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To use a dryer or not

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I am new to hearing aids
How do I know if I should invest in an electronic hearing aid dryer?
If yes what brand without breaking the bank?
I am wearing a Starkey Muse i2400 with earmold

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I have a Perfect Dry Lux that I got at Costco for $40. It goes for $60 - 65 elsewhere. I spend a lot of time outdoors very active and at the gym sweating profusely, and think it is well worth the cost.

I also have the Perfect Dry Lux. It came with the used ’s, that I bought. My mother had bought the same dryer for 80€.
I use it sometimes, when I remember. It could be useful to prolong the life of your HA’s if you sweat a lot…I wouldn’t buy a new one for that price. Since a lot of people buy and forget about them, I would suggest looking for a used product.

The relative humidity in my house here in FL is a constant 48-49%, sometimes lower on those few days in the winter when FL natives fire up the furnace. My audiologist and I discussed a dryer and we agree that I don’t need one.

My point is that you don’t need a dryer just because you wear hearing aids. Take note of your environment and the amount of moisture your inner ears produce.

Bought a used Dry & Store Professional about 10 years ago. The biggest reason at the time was the constant itch in my ears. The UV light sanitation and then the low heat with desiccant to dry has pretty much eliminated the itch problem in my ears. I believe it is just good maintenance for the aids too.

In reply to @steven_k

Thanks for your reply I live in South Central Pennsylvania I sweat like crazy we live in a walk out basement that stays on the cool and damp side.
I had one place tell me no need to get one but then I had my tell me I should get one to disinfect my aid well as I only have one ear to work with due to being born with Golden Har syndrome and needing to protect what I have left of my ear.

My Audi said my will last longer with one and UV important to sanitize. No we that I moved to AZ moisture not an issue except it saved the day when nubbiest took a shower with his HAs on. We just use now for. UV

This is a topic on which you’ll get a lot of anecdotal opinions, but very little evidence. It often turns into a Ford/Chevy debate. There is certainly no harm in getting a dehumidifier. If you really want to know if it’s “needed,” go without and see how your hearing aids do. If you’re buying new, you likely to have a 3 year warranty to figure things out. I’m extremely skeptical of the benefit of UV sterilization versus just keeping your hearing aids clean.

I do not have a standard warranty due to the fact that I have received my aid through The Starkey Hearing Foundation Hear Now Program.
I can not apply again for 5 years for help so I need to find affordable ways to make this aid last for me. I looked at buying the extended warranty but @$300 upfront when my wife daughter and I live on my $860 disability a month it just is not doable

Given that and that you sweat a lot and live in humid environment, it likely makes sense to get a humidifier. I’d be tempted to contact the Starkey Foundation program and see what they recommend. I must admit that it seems odd that you have no warranty even though they are from a nonprofit.

I think a dryer is as good preventative measure. I have noticed that if I change the battery during the day, or open the battery drawer when going to bed in the evening, I can see some glistening of moisture on the battery drawer. Hearing aids have a moisture rating3, but I am uncomfortable depending on that rating alone to ensure long term reliability against moisture damage. I live in a dry climate, but the moisture is still there, so it concerns me.

I did a quick check on dryers and found a good rating on a very simple device called Hal-Hen Super Dri-Aid18 product. It is just a jar of activated alumina and a few blue silica gel beads to indicate the condition of the activated alumina. Activated alumina in industrial applications is used to reduce the dewpoint of air down to the -40 range. So all I think it does is maintain a very low dew point air condition in the jar. There is no power required, and when it does require regeneration you do that in an oven or microwave.

And to seal the deal, when I walked into Costco they had the product for $20 (Canada). Probably is about $15 in the US if they stock it there. For me this is a perfect solution as we camp and don’t always have power, and there is always the hassle of finding a power outlet. Simple and foolproof. I recommend it.

In reply to @MDB

Ok I’ll be investing in a good dryer just talked with my provider he said the foundation gives me 120 day warranty but as my provider he extended warranty to 3 years.
He also talked with my doctor and now that he knows all my History is saying I should buy a good dryer unit .so now the question is do I buy with or without the UV light.
I do go camping so I will be getting one of the jars as well.
I am blessed with a great local community who is willing to buy supplies for me.
I was told that I gave so much to others all my life and to now let them help me with my life.

In reply to @dusmith1.ds

If you are worried about life of the Hal-Hen option I am about 2 months into using it, and no indication of any need to regenerate. It looks like that will be a very infrequent task.

I am not convinced of the need for the UV sanitation. But, I also reject the need for the heavily advertised So-Clean gadget for my CPAP. One nice thing about the jar besides not needing a plug in is the small space it occupies. With all of these old age gadgets around, that is starting to become a premium!

In reply to @Sierra

Ditto for me so far… I actually use alcohol free wipe that I use on my CPAP mask to clean my ’s everyday.

But I exercise daily and I am concerned about sweat and etc getting into the Marvels. My Audi gave me the dehumidifier tablets that go inside the charger. I’m considering getting the Eargear covers to use during exercising.

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