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Spare Hearing Aids

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If you have old hearing aids, I would suggest to get new ones, my doctor told me that hearing aids have come a long way since I got mine in 2013. Wear the new ones and keep your old ones for spares, that’s what I’m doing, the new ones are so much better.

Yes! I always bring my back up when I travel. It’s the same one I use every day. Can u imagine being away from home and something happening to your hearing aid?! I can’t, so I bought a back up.

I don’t know if I could justify buying another pair of (for me) fairly costly hearing aids. I have 2 sets of older (previously used) hearing aids that could probably be pressed into service if I really needed something. I do have a second set of receivers for my Phonak L70s that would be useable if something like a receiver went out. The original receivers had wires that were too long for me and we had to get me shorter ones. So I have the longer ones as a back up. I also have a set of active vent receivers that could be used in a pinch too. If I needed to send anything back to Phonak (or potentially when traveling) I have my older KS9s that are still operational and could be used as backups. But I have to add that in the 10+ years that I have been wearing hearing aids, I have never needed to use a replacement set. I travel for pleasure extensively and can say that I have only had one issue in all that time that almost caused a problem. We were in Germany when one of my batteries died. The spares I brought with me were defective. Since it was a weekend, it was almost impossible to located fresh batteries but a kind townsperson finally figured out what I was asking for and I eventually got pointed in the right direction. Now I haven’t done too much traveling so far with the L70s – just a 3 week trip that was part Panama Canal crossing cruise and a Florida visit with a sister but absolutely no issues.

It depends on your hearing loss. I cannot understand conversations without my aids. My hearing loss isn’t all that common, while my tone test says I have a severe hearing loss, the truth is without aids my capacity to carry on a one on one conversation in a very quiet place is very limited. Put me in a noisy environment even mildly noisy and my capacity to understand someone in a conversations is very close to impossible. I don’t go far from my house without my backup aids.

Very necessary at my loss. I just got some new Jabra’s and keeping my Resound One’s as back up. Everything is interchangeable between the 2 except the charger. I dont notice a huge difference between the 2 but on my One’s i had a reciver go out, then the battery started not holding charge for more than 10hrs so had them rebuilt under warranty. Those instances made me realize that i cant go a day without my aids.

When one of my first aids (Phonaks) quit, out of warranty, my audiologist office wanted an arm and a leg to send it out so I found a source online for about 1/2. While it was mailed out I bought a cheap amplifier “hearing aid” to get by. Yes they suck but better than nothing in one ear. After that same problem with the other so another I bought the other side cheapo “hearing aid”. Now I have a set.

One of my second set of “real” aids, Kirkland KS10, quit so one of the cheapos came into use until I could get it to Costco so they have been my backups for a long time. Not optimal but good enough for short periods.

Now my wife has talked me into another hearing test and maybe new “real” aids from Costco. Insurance will pay $1000 every 2 years so why not and I can have the KS10s for a good set of backups.

Edited
@mmcarr719 said:

back up. I also have a set of active vent receivers that

Ks10’s are rechargeable so for backup’s not the best, you shouldn’t keep them on the charger 365 when not in use and not charging them regularly is also bad for the battery. I keep an old set of Bernafon’s as spares they use 312 batteries. When I replace my KS10’s this month I plan on charging them once every couple of days to keep the batteries alive, they were just replaced by Costco so they should be good for 3 or 4 years as spares

As of tomorrow afternoon i will have 2 sets of rechargeable backup hearing aids. And my new primary aids are rechargeable. As a retired electronics technician and IT professional i do understand the requirements for keeping my aids in usable condition. But also as a veteran that gets my aids from the I have full support for all my hearing needs. You take care of your aids and other equipment and they take care of your needs.

I have two pair that I bought used. They are very similar and the programming is pretty much the same for both pair… If you bought another pair like the ones you have maybe a provider could copy the programming from old to new at reduced cost. Not sure if this would actually be possible but it seems reasonable.

My situation is the same as CVKemp, but two months ago I dropped one of my aids on a hardwood floor and the ear mold broke in half. It took four weeks to get it repaired so I was saved by having a backup of the same model. Easy adjustment, though it would have been unpleasant to get by with only one aid. If I lost both L and R at the same time, I would have to seriously curtail my daily activity. If cost is a big issue, you could get by for the short term without the more expensive ear molds.

It makes prefect sense to have a back up set if you can, especially if hearing is a life altering event in your life. I just got new aids and my old aids are my backup pair along with the backup pair (same model) I had for those. My audiologist makes sure all is programmed to the lastest software and properly tuned. This gives me a chance to dry out my newest pair and still be able to function. Then there is stupid events, like walking into a shower because I am so comfortable wearing my aids, I simply forgot I was wearing them. Even tho they are IP68 rated, they need to be put in the dryer box. And I have had a sudden down pour do the same. I rely on my aids and cant be without them. So yes, spares!

@Member141 said:

especially if hearing is a life altering event in your life

I never thought of it that way until having one of my aids fail. It is amazing what you are missing without them. I try to not ask “what” and say something like “I’m sorry I could not hear that” or “could you repeat that”. Gets old having to ask.

I have an appointment at Costco next month for a new test so w will see how it goes.

Been a life long user of ’s. Mostly NHS so back up there if needed and in the last number of years bought them privately.

I can’t ever recall having HA’s fail. Never had backup aids and never even thought of taking a spare pair if going away. I have had accidents, e.g. breaking hook when replacing tubing etc.

That said, I am getting a new pair now and will keep my old Oticon OPN as spare.

However, I am not going the rechargeable route as that does worry me more than the aids failing. As I am profound, if the battery dies I can’t hear anything thus rechargeable not an option.

My right COSTCO KS10 aid wire to the receiver broke at the end of the main body of the aid.
I thought now would be the time for a spare pair of aids.

This morning at COSTCO the hearing specialist took about 3 minutes to replace my custom mold/receiver with a generic wire, earphone, and dome. It works OK. It will take several weeks to receive the repaired custom mold/receiver…$50.

I decided I do not need a spare set of aids.

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