While the battery life for hearing aids might seem a straightforward question to answer, in truth it varies according to a variety of factors. Battery life will depend on the model of your hearing aid, and may vary widely even in unique models developed by the same manufacturer. The life of a hearing aid battery also depends on the amount of time the hearing aid is turned on. Not surprisingly, the more you use your hearing aid, the more rapidly the batteries will deplete.
There are even varying battery lives in the same size of hearing aid battery depending on the manufacturer, and depending on if you are buying that manufacturer’s “premium” line or their “normal” line of batteries. Battery life also hinges on battery type; for example some varieties are only discharging power when they are inside a hearing aid that is turned on, while other varieties (for example, zinc-air batteries) start losing power as soon as you remove the adhesive strip on the bottom of the battery and they’re exposed to oxygen, regardless of whether the hearing aid is on or not.
If consider new hearing aids, it’s a wise idea to do some research on the different models and the types of batteries they use to help you determine the best choice. Similarly, a bit of time invested in research may help you uncover superior batteries for your existing hearing aids. To make things easier for you, hearing aid batteries are produced in 4 common sizes, each of which is marked with a specific color code, which is consistent no matter who the manufacturer is. See the approximated battery life below to get a general idea of how long hearing aid batteries of each size can be expected to last:
- Yellow – Size 10 about 80 hours
- Orange – Size 13 about 240 hours
- Brown – Size 312 about 175 hours
- Blue – Size 675 about 300 hours
To ensure the longest life for your hearing aid batteries when they are in the hearing aid, turn the hearing aid off when you are not using it. Store your unused hearing aid batteries at room temperature, indoors, and in their original, unopened packaging to ensure their longest possible life.