Hearing Aid Batteries: The Power Source for Better Communication

by Lindsay Robinson, HIA Program Coordinator

August 3, 2022

The first battery powered hearing aids were introduced more than 80 years ago, and they were a far cry from the sleek, small hearing aids available today. In 1900, the first portable hearing aid weighed over 3 pounds and included an external battery that was carried in a rubber case with wiring that connected to the earpiece.¹ In 1937, Rayovac patented the first battery that could be cased inside vacuum tube hearing aids.²

Today, a tiny hearing aid battery powers the sense of hearing for millions of individuals around the world. We asked HIA member Rayovac to explain a frequently asked question: How long will a battery last in my hearing aid? We learned that it depends on a variety of conditions that are unique to every hearing aid wearer. Some factors that affect battery use are:

• The individual’s level of hearing loss, and how much amplification they require
• The amount of time the individuals wears their hearing aid per day
• How much the person relies on their hearing aid for streaming audio, making phone calls, or connecting to accessories
• What the users normal sound environment is like
• The environment that the hearing aid wearer lives in

Hearing aid batteries come in four industry standard sizes: 10, 13, 312, and 675. Choosing the size depends on which hearing aid the wearer uses, and is information that can be provided by your hearing professional.

Rayovac passed along this tip for our readers: Batteries depend on air to “power up”, so allowing the hearing aid to rest for one minute after taking off the tab and before putting it in the hearing aid will result in the battery being fully powered.

Happy listening!