If you are a current hearing aid wearer, or ready for your first pair of hearing aids and enjoy spending the summer months hiking and engaging in water sports, we recommend considering the new waterproof Phonak Audéo Life hearing aids.
During these summer months, hearing aids can be damaged by humidity and moisture. For people who like to be out by the water in the summer, it can be comforting to know your hearing aids have an extra bit of protection from this kind of exposure.
[Note that no hearing aids are fully waterproof, and Phonak only claims it is waterproof when submerged in up to 50cm or 1.64 feet of water.]
Features of the Phonak Audéo Life
The Phonak Audéo Life is suitable for anyone from the age of 36 months and up with a mild to profound hearing loss.
Below are some of its features:
- Enhanced housing that protects beyond an IP68 rating – Protects from water and sweat, and can be worn without concern in the rain, by the pool, and when exercising.
- Rechargeable – comes with a Life Charger and also a portable charging case that can fully charge the hearing aids up to three times on one charge. The hearing aids provide a 60-minute warning beep when the battery is low.
- Streaming – From smartphones, TV, hi-fi, etc.
- Bluetooth connectivity – Answer a phone call by pressing the multi-function button on the hearing aid or use Tap Control (P90 and P70 only) for other Bluetooth-enabled devices. The myPhonak app can be used with the iPhone 5s or newer, running iOS Version 12.0 or newer.
- High-quality sound – Uses Phonak’s Paradise technology.
- Connected app with health data tracking – Called Audéo Life, the app can monitor your step count and activity levels on the account you set up.
- Tinnitus management – Software addition is also available.
Why Is the Phonak Audéo Life Different?
When we recommend hearing aids to any patient, we take into account many factors, one of them being your unique lifestyle.
Phonak is one of the many hearing aid manufacturers we offer because of their long history of quality and technological advances. We like this particular hearing aid because not only does it provide good sound quality with exceptional processing, but it’s also a good fit for an active, outdoorsy person providing worry free protection from humidity and moisture.
In a 2020 survey, 68% of survey takers said they would feel nervous about wearing hearing aids in the water. Phonak has tested the Audéo Life in freshwater, saltwater, and pool water, and it has performed well in all.
You can wear these worry free while:
- Hiking
- Walking in the rain
- In a high-activity exercise class
- Doing water-based activities such as a splash park, pool exercise classes, and walking on the beach
- Kayaking or canoeing
- Boating
And more.
Caring for your Phonak Audéo Life
Phonak recommends the following conditions for the Audéo Life:
- Temperature range for use: +5° to +40°C (41° to 104°F)
- Humidity maximum range (noncondensing) 0% to 85% and minimum range (noncondensing) 0% to 60%
- Atmospheric pressure 500 hPa to 1060 hPa
If your hearing aids are ever in conditions outside the above ranges while being stored or transported, it’s recommended that you wait for 15 minutes before turning them back on.
Also, your hearing aids will only stay waterproof if they are cleaned and dried properly after any exposure to water, sweat, or dust.
How Would a Person Go about Buying the Phonak Audéo Life?
Phonak hearing aids are only available for purchase through a hearing professional, such as one of our advanced audiologists at AVI New England, to ensure the hearing aids are fitted and programmed to match each person’s unique hearing needs. This can only be done by first having a professional hearing evaluation.
Book your hearing test at our Norwalk, Hamden, or Branford locations.
AVI offers a wide range of hearing aid styles and packages, and we will recommend the appropriate technology suited to your individiaul hearing needs, personal circumstances, lifestyle, and budget.
If you have any questions about the Audéo life or any other aspect of hearing health, feel free to call us at (475) 227-0842. We look forward to helping.