By the time that you’ve actually gotten a set of hearing aids to make it easier for you to hear everything that’s going on around you, you’ve probably learned (or researched) enough that they don’t all take the same sizes in hearing aid batteries.

Actually, there is fair diversity among the different types of batteries that hearing aids use, and they’re not all the same - far from it. It’s evident enough that there are many different sizes in hearing aid batteries, but they differ in method as well.

For example, some old styles of batteries (many, in fact) are called zinc-air batteries and use a fuel cell full of a zinc solution that reacts with the oxygen in air in order to release energy. Not all hearing aid batteries work this way. rechargeable batteries, for example, have closed cells and do not come into contact with the air.

So, before you go out and try to get a new set of size 10 hearing aid batteries, let’s make sure they’re the right size for your hearing aids in the first place.

What Size Hearing Aid Batteries Are There?

There are many different sizes of hearing aid batteries, but almost every time you come across them, whether in an online shop or at the drugstore, you’ll be looking at one of the following types (sizes) of batteries.

There are a few other sizes of hearing aid batteries, but for all intents and purposes, your hearing aids almost certainly run on one of four sizes, which will be detailed below.

-Size 10 hearing aid batteries

Size 10 hearing aids are the smallest hearing aid batteries that are frequently encountered and can be recognized most readily by the color of the little tag that both protects them from the air and can be used to handle them more easily. Size 10 batteries have little yellow tags. Note the yellow packaging of the batteries to the left, denoting them as size 10 batteries.

If you’re at a loss and the batteries you’re looking at don’t have tags, or you’re trying to identify a battery that’s already in your hearing aid, then keep this in mind - size 10 hearing aid batteries have a diameter of 5.8mm and are 3.6mm high.

These batteries also have an average lifespan of under a week. All other factors being held constant, you can expect size 10s to last anywhere from 3 days to up to 7 days on the high end. Also, if they’re really, really small, you can bet their size 10s, as these are significantly smaller than the other sizes of hearing aids.

-Size 312 hearing aid batteries

One step up from size 10s, although substantially larger, are size 312 hearing aid batteries. Don’t try to identify them just by the impression they leave on your senses, though, or you’ll quickly get lost with a bunch of batteries that appear, subjectively at least, to be the same size.

You’ll know you’re dealing with size 312 batteries, intact ones, that is because they sport a rusty brown colored protective tab to keep the air out and identify them. However, if you get the rusty brown of these batteries confused with the orange of size 13s, you can always perform a quick measurement.

Just make sure you are precise because size 312 batteries and size 13 batteries are almost impossible to tell apart without the help of their color-coded tabs. They both have the same diameter - coming in at 7.9mm - but size 312s are shorter, at 3.6mm high. Also, in terms of lifespan, you might be able to get a little more longevity out of 312s. They can last, in some instances, for a little longer than a week.

-Size 13 hearing aid batteries

Size 13 hearing aid batteries are very difficult to tell apart from size 312 batteries, so don’t just try to eyeball them. You’ll either need to take a measurement or rely on the input of the color-coded tabs the batteries come with. Size 13s, unlike size 312s, come with a bright orange tab.

If you need to measure your batteries to be sure of what you have, then remember that size 13 hearing aid batteries come in at the same diameter as size 312s, at 7.9mm. They’re a little bit taller, though, measuring at 5.4mm.

As far as battery life is concerned, despite the similarity in size to size 312s, size 13 hearing aid batteries should last a little bit longer on average. They should last more than 5 days, all things being equal, and can last as many as 10.

-Size 675 hearing aid batteries

Size 675 hearing aid batteries are not just the largest but also the most powerful of the bunch. If your hearing aids take size 675 batteries, you probably already know this, but you may not need the color-coding of the tabs to tell them apart. Luckily, for users of size 675 batteries, it’s hard to get them confused with anything else.

If you can’t identify them on sight, size 675 hearing aid batteries come with a bright blue protective tab and are much larger than all of the other batteries described in this list. They have a diameter of 11.6mm, nearly twice the size of the next largest battery here, and more than twice the diameter of size 10 hearing aid batteries. They’re also 5.4mm high and have by far the longest average lifespan. On the low end, size 675 batteries usually last nearly ten days, but they can last as long as twenty - that’s nearly three weeks!

It is also important not to confuse these with other forms of button-style batteries that are out there and often sold on the same racks as - or very close to - hearing aid batteries. In addition to these sizes in hearing aid batteries, there are a number of other types and sizes of button style batteries that are used to power small electronic devices like calculators and watches, such as 76A batteries, 357 and 377 batteries. While these superficially resemble hearing aid batteries, they are not compatible with them - so be sure to check the label so you know what you’re buying!

Don’t Forget About Rechargeable Hearing Aid Batteries

Something else to keep in mind is that not all hearing aids take disposable batteries, despite the fact that they are widely available and long-lasting. If your hearing aids don’t seem to take the batteries we described here or you can’t find out how to access the batteries, there is a good chance that your hearing aids take rechargeable hearing aid batteries.

However, some hearing aids that take rechargeable batteries are designed in such a way that you can’t easily replace the hearing aid batteries at home. If that is the case, you may need to send them to the manufacturer in order to have the batteries replaced.

If you can replace the batteries at home but aren’t sure what to use, then get in touch with us at sales@localbattery.com and we may be able to help out.

So What If I Don’t Need Size 10 Hearing Aid Batteries?

You can probably glean from all this that one of the best ways to identify a hearing aid battery is from the color of the tab that comes with it - but there are considerations. One is that you might need to identify a battery that is already in a hearing aid, and the other is that you might need to identify one that is not in a hearing aid.

Here are some ways to figure out what kind of hearing aid batteries you need, if you need to replace them and you aren’t sure what your hearing aid takes.

-Check for distinguishing markings

If your hearing aid does not have a battery in it currently, look for distinguishing markets on the exterior or within the battery compartment that might give you a clue as to what type of battery it takes. You can also lookup the model of the hearing aid itself online and you should be able to tell what kind of battery you’re going to need.

-Measure the size of the battery that’s in the case

If your hearing aid has a battery in the compartment, it obviously won’t have a tab on it. However, you can take the battery out of the compartment and measure it and you should be able to tell what type of battery it needs.

We already included the dimensions of the four most common types of hearing aid batteries in the preceding section, but for quick reference, here they are again:

-Size 10 hearing aid batteries - 5.8mm x 3.6mm

-Size 312 batteries - 7.9mm x 3.6mm

-Size 13 batteries - 7.9mm x 5.4mm

-Size 675 batteries - 11.6mm x 5.4mm

-Pay attention to the color of the tab - this makes buying easier

Finally, if you have a hearing aid battery that is intact but separated from its packaging, you can probably tell what it is from the color of the tab. This information is also available in the previous section, but here it is again:

-Size 10 - Yellow

-Size 312 - Brown

-Size 13 - Orange

-Size 675 - Blue

Save Yourself Some Trouble with These Additional Tips

Once you get the right size hearing aid batteries for your hearing aids, you might as well protect your investment to the best of your abilities. After all, hearing aid batteries aren’t particularly cheap!

Here are some tips you can follow that will either secure the viability of your hearing aid batteries or enable them to perform their best for the longest amount of time.

-Keep your hearing aids dry, whether you can or can’t remove the batteries easily.

One of the most important rules you need to observe is to keep your hearing aids as dry as possible. We recognize that hearing loss means you may need to have your hearing aids in your ears through less than optimal conditions - such as in high humidity or in the rain, but when you take them out, get in the habit of keeping them in a dehumidifier.

-Buy your batteries in advance, and keep them cool and dry(!)

Hearing aid batteries will last a while - up to a few years - provided you store them properly. The most important thing is to ensure that you store them in a dry location, but keep them cool if you can as well.

-Wash your hands before you handle the batteries

There are oils and minerals on your hands that can adversely affect both your hearing aids and their batteries. Before you handle a battery, such as before you replace it, wash your hands.

-Do not remove the tabs until ready to use! Then, wait a few minutes before replacing them

As soon as you remove the tabs from hearing aid batteries and allow air to contact them, the clock is ticking. Keep the tabs in place until you are ready to replace them and wait a few minutes after taking the tabs off to allow the air to contact them before you place them in your hearing aids.

-Use older batteries first - Follow a first in, first out system!

While you can stockpile hearing aid batteries to ensure that you never run out, make sure you always use the oldest ones first. This will ensure that your inventory, even if you keep a sizable one, only consists of younger batteries.

-Get yourself a hearing aid battery tester to be sure

Finally, if you keep a bunch of batteries in reserve, you might as well get yourself a hearing aid battery tester. This will free you from some guesswork if you have any old batteries lying around - you can be sure they’re viable before you go through the trouble of replacing them.

Whether you’re looking for size 10 hearing aid batteries or you aren’t sure what you need and are looking for help, Local Battery can assist. Take a look through our collection of hearing aid batteries and if you aren’t sure what you need, get in touch with us at sales@localbattery.com and we’ll be sure to help you out.