What are the best hearing aid batteries? The two things that I think about when making a purchase are how long will they last and how much do they cost. When considering how long they will last it is important to have a basic understanding of what affects hearing aid battery life. To a person that is new to wearing a hearing aid you might expect a battery to last a long time. For example, a watch battery can last a year or longer. The reality is, for a hearing aid they will usually last from 3 days to 3 weeks. That’s a lot different than other small electronic devices. This can be surprising and a little disappointing.
Factors Affecting Battery Life
Factors affecting battery life can get a little complex and may be surprising to you. Things that have an impact are:
- Temperature of your environment
- Humidity level
- Differing drain usage rates of an aid
- Different sound environments (noisy or quiet)
- How often you use a dry-aid kit (removes moisture from the aid)
- How long you wear your device each day
- Type of hearing aid
The various battery brands will respond differently to the combinations of these factors. Why does a hearing aid battery have so much less battery life than other smaller electronic devices? It has to do with the size of the battery and the amount of current energy draw from the aid. A larger battery will have more storage capacity than a smaller one. For a given size, you will get a longer life in an analog aid vs. a digital, programmable aid. The digital circuits are more complicated and this results in more current energy draw. Hearing aid amplifiers draw heavier current loads, much heavier, for example, than those required for simple watch circuits or even heart pacemakers. So, battery life estimation really depends on a lot of different factors. Determining what works best for you will likely require some experimentation on your part.
Cost of Hearing Aid Batteries
The cost range can vary depending on the size, brand and purchase quantity. It pays to shop around to find the best price for your preferred brand. You can often buy them on sale at a reasonable discount. For a quick reference on cost, below is a table comparing size 312 hearing aid batteries listed on Amazon.com. This chart also includes the average Amazon rating to enable you to see what other consumers think about each brand. Note the cost is noted as a reference only. This is because the prices listed on Amazon can change frequently. If you would like to see all of the current Amazon listings click here: Hearing Aid Batteries
The table can be sorted by each column. Sort by clicking on the arrows at the top of each column.
| Brand | # of Batteries | Reference Cost | Avg. Customer Review | # of Reviews | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  | Powerone | 60 | $17.25 | 4.6 | 342 |
  | Duracell | 60 | $21.20 | 4.5 | 147 |
  | Rayovac | 48 | $23.44 | 4.4 | 87 |
  | Zenipower | 60 | $15.45 | 4.7 | 43 |
  | iCellTech | 60 | $14.75 | 4.0 | 306 |
  | Rayovac Extra Mercury Free | 60 | $22.99 | 4.5 | 64 |
  | Renata | 60 | $21.98 | 4.6 | 12 |
  | Hearclear | 60 | $16.49 | 3.7 | 18 |
  | Energizer | 24 | $12.49 | 3.4 | 13 |
  | Panasonic | 60 | $25.99 | 4.3 | 3 |
  | Sony | 60 | $24.20 | 5.0 | 2 |
The Best Hearing Aid Batteries
What are the best hearing aid batteries? As you can see, this is not a straightforward question to answer. To answer this we have looked at the satisfaction level of hearing impaired consumers just like you. In the comparison chart found here, we have provided a summary that includes the manufacturer, size, cost, and average customer rating based on Amazon ratings. Use this as a guide, but understand that ultimately the best option will be your decision. I hope this will be a helpful tool to guide you in your purchase.