Losing battery can be a nightmare
If you’re a hearing aid wearer, you probably have that recurring nightmare of your batteries dying right when you don’t have any replacements on you and you’re out and about. It’s okay – this is a totally normal concern and one we hear all the time from our patients!
To help quell your anxieties a bit, it would probably help to understand how long your batteries are supposed to last so you can be prepared at all times. Even better, did you know there are a few things you can do to help prolong the life of your hearing aid batteries, too? Well, let’s kill two birds with one stone (so to speak) and talk about hearing aid battery life and some tips for making them last longer.
Different batteries have different battery lives
As you may already know (especially if you read our post, “Hearing Aid Batteries 101”), there are a few different types of batteries to power up your hearing aids, and they are all different in size, device compatibility, and battery life.
So, what’s the battery life of the different types? Let’s dive in…
B20 Batteries (The Yellow Ones): The B20 battery (Beltone’s equivalent to a size 10) is the smallest disposable battery type of the main four options. Since it’s the smallest, it also has the shortest battery life – about three to seven days.
B26 Batteries (The Orange Ones): These batteries (equivalent to a size 13) are slightly larger and more powerful than the B20, and the battery life is double! B26 batteries can last between six and 14 days.
B347 Batteries (The Brown Ones): The B347 battery (equivalent to size 312) are probably the most versatile battery option, as they can power the most different kinds of devices, from behind-the-ear (BTE) to in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids. While they are the most versatile, the battery life is only about three to 10 days.
B900 Batteries (The Blue Ones): Last but not least, the B900 battery (size 675) is the largest battery option and can power behind-the-ear (BTE) devices for between nine and 20 days, giving them the longest battery life of our disposable battery options.
How do I make my hearing aid batteries last longer?
It’s important to remember that not all batteries can power every device, so if you have a mini receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) or a completely-in-canal (CIC) device, you may be stuck with a B20 battery that lasts only 3-7 days. But never fear – there are actually a few simple things you can do to get the most juice out of those yellow batteries (or any battery type, for that matter) and make them last longer.
One of the biggest reasons for shortened battery life in your hearing aids is exposure to heat and humidity, so by opening the battery door at night while you’re sleeping without your devices in, you can let the batteries air out and get rid of any moisture. If you live in a particularly humid climate, you could also invest in a dehumidifier for your bedroom for that overnight air-out.
Another way to prolong the life of your batteries is actually to let them be exposed to air for about five minutes right when you remove the sticker and before installing them. This allows the zinc to react with oxygen and build up the energy that powers your device before it pops in the battery compartment.
Finally, while it may be tempting, we recommend you avoid buying hearing aid batteries in bulk. If you buy in bulk, you’ll have batteries sitting around for extended periods, making them less powerful over time. Just like the food in your fridge, batteries have expiration dates, too! While we also wouldn’t recommend you buy only one pack at a time (because that would be simply inconvenient!), just be conscious of how long your packs of batteries are sitting before you use them, and try to use the oldest batteries first to maximize battery life.
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Hopefully, this short blog helped calm your anxieties about running out of battery when you need your hearing aids the most, and maybe you learned a thing or two about ways to prolong that battery life going forward! If you didn’t know already, Beltone Tristate sells the four main kinds of zinc-air batteries right on our website, so you can easily get the batteries you need for your hearing aids. Check out our online shop the next time you need to restock on batteries for your devices!