Best Buy Phonak Audéo Hearing Aids - Battery or rechargeable? General advice appreciated...

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PaddyBloggit

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New into the arena of hearing aids, so any advice welcome.

Audiologist tells me that they have recommended rechargeable aids for the past two years but are finding issues cropping up after a year of use such as battery refusing to charge etc.

The rechargeable batteries are replaced under the 2 year warranty, but if they go after the 2 years they aren't.

Looking at the Phonak website, rechargeable battery seem to have a shelf life of 6 years. With care, I'd be hoping the aids would last longer than that.

Audiologist is now thinking of recommending aids with replaceable batteries.

Users' views welcome. General tips also appreciated.
 
I would not be at all surprised the rechargeable batteries case issues after a year. Rechargeable batteries are fine if they are user replaceable. That battery technology are they using?
 
Probably lithium of which there are several sub types. A 6 year self life is just that, sitting on a shelf unused for 6 years. You would need to find number of charge/discharge cycles the battery is rated for. Typically 300-500 times for lithium, before you notice much degrading. So recharging every night gives a life of around 2 years. Much the same as a modern smart phone!
 
Hearing aids are mainly worn by older people who as they get older their fingers are not as nimble for changing those tiny batteries. Many of these people are living alone so I spend much of my time helping them with their battery and other problems. So from that point of view the rechargeable type are a godsend.
However I have no experience of the life of the chargers. My OH has a charger but only for about 2 years so we have yet to find out. My sister had a charger for hers but after having problems with it the company (can't remember the name) were no longer able to supply a replacement.
Have you tried the HSE. They are available free if you have a medical card
 
Black Sheep said:
They are available free if you have a medical card
Click to expand...
No medical card and no PRSI relief either so it's full payment from my side.

I've decided to go with the replaceable batteries as research seems to indicate that the rechargeables have an expected lifespan of approximately 6 yeards.

The audiologist I'm dealing with has decided not to recommend rechargeable hearing aids for the foreseeable future because she's seeing the ones that she recommended over tha past 2 years, coming back with battery issues.
 
So-called z-power rechargeable batteries have a battery life not longer than 2 years, next best lithium-ion batteries will last 4 years before charge time begins to taper off and fail completely.

Your expensive Phonak Audéo Hearing Aids will not necessarily have a longer battery life than cheaper devices. You might be better off using devices with replaceable batteries as the useful lives of the devices often exceed the recharge life of the non-replaceable batteries. Bear in mind that as a consumer, you have a six-year guarantee from the retailer and you are not dependent on a manufacturer's shorter warranty. If your device becomes unusable because the batteries cannot be charged or replaced, you may be eligible for a replacement of the device.

If you want to PM with a county, I might be able to connect you with an information source/knowledgeable professional.

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