Choosing the Best Hearing Aid Battery

Types of Batteries

In the past, the best hearing aid batteries were made with mercury, but these only held a charge for half of the time the zinc batteries do today. Most people choose the zinc air battery as the best hearing aid battery today. The reason for this is that they are relatively inexpensive, costing about four dollars for a pack of about six batteries, depending on the size, as well as the fact that they hold a charge for a relatively long period of time, depending on the type of hearing aid that it is used in.

Hearing aid batteries come in a color coded sizing system so that the best hearing aid battery can be chosen for a particular device. If the hearing aid is in the ear canal, it will use a smaller battery, such as the red or yellow coded battery, which does not last as long as the larger batteries, such as the blue. These batteries come with the color coded tab attached to them not only for showing the size, but also to keep the air out of the battery until it is ready to be used. The zinc batteries react to the oxygen in the air, so when the tab is removed, they are activated and zinc oxide is produced, which is the reaction that serves to power the battery.

Some of the best hearing aid batteries will come with a testing mechanism that will go on a keychain. These can also be bought separately for around eleven dollars. The reason a tester is valuable is so that good batteries are not thrown away by individuals who think that the problem with the hearing aid is that the battery has gone bad. The tester allows individuals to place the battery on the testing area and the device will show whether it is still good or if it should be changed. This allows individuals to take the hearing aid into the repair shop if a repair is what is required.

Even better than having a tester is having a set of rechargeable batteries. Although they cost more initially, running about forty dollars for a pair of batteries, in addition to the charger which is around seventy dollars, the batteries can be recharged repeatedly so that they last for about two years before needing to be replaced.