Nearly one-in-six adults have trouble hearing, but few people who could benefit from wearing a hearing aid use one. The availability of over-the-counter devices means that getting a hearing aid is now easier than ever, but where to begin? Consumer Reports put several of them to the test to help you figure out which model is best for you.
Buying a hearing aid is easier and more affordable than ever. If you have mild to moderate hearing loss, you don’t necessarily need to see a doctor or an audiologist to get one. You can go to a store or online to buy a pair—it’s as simple as that.
As with many products, choosing the right one can be challenging. When it comes to OTC hearing aids, it’s important to know that there are two kinds: preset and self-fitting.
Preset OTCs are more affordable, and they’re generally simpler to set up and use. You just stick them in your ears and go. But some offer little more than volume control.
To test OTC hearing aids, Consumer Reports worked with an audiologist to evaluate 10 devices. Testers checked the maximum volume as well as the frequency range, harmonic distortion, noise reduction, battery drain, and directional amplification.
The Audien Hearing Atom for $99 was the most affordable preset hearing aid CR evaluated. But its only customization option is volume control, and you have to use a tiny screwdriver to adjust it. CR also found that it creates a considerable amount of noisy distortion in louder environments.
For about $450 more, CR found the Lucid Engage a lot more versatile than the other presets that were tested, offering four distinct audio configurations.
Self-fitting hearing aids are more expensive. But they’re a good choice if you want your hearing aid to be more tailored to your hearing loss, or if you want options like the ability to stream music or hear phone calls better.
Lexie Lumen offers one of the most affordable self-fitting hearing aids. Before using them, you’ll need to set them up by taking a short hearing test. CR found very little distortion in quiet or louder environments. And a pricier but still good option might be the Sony CRE-E10 at $1,300.
Test yourself with the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults Screening Questionnaire. If you score in the mild-to-moderate range, an over-the-counter hearing aid could be a good fit.