Those using hearing aids or cochlear implants will be the first to tell you that the hearing aid is one delicate object that if well taken care of, will last the user a lifetime. Regular cleaning of your hearing aid is guaranteed to prolong the lifespan and save you lots of grief from costly repairs or even outright changing of the gadget. Some common cleaning tools such as a fine-tipped cleaning brush (much like a
make-up brush), wire loop, or wax pick and a storage case, are often used in a hearing aid’s daily care.
Another cleaning accessory for the hearing aid, and maybe the most important one, is the hearing aid dryer. Granted, there’s no way you’re going to wear your hearing aid or implant for a dip in the pool or at the beach, but there are about a thousand and one ways in which moisture can get into the hearing aid. Just think about the havoc that can befall one of your precious
household electronic gadgets if left outside for a day or two… guess you’d rather not imagine that. Well, the same goes for a hearing aid. The internal circuitry of this gadget is quite delicate and the fastest way to get it deteriorating is by allowing moisture to build up.
And, just because you’re using a hearing aid and wouldn’t want moisture to get into it, doesn’t mean you have to stop exercising (yeah, we understand that most times we’re just looking for an excuse not to go sweat it out in a gym or fitness club).
This is where the hearing aid dryer comes in. The hearing aid, especially the behind-the-ear model, is exposed to moisture as long as it’s in use, what with the sweat that beads along the hairline and drips down the face and neck. And for the fact that you’re wearing it on your person, it’s sure to come in contact with your body fluids which also aren’t good for
its battery longevity and quality performance.
Now that you know how important the hearing aid dryer is for your hearing aid, you’ll want to know what features to look out for when shopping for one. The type of hearing aid dryer, power source, and drying time are the critical features you need to verify. Also, checking the price tag of the product you’re going for is recommended.
Price
Hearing aid dryers are not terribly expensive gadgets, having different brands with varying price tags for their products. One important factor to consider, however, is the power source of the dryer. This determines to a large extent, the price of the hearing aid dryer. Electronically-operated hearing aid dryers are generally more expensive than non-electronic ones.
That said, hearing aid dryers can cost as low as $5.00 and as much as $110.00, which means there’s a wide range of prices to choose from. We featured products that fell within the above-mentioned price range and they’re from renowned and trusted brands that will serve you well and give you exceptional value for your money.
During our research, we came across some cheap hearing aid dryers but they may not give you what you desire most—a completely dry hearing aid. So we decided to skip them and stick with only the best and most affordable.
Features
Because there are so many hearing aid dryers out there, shopping for the right one is often taxing, but the following features are things that you can use to weed out several options and narrow your search faster. They include:
- Type of hearing aid dryer
- Drying source
- Drying time
- Other accessories
Keeping this in mind, let’s move on to find out even more about these topics.
Construction and Design
The two largest components to consider in your hearing aid dryer in terms of its construction and design are its type and its drying source. Below is some more info on each topic.
Type
There are majorly two types or kinds of hearing aid dryers available in the market: the electronic dryer and the non-electronic dryer. Naturally, the electronic type utilizes a powered source and often encompasses other advanced features for the general wellbeing of your hearing aid. The power source for these is usually the universal AC or USB adapter, with an option of rechargeable battery.
The non-electric type, on the other hand, is not powered. It usually uses a dehumidifier to remove moisture from the device and works wonderfully well, although it usually takes a longer time. If you move around a lot and may not have access to power, buying a non-electronic hearing aid dryer is the way to go. You’ll have to think about reactivating the dehumidifier after each use though, so you can be assured of top performance when next needed.
Drying Source
The dryer source refers to the main drying agent contained in the device or the means through which the dryer performs its task. For the electronic type, the dryer source could be a fan, convection heat, or even a desiccant. Some electronical hearing aid dryers even have both fan and convection heat drying sources for shorter drying time.
The non-electronical hearing aid dryer comes with either a gel or desiccant to absorb or draw out moisture from the hearing aid.
Performance and Ease of Use
Hearing aid dryers, no matter the type, are simple devices with an uncomplicated plug-and-play design, so that anyone can use it easily. All you need to do for most of them is simply put your hearing aid inside, close, and if it’s the electronic type, plug it into a power source. But that said, we do recommend looking at the drying time and additional accessories that your hearing aid dryer will come with.
Other Accessories
For the electronic hearing aid dryer, there’s always a means or an indicator that shows when it’s functioning properly, such as an LED indicator. The non-electronic type will simply need you to reactivate it constantly to keep it functioning at its optimum. To reactivate the dehumidifier in a non-electronic hearing aid dryer, just stick it (if it’s in a soft pouch) in a microwave for a minute; if it’s in a tin, you put it inside an oven for 30 minutes.
One advantage of the electronic hearing aid dryer is that you don’t have to worry about changing the drying source like you do for the non-electronic one.
Most electronic hearing aid dryers don’t just dry your hearing aid; they also sterilize them with UV lights built into them for that specific reason. This ensures additional safety for you and longer life for your hearing aid. So, if you sweat heavily, or engage in work or exercises that make you sweat profusely, there’s every likelihood that your hearing aid will be moisture-logged—and we all know that bacteria thrive in wet places. Given the tiny nature and the positioning of the hearing aid inside the ear, it often provides an ideal environment for germs to grow in. For this reason, getting a hearing aid dryer with UV light becomes imperative, so you can stave off ear infections that may worsen your hearing capacity.
Drying Time
The drying time varies from one hearing aid dryer to another and depends solely on the drying source and the power input (if it’s the electronic type).
Hearing aid dryers with a gentle convection heat drying source tend to have shorter drying times than other drying sources, except those that come with both circulating fan and convection heat drying sources. But generally, electronic hearing aids are naturally faster than non-electronic types.
The drying time of a hearing aid dryer can vary from 2 hours to 8 hours and so, you should check to see that the model you wish to buy has a drying time suitable for you.
And to make things easier for you, most of them come with timers that go off with flashing lights or vibrations so you know when your hearing device is completely dried and ready to use.
A hearing aid dryer is as important as the hearing aid itself, so now that you’ve read through this buying guide, we hope the information you’ve gotten shall be of immense help as you check out the hearing aid dryers we have lined up for you. Go on to our individual product review section and have fun browsing through our selections.
Thanks for staying with us to the end. Be sure to place an order for the hearing aid dryer that caught your eye and if it’s more than one, go ahead and order them all. The more, the better…
