Rechargeable Hearing Aids are Here!
Let’s face it. Changing batteries can be a chore…
Hearing aids have always needed power in the form of a battery, and while hearing aids have become more sophisticated over time, battery technology has stayed relatively simple and predictable; disposable batteries drain gradually over a few days before needing to be replaced.
The average hearing aid user will use about one battery per week per hearing aid, so that’s over a 100 batteries per year! That’s a lot of waste, and while Zinc-air batteries are less toxic than the older Mercury based ones, they still need to be disposed of safely and in a way that doesn’t harm the environment.
Introducing the ZPower Rechargeable Battery System
We’re excited to introduce the new rechargeable system from ZPower for Oticon Opn hearing aids. Because of its high energy efficiency and environmentally-friendly approach, the ZPower battery system holds more charge capacity than most rechargeable batteries; it is long lasting, non-flammable and non-toxic, and it is fully recyclable. You don’t have to remove batteries from your hearing aid every week anymore!
The Oticon Opn miniRITE is now rechargeable!
Oticon offers the rechargeable kit with the Opn miniRITE models with a 312 battery. To make the change to rechargeable, we simply retrofit each of your existing Opn hearing aids with a new battery drawer that works with the ZPower charger. You may notice a slightly different appearance of the battery drawer, but apart from that, the hearing aid looks exactly the same. The batteries have the appearance of gold, rather than silver.
How to Use the System
Just use your hearing aids as normal.
When the hearing aids run out of power, just place them in the charger overnight. You will know your hearing aid is charging when the green light is blinking on the charging dock. Once removing your hearing aid from the charger, it will automatically turn on and connect to your devices! Simple!
Once fully charged, your rechargeable Oticon Opn hearing aids will normally last between 15 to 19 hours, even with up to 4 hours of TV or phone streaming! Be aware that more streaming will deplete the batteries more quickly.
Once they are fully drained, it will take approximately 7 hours to return the hearing aids to a full charge, so we recommend that you charge the battery at night-time while you are asleep.
If you forget to bring your charger with you on a trip or vacation, you can still use regular disposable 312 zinc-air batteries – just keep the rechargeable ones safe until you get back to the charger! It’s a good idea to keep a package of disposables nearby just in case you need them.
Lifetime and Tips
ZPower rechargeable batteries last for approximately one year, and their life can be extended in a few ways:
- Charge the hearing aids before wearing them
- Charge the hearing aids in a temperature between 10 and 40 degrees C
- Only plug in the hearing aids if the charger is plugged in
- Remove the rechargeable batteries when you are not using your hearing aid for extended periods
- You should contact us if you feel that your ZPower batteries are starting to run out too quickly.
At Audiology First, we are very excited about what rechargeable hearing aids can do for you. So, say goodbye to changing batteries, and HELLO to charging them! Call us for a quote on upgrading your hearing aids to the new ZPower rechargeable kit!
