How do I know which size battery my hearing aid needs?

Check the battery door or drawer on the device itself; most hearing aids print or stamp the size number near the battery compartment. The four sizes are also colour coded, yellow for size 10, brown for 312, orange for 13 and blue for 675, so matching the tab colour on an old battery to a new pack is a fast way to confirm you have the right one.

Can I use a size 13 battery in a device that takes a size 312?

No. Each size has a specific diameter and height, and a size 13 cell is both wider in some dimensions and taller than a size 312, so it will not fit in a compartment built for the smaller size. The sizes and their IEC designations are a universal standard precisely so this kind of mismatch does not happen.

How long does a hearing aid battery actually last?

It depends on the size and on how the device is used. As a rough trade convention rather than a published guarantee, a size 10 cell typically lasts 3 to 7 days, a size 312 lasts 3 to 10 days, a size 13 lasts 6 to 14 days, and a size 675 lasts 9 to 20 days. Heavy amplification or regular audio streaming shortens all of these ranges.

Why did my hearing aid battery only last a few days?

Heavier amplification, more time spent in noisy environments, and regular audio streaming from a phone all draw more current and shorten battery life within the normal range for that size. It is also worth checking that the tab was not removed and left off for a long period before the battery went into the device, since zinc-air cells begin discharging as soon as they are exposed to air.

Are hearing aid batteries dangerous if swallowed?

Small button and zinc-air cells are a recognized choking and chemical burn hazard if swallowed, particularly for young children. Keep unused batteries and used batteries alike out of reach, store them in their original packaging, and seek medical attention immediately if one is swallowed rather than waiting to see if symptoms appear.

The best hearing aid batteries by size

Quick answer

The best hearing aid battery for most wearers is the Rayovac Size 312 Extra Advanced, 80 count at $28.56, an 80 count pack of the brown size 312 cell that the majority of receiver in canal devices take. Check your device's battery door or the sticker inside it before buying, since the four common sizes, 10, 312, 13 and 675, are not interchangeable.

Hearing aid batteries are zinc-air cells, activated by air rather than sold pre-charged, and the size number, tab colour and IEC designation are a genuine published standard: a size 13 cell is orange and is IEC PR48 whoever made it. What is not standardized is capacity or exact battery life, since almost no consumer listing publishes a milliamp hour figure, and the ranges used throughout this site are a trade convention rather than a manufacturer specification.

The five picks below are organized into Beginner, Intermediate and Expert tiers by how confident you are in your size and brand, not by which size is "better." Below that, every size gets its own section so you can find your exact fit. If you are not sure which of the four sizes your device takes, use the battery size finder or the battery size reference before ordering anything.

The picks

Beginner Small trial pack, size 312

Energizer

Energizer Hearing Aid Batteries Size 312, 24 pack

$15.38 Published specs

A smaller 24 count pack, sized for trying a brand before committing to a larger order, since zinc-air performance does vary a little between makers even within the same published size.

Best for: A first order in the most common size, or a travel spare.

Check price on Amazon

Beginner Small trial pack, size 10

Energizer

Energizer Hearing Aid Batteries Size 10, 12 pack

$15.25 Published specs

A 12 pack in the smallest, shortest-lived size, sized for testing rather than a full year's supply.

Best for: Someone with a tiny completely in canal device trying a brand for the first time.

Check price on Amazon

Intermediate Best cost per cell

Rayovac

Rayovac Size 312 Extra Advanced, 80 count

$28.56 Published specs

The best cost per cell among major brands in the size most devices actually take, in a count that lasts most wearers close to a year.

Best for: Buying a year at a time once your size and brand tolerance are confirmed, rather than reordering every few weeks.

Check price on Amazon

Expert Lowest running cost, bulk

Kirkland

Kirkland Signature Hearing Aid Batteries 312, 48 pack

$15.73 Published specs

Mercury free and among the lowest cost per cell available anywhere in this catalog, from a house brand with a long record in this category.

Best for: The lowest possible running cost on a brown 312 device, bought in bulk.

Check price on Amazon

Expert Four-year shelf life stockpile

Amazon Basics

Amazon Basics Size 675 Zinc-Air Batteries, 60 pack

$16.49 Published specs

The lowest cost per cell in the largest common size, with a stated four year shelf life that lets one large order last through more than one round of dome and wax guard changes.

Best for: A high power behind the ear wearer, or a household managing more than one hearing aid user, who wants to buy once and stop thinking about it.

Check price on Amazon

Which size does your device take

Published figure From a named standards body, regulator or professional classification. Reproduced here, not derived by us.

Size 10 cells last roughly 3 to 7 days per battery, while size 675 cells last roughly 9 to 20 days, the widest published life range of the four sizes.

The four common hearing aid battery sizes
Size	Colour	IEC code	Typical life (days)
10	Yellow	PR70	3 to 7
312	Brown	PR41	3 to 10
13	Orange	PR48	6 to 14
675	Blue	PR44	9 to 20

Life ranges are a trade convention rather than a manufacturer specification, and depend on the device's amplification level and how much audio is streamed. Use the battery size finder if you are not sure which of the four sizes your device takes.

Buying tips by size

Size 312, brown, IEC PR41, is the size most receiver in canal and many in the ear devices take. Beyond the tier picks above, Duracell Hearing Aid Batteries Size 312, 32 count is the standard reorder in a smaller 32 count pack, and Amazon Basics Hearing Aid Batteries Size 312, 60 pack is the cheapest per cell in this size with a stated four year shelf life.

Size 13, orange, IEC PR48, fits behind the ear devices and larger in the ear devices. Duracell Hearing Aid Batteries Size 13, 60 count is the standard reorder, Rayovac Extra Hearing Aid Batteries Size 13 costs less per cell, and Powermax Size 13 Hearing Aid Batteries, 60 count carries a longer tab, which matters more in this category than anywhere else, since gripping a cell the size of a shirt button is the whole difficulty for a lot of wearers.

Size 675, blue, IEC PR44, is the largest common size and the longest lasting, used in high power behind the ear devices. Rayovac Extra Advanced Size 675, 60 count is the standard 60 count reorder, and Duracell Hearing Aid Batteries Size 675, 12 count is a smaller pack worth keeping as a spare rather than the main supply.

Size 10, yellow, IEC PR70, is the smallest common size and runs down fastest, fitted to completely in canal and small receiver in canal devices. Duracell Activair Hearing Aid Batteries Size 10, 80 count is sized for that faster turnover, Rayovac Extra Hearing Aid Batteries Size 10 costs less per cell, and Amazon Basics Size 10 Hearing Aid Batteries, 60 pack is the cheapest overall in the size that needs replacing most often, which is exactly where cost per cell matters most.

Leave the tab on a zinc-air cell until the battery is actually needed, since the cell activates on contact with air, and give it about a minute after peeling the tab before closing the battery door. A device that has gone quiet or muffled is far more often a dead or nearly dead battery, or a blocked wax guard, than a failed hearing aid.

How we chose

We compared manufacturer published specifications, the FDA device classification each product is sold under, and the recurring themes in verified owner reviews. We do not test hearing devices in person and we never claim to, because a hearing device is fitted to one person's ears and a reviewer's experience of one would tell you nothing about yours.

What we exclude, and why it is most of the category. Amazon results for "hearing aids" are dominated by unbranded amplifiers listed as over the counter hearing aids. A personal sound amplification product is not an FDA regulated hearing aid, and the FDA states plainly that it is not intended to compensate for hearing loss. Products with no identifiable manufacturer, products whose stated brand and title disagree, and products quoting a gain figure as though it were a published specification are left out. Honest personal amplifiers are carried in their own separate category and are labelled as such on every card.

We make no claim about how much any device will improve anyone's hearing. That is an outcome about a person, not a property of a product, and nobody selling one can tell you it either.

Common questions

How do I know which size battery my hearing aid needs?: Check the battery door or drawer on the device itself; most hearing aids print or stamp the size number near the battery compartment. The four sizes are also colour coded, yellow for size 10, brown for 312, orange for 13 and blue for 675, so matching the tab colour on an old battery to a new pack is a fast way to confirm you have the right one.
Can I use a size 13 battery in a device that takes a size 312?: No. Each size has a specific diameter and height, and a size 13 cell is both wider in some dimensions and taller than a size 312, so it will not fit in a compartment built for the smaller size. The sizes and their IEC designations are a universal standard precisely so this kind of mismatch does not happen.
How long does a hearing aid battery actually last?: It depends on the size and on how the device is used. As a rough trade convention rather than a published guarantee, a size 10 cell typically lasts 3 to 7 days, a size 312 lasts 3 to 10 days, a size 13 lasts 6 to 14 days, and a size 675 lasts 9 to 20 days. Heavy amplification or regular audio streaming shortens all of these ranges.
Why did my hearing aid battery only last a few days?: Heavier amplification, more time spent in noisy environments, and regular audio streaming from a phone all draw more current and shorten battery life within the normal range for that size. It is also worth checking that the tab was not removed and left off for a long period before the battery went into the device, since zinc-air cells begin discharging as soon as they are exposed to air.
Are hearing aid batteries dangerous if swallowed?: Small button and zinc-air cells are a recognized choking and chemical burn hazard if swallowed, particularly for young children. Keep unused batteries and used batteries alike out of reach, store them in their original packaging, and seek medical attention immediately if one is swallowed rather than waiting to see if symptoms appear.

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Last updated 2026-09-17.