Review on Rechargeable Hearing Aids With Noise Reduction & Adaptive Microphones For Seniors - Coniler by Jennifer Lawson

Got this for my 97 yr old mother. She previously had a Britzgo BHA220 (https://www.amazon.com/Amplifier-Britzgo-BHA-220-Audiologist-designed/dp/B0194OSS4C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501281981&sr=8-1&keywords=britzgo). She liked the Britzgo but they tended to just stop working after a year, and so thought we'd try something of a little higher quality.For the Coniler:PROS:Rechargeable base *with overcharge protection*Base has room for two aidsUnits sit down easily in the base without having to push or press them inOn/off button on aid turns red when charging, and green when fully chargedNice sound qualitySeems well madeCONS:If the user doesn't have a lot of dexterity they can accidentally turn it off when trying to adjust volumeThere are only two programs which might not serve all needsThe rechargeable battery is not replaceable, so once it's at end of life (15 months or so?) you'll have to buy a whole new deviceDetails.BASE UNIT: This unit is really nice. The hearing aid sits down easily into the charger without having to press it in or position it perfectly. When it makes the connection, the ON/OFF button on the aid lights up red to let you know it's charging then turns green when charged, which only takes a couple hours. However you can leave it in the base overnight without worry, since it has overcharge protection. The aid will work about 20hrs on a full charge. So pop it in at bedtime. then wear it all day and night until bedtime again. Very convenient and well done!PROGRAMS: It does only have two programs. Program 1 is the "normal" one for every day situations (like at home), and Program 2 is for outside environments with background noise. While the programs are bare-bones, one nice thing is that when you switch programs the device beeps either once for P1 or twice for P2, allowing you to know which one you're in.By comparison, the Britzgo has 4 programs which boost particular frequencies: Low frequencies (P1), mid-range (P2), mid-to-high (P3), and high frequencies (P4). This might be more useful for some people who know what frequencies they need boosting but a big drawback is that the press of the program button on the Britizgo cycles through each program with no indication of which program you are in. For someone who is hard of hearing it can be difficult to tell which frequencies are being boosted, without taking time to really focus in. And if the button gets accidentally pressed, it's a hassle to find the right program again. So while the programs are nice, they aren't exactly simple to use. Kudos to the Coniler on that count, for at least having a beep to tell you which program you're in.TUBES: Comes with two tubes - one for right ear, one for left. So it can be used with either. Also comes with a cleaner.DOMES: Ours came with 2 small, 1 med, and 1 large dome. There is a distinct difference between these domes and the ones that came with the Britzgo. The Coniler domes have a very VERY small sound hole in the center of the dome. Nearly pin-prick sized. The Britzgo domes have a larger sound hole, closer to a thin toothpick. Mom could not hear as well with the Coniler unit until I put the Britzgo dome on the Coniler tube (when I noticed that sound hole was much larger) and now she really likes it and can hear everything. But she wasn't happy before because she couldn't hear good enough. (If the buyer has a dome already from a different hearing aid, chances are it will fit on the Coniler if you feel you need more sound, not more volume.) Domes can also be purchased separately from various places.DEXTERITY: The ON/OFF button is on top of the unit. One long press of 3s turns it on or off. A short press changes the program. The rocker switch is below this, for volume. Both work well. When the volume is pressed either up or down you get a short beep to let you know you've adjusted this. That's a nice feature. However my mother has arthritis in her hands and has lost some feeling in her fingertips as a result, so when she tries to adjust the volume she often accidentally presses the ON/OFF button without realizing it. She has to get used to it. But for comparison, the Britzgo has a separate switch at the bottom that needs to be flipped to turn it on/off, which requires some force, so it's not accidentally activated. However, the Britzgo uses batteries that need to be changed every week or two, so it's also more trouble that way.BOTTOM LINE: Since I've mentioned the Britzgo so much I will say I tried both to test them before giving them to my mother (I have good hearing) and the Coniler has superior sound imo. The Britzgo sounds more like you're in a tin can with a little background whooshing, but the Coniler is quiet and the sound more natural. The Coniler's rechargeable battery and overcharge protection are also top-notch, and saves her from having to mess with tiny batteries and battery doors with her limited dexterity. I do wish the domes had larger sound holes, but that's an easy fix. If the rechargeable battery was replaceable at end-of-life, I'd give it 5 stars. But it comes pretty close, especially for the money. (We got it on sale for $99 for one hearing aid and the base.)I would definitely recommend it.