Tech Review: Phonak PartnerMic™

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This tiny, rechargeable wireless Bluetooth microphone is an indispensable part of our LSL routine!

With the flip of a switch, you can stream speech to hearing aids to "boost" the speaker's voice.

The mic doesn't "cut out" other background sounds, but rather increases the volume of the speaker's voice. When we listened to it through our daughter's hearing aids, it also appears to reduce some wind noise.

While not a full-fledged "FM System" (there are many options in that category—including the Phonak Roger line of products) it's relatively affordable (about $200 new, $99 used), portable, and easy-to-use.

Setup was a breeze: we "paired" the mic to our daughter's Phonak Sky Marvel 70 SP BTE hearing aids within a few minutes guided by the microphone's instruction manual. Since pairing the mic a few months ago, we haven't had to redo the pairing—despite various programming updates to our daughter's hearing aids by her audiologists.

We consider this mini mic one of many "silver linings" hearing loss and the LSL life offer our daughter.

The mic charges via its included USB cord. We tend to use the mic for hours on end, and like to put it on the charger when we get home so it's always ready to go.

To use the mic, you simply flip the switch on while near the hearing aids. Phonak's user manual claims an 80 foot range! We haven't tested that out yet, since our daughter is just 11 months old, but we'll be excited to once she starts running around the playground!

While we love this product, there are a few downsides: Using the mic consumes additional hearing aid battery life. The first week we used the mic our daughter's hearing aids ran out of battery life unexpectedly! You'll want to stock up on batteries or recharge more often. It's also a bit cumbersome to attach the mic to your shirt or jacket. While it comes with a clip on the back and a lanyard, we wish there were a loop or bracket on the mic to fasten it more securely.

Here are some ideas for how you can start using it with your child today:

• Restaurants
  We love to sit the mic on the table so our daughter can better hear our dinner conversation.
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• Stroller
  We live in NYC, so our baby stroller often gets hours of daily use. The mini mic helps us communicate with the baby while we push the stroller.
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• Nature Walks
  We love to use the mini mic while walking around trees and plants in the park. With the baby in the stroller, one of us can walk around and behind trees and narrate that activity for the baby.
  

• Family events
  We've used the mini mic at family parties and gatherings to boost the speaker's voice in rooms of noisy parents and children.
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• Doctor office, hospitals
  We use the mini mic in hallways, elevators, waiting rooms, and other noisy areas.
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• Cooking in apartment
  Our apartment has a galley kitchen, so the mini mic helps us narrate cooking while the baby sits outside the kitchen in her high chair watching.
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• Travel - cars, airports
  We haven't traveled with the baby in a plane yet, but we regularly use the mini mic while riding in a car with the baby.