Rechargeable Hearing Aids: Are They Right for You?

The technology behind hearing aids has advanced in leaps and bounds in the century since the devices first hit the market. One of the latest advances in hearing aid technology is the addition of rechargeable batteries.

It’s been a tricky thing to master: At first, rechargeable batteries small enough to fit in hearing aids just didn’t have enough power to be practical. But thanks to lithium-ion technology, hearing aids with rechargeable batteries are now long-lasting and reliable.

Rechargeable hearing aids can be tremendously convenient, but they aren’t for everyone. We took a closer look at the best hearing aids with rechargeable batteries to help you decide if the devices are right for you. Here’s what we found.

Standard hearing aids use small, disposable, button-shaped batteries. These are by far the most common options. But newer rechargeable hearing aids have built-in batteries that do not require you to remove them, or at least not very often. Instead, after taking them off at night, you dock them onto a charging unit.

Pros

• Long-lasting performance Rechargeable hearing aids hold their charge for up to 30 hours, or up to 18 hours for heavy streamers.
• Long life Lithium-ion batteries last about five years before needing to be replaced, whereas silver zinc rechargeable batteries last about a year. Comparatively, standard hearing aid batteries last from 3 to 22 days, depending on the type of hearing aid, the battery’s capacity, and your usage.
• Easier to handle If you have vision or dexterity issues, trying to change out tiny hearing aid batteries can be a real pain. Even the packaging can be difficult to get into. Rechargeable hearing aids greatly reduce the need to change out your batteries.
• Safer Regular hearing aids use tiny, disposable, and disc-shaped batteries. These disposable hearing aid batteries pose a dangerous hazard to kids, pets, and even adults who may accidentally swallow them.
• More eco-friendly You can go through up to 100 hearing aid batteries a year with traditional hearing aids. That’s a lot of toxic metals that go into landfills. If you recycle, there's the inconvenience and in some cases expense of physically taking your batteries to a drop-off center.

Cons

• Charger dependency If something happens to the charger or the cord of your charging station, you could be without your hearing aids until the station is repaired or the part is replaced — unless you foot the bill for an extra charger, which can be pricey. You’ll also need to remember to pack your charger when you travel.
• Fewer style options Rechargeable hearing aids are still fairly new, and manufacturers are just beginning to add new models and styles. For now, your options may be limited.
• Higher prices In some cases, the cost of the charging unit and any replacement batteries may not be included in the price of your rechargeable hearing aids. Depending on the make and model of your hearing aids, a charging unit can cost upwards of $300. And while you’ll be using far fewer rechargeable batteries compared to standard hearing aid batteries, when it’s time to replace your rechargeable batteries, you can expect to pay about twice the amount you would spend on standard hearing aid batteries.

We took a look at some of the best hearing aids with rechargeable batteries on the market today. Here’s what we found.

We designated Jabra Enhance as the hearing aid with the best customer experience. Known for excellent service and continued care, Jabra Enhance offers prescription-strength hearing aids and professional hearing care, depending on your package selection.

Jabra Enhance Select hearing aids come in basic or premium packages. The basic package comes with a one-year warranty, while the premium package comes with a three-year warranty and three-year access to professional hearing care with the Jabra Enhance Audiology Team.

Customers who select the premium package are connected with a hearing care professional who will custom-program and adjust your hearing aids via video conference, so there’s no need for in-person appointments. A hearing care professional can ensure you get hearing aids specific to your hearing loss, and you can ask questions about the best way to use your hearing aids. You’ll get remote access to the audiology care team for questions, feedback, and on-demand adjustments for three years. The basic package doesn’t offer this service, but you will receive three preset adjustment settings. You can choose the one that best suits your needs.

Jabra Enhance hearing aids come with 12 processing channels, noise-blocking technology, and the ability to adjust the hearing aids through the Jabra Enhance Select app or remotely with the help of the audiology care team.

Price: $1,195 to $1,995

Type of hearing aid: Receiver-in-canal

Hearing loss: Mild to moderately severe hearing loss

Bluetooth capabilities: Yes

Battery: 312 standard disposable battery and rechargeable battery option

Warranty and trial period: One-year manufacturer’s warranty, and one-year loss and damage protection (basic package).Three-year manufacturer’s warranty, three-year loss and damage protection (premium package). All Jabra Enhance customers get a 100-day money-back trial.

Financing: Yes

Get Jabra Enhance at JabraEnhance.com

We named the Audicus Wave one of the best Bluetooth hearing aids. Bluetooth technology is one of the most sought-after features in hearing aids. Not only does this technology help you stay connected to your mobile phone while you're wearing your hearing aids, but it also allows you to wirelessly connect your hearing aids to other Bluetooth-enabled devices, like a television, computer, tablet, and more.

The Wave includes advanced Bluetooth technology compatible with both Apple and Android smartphones. These hearing aids have two directional microphones to help cut the clutter so you can have clear conversations. They also come with 12 processing channels and 10 volume settings you can adjust through the Audicus app.

Three of the four Audicus models come with rechargeable batteries (Wave, Spirit, and Omni). If you have results from a current hearing test, the company’s experts can provide guidance and recommendations. Otherwise, you can take the 15-minute online hearing test. The results are interpreted by a team of audiologists who then program a hearing aid based on your profile.

Price: $1,398

Type of hearing aid: Receiver-in-the-canal

Hearing loss: Mild to severe hearing loss

Bluetooth capabilities: Yes

Battery: Rechargeable for the Wave, Spirit, and Omni; disposable for the Audicus Mini

Warranty and trial period: Two-year manufacturer’s warranty and a 45-day money-back trial

Financing: No financing options, but a discount membership program is available

Get Audicus Wave at Audicus.com.

Looking for an inconspicuous rechargeable hearing aid? We named Eargo the best hearing aid for a discreet look. Available in three models — the Eargo 5, Eargo 6, and Eargo 7— these hearing aids are known for their small size, comfortable inner-ear fit, advanced noise reduction, and excellent sound amplification.

All Eargo hearing aids are self-fitting, which means you’ll need to program them yourself. That said, the company has a user-friendly Eargo app that helps you to program your hearing aids, and one of the company’s specialists can help you over the phone. You can also make day-to-day sound adjustments using the app, or choose between four preset listening profiles that you can change by double-tapping your ear.

Price: $1,850–$2,950

Type of hearing aid: Completely-in-the-canal

Hearing loss: Mild to moderate high-frequency hearing loss

Bluetooth capabilities: Yes, in the charging case

Battery: Rechargeable

Warranty and trial period: One- to two-year manufacturer’s warranty (depends on model) and 45-day money-back trial

Financing: Yes

Get Eargo at Eargo.com.

We named MDHearing the best hearing aid for budget shoppers. And it’s easy to see why: the company’s basic behind-the-ear (BTE) model, the Air, starts at only $299 per pair — which is less than half the cost of the next most affordable hearing aid on this list, the Jabra Enhance starting price. This model is the only MDHearing option with telecoil and disposable batteries.

If you’re looking for something that has rechargeable batteries, MDHearing has three more models to choose from: the Neo, Volt, and Volt Max. The Neo is the only in-the-canal (ITC) model offered by MDHearing. The Volt and Volt Max are both behind-the-ear models. The company also offers an online hearing test and access to a licensed audiologist.

While these devices may not be the most advanced hearing aid on the market, they may be a good choice for those looking for a range of prices and features. The Volt Max is the most advanced model and it comes with four audio settings, Bluetooth capability, directional microphones, and automatic noise reduction.

Price: $299 to $699

Type of hearing aid:In-the-canal and behind-the-ear

Hearing loss: Mild to moderately severe hearing loss

Bluetooth capabilities: Volt Max only

Battery: Disposable battery for the Air and rechargeable batteries for the Neo, Volt, and Volt Max

Warranty and trial period: One-year warranty for all models, except the Volt Max (two-year warranty) and 45-day money-back trial

Financing: Yes

Get MDHearing at Mdhearingaid.com or call 844-936-0233.

“Easy to use, clear instructions packaged with items. This is my first experience with a hearing device so I have no benchmark to measure against but I can definitely say that the MDHearing Volt improved my ability to hear people speaking around me. It took several weeks to select the settings and volume level that felt right. The right-side aid failed after almost two months but MDHearing very promptly replaced it under warranty. I especially like that they are rechargeable, avoiding the need to purchase and replace batteries. If they last at least five years they will have exceeded my expectations.” — Heritage, MDHearing Volt user, review on Amazon.com

“I have never written a product review before … But these hearing aids exceeded my expectations. I had used behind-the-ear aids for about eight years — purchased for $7,000 (!) so I could hear in high noise environments to help my mild-to-moderate sensory-neural deficit. Unfortunately, my prior aids were a complete failure. Not surprisingly (in retrospect), they helped me hear sounds behind me better than in front of me, despite three levels of ‘programming,’ multiple different ear pieces, etc. Stopped using them. Then tried the Eargo Neo product — BIG IMPROVEMENT!!! Took some fiddling to get the earpiece right, level of amplification right — (remember, no audiologist to guide you through this) — but after about six weeks, I LOVE THEM! [...] They are invisible, rechargeable, and a HUGE improvement over my prior experience. I don't know how long the rechargeable battery will last — and WARNING: they are so comfortable that it is easy to step in the shower without removing them (they are not water resistant!) Overall, very satisfied, and would recommend them to a friend!” — JMCMD, Eargo user, review on Amazon.com

“I could not be more happy with my Lively Hearing aids and the experience of buying from them. I purchased the non-rechargeable with the extended warranty (three years). The audiologist I met with online (video chat) was very helpful and made sure I got set up right. This is my first pair of hearing aids so I don't have a wide breadth for comparison but I was amazed at how much better everything sounded. Guess my wife has been right all these years … lol. PLUS since I bought the extended warranty, I had peace of mind when my puppy chewed up one of the pieces. After they got over their initial laughter, they sent me a replacement. Now (months later) I've just found out that they will also send me ear wax guards FOR FREE which I was totally expecting to pay for!! Free stuff, always nice! :-) So far, so good … I 100 percent recommend!!!” — Eric W., Jabra Enhance user, review on RetirementLiving.com

Some rechargeable hearing aids can be purchased online, but you will have far more options if you go through a hearing center or an audiologist. To set up an appointment, we highly recommend going through Yes Hearing.

Standard hearing aids with disposable batteries are the most common type of hearing aid on the market. But, thanks to advancements in technology, hearing aids with rechargeable batteries are gradually winning over fans. They are powerful, convenient, long lasting, and they’re friendly to pets, children, and the environment. Styles may be limited, but as rechargeable hearing aids become more popular, manufacturers will very likely design more options to meet the demand.

Rechargeable hearing aids may be more expensive up front, with pricey charging stations, but they could save you the cost of buying new disposable batteries every week or month. Plus, as demand grows, prices should continue to drop as well.

But rechargeable hearing aids aren’t for everyone. If you prefer more style options, are looking for less-expensive models, and don’t want to haul a charging station with you whenever you travel, rechargeable hearing aids might not be for you. Your hearing impairment, general health, and lifestyle will dictate the best type of hearing aid for your needs. As always, you can reach out to your hearing care provider for guidance.