changing batteries vs charging my aids. But I am beginning to rethink it. I charge my phone, my iPad, my laptop, and my connect clip every night and I do not have to worry about them running out of power all the next day. Why not just charge my hearing aids over night and not have to worry about them the next day. There are hearing aid chargers now that have options for power packs that can keep the hearing aids charged for 7 days. That would even work for my camping trips. There hearing aids with chargers that can charge hearing aids from a usb power pack that will also work for me.
I think phones, iPads, etc are a bit different. If push comes to shove you can still use them while plugged in. You can join the young folk sitting on the floor in the airport so they can get power for their dead phones. But that is changing too. Many public places now have charging stations with USB outlets. But, they don’t work so well for hearing aids that you have forgotten to charge…
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Not really true any more, I have checked it to it for the Oticon OPNS charger it will work with a usb power pack or usb hub it will charge slower but that is ok, the full charge last at least 20 hours and I never have them in more than about 15. The Marvels have several different charging units a small one that does not have the dryer that will use usb, the one with the dryer has an option for a piggy back power pack. Some of the other have companies have pocket size chargers that have built in power backups. The world is changing and changing fast for rechargeable hearing aids.
Can you charge them when they are in your ears enjoying a dinner at a restaurant?
One of my problems is I’m away from home for more than 24 hours on occasion and it isn’t something I schedule. It’s a last minute action. I would have to always carry and keep up with a charging device and that seems cumbersome. Keeping up with batteries is easier and much more convenient.
Charging the laptop and phone only requires a cable. Charging the hearing aids requires a special device.
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If the batteries last all day then why the need. The batteries last longer than I will ever need them in any one day. You just want to believe the glass is half empty I see it as half full.
You start out in the morning with a full charge and at the end of the day you still have at least 30% of the battery life left. And that would be even if I was driving or traveling. And if I was driving across country I could charge them while I was driving that way I would not have to hear the road.
but most of the devices now are smaller than you phone. And they could also have a battery backup built into it for charging your aids while traveling and you are not needing the aids.
I will admit that rechargeable aids are not for everyone. But I had being in a meeting, or in church or a movie and the batteries going dead. I see for me the rechargeables lasting all day every day with nightly charges. So I would not have to stop and maybe miss something to change batteries. I am retired, but busy most days taking calls or going to volunteer, or answering emails from someone with a question. My answer with my replacement batteries have been to throw out still useable batteries the night before because I know they will die the next day while I am busy and have no time to change them.
I don’t believe the charger would work for my situation, but you obviously know my circumstances better than I do.
No I don’t read the comment above
The only rechargeable batteries I have ever really liked/trusted over the years are the NiMH ones in my Toyota hybrid. They are totally self maintaining, trouble free, and never have to be plugged in. 8 years and I have not done a thing with them, other than drive the car. Will start at as low as -40.
Given my work and travel schedule I should be the poster boy for why someone should not have rechargeable aids. But I do and it is not a problem. I did run out, one time, , but I learned from that to not have that happen again. a 15 minute charge can give you another couple of hours, 2 hours gives a full charge, good for another 24 hours. All international flights have USB ports, small battery packs are small and light. No good reason not to have rechargeable aids.
The charge battery versus disposable battery has been discussed in length. And to me quite honest the “disposable battery” crowd won. Now if someone is literally using bluetooth to the max on every conceivable device ever made, then recharge batteries are probably the way to go. But if your someone who wears HA’s to hear better and from time to time uses bluetooth, then disposable are a way better option. If you put the pros and cons next to each category for rechargeable batteries vs. disposable, clearly the “recharge battery” side has more negatives and the “disposable battery” side has more positives.
From longer use to less hassle to travel to cheaper cost to drying aids at night - the disposable battery group is by far the preference of choice. Unless you’re someone who loves Bluetooth and likes to drain battery power as fast as you can.
I am someone that doesn’t want a dead battery while I am in a meeting, or in the middle of a movie. I am some one that has my aidsconnected from the time I put them in my ears to the time I take them out. I do not travel for work, I am retired, I do not fly anymore, I hate being treated like I am an animal to be stuffed in a cage. I do like to travel by vehicle and we take our own sleeping quarters with us.
With that all said, If I stay with ITE aids then I sure they will be disposable batteries, but if I go with Rite I am planning on getting rechargeable.
Exactly my experience.
I think, perhaps, you’re being a bit optimistic regarding battery life. Since I got my M90-13T HAs back at the end of September, I’ve gone through 20 pairs of batteries over the course of 121 days. That works out to 6 days per set. I did have a couple of pairs that lasted 8 days, and several that lasted only 5 or 5½ days. I can correlate the longer-lasting sets with my doing less music and Roger streaming, and the shorter times with more music and Roger streaming.
As far as disposables go, one can pretty much always be safe if one just makes up a schedule. Change them every sixth morning, whether or not they’re giving the warning signs. The difference between 8 days and 5 days is $0.25/week. This calculation is based on the price I paid for 60 pairs of batteries from Amazon back in October.
I opted for disposable batteries because I worry about being away from a charger at some time, when I’m on travel for example. I always carry a spare set (or two) whenever I go anywhere. But, when my arthritis gets a bit more “mature”, I’m sure I’ll switch to rechargeables.
I’m getting four days on my M90-312s. I do a fair amount of Bluetooth streaming. Still, I’m happy I chose replaceable.
I used to get exactly 7 days using either Rayovac or Duracel batteries. My audi started using Power One batteries a few months ago and I find that I am now getting nine days per battery. So, for me the claim that all air-zinc batteries are the same is just not true.
My understanding is that about the only sure way to get more life is to put more zinc in the battery case. The other is to use mercury in the mix. It seems to improve battery life, and is still approved for use with medical implant devices for that reason. Could the Power One batteries still be using mercury? I am not sure it ever became fully approved law that batteries for hearing aids cannot contain mercury. It was proposed, but not sure it went beyond that. Most now claim mercury free though.
My size 13 Power One batteries state on their label that they’re 0% Hg.