Charger vs. Dry Box?

Thanks. I guess most of the chargers DO include drying with how they function. . . .

The Oticon Desk Charger likely does not but the SmartCharger comes by default now.

My Signia aids came with a free charger, without dryer. For that, you have to pony up an additional $300.00. since I find that unaffordable, I have to ensure that my aids are charged before going to bed and then placing them in a Hal Hen mini dessicant dryer. It always feels like I’m being coerced into buying the stupid Signia dryer. The aids turn on automatically when removed from the charger. Then I have to manually turn each one off again before storing it in the dryer overnight.
If the Signia dryer/charger were a more reasonable price, I’d buy one for the immense convenience. $300.00 on top of the price of the aids is infuriating, frankly. Come on, Signia. you can do better than that.

@jeffrey said:

My Signia aids came with a free charger, without dryer

Many manufacturers now have stopped recommending drying but offer recommendations or products for those that wish to do so. If, as recently mentioned, someone was in a rainforest, they may benefit from drying. Many enclosed chargers use the heat from inductive charging to dry the aids.

The Hal Hen is a good option. If I had ended up with the open Oticon desk charger I was going to consider building a dryer using 3D filament drying desiccant with something like this

https://www.amazon.com/Slice-Engineering-Filament-Drying-Desiccant/dp/B09BVYYD7B33

@prodigyplace said:

Many manufacturers now have stopped recommending drying

I find this unbelievable, as we have always been told that moisture is enemy number one for hearing aids. Apart from the rainforest analogy, many country’s climate have high humidity.

My Starkey Evolve hearing aids came with a charger which has a compartment for a silica gel disc.

Starkey Standard Charger - For Rechargable Hearing Aids | eBay4

Starkey are always blowing us away with their amazing products and fabulous ideas. Charging will still happen whether the case is open or closed (but is advised to stay closed when the aids are inside).

Never heard of dry boxes. Never heard of the need to dry the aids. Never told of any cleaning or other maintenance aids.

In 3 years they have been simple, charge, fit and forget. Occasionally I do forget and shower with them in. Although I take them out then they have been wetted.

They are charged in the Phonak ball shaped charger. They are in use 16 hours per day, when they come out I go to bed, 20 minutes later I am asleep.

@Dogday said:

I find this unbelievable, as we have always been told that moisture is enemy number one for hearing aids. Apart from the rainforest analogy, many country’s climate have high humidity.

Most all hearing aids (apparently excluding the receivers) are IP68 rated for dust and moisture.

Have you not even changed the wax guards or domes in that time ? If not, I doubt if your aids are functioning to their full potential.

It is not of much benefit that the main body of the hearing aid is IP68 rated, and the receiver is vulnerable to moisture. Ideally, the whole H/A needs to be protected.

Considering the cost of H/A’s, I thing it is prudent to err on the side of caution and use a dryer of some kind.

For the past few years I’ve been charging my Phonaks in their case with the top open inside a Flow Med Dry-Cap UV dryer, so I can charge and dry at the same time.

Prior to the rechargeable Phonaks, I had a series of different disposable battery HAs and went through a few different dessicant dryers over the years. I had moisture issues with all of those HAs and the Phonaks are the first I haven’t had any moisture issues with, but that’s more likely because they don’t have a battery door vs me using the UV dryer instead of a dessicant dryer. I swim coach at a very humid pool, so moisture issues have been the death of multiple hearing aids over the years from Oticon, Siemens, Starkey, and a few other brands.

ETA: The dryer is big enough that the three different Phonak chargers I’ve used, as well as the Oticon desktop charger, all comfortably fit inside the dryer with no issues. I can’t speak for any other brands’ chargers.

I, too, have Signias. I live in Puerto Rico and visit the beach often so humidity is an issue. I want the dryer but $300 for it is just too much. I have a separate dryer I bought off Amazon. But like you said, I have to charge them, turn them off (because they turn on automatically) and then put them in the dryer.

Sounds like we have the same charger. Is there a round hole in the center of the case? It has a pop off cover and you put the pucks inside.