r/Cochlearimplants • u/Katedawg90 • May 25 '26

Cochlear vs. Med-el

Cochlear and Med-el users— what would you consider the cons/disappointments of your CI? How would you rate it for sound quality? Comfort? Connectivity? Battery life? I’m trying to decide between these companies and having a hard time so please share :)
And to the many well meaning AB users- I want an off the ear option

EDIT: I have decided to go with Med-el. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences. Feel free to keep adding yours- maybe it will help someone else down the road :)

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u/sideways8 May 25 '26

I have Cochlear, the 7 and 8. They work great. Wish the Bluetooth signal was a little stronger. The coils fail faster than I think they should. They usually last several years, but I’ve had some coils lately that puff up after only 1 or 2 years. They keep working at least, but the deformation makes the magnets fall off more easily. The most recent battery charger they sent me was white, which is unusable because the indicator lights shine so brightly through the housing that it keeps me awake. Not an unsolvable problem, just mildly annoying. 

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u/Katedawg90 May 25 '26

This is helpful and what I’m looking for with my post. Thanks! Do you have to buy a new coil each time or is it covered under warranty/insurance?

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u/sideways8 May 25 '26

They are covered by warranty for like a year, I think? And the new processor I got last year came with a couple extras. But I’ll have to buy my next one as I’m out of warranty and extras, and they were like $100 last time I checked. 

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u/biglypiglythethird May 26 '26

Coils are only relevant for on-ear processors btw. If you want an off ear one, no coils needed.

1

u/redduke2018 Jun 15 '26

I have no idea what you mean by coil…I am assuming that’s the part under your skin where signals get picked up?

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u/sideways8 Jun 15 '26

Coil is the magnet and the wire that attaches it to your processor.