Best 312 Hearing Aid Batteries

If you need a hearing aid, there are a number of makers of hearing aid batteries, each with their own distinct advantages. There are differences in battery life and cost. You also have the choice of using disposable or rechargeable batteries. Hearing aid batteries come in 5 sizes, that depends on your hearing aid design. They have a colored tab that indicates the size. The color code works as follows:  

• Size 5: Red--(These are rarely used.)

• Size 10: Yellow--lasts for 11 days, 134 hours of use

• Size 312: Brown--lasts for 12 days, 141 hours

• Size 13: Orange--lasts for 11 days, 136 hours

• Size 675: Blue--lasts for 12 days, 141 hours

People use the battery for around 12 hours a day, so the calculations are made accordingly.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting hearing aid batteries. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of hearing aid batteries,

• See useful tips about this type of hearing aid batteries,

• Read reviews of different hearing aid batteries, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of hearing aid batteries, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

• Zinc-air--This type will come with a small tab on one end, colored according to the size. But the tab also preserves the battery’s power. Pulling off the tab makes the battery start to react with the air. (That’s why they are called “zinc-air” batteries.) After pulling off the tab, you should wait around five minutes before inserting it into your hearing aid--this amount of time allows the battery to activate itself.

• Rechargeable--Since hearing aid batteries get used up rather fast, it’s worthwhile getting rechargeable batteries. PowerOne’s Accu Plus NiMH (= Nickel Metal Hydride) rechargeable hearing aid batteries are unique, in that they are the only rechargeable hearing aid batteries presently on the market. You charge the hearing aid batteries from 2 “AAA” alkaline batteries. Different chargers will charge up the batteries at different rates. PowerOne estimates that you can recharge their batteries 600 times!

• Battery life: If you are looking to extend the life of your batteries, you’ll notice that the battery will drain more quickly when you are in a noisy environment. Also, if you set the hearing aid’s volume on “maximum”, it will also drain the battery more quickly. Furthermore, moisture and perspiration can damage hearing aids and hearing aid batteries. There are special hearing aid dryers that reduce the moisture in the hearing aid. They either use electricity or some sort of moisture-absorbing gel that absorbs the moisture.

• Shelf life: Different brands will have a different shelf life for their batteries. But some can have a shelf life of as much as 4 years. That means that, as long as the packaging is intact, the battery is still expected to store its charge for up to 4 years.

• Packaging: The packaging makes a difference in the battery life as well. The Rayovac batteries come in a dial-form package. You rotate the dial until a battery appears in the opening. The package is made so that only one battery will come out at a time. It also has an easy-access reclosable door tells you that there is a battery present in the dispenser, without having to flip it over.

• Quantities: You’ll see hearing aid batteries available in different quantities. Duracell sells hearing aid batteries in quantities of 8, 12, 16, and 24 batteries at once. Since they’re guaranteed to last for up to four years, it makes sense to buy the larger quantity. Typical use is around 2 batteries per week--so you’ll be going through 24 batteries in 3 months.

• Size indicated by the number and color: There is an industry standard as to the sizes of hearing aid batteries--as well as the colored tab. Thus, if you need a 312 Zinc-air battery, the tab will always be brown, no matter which brand. If you buy rechargeable 312-size batteries, they won’t have a tab, but the size will still be compatible.

• Recycling: Hearing aid batteries typically contain nickel and zinc--but they can also contain more hazardous metals, such as mercury. It is recommended to recycle your hearing aid batteries, instead of just throwing them out in the garbage, where they can end up in a landfill. But, in order to avoid the risk of short-circuiting the batteries, you should put them back into the original package. This keeps the batteries separate so that they won’t short each other out.

• PowerOne--is a German manufacturer of hearing aid batteries and equipment, located in Ellwangen, Germany. Their high-speed production lines minimizes the possibility of human error. Their batteries include Zinc Air batteries, Lithium-Ion batteries, chargers, and other accessories. Each battery is sealed so as to prevent it from drying out or draining.

• Rayovac—is a division of Spectrum Brands, which was founded in 1906 as the French Battery Company, in Madison, Wisconsin. They make batteries under the brand names Rayovac and Varta, as well as making home appliances. They make all-purpose batteries, rechargeable batteries, lithium batteries, lantern batteries, and more.

• Siemens--is a German conglomerate that manufactures energy solutions and electronic components, as well as consumer products such as hearing instruments, rail and road solutions, home appliances, and more. They were founded by Werner von Siemens in 1847 in Berlin, originally manufacturing telegraph technology. They have expanded to providing products for commercial and consumer electronics goods.

• Duracell—was founded in 1924 by Samuel Ruben and Philip Rogers Mallory, as the P. R. Mallory Company. Their headquarters is presently in Bethel, Connecticut. The name “Duracell” is a contraction of the words “durable cell”. They originally made mercury batteries, but over the years developed alkaline batteries, lithium batteries and NiMH (Nickel-Metal Hydride) rechargeable batteries. They also make rechargeable battery chargers, USB battery packs, and batteries for special uses.