What Are The Best Hearing Aids in 2024?
Hearing aids have been in the news a lot lately, and for a good reason.
Leading brands now include Bluetooth streaming, rechargeable batteries, and artificial intelligence. In 2022, the FDA ruled that hearing aids can be sold over-the-counter for the first time in 50 years.
These changes caught the attention of The New York Times, which recently reported a significant surge in hearing aid adoption among younger individuals.
Every month Soundly's team works to compile the list of the best products on the market. We wear, record and compare new products and publish our favorites across the spectrum of price and features.
If you need help figuring out where to start, check out our beginner's guide here.
One of the first decisions you’ll need to make is what style of hearing aid you want. Hearing aid styles generally fall into two groups: behind-the-ear styles and in-the-ear styles.
Behind-the-ear styles are chosen by around 80% because they tend to have more features and are often more comfortable.
In-the-ear styles are most often chosen for their invisibility (for the smallest sizes), ease of handling (for the larger sizes) and comfort with glasses, masks or oxygen.
If you aren’t sure which style you want, you can read more about each one here.
Next up, let's talk about care models.
The other big decision you’ll need to make before you get new hearing aids is how you want to have them programmed to match your specific hearing loss.
If you search for hearing aids on Amazon you’ll find a lot of devices that boast one-size-fits-all. The reality is that every hearing loss has a different shape and it’s really important to get a product that can match that shape.
So how does that happen? You have basically three options.
Option #1 Telehealth
There are a couple of leading brands that offer telehealth programming at a distance. You’ll take a hearing test online or send in a test you get locally. A professional will program your hearing aids to match that test and ship them to your door. The price for this service is typically 50% lower than local care. Jabra Enhance Select is our favorite telehealth option.
Option #2 OTC
If you want to program your own hearing aids using a smartphone you can purchase over-the-counter. OTC hearing aids were formalized in late 2022 and are popular for first-timers and budget shoppers. OTC is only a good option if you have mild-moderate hearing loss. Sennheiser All Day Clear is our favorite product under $1,000 in this category.
Option #3 Local Clinic
You’ll visit a local doctor who will conduct a hearing test and use special software to program a hearing aid to match your prescriptive targets. This option is typically the most precise and the most expensive.
Why We Rank Jabra Enhance Select #1
If you walked up to us on the street and asked what hearing aids to buy, we'd probably recommend Jabra Enhance Select.
While many online hearing aid sellers focus on automating the treatment process, Jabra is betting on remote Telehealth care with staffed audiologists. We believe in the company and they have 1,000+ 4 and 5 star customer reviews.
Our team has worn the Jabra hearing aids for months at a time from dinner parties to days and home. We would include them among some of the best products we've reviewed. They are comparable to locally programmed Resound NEXIA hearing aids which retail for 2-3X the price.
Pros:
✅ Half the cost of comparable brick-and-mortar products
✅ Conveniently shipped to your home
✅ Impressive customer service, returns and warranty
✅ Professionally programmed
✅ Bluetooth enabled and rechargeable batteries
Cons:
❌ Can be a challenge for those who are not familiar with technology
❌ Still expensive for some compared to OTC options like MDHearing
Need Help Choosing?
Soundly.com is a leading online research destination for hearing aid shoppers. Our team includes hearing aid wearers, audiologists, and industry veterans. Read more about Soundly's story from our co-founder here.
If you are just beginning your research, we recommend starting with a hearing test. The test will provide you with a chart of your hearing loss and a clearer picture of your options.
You can also take Soundly's 5-minute quiz, and a member of our team will review the results and provide a product recommendation based on your results.
