.jpg)
Bluetooth hearing aids are digital hearing devices that stream audio using wireless technology. This allows you to connect your hearing aids to your Apple or Android phone, TV, or another audio device for a better listening experience!
While Bluetooth hearing aids are great, there are some things to consider before investing in them. These include connectivity issues, battery life, and how easy it is to customize your hearing aids.
Customization
Bluetooth technology offers a wide range of customization options for hearing aids. This bluetooth within hearing aids can include features like streaming music, hands-free phone calls, and control over listening programs. Some of these features can be controlled through an app on your smartphone or tablet, which is helpful if you have small hearing aids that don’t fit with standard buttons.
Customization can take many forms, but it primarily refers to the ability to modify a product or service to suit an individual consumer’s preferences. This type of customization allows a company to provide customers with unique products and services. It also means allowing the customer to decide what kind of advertising they want to receive, such as how often they receive emails or which ads they approve.
Personalization is an important aspect of customization because it helps a company build customer trust and loyalty. It also ensures that the customers get what they need from a product or service.
One of the most popular customization options with Bluetooth hearing aids is Made for iPhone functionality, which allows iPhone and iPad users to stream audio directly from their devices to their hearing aids. This feature is available from several manufacturers, including Resound and Starkey.
While Made for iPhone does have some issues with dropped connections, it’s an improvement over previous technologies and should only improve as brands gain more experience.
Remote Control
Bluetooth hearing aids offer a range of remote control options. Some models connect directly to smartphones and other Bluetooth devices, allowing users to listen to phone calls and music through their hearing aids without using headphones or earbuds.
The most basic option is a wireless remote that allows users to adjust the volume and switch between programs. These wireless controls are typically small and discreet, a great option for older people with limited mobility who don’t want to be seen wearing a large remote control device.
Some models also have a Bluetooth-enabled accessory that allows users to make hands-free telephone calls through their hearing aids. These accessories include a microphone that routes the call to the user’s hearing aid and a clip that connects the phone to the receiver.
Many brands of Bluetooth hearing aids also come with a mobile app that allows users to customize their hearing aid settings and personalize soundscapes for tinnitus relief. These apps are typically free and easy to download onto a smartphone or tablet.
Wireless Streaming
Bluetooth is an industry-standard that allows you to connect wirelessly to any nearby device. It powers most of our tech, including headphones, TVs, laptops, cars, and hearing aids.
Some hearing aid manufacturers build their smallest devices with Bluetooth streaming in mind. But others prioritize size and fit over other features, so they haven’t included the feature in their smallest hearing aids.
You can still get some great Bluetooth hearing aids from brands like Phonak and Starkey. They have options, from completely invisible titanium models to earbud-size styles with Bluetooth connections.
These options can also stream audio directly from your smartphone or tablet to your hearing aids, so you can listen to music, audiobooks, and television without fumbling with wires or remote controls. This is a wonderful way to keep your hearing aids connected with the latest audio devices while enhancing your listening experience.
Most modern Bluetooth hearing aids have a built-in streamer, a unique device that ensures stable, low-energy, wireless audio streaming from your phone or tablet into your hearing aids. This is typically done with the high-quality audio capability to enjoy a richer sound with more details.
Most Bluetooth hearing aids pair with an app on your device, and you can adjust the settings from your phone or tablet. This includes volume control, environmental setting selection, remote care, and tinnitus relief soundscapes. You’ll need to talk to your hearing care professional to find out if this is an option for you and to learn how to make the most of it.
Battery Life
Before investing in a hearing aid with Bluetooth capabilities, it is important to know how much battery life will be available. The battery life of a Bluetooth hearing aid depends on many factors, including the environment in which it is used. For example, if the hearing aid is worn in noisy environments or for extended periods, it will drain the battery more quickly than an aid that is not used to these conditions.
Several other factors can also contribute to lower battery life than expected. These include the amount of gain, noise, and volume control that is used. In addition, if a hearing aid is programmed with extra amplification or tinnitus masking features, it will drain the battery more quickly than aids not programmed to use these features.
The type of battery that is used in the hearing aid will also affect how long the device will last. For instance, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery will have a longer life than a traditional disposable zinc-air battery.