Rechargeable Hearing Aids
The Advent of Modern Rechargeable Hearing Aids
Modern rechargeable hearing aids exploded onto the scene a couple of years ago and have proven very popular. The big hearing aid brands have taken notice and they all introduced them. Phonak was, of course, the first hearing aid manufacturer to introduce the modern range of rechargeable hearing aids but they were quickly followed by Signia. The two market leaders introduced Lithium-Ion powered rechargeable hearing aids. The other brands initially introduced Silver-Zinc powered rechargeable hearing aids powered by the Z-Power system. However, Starkey has, in fact, delivered a Z-Power system and more recently a Lithium-Ion system as has Resound. The other brands have taken notice and we expect to see more lithium-ion powered rechargeable hearing aids in 2019.
Two Types of Rechargeable Systems
As I said, there are predominantly two modern rechargeable systems, Lithium-Ion and Silver-Zinc battery systems, with each having their strengths and weaknesses. Signia, Phonak and now Starkey have introduced Lithium-Ion rechargeable systems. Everyone else is relying on Silver-Zinc battery systems from Z-Power. Lithium-Ion systems offer up to thirty hours of use on a single charge, however, the system does not allow replacement of the battery pack with ease. The lifetime of a Lithium-Ion battery is around five years.
Silver-Zinc technology offers slightly more hours of use on a single charge and the system combines the best of both worlds, offering over thirty hours of use on one charge, and you can change the batteries to traditional hearing aid batteries if you forget to charge the devices or have a power cut. Silver-Zinc batteries need to be replaced once a year, but it is something that you can do yourself without fuss.
While the Silver-Zinc systems are very versatile, there have been problems, that’s why most hearing aid brands are now committed to providing their own lithium-ion powered devices.
Rechargeable Hearing Aid Brands We Offer
