Best Hearing Aid Available Online
Lively pairs an FDA-approved hearing aid from a top brand with comprehensive remote support.
Pros: High-quality hearing aid virtual support and hearing aid adjustments
Cons: Expensive online option not right for everyone
With the industry still waiting on regulations for over-the-counter hearing aids from the FDA, “direct-to-consumer” hearing aids are increasingly being sold online as cheaper, easily-accessible alternatives to the top brands.
Because this category is new, it’s hard to know which online hearing aids are truly effective and worth your money. But two of our experts, Dr. Reed and Larry Humes, PhD, a distinguished professor emeritus at Indiana University whose research includes OTC hearing aid delivery, recommend Lively.
Lively hearing aids are only intended for people with mild to moderately severe hearing loss, so they won’t be a good option for everyone. But they’re manufactured by the major brand ReSound, whose ONE model makes this list for the best rechargeable hearing aid and has a strong brand reputation for quality.
Dr. Reed said he’s seen a handful of people use Lively and really like it. The two models have a range of features, including streaming phone calls and music . You can take Lively’s hearing test online or upload your audiogram to program your hearing aids.
How Long Should Hearing Aids Last
When you are considering a hearing aid purchase, there are bound to be questions you need to have answered prior to your final decision. One of the more common questions I hear is How long should a hearing aid last? When making a large investment, its important to consider the longevity of that investment in order to make the best decision for your budget, lifestyle and needs. Many people are surprised that there is a difference in typical life expectancy between styles of hearing aids.
No matter which style you choose, hearing aids need to be checked periodically to ensure they are working properly. We recommend having your hearing aids checked every six months. If you have neglected these important checks, your instruments may not be in the best working order and you may be experiencing less than optimal performance and sound quality. Regular check-ups will ensure a long lasting hearing aid that improves your everyday listening to the best of its ability. In addition, these semi-annual checks allow your provider to make sure the hearing aids function as expected. If your hearing or listening environments have changed, the hearing aids can be modified to better suit your needs at your semi-annual check-up. If it has been a while since youve had your hearing aids checked, call today and get your check-up scheduled. And, if you are new to hearing aids, make your investment last longer by determining to make your check-ups a priority. Youll be glad you did.
How We Chose The Best Hearing Aids
To help you find the right hearing aid for your needs, we researched 12 companies and all their respective hearing aid products, focusing on the functionality of each device. This helped us offer hearing aid options that fit different situations while keeping in mind their features and price range. In total, we used four parameters: functionality and lifestyle, features and price, battery, and manufacturers warranty.
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Why Are Rechargeable Hearing Aids Getting More Popular
If conventional batteries last much longer than rechargeable hearing aids, why are rechargeable hearing aids becoming the more popular choice? Well, there are a couple of reasons for this.
Firstly, once you have a rechargeable battery, its yours for the foreseeable. Single-use batteries need you to always be on top of your supply, making sure you never run out and always have some in reach. With rechargeables, youll only need to keep track of your charger
Hand in hand with this perk is the money youll be saving. Hearing aid batteries dont cost an absolute fortune, but saving money where you can is always a plus.
Another nice benefit is the eco-friendly angle. Empty batteries are a massive component of waste, with Americans buying 3 billion single-use batteries a year. Assuming even half of those get used, thats 1.5 billion empty batteries a good percentage of which wont be properly recycled.
Some common complaints about changing batteries relate to the changing process itself. Since hearing aid batteries are so small, opening the hatch and swapping the batteries can be a fiddly and genuinely difficult task, especially for someone with poor dexterity or neuropathy issues. Rechargeable batteries circumvent this issue entirely.
Speak to a qualified hearing specialist and discuss hearing aid options tailored specifically for you.
Where Hearing Aids Are Worn
Hearing aids that are consistently in damp or dusty environments often have more performance issues than other hearing aids. If youre concerned about the environments in which you wear your hearing aids, consult your hearing care professional for ideas about protective measures. You may need to use protective sleeves or schedule more frequent professional cleanings to extend the life of your hearing aids.
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How Much Are Rechargeable Hearing Aids
Many people looking to invest in this type of device wonder if the price is worth it – simply put, it is! And you dont have to take our word for it.
Think about the money youll save in the long run not having to replace battery packs. These really add up, especially when you factor in the special batteries needed to operate these devices.
When you go to the doctors office or any sort of clinic, you may be quoted as high as $4,000 for a rechargeable hearing aid! This is a down payment on a new car, and an outrageous price tag to put on medical equipment.
Thats why were disrupting the industry, providing premium rechargeable hearing aids as low as $297! Lets talk more about why we have over 35,000 happy customers who are hearing life crisply and clearly.
Who Needs A Hearing Aid
If you have difficulty hearing in loud environments or on the phone, you often ask others to repeat themselves, or are constantly turning up the TV volume, you may have hearing loss and could likely benefit from a hearing aid.
Dr. Tubbs recommended getting a hearing test as soon as you start to notice any trouble hearing, both to check for issues and to establish a baseline to observe changes over time. She added that it’s better to get a hearing aid sooner rather than waiting until your hearing worsens.
If you start using hearing aids when you still have better hearing, she explained, you can amplify only the sounds you need and start training your brain to hear effectively through the aids.
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Joy Victory Managing Editor Healthy Hearing
Joy Victory has extensive experience editing consumer health information. Her training in particular has focused on how to best communicate evidence-based medical guidelines and clinical trial results to the public. She strives to make health content accurate, accessible and engaging to the public.Read more about Joy.
Get Started With A Free Online Hearing Test
Interested in hearing better? Lively offers a high-quality hearing aid device.
Buying hearing aids online is simple with Lively. Known for excellent customer service and continued care, Lively offers prescription-strength hearing aids and expert guidance with help from a network of professional audiologists.
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What Type Of Hearing Aid Is Best For Me
Hearing aids come in a variety of styles. To find your best option, youll need to consider features, size, visibility, and your degree of hearing loss. In general, hearing aids come in the following styles:
- In-the-canal
- Behind-the-ear
- Mini behind-the-ear
In-the-canal and completely-in-the-canal aids are very small, so they may be more difficult to remove and adjust, but theyre the most discreet style.
Behind-the-ear hearing aids are bulkier and more visible, but they are also easier to handle and more appropriate for profound hearing loss. Since hearing aids are a substantial expense, its important to research the different companies and styles to ensure youre getting the right one for your hearing loss.
Reading a variety of hearing aid reviews can help you better understand the different styles and how people choose the best hearing aids for their comfort level and needs.
The Average Lifespan Of A Hearing Aid
When determining which pair of hearing aids to buy, everyone should consider how long hearing aids will last, but note, the lifespan of a hearing aid may vary depending on the brand and model. While most modern high-quality hearing aids, on average, can be expected to last somewhere between four and five years, two people can buy exactly the same hearing aid and have them last vastly different amounts of time. Here is more information about how long a hearing aid lasts, and what you can do to preserve your hearing aids for as long as possible.
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Considerations Before You Buy Hearing Aids
As you learn about the various types of hearing aids and their optional features and technologies, know that there are several important steps to take before making a purchase.
Get a hearing health examination. Confirm with a hearing health professional that you do, in fact, have hearing loss that can be addressed with a hearing aid and the specific degree to which youre experiencing hearing loss so you can explore hearing aid products designed for your situation.
Ask about a hearing aid trial period. When speaking with the audiologist about appropriate hearing aid options, ask if you can test them out for a given period of time to make sure they are the best fit for you before paying in full.
Ask about the full capabilities of the hearing aid. Even if you only have moderate hearing loss now, that may change in the future, and hearing aids are expensive. Rather than plan for an additional purchase down the line, ask about hearing aid options that are capable of addressing your needs now and also offer adjustable settings to treat more significant levels of hearing loss in the future.
Gather warranty information. Hearing aids come with their own warranties on parts, and audiologists might offer their own warranty in addition to the one from the product manufacturer to cover professional services, too. Make sure youre happy with the level of coverage the warranties provide.
Why Trust Our Expert Review
| Hours of research | |
|---|---|
| 18 | 5 |
Our experts research and recommend products that can help give you a better quality of life. Using our high standards and rigorous testing methodology, weve spent more than 4,000 hours, collectively, researching the best hearing aids to help you find the device thats best for you. Throughout our research process, we did the following:
- Consulted with audiologists and geriatric care experts
- Mystery shopped the brands
- Surveyed hundreds of hearing aid users
- Tested various models of hearing aids
- Interviewed experts in the field
- Read thousands of verified customer reviews from trusted sites such as Better Business Bureau and Consumer Reports
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Which Is Better: In
Hearing aids come in several styles, including behind-the-ear and in-the-ear. Finding the best device for you depends on several factors.
A behind-the-ear hearing aid sits behind your ear with a plastic earmold that fits into the outer ear. The case that sits behind your ear holds all the electronic parts necessary to make it work. BTE devices are bigger, so they are typically easier to use and handle, making them a good choice for kids and older adults. Theyre also able to hold a larger battery, which provides a longer battery life. Plus, the bigger size makes them more durable and able to provide more features. BTE hearing aids serve a range of ages and hearing loss. They are appropriate for all ages and work well for anyone with mild to profound hearing loss.
In-the-ear hearing aids fit inside the ear, either partially or completely, and work well for mild to severe hearing loss. Some ITE devices come with a telecoil, which is a small magnetic coil enabling you to hear sound through the circuit rather than the microphone. This may improve the quality of phone conversations or help you hear in environments that use special sound systems, like auditoriums. ITE aids are more discreet than BTE, but they are still bigger than nearly invisible options like a completely-in-the-canal hearing aid.
How Can Hearing Aids Help
Hearing aids are primarily useful in improving the hearing and speech comprehension of people who have hearing loss that results from damage to the small sensory cells in the inner ear, called hair cells. This type of hearing loss is called sensorineural hearing loss. The damage can occur as a result of disease, aging, or injury from noise or certain medicines.
A hearing aid magnifies sound vibrations entering the ear. Surviving hair cells detect the larger vibrations and convert them into neural signals that are passed along to the brain. The greater the damage to a persons hair cells, the more severe the hearing loss, and the greater the hearing aid amplification needed to make up the difference. However, there are practical limits to the amount of amplification a hearing aid can provide. In addition, if the inner ear is too damaged, even large vibrations will not be converted into neural signals. In this situation, a hearing aid would be ineffective.
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Costco Hearing Aid Prices
When we spoke with a Costco hearing aid employee, they told us that a pair of hearing aids ranges from around $1,400 to $2,700/pair. Every hearing aid either has Bluetooth streaming built-in or is custom-fit. The custom-fit hearing aids fit inside of the ear and are typically less noticeable than bigger BTE models.
Bluetooth hearing aids at Costco start at just $1,400/pair and include the wide range of wireless features that exist in other top brands. These include direct connection with your iOS or Android smartphone and accessories like wireless microphones and TV streamers. When you purchase a brand-name Bluetooth hearing aid from an audiologists office, youre looking at closer to $2,500/pair or more.
While Costco is an excellent choice for value, there are other options for price-conscious shoppers. Online brands like Lively, Eargo, and MDHearingAid sell hearing aids directly to you at lower prices than name brands at hearing aid centers, with prices often lower than Costcos. Additionally, discount networks like ZipHearing sell leading brands like Oticon, ReSound, and Starkey at competitive prices, but youll still need to visit a local hearing center.
For other competitively priced hearing aids, head over to our Cheap Hearing Aids Guide.
Q: How Long Should My Hearing Aids Last
A: Typically, hearing aids will last three to five years depending on usage, but various things can affect a hearing aid’s lifetime. Do you wear them all day every day? Do you live in a humid or dusty environment? Do you take good care of them? Hearing aids can function longer than five years, but many wearers like to replace older hearing aids in favor of updated technology to help improve listening quality and overall performance.
Often times, repairing an old hearing aid that is out of warranty is more cost prohibitive than replacing it with a new one. Cleaning your hearing aids every day and scheduling routine appointments with your hearing professional will help ensure optimal performance over the lifespan of your hearing aids.
View our Use & Care Page for tips to get the most out of your hearing aids!
If you have a question for Dr. Beth, email it to .
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Frequently Asked Questions About Rechargeables
How much do rechargeable hearing aids cost?
Rechargeable hearing aids are most often premium products from top hearing aid brands. So prices for a pair can range anywhere from approximately $2,500 to $6,000, depending on what other features and functions they have.
How long do the batteries in rechargeable hearing aids last?
Most rechargeable hearing aid manufacturers promise a full day of use on a single charge, so the batteries can be recharged overnight while you are sleeping. The length of time batteries hold their charge varies depending on how the hearing aids are being used. If you stream audio from your phone many hours a day, the batteries will run down faster.
Do lithium-ion rechargeable hearing aid batteries ever catch on fire?
Li-ion hearing aid batteries are very safe because they are always sealed in the hearing aids case. If the case breaks, you should stop using the hearing aid and have it serviced.
Are there restrictions on travel with lithium-ion rechargeable hearing aid batteries?
Some electronic products with larger lithium-ion batteries cant be left in checked baggage. But lithium-ion hearing aids have passed safety checks that let you check them in baggage. You can also wear your hearing aids on airplanes and other public transportation.
Battery Life And Operating Time
When using rechargeable hearing aids, battery life is one of the first concerns that comes to mind. How long will your hearing aids last on a single charge? Rechargeable batteries in hearing aids are actually much better than expected in terms of operational time, and this is thanks to careful power-consumption optimization by the hearing aid companies. When compared to wireless earbuds, which typically only last 4-8 hours, hearing aids are light years ahead, with operating times in the 19-30 hour range.
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How Can I Be Tested For Hearing Loss
If youve recently noticed problems with your hearing, the first step is to talk to your doctor and explain how these problems are affecting your day to day life.
Your doctor can carry out some basic tests to check for temporary, treatable ear problems, such as a build-up of ear wax or an ear infection. Your doctor will have a look into your ears using a medical instrument with a light at one end.
If there is no obvious cause of hearing loss, your doctor can refer you for a hearing assessment with an audiologist or an ear nose and throat specialist. They will look into your ears and test your hearing to see how well you can detect different levels of sound. This assessment will help find the cause of your hearing loss and what treatments would work best.
Your hearing assessment will indicate if a hearing aid would help you and which type would work best for you.