Hearing aid batteries: should you get disposable or rechargeable?

Whether you’re considering using a hearing aid for the first time, or you’ve been wearing one for years, your hearing aid batteries are one element you should not neglect.

Hearing aid batteries are as important as the hearing aids themselves. Without batteries, hearing aids, quite simply, wouldn’t work.

The type of batteries used will depend entirely on the type of hearing aid you have.

Rechargeable hearing aid batteries

Some hearing aids come with rechargeable batteries. With this type, the battery (usually lithium-ion) is built into the hearing aid, which essentially makes the hearing aid rechargeable.

When the hearing aid charge does run out, instead of removing and replacing the battery, you can simply place the hearing aid on charge.

This is normally done by removing your hearing aids and connecting them to a docking station, which must be plugged into a power outlet. Most people remove their hearing aids at night, which is a good opportunity for your hearing aids to get a full charge.

Can I use rechargeable hearing aids?

Rechargeable hearing aids might be suitable for you if you have mild to severe hearing loss.

Most rechargeable aids are receiver in the canal (RIC) hearing aids. If you prefer smaller, discreet hearing aids, like completely in the canal (CIC) or invisible hearing aids, you may not be able to get them with rechargeable batteries.

Rechargeable hearing aids have the advantage of being easier to use if you have poor dexterity because you won’t have to handle the small, delicate, disposable batteries when they need to be replaced.

Disposable hearing aid batteries

If your hearing aid uses disposable batteries, they are likely called ‘zinc-air’ or ‘button’ batteries.

They’re called button batteries because they’re round and flat, just like buttons. Zinc-air means they are zinc batteries that are activated by exposure to air.

This type of battery is manufactured with a sticky tab covering its surface to seal it from air exposure and keep it inactive until you’re ready to use it. When you do peel off the tab and oxygen from the air reacts with the zinc in the battery, it is activated.

If you remove the tab, placing it back onto the surface of the battery won’t deactivate it.

Written by

Ray Claridge Senior Product Manager

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Allie Anderson Writer

Allie Anderson is a health writer and editor with many years of experience creating accurate, evidence-based content for consumer and professional audiences. Allie is passionate about making medical information as accessible as possible, empowering people to make informed choices about their health and well-being. Allie holds a first-class honours degree in Linguistics from University College London, a Russell Group institution that’s ranked in the top 10 universities globally. She trained as a journalist with the UK’s NCTJ (National Council for the Training of Journalists) and after working as a news reporter for local newspapers and B2B titles, began writing about health. Published in medical journals, peer-reviewed magazines for healthcare professionals and a broad range of consumer titles, Allie has covered all manner of health and medical topics throughout her career, most recently focusing on hearing health and hearing loss. Allie has conducted in-depth research into the mechanisms underpinning hearing and has developed an understanding of the nuanced impact hearing loss can have on individuals and their loved ones.

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