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The hearing aids that have been rigorously tested by WOWOWN’s review experts and approved by audiologists will greatly help you hear sounds more clearly so that you no longer miss every conversation at dinner.
For a long time, hearing-impaired people had to rely on expensive, bulky, doctor-prescribed hearing aids as their only means of improving their hearing. However, 2022 marked a turning point, with the introduction of over-the-counter hearing aids approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), providing consumers with more diverse and affordable options. Today, hearing aids are more diverse and available than ever before, in a variety of shapes, sizes, and prices. This raises the question: What is the difference in performance between hearing aids that cost as much as $100 and $5,000 for treating mild to moderate hearing loss? To answer this question, our team spent the past two years exhaustively testing a wide range of hearing aids.
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During our testing, we had the expertise of licensed audiologists who performed in-depth analysis of all hearing aids in a scientific lab environment to ensure that they amplified noise to safe levels. We also conducted real-world testing in a variety of real-world environments, including at home, outdoors, and in noisy places, to evaluate the real-world performance of hearing aids.
After rigorous screening and evaluation, we found that there are many excellent hearing aids on the market, but there are also some products that perform poorly. Among them, Jabra Enhance Select 300 has become our current best hearing aid recommendation due to its excellent performance and user experience, and Eargo Link and Sony CRE-C10 are also closely behind and have received our high recognition. The following is a list of the best prescription and over-the-counter hearing aids that we have carefully compiled and recommended for your reference.
Things to consider before buying
Everyone is unique, and their hearing loss needs vary. Consider the following key factors when searching for a hearing aid that fits your needs and lifestyle.
First, it’s crucial to understand your budget. Hearing aids are expensive and insurance coverage is limited, which can cause many people to put off treatment for hearing loss. Between the costs of audiologist visits, hearing aid orders, custom fittings, and maintenance, you may need to make decisions without breaking the bank. The good news is that many brands offer trial periods that allow you to try out the device for a certain number of days and return it for free if it’s not a good fit.
Second, don’t feel self-conscious about wearing hearing aids. Hearing loss doesn’t vary by age, with nearly 10 million Americans under the age of 60 equally affected. Modern in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids have made significant advances in design and concealment, making them more difficult for the wearer to detect. Similar to avoiding seeking treatment for mental health issues, the hearing loss community should not feel ashamed or uncomfortable wearing hearing aids.
Finally, make sure to opt for a professional hearing test. While online and app-based tests can provide an initial understanding of whether you have hearing loss, a detailed audiogram provided in a clinic is more accurate and comprehensive. Your audiologist will use this audiogram to calibrate your hearing aids to your specific needs, ensuring you get the best possible treatment.
Best Hearing Aids of 2024
Jabra Enhance Select 300
Our Rating:
The Enhance Select 300, custom-programmed to your unique hearing needs. Plus, 3 years of professional hearing care, warranty and loss & damage protection.
OTC. Compatible with iOS and Android. Battery life of 24 to 30 hours.
The latest model in Jabra’s elite hearing aid series, the Enhance Select 300, represents not only the Danish company’s cutting-edge technology, but also the best hearing aid on the market. It stands out for its enhanced speech recognition and excellent customer service network. This model is particularly good for the quality of prescription hearing aids without a prescription. As a relatively small behind-the-ear (BTE) device, the Enhance Select 300 pairs with a mobile app, allowing users to easily switch between four listening modes: all-around, restaurant, music, and outdoor to suit different environments. In my experience, I found that the all-around setting was sufficient in most cases. Each mode can be personalized to adjust the speech clarity and noise filtering according to your preferences.
It is worth mentioning that the Select 300 is Bluetooth compatible, which can stream media directly from a smartphone or tablet, bringing users a convenient experience. Although the charging case is a little bulky compared to similar products, it has an impressive battery life of up to 72 hours. Once fully charged, these hearing aids can last up to 30 hours on a single charge.
However, the real charm of Enhance Select 300 is what it lacks – annoying hiss. For many hearing aid wearers (myself included), the hiss or static noise produced when the volume is turned up above half is an unpleasant experience. This hearing aid almost completely eliminates feedback at the highest volume, bringing users a purer listening experience. Of course, prescription-grade quality also comes with prescription-grade price, and Enhance Select 300 is indeed expensive. For users with limited budgets, Jabra also offers a more economical entry-level Enhance Select 50R model, but users will not enjoy advanced features such as professional service and personalized adjustments by Jabra’s team of audiologists.
Best Budget Hearing Aids
Eargo Link
Our Rating:
Introducing LINK by Eargo—the first earbud-style OTC hearing aid with Bluetooth 5.3. Enjoy discreet, low-profile design and stay connected with just a tap.
OTC. Compatible with iOS and Android. Battery life of nine hours.
Hearing aids are often daunting because of their high prices, such as the Eargo Link, which costs a whopping $799. However, the device offers great value for money with its superior noise-canceling technology and directional microphone design. Its in-ear (ITE) design resembles wireless earbuds, but is more compact and sweat-, splash-, and dust-resistant, making it safe for use in rainy days or while exercising. Eargo Link’s media streaming capabilities are especially noteworthy, as it features bass boost and noise isolation like premium noise-canceling headphones, allowing users to stream music, movies, and other media over Bluetooth, or take calls easily.
However, the device isn’t without flaws. Compared to pricier models like the Eargo 7, the Link doesn’t have a mobile app (although the company says an app with customization options and a transparency mode is coming soon). For those who need to adjust settings, they can only rely on touch controls on the Link to select between four preset listening programs, which differ primarily in volume settings. In addition, Link’s rechargeable battery life is relatively short, only lasting about 9 hours, which may not be the best choice for users who need to wear it all day.
Best In-the-Ear Hearing Aids: Sony CRE-C10
Sony CRE-C10
Our Rating:
Tiny, comfortable, affordable, and the right amount of hearing help.
OTC. Compatible with iOS and Android. Battery life of five to seven days.
When dealing with hearing loss, many people may want to keep it private and not have everyone know about it. However, high-quality hearing aids are often difficult to hide, which brings up the advantages of in-the-ear (ITE) or in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids, such as Sony’s CRE-C10. Developed in conjunction with WS Audiology, the hearing aids are designed to be almost unnoticeable when worn, with only a thin recovery cord slightly exposed, requiring careful observation to find. In addition to concealment, the C10 also provides excellent comfort and performs well in sound quality, competing with competitors that cost twice as much.
However, it is important to note that the CRE-C10 does not rely on lithium-ion batteries for recharging, but instead uses tiny disposable batteries that are not easy to replace. This may cause some trouble for users with larger fingers or less dexterity. Despite this, these batteries have an amazing lifespan, running for 70 hours on a single charge. Of course, for those who want a rechargeable option, Sony CRE-E10 Hearing Aids is another option, although it costs about $200 more than the C10.
Other hearing aids worth considering
We’ve reviewed dozens of hearing aids, and many of them are good, but not great. Here are some alternatives to consider:
Sony CRE-E10 for $998: The CRE-E10 (Our Rating: ★★★½) aren’t really an upgrade to the C10 we recommended above, but a different class of product. They’re more conspicuous, though they look like a standard pair of Bluetooth earphones. The E10s are comfortable to wear, but can get tiring after long periods of wearing. At least they use a rechargeable battery (via USB-C) that lasts up to 26 hours on a single charge. You can only control them through Sony’s app, and a hearing test lets you adjust the hearing aids’ frequency response. The audio experience at low volumes is excellent, though these hearing aids have a bit of echo and some extra noise. I found it to be manageable, though. They do a good job of streaming and talking over Bluetooth.
Eargo 7 for $2,650: The Eargo 7 (Our Rating: ★★★½) offer high-quality sound, and you can work with an audiologist to fine-tune the sound quality for your ears. You can cycle through several listening programs, but I didn’t find it necessary to switch modes—they delivered well-amplified audio no matter what I was doing. The main problem? They’re too expensive.
Signia Pure Charge&Go IX, $4,000 and up: These prescription hearing aids require professional fitting by an audiologist, either online or in person. These hearing aids were initially among the worst I’ve ever tested; they didn’t amplify conversations as Signia promised. However, after a lot of tweaking with Signia’s in-house doctors and my own audiologist (who dug into settings in the Signia admin app that aren’t accessible to end users), they boosted conversation volume significantly. Apparently, you can fine-tune the listening experience quite a bit. Unfortunately, pricing is set by audiologists and ranges from $4,000 to $10,000.
Elehear Alpha Pro, $459: If you have mild hearing loss, the Elehear Alpha Pro (Our Rating: ★★★½) are worth a look. They’re traditional-looking hearing aids, and new owners get a free 30-minute setup with an audiologist. You can cycle through several modes in the app to boost volume and reduce ambient noise, and you can tweak the presets Elehear provides, though many of them are a bit of trial and error. They have a long battery life—about 20 hours on a single charge—and they didn’t run out of juice after a full day of use. You can put them in the carrying case and recharge them up to seven more times.
Starkey Genesis AI, $2,500+: Nothing is more annoying than a low-battery warning. The Starkey Genesis AI is a discreet, behind-the-ear (BTE) prescription hearing aid that lasts 51 hours on a single charge. The hearing aid comes with company-developed software that uses broadband white noise for tinnitus masking, which can be programmed by an audiologist to address your condition. If you want to tweak things, the My Starkey app has customizable settings and even tracks a variety of health data, like your daily step count. Not everything is rosy, however. First, the Genesis AI ditch the small, clear retrieval wire found on most hearing aids in favor of a plastic stub that sticks out from either side of the head like a spike. I also heard plenty of background buzzing and hissing during testing, which makes them better suited for outdoor settings where there’s more noise to drown out the noise. Bluetooth pairing is also a little tricky, requiring technical support from retailer YesHearing. At this price, you’re relying on your doctor to fine-tune the setup.
Avoid These Hearing Aids
What hearing aids to buy is just as important as what not to buy. While some of these devices are affordable, most are of subpar quality or style. After our testing, we don’t exactly recommend these hearing aids. (Poor-quality hearing aids can damage your hearing.)
Linner Nova OTC for $300: The AirPods-like Linner Nova amplifies ambient sound and doubles as a streaming headphone, but neither is particularly effective.
Sennheiser All-Day Clear for $950: Considering the price, these hearing aids don’t work well and have a significant background hiss problem. They’re bulky and hard to locate.
Lexie Lumen for $799: These hearing aids are ridiculously large and dated. The box broke during testing, which I didn’t expect from hearing aids in this price range. While they sound good, they’re far from refined and have connection errors.
Audien Atom One for $98: I had high hopes for this product, but the price is ridiculous. The Atom One lacks smart features, as there’s no way to fine-tune these devices.
Audicus Spirit 2 for $99: The sound quality and technology on these earbuds are subpar. In quiet environments, the earbuds produce an annoying hiss, the micro USB charger is outdated, and the Bluetooth setup is fiddly.
Ceretone Core One for $349: The requisite app required to control these hearing aids is too basic to be useful. You can’t adjust the frequency, and the listening experience is pretty bland. They’re also uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.
Olive Union Olive Max for $299: The Olive Max are large and look like early 2000s Bluetooth headphones (except for the two ears). You can use an app to fine-tune the listening experience, but overall hearing aid performance was mixed, and I heard a steady buzzing background noise. They’re also barely usable in noisy environments. That said, they work well as standard wireless earbuds.
Types of Hearing Aids
Before choosing the right hearing aid for you, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the different styles on the market. While you may see a variety of designs, hearing aids basically boil down to two main types: behind-the-ear and in-the-ear. Completely in-the-canal (CIC) devices also exist, but neither is available over the counter. Here are the common terms you’ll see:
Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids, also known as over-the-ear, are probably the most traditional style. These devices typically have a bulky plastic box that sits behind the ear, with a tube that delivers the sound to the ear mold. Since they’re larger, they tend to have the most technology and cater to higher levels of hearing loss. That said, they also tend to be more noticeable, which can be a drawback for those looking for a low profile. Receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) hearing aids are essentially the same as behind-the-ear devices, with the receiver component located in the ear canal rather than built into the box. While the industry likes to tout them as their sleeker, less conspicuous cousin, they’re actually not much smaller than BTEs and perform the same functions.
In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids, also known as in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids, are more similar to wireless earbuds from a design perspective. These devices allow for the use of directional microphones, but are also prone to moisture and wax buildup.
Completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aids are the most “invisible” hearing aids on the market. As the name implies, they are completely submerged in the ear canal without any protruding parts (except for a thin string for removal). They usually have to be inserted by a professional and left in the ear for an extended period of time, and as mentioned above, they are not sold over the counter.
How we test hearing aids
First, we use the Verifit 2 test kit (hearing aid analyzer) to evaluate the performance of each hearing aid according to the standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). During this process, we test the sound frequency and listening comfort of the hearing aids based on the audiograms of patients with mild to moderate hearing loss, and use voice mapping technology to visually record the test kit results, which are graphically displayed as the sound output of the hearing aid in the patient’s ear, including the audibility range of the sound. At the same time, we also pay special attention to the performance of the devices in the face of extreme noise to ensure that they can effectively control the uncomfortable loudness (UCL) to avoid further damage to hearing. After this series of rigorous tests, Reisman selected the hearing aids with good performance and safety for further testing.
Then, we conducted detailed configurations of the selected hearing aids and conducted in-depth qualitative testing in a variety of environmental conditions, including home environments, outdoor environments, and crowded places, to fully evaluate the actual effectiveness of these hearing aids in treating mild hearing loss and understand the user experience in more detail. During the testing process, I personally experienced the daily operations of hearing aids, such as charging, battery replacement, Bluetooth connection, and cleaning, and compared the differences in their overall appearance and style, because these factors are also crucial to users.
How much do hearing aids cost?
How much can you expect to spend on hearing aids? The answer depends largely on whether you’re looking for over-the-counter hearing aids or prescription hearing aids. Unsurprisingly, the latter are the wallet-guzzlers, with an average cost of between $2,000 and $8,000. But over-the-counter hearing aids themselves are pretty pricey, with our top-rated devices still costing you around $800 to $2,000 per pair. So far, we haven’t found any over-the-counter devices that actually work for hearing loss for less than $800. In most cases, the $100 budget devices now flooding the market are too good to be true.
Fortunately, there are several methods to manage the high cost of a hearing aid:
Financing is available for virtually all reputable hearing aid companies, so you may not need to pay everything up front. Some plans are offered directly through the company, while others may require a third-party financing company like Klarna or Care Credit.
If you are over the age of 65, you may qualify for an add-on Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) that may include hearing-related benefits. Most private insurance providers don’t offer hearing exam and device coverage, though some may have the option to add it as a supplemental benefit.
Medicaid coverage in certain states also pays for hearing aids, provided the prescription brand accepts it. Veterans may also qualify for hearing aid coverage through their VA benefits.
Some state governments have programs to help their constituents front the costs of hearing aids. Call or write to your state department to see whether this is a service they offer.
