Choosing a Hearing Aid Battery

Types of Hearing Aids

There are a variety of hearing aids for people with different types and severity of hearing loss. There are four common types of hearing aids available:

Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC)		This is the smallest hearing aid currently available on the market. It is almost invisible in the ear.
In-the-Canal (ITC)		These are a little bigger than the CIC. ITC hearing aids fit into the ear canal and is used for mild to moderate hearing loss.
In-the-Ear (ITE)		These hearing aids are used for a wider range of hearing losses. Their larger size means they can accommodate more features such as larger sound amplifiers and a telephone coil. They are easier to handle than CIC and ITC hearing aids.
Behind-the-Ear (BHE)		BTE hearing aids sit behind the ear. These hearing aids require a custom made ear mould. A clear plastic tubing joins the BTE hearing aid to the ear mould. BTE hearing aids provide more amplification than the smaller hearing aids due to a stronger amplifier and larger battery. The Cochlear® 3G, Freedom, Hybrid and Nucleus 5 processors are also a BTE design.

 
Common Battery Sizes

The most common hearing aid battery sizes are the 675, 312, 13 and 10.

To identify the size, manufacturers use an industry standard colour code on the packaging. A colour coded peel-off tab is also attached to the base of zinc air batteries.

Below is a summary of the various sizes and the corresponding colour codes.

		Type of Hearing Aid				BHE Cochlear Implant*
		CIC	ITC	ITE	BTE
	Size 675   Click here to buy now! Colour Coding: Blue dot
	Size 312   Click here to buy now! Colour Coding: Brown dot
	Size 13   Click here to buy now! Colour Coding: Orange dot
	Size 10   Click here to buy now! Colour Coding:Yellow dot

* ESPrit, ESPrit 3G for Nucleus 22, ESPrit 3G for Nucleus 24, Freedom, Hybrid and Nucleus 5 cochlear implant processors.

Check out our range of hearing aid batteries and cochlear implant batteries!

Some hearing aids do not use standard hearing aid batteries. If this is the case with your hearing aid, please email, fax or post to us the details of the battery size and hearing aid. We will try our best to to obtain the battery for you.

 
Zinc Air, Gen X and Cochlear Power ... what does all this mean?

Zinc air batteries are the most popular power system for hearing aids. These batteries will suit the majority of hearing aids currently available on the market.

These batteries utilise air outside the battery as a source of power and pack much more power into a cell than the mercury, silver-oxide and alkaline systems. However, the downside is they have a limited life one the air activates the battery. This is why silver-oxide batteries are used for watches.

Battery chemistries are interchangeable provided you use the correct size battery. For example it is possible to use the equivalent silver-oxide battery in a hearing aid, you will most likely receive better sound quality and battery life with zinc air batteries.

Check out our range of hearing aid batteries

 
Gen X batteries are zinc-air specifically optimised to reduce sound distortion and provide longer life in high-output hearing aids (particularly some brands of digital hearing aids). These batteries are no longer being manufactured.

Click here for more information on Gen X batteries

 
Cochlear Implant batteries provide high current so that the processors can perform well where the high current drain is required.

The ESPrit, ESPrit 3G for Nucleus 22, ESPrit 3G for Nucleus 24, Freedom, Hybrid and Nucleus 5 cochlear implant processors use size 675 zinc-air cochlear implant batteries batteries.

Some implantees can use standard zinc air hearing aid batteries with good results - this depends very much on the implantee's map (which varies from implantee to implantee).

Check out our batteries for the cochlear implant

 
Selecting the Right Battery

If you are not sure which battery your hearing aid uses, there are two ways of doing this:

1. Identify the numerical size on the front of the packaging. Some manufacturers include letters with the size number (eg: U675A).
   
   
2. Match the colour code with the peel-off tab of your current supply of batteries.

Manufacturers have different battery quality and performance, however, the dimensions of the battery will comply with international standards. For example, the size 312 battery by different manufacturers will fit in hearing aids designed to use the size 312 battery.

If you are still unsure which battery size suits you, we suggest you post us an empty packet of your current batteries along with your contact details and some details of your hearing aid (if possible). We will then identify the size and make a recommendation.

Use only the correct size and type battery in your hearing aid / cochlear implant. If you are not sure what size or type of battery to use, consult the documentation for your hearing aid / cochlear implant or contact your hearing professional.

Do not attempt to force a battery into your hearing aid or cochlear implant. This will result in damage. It could be the sign of an incorrect battery type or size.