Rechargeable hearing aids means no longer dealing with hearing aid batteries. In my experience, hearing aid batteries are like sand after a day at the beach. They seem to get everywhere. I’ve been dealing with these things for over a decade, and I have a theory about these tiny little sources of power.
Late at night, when everyone is sleeping, tiny little hearing aid batteries sprout legs and scurry throughout the house and hide in odd places. Under the coffee table, in the seat cushions, in my shoes. Somehow they get out of the house and are found hiding in the yard, in the car, even down the street at the nearby park. They love the lint tray in the dryer. It’s where they congregate, mingle, and snack on tufts of lint from our clothes. It seems as if they’re multiplying, sneaking around, playing a game of hide and seek that no one informed me about.
SPOILER ALERT: I’m not a fan of hearing aid batteries.
So, you can imagine my excitement when my audiologist suggested I try rechargeable hearing aids. Honestly, they completely changed my life. I’m not exaggerating. Finally, I was free from the hassles of those scattershot disposable batteries that seemed to be everywhere. I could wear my hearing aids without the worry of losing power at an inconvenient moment. I was no longer concerned about my children eating the “shiny little tic tac” they found on the floor.
Am I ranting? I feel like I’m ranting. Sorry, but hearing aid batteries get under my skin, like the people who put their hand over their mouth when they talk.
But you know, that’s all in the past. Today, I wear wonderful, amazing, brilliant rechargeable hearing aids that don’t require batteries. Let’s look at the reasons why I love my Phonak Audéo Marvel rechargeable hearing aids. (Please note that there’s more ranting about hearing aid batteries in the next section. It’s really hard to talk about rechargeable hearing aids without referencing the suckiness of those little power hungry monsters.)
My wife and mother-in-law bought me a man purse recently. I know. I had to do it, though. They argued that I carried too many items in my front pockets, and apparently my bloated pants were unsightly to others (mainly them). Even though I carry around a lot of items, one thing I no longer have to worry about are packs of hearing aid batteries. For years, that round pack of hearing aids lived in my pockets along with my keys, wallet, notepad, pen, and other assorted items.
Sometimes, I’d forget the pack and be worried all day that my aids would conk out on me. One time, I put the pack of batteries in my pocket only to later realize it was empty—all the batteries had all spilled out back at home. But, thanks to my Phonak Audéo Marvel rechargeable hearing aids, that’s no longer a worry. And, on top of that, my pockets are a little less crowded. That makes my wife and mother-in-law very happy.
The night before a big camping trip this past summer, I unplugged my hearing aid charging station and tossed it in my suitcase. Then I said, “Wait a minute, how the heck am I going to charge these hearing aids in a frigging tent?” There was no way to charge them overnight and have them ready for the next day.
Then, a lightbulb popped on over my head. I could simply plug the charger into the USB port in the car. On the drive to the campground, I took them out and gave them an afternoon burst of energy via the USB port. The next morning, I got up early and went for a nice leisurely drive while the aids charged in the car. No electrical outlet. No problem.
A few years ago, when I was in speaking to a room of about 20 people, I heard the dreaded “Your battery is about to die” tone in my right ear. Of course, no one in the room knew that happened. But if someone was watching me closely, they would’ve seen an extra bead of sweat trickle down my temple, or that eye twitch that surfaces when I worry too much.
Luckily, the battery made it through the presentation, but the sheer stress of the experience was, um, super stressful. But with rechargeable hearing aids, the anxiety of a hearing aid going out at an inopportune time is eliminated.
Rechargeable Hearing Aids are Good For the Environment
I know those batteries are small and don’t take up much room in a landfill, but every little bit helps, right? Rechargeable hearing aids are better for the environment because you aren’t using and disposing of regular zinc batteries. Considering all the millions of hearing aid users around the world, that’s a lot of batteries for the earth to deal with. A simple charge of the hearing aids gives Mother Nature one less thing to clean up.
Read more: Simplify Life: Rechargeable hearing aids save 500 batteries
No More Frustrations When Putting In and Removing Batteries
When changing out a battery in my old hearing aid, occasionally I’d put the new battery in the battery compartment upside down. Since the fit wasn’t right, the battery would get wedged in there, and my fingers were too fat to get the thing out. So, I’d have to find a pen or pencil or bobby pin or something to poke it out, being very careful about breaking the thin piece of plastic that holds the battery. After that, I’d have to start the whole battery placement procedure all over again.
See? I’m ranting again. Anyway, my rechargeable hearing aids are fantastic because there’s no need to swap out batteries. The battery is built in, with no little door to open and possibly break.
My Hearing Aids Take a Well-Deserved Rest In a Cool Docking Station
My hearing aid charging station is super cool. I have the Phonak Charger Case that sits right on my bedside table. After hours of helping me hear better my hearing aids must be exhausted. They’ve worked hard all day, need a rest, and a little recharge while I get my shut-eye.
The aids automatically fall asleep (switch off) when I put them in the charger. The blinking lets me know that they are resting comfortably and charging appropriately. But I usually close the case overnight to make sure they’re safe. It only takes three hours for them to be fully charged. I have a setting on the aids that automatically turns them on when I take them off the charger after a night of blissful auditory dreaming.
I Can Stream as Much As I Want and Still Hold a Charge
“You may say that I’m a streamer, but I’m not the only one.”
My hearing aids use a lithium-ion rechargeable battery that gives me a full day of use, even if I’m streaming. That’s 16 hours of battery life. (Even if I stream up to four hours in a day). The hearing aids last a full 24 hours of battery life if I don’t stream, which is never.)
These hearing aids are slightly bigger than my old Phonak Audeo hearing aids, but the difference is so minimal and doesn’t bother me at all. The advantages far outweigh the numerous hassles I’ve dealt with with using hearing aid batteries.
Intrigued by Pete’s rechargeable hearing aid review? Visit Phonak.com to learn more about rechargeable hearing aids.
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