The Best Hearing Aids

A quick look at the best hearing aids

• Most tech-forward hearing aids: Starkey Livio Edge AI
• Best invisible hearing aids: Eargo Neo HiFi, Phonak Lyric
• Best Invisible hearing aids for mild hearing loss: Nano CIC Invisible Hearing Aids
• Best hearing aids for natural sound: Lively 2 Pro, ReSound One
• Best low cost hearing aids: Kirkland Signature 10.0 with Tcoil
• Best hearing aids for streaming: Signia Styletto Connect
• Best hearing aids for one-sided hearing loss: Signia CROS Pure Charge&Go X
• Best hearing aids for severe hearing loss: Oticon Xceed, Phonak Bolero Marvel
• Best hearing aids for tinnitus: Oticon More
• Best ready-to-wear hearing aids: Signia Silk X
• Best over-the-counter hearing aids: Lexie B1 Self-fitting OTC Hearing Aids Powered by Bose

If you’re thinking about getting hearing aids or looking into new ones, you’re not alone. Approximately 37.5 million U.S. adults have some degree of hearing loss. Many people with hearing loss may benefit from assistive technologies, such as hearing aids.

Shopping for hearing aids can be challenging, especially if you haven’t purchased them before. Some come with lots of options and settings, while others are simpler to use. We rounded up an array of options based on common concerns, including cost.

Note that before choosing the right hearing aids for you, it’s best to speak with your doctor or a healthcare professional and ask for a hearing assessment. They may refer you to a specialist and can help you decide if and what type of hearing aids you might need.

Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids

Prescription hearing aids aren’t usually covered by health insurance and can be prohibitively expensive for many people. This can lead to uncorrected hearing loss and reduced quality of life.

The inability to hear well, and the discomfort or embarrassment that it causes, can cause feelings of isolation and place stress on relationships. It may also increase the risk of dementia in some people.

To reduce cost and increase access, the FDA issued a ruling that makes more affordable hearing aids available over the counter (OTC) without a doctor’s prescription.

The new OTC hearing aids are available for purchase in many brick-and-mortar pharmacies, stores, and online sites. They’re meant for adults 18 years old and older with mild to moderate hearing loss.

These new hearing aids range in cost from around $200 to $1,000 per pair.

You won’t need an audiogram, fitting, or prescription to get them. Along with reducing the cost of the hearing aids themselves, this eliminates an additional financial hurdle for people without health insurance and for those with high-deductible plans.

The FDA estimates that the new OTC hearing aid ruling will reduce the overall cost of hearing aids by around $3,000 per pair. However, they’re not right for everyone.

If you’re considering OTC hearing aids but don’t know the level or type of hearing loss you have, it may make sense to see a specialist first.

If you’re ready to try them, these are some of the retailers who are stocking or planning to stock over-the-counter hearing aids for online and in-person sales:

• CVS
• Walmart
• Hy-Vee
• Best Buy
• Sam’s Club
• Walgreens

How we chose

For this roundup, we only chose hearing aids from manufacturers with solid reputations. Hearing aids are medical devices that must meet criteria approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

We read scores of online consumer reviews and spoke with people who use some of them. We only chose hearing aids that consistently get more positive than negative comments.

Most of the hearing aids on this list come with financing options, a manufacturer’s warranty, and a 30-day or greater risk-free trial.

We looked at a wide range of features that are important to consumers, including:

• invisibility, or being discreet to wear
• Bluetooth connectivity
• ease of use
• adaptive noise reduction
• tinnitus relief
• custom fit options
• price
• ability to recharge

Pricing guide

Hearing aid prices can vary significantly from retailer to retailer. We’ve indicated the price for single hearing aids. In some instances, these prices are bundled and reflect additional services like follow-up visits and hearing aid maintenance.

Prices are estimated as follows:

• $ = under $1,000
• $$ = $1,000–$2,000
• $$$ = over $2,000

Healthline’s picks for the best hearing aids

Most tech-forward hearing aids

Starkey Livio Edge AI

• Price: $$$
• Features: AI-powered speech enhancement; boosts speech sounds; has fall detection and alerts, language translation, virtual assistance, find my hearing aids, Thrive app for caregivers
• Style of fit: behind-the-ear, in-the-ear, in-the-canal, receiver-in-canal
• Battery life: rechargeable (17–20 hours), disposable (3–7 days)

These tech-forward hearing aids have Bluetooth connectivity, plus lots of other special features. They’re available in multiple styles, including behind the ear, in the ear, in the canal, and receiver in the canal.

According to Starkey, the company uses artificial intelligence (AI) to adapt to your environment and hearing needs through automatic adjustments that don’t require manual input.

They suppress background noise and boost speech sounds, so you can easily follow conversations. They can also detect falls and can be programmed to notify an emergency contact.

You can program them to listen and transcribe your words or translate conversations through the Thrive Care app.

Best invisible hearing aids

Eargo Neo HiFi

• Price: $$
• Features: advanced noise reduction and feedback cancellation, wind noise reduction, very comfortable fit, access to a hearing professional through the mobile app
• Style of fit: invisible in the canal
• Battery life: rechargeable (1 week)

Eargo hearing aids are only sold in pairs, so their cost represents two hearing aids, a charger, and other accessories.

The company doesn’t require a prescription from an audiologist.

The Neo HiFi is Eargo’s most recently developed hearing aid. They’re designed for people with mild to moderate high-frequency hearing loss. They can help make sounds like human speech easier to hear.

Eargo hearing aids use a design they call Flexi Tetrapalms that lets them float in the ear canal and is part of what makes these hearing aids discreet.

They come with four settings that you can manually adjust with two simple ear taps.

Phonak Lyric

• Price: $$$
• Features: uses your natural ear anatomy to generate natural sound, 24-7 tinnitus relief
• Style of fit: completely invisible, placed into ear canal by an audiologist
• Battery life: no batteries required; hearing aids remain in the ear for months at a time, and duration varies from person to person

The Phonak Lyric is placed directly into your ear canal near your eardrum by a professional, making the aids invisible. They use your ear’s natural shape and anatomy to localize sound.

You can leave these hearing aids in your ears for months at a time without removing them.

They also provide relief from tinnitus. Their price is based on an annual subscription.

Best invisible hearing aids for mild hearing loss

Nano CIC Invisible Hearing Aids

• Price: $
• Features: automatic noise reduction, telecoil loop amplification
• Style of fit: invisible in the canal
• Battery life: disposable (3 to 7 days)

Nano hearing aids come to you directly from the manufacturer. By cutting out the middleman, Nano is able to keep the cost of its hearing aids low. These hearing aids don’t require an audiologist visit or prescription. They may be a good choice for you if you have mild hearing loss.

They come with four earbud domes in different sizes. You’ll need to choose the dome that best fits your ear canal. These hearing aids should enhance your ability to follow one-on-one and group conversations and enjoy television and talking on the phone without straining.

They come with a 45-day, risk-free money-back guarantee and free lifetime support.

Best hearing aids for natural sound

Lively 2 Pro

• Price: $$
• Features: hands-free calling, charging case, Bluetooth streaming
• Style of fit: behind the ear
• Battery life: rechargeable (30 hours)

The brand calls the Lively 2 Pro their “most natural and immersive hearing experience.” It features streaming capabilities and a music mode, which can help improve the sound of live music.

While this isn’t the most budget-friendly pick on our list, Lively does offer a 100-day trial period, a 3-year warranty, and free shipping and returns. If you’re unhappy with your experience, you can return it within the trial period for a full refund.

This model is available in eight different colors, and it’s available to ship directly to consumers with personalized audiologist support.

ReSound One

• Price: $$$
• Features: a microphone and receiver are in the ear to generate natural sound, including the sound of your own voice; directional sound identification supports one-to-one conversations in noisy environments; supports speech clarity in windy environments
• Style of fit: behind the ear
• Battery life: rechargeable (25 hours)

These behind-the-ear hearing aids have three microphones: two on the hearing aid itself and one at the opening of the ear canal.

This technology is made to support your ability to pinpoint and localize sound. The ReSound One aims to mimic the ear’s natural ability to funnel sound into the ear canal.

You can purchase this hearing aid as a rechargeable device or with disposable batteries.

Best low cost hearing aids

Kirkland Signature 10.0 with Tcoil

• Price: $$
• Features: stereo quality sound, Bluetooth compatible, tap control, motion sensor hearing, automatic setting adjustment through the Easy Line remote app
• Style of fit: behind the ear
• Battery life: rechargeable (16 hours)

These affordably priced hearing aids are sold through Costco Wholesale warehouse stores. To purchase Kirkland hearing aids, you must be a Costco member by paying Costco’s annual membership fee.

These hearing aids automatically adjust their settings to your environment, with no manual adjusting. They produce rich, stereo-quality sound. They’re designed to optimize speech in challenging environments, including noisy rooms.

They’re rechargeable but don’t use inductive charging, which may make them more challenging to handle if you have hand dexterity or strength issues.

They’re Bluetooth compatible with iPhone and Android. Double tapping your hearing aids lets you pause or stream media directly from your smart device. You can also tap your hearing aids to answer or hang up on phone calls.

These hearing aids are telecoil enabled. You can use them with many landline telephones and in public places that use loop systems or hearing-assisted technologies, such as airports and stadiums.

They come in five colors, are water-resistant, and are dust-tight.

Best hearing aids for streaming

Signia Styletto Connect

• Price: $$
• Features: Bluetooth media streaming; sleek design; natural sound generation including your own voice; streamlined mic enables hands-free calls; small charger case for charging on-the-go
• Style of fit: behind the ear
• Battery life: rechargeable (4 days)

These hearing aids double as high-tech earbuds that allow you to stream TV, music, and telephone calls.

They’re meant for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. The brand claims they provide a natural hearing experience with clear, clean sound.

These come with a lithium-ion charging case that provides 4 days of streaming without the need to recharge.

They pick up and process the sound of your own voice separately, making it sound as natural to you as it does to others.

The Signia app for iOS or Android allows you to change and personalize your settings.

Best hearing aids for one-sided hearing loss

Signia CROS Pure Charge&Go X

• Price: $$
• Features: Bluetooth for media streaming; app for setting adjustments and communication with a hearing professional; face mask mode for clearer voice quality; directional hearing configuration
• Style of fit: behind the ear
• Battery life: rechargeable (1 day)

This small, behind-the-ear hearing aid has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can stream phone calls, music, and TV directly to your ear from other devices. They’re designed to provide enhanced hearing in noisy environments.

They can also charge overnight for a full day’s worth of reliable hearing performance, plus they have a fast-charging option. In addition, they detect your voice and process it to generate a natural sound.

Best hearing aids for severe hearing loss

Oticon Xceed

• Price: $$$
• Features: provides 360-degree sound without static or whistling; scans your surroundings 100 times per second to reduce listening effort and enhance speech clarity
• Style of fit: behind the ear
• Battery life: rechargeable (3–10 days)

These hearing aids are designed to isolate sound and focus on the person in front of you, to differentiate between speech and background noise.

They use a technology that the manufacturer calls BrainHearing to scan your environment repeatedly, providing speech clarity and reduced listening effort. They can eliminate the feedback noise caused by close proximity to the speaker, such as whistling and static.

They also have Bluetooth technology and direct streaming capability.

Phonak Bolero Marvel

• Price: $$$
• Features: Bluetooth streaming, remote fine-tuning
• Style of fit: behind the ear
• Battery life: rechargeable (24 hours)

These hearing aids come in two models based on your hearing loss level. A hearing care professional, such as an audiologist, will work with you to determine which model and performance level will be best for you.

These hearing aids are powerful enough to produce clear, crisp sounds in noisy environments. This translates into less listening effort during conversations and during events like lectures and plays.

They’re Bluetooth-compatible with iOS and Android. You can use them for hands-free calling and for streaming media.

They’re rechargeable and will hold a charge for 24 hours, even if you use them for streaming.

The MyPhonak app lets you adjust and fine-tune your hearing aids remotely.

Best hearing aids for tinnitus

Oticon More

• Price: $$$
• Features: tinnitus relief app, Bluetooth-enabled streaming, hands-free calling from any smartphone
• Style of fit: behind the ear
• Battery life: rechargeable (24 hours)

Tinnitus often accompanies hearing loss. Oticon More hearing aids come with Oticon’s Tinnitus SoundSupport system, which is controlled through an app. The app is compatible with iPhone and Android. It uses masking relief sounds that reduce your brain’s perception of tinnitus sounds. There’s a library of sounds to choose from, including white noise and ocean sounds.

Oticon More hearing aids have a chip embedded in each device that has been trained on 12 million real-life sounds. According to the manufacturer, this supports your brain to make better sense of the sounds coming into your ears. The result is less listening effort and enhanced speech understanding.

A variety of hearing programs includes MyMusic, which provides rich, crystal-clear sound when you’re listening to live music or streaming music from your device.

Best ready-to-wear hearing aids

Signia Silk X

• Price: $$
• Features: tinnitus relief, no-wait custom fit, Bluetooth compatibility, telecare remote support
• Style of fit: completely in canal
• Battery life: disposable (up to 7 days)

These hearing aids eliminate the wait time typically required for custom-made hearing aids. They come with silicone click sleeves that click onto the hearing aids, providing a secure, custom-like fit.

They’re Bluetooth-compatible and can be used to make phone calls and stream media.

Telecare remote support with a hearing professional is available through the Signia app. You can also use the app to control your settings and volume. Settings can also be adjusted through a mini-device you attach to your key ring.

If you have one-sided hearing loss, you can use these hearing aids with a CROS Silk X accessory.

Signia hearing aids come with tinnitus-relieving tools, including Notch Therapy. Notch Therapy can identify and reduce your tinnitus frequency. Sound masking is also used.

Best over-the-counter hearing aids

Lexie B1 Self-fitting OTC Hearing Aids Powered by Bose

• Price: $
• Features: self-fitting, Bluetooth enabled, directional microphone, wind and feedback repression, ambient noise reduction
• Style of fit: receiver-in-canal
• Battery life: 4-7 days, depending on use

If your hearing aids aren’t comfortable, you probably won’t wear them. Since they’re self-fitting, the Lexie B1 overrides that potential issue. They come with an ear measuring tool and domes in multiple sizes, so you’ll be able to give yourself a professional-level hearing aid fitting at home.

They’re also self-tuning. You can amplify quiet sounds to better hear conversations in noisy rooms, plus adjust treble and bass for crispness and tone.

You can also use the Lexie app to store multiple hearing environment settings, like watching TV, parks, and restaurants.

The Lexie B1 uses disposable 312 zinc-air batteries. If you prefer a rechargeable hearing aid option, the Lexie B2 is also available at a slightly higher price.

How our top picks compare

How to choose the best hearing aids for you

Once you have identified your hearing loss level, you can work with an audiologist or hearing professional on the fit and features that will be beneficial for you. Things to consider include:

• Trial periods and warranties: If you’re new to hearing aids or are trying out a new type, make sure you have wiggle room to return them if they don’t work for you.
• Visibility: Some hearing aids are completely invisible. Others have small, unobtrusive wires or behind-the-ear parts that can be seen. Your hearing ability, hairstyle, and comfort are factors that may influence your choice.
• Streaming capability: Bluetooth streaming enables you to listen to media and phone calls through your hearing aids, hands-free.
• Budget: Hearing aids can be very expensive and aren’t always covered by insurance. Never look to cut costs by buying used hearing aids or defunct models. Instead, look for hearing aids that work within your budget or those that come with payment plans.
• Battery type: Hearing aids may be rechargeable or use very small, disposable batteries. If you have issues with hand dexterity, you may be better off with a rechargeable model.
• Noise reduction: All hearing aids reduce noise to some extent. Find out the level of noise reduction you can expect in the environments that are important to you, such as restaurants and windy, natural settings.
• Program changes and adjustments: Hearing aids may be adjusted via a remote control, app, or by touching the hearing aid itself.

Frequently asked questions about hearing aids

Here are answers to some common questions about hearing aids.

How can I get a hearing exam?

If you work with a healthcare professional such as an audiologist, they’ll give you a full audiogram, or hearing test, which provides concrete information about your level of hearing loss.

They can also explain the differences between hearing aid styles and make a recommendation about which style might be best for you.

Audiologists may not offer the same variety of brands and styles that you might get from an online retailer.

If you purchase hearing aids through an online retailer, you may have the option of taking an online hearing test. These tests may be accurate, but may not be as comprehensive or personalized as some people would like.

Should I get fitted for a hearing aid?

Research from 2013 studied why a group of individuals chose not to wear hearing aids, and, along with other reasons, some people chose to opt out of wearing their aids due to an uncomfortable fit.

To avoid this, make sure the ones you choose fit correctly and feel comfortable in your ears, even after all-day wear.

Do my hearing aids need extra technology?

Some people need certain technological functions added to their hearing aids, such as the ability to pair them with their phones. Others simply want to put their hearing aids in and forget about them. Choose hearing aids that accommodate your unique situation.

What can I do if I have tinnitus?

If you have tinnitus, look for a hearing aid that specifically addresses this condition. Many hearing aids come with apps that provide built-in tinnitus therapy sounds or reduce overstimulation.

Are hearing aids covered by Medicare or insurance?

Hearing aids can be expensive, and while not usually covered by insurance or by Medicare, it’s possible to find ones that work for you and ways to cover the costs.

Shop around for the best price. Many online retailers and big-box stores sell hearing aids at deep discounts.

Ask if the price you’re paying is bundled or unbundled. Unbundling the costs of your hearing aids may eliminate line items you have no use for.

Hearing aids are an investment, so make sure to only purchase those that come with a risk-free trial of at least 30 days, as well as a manufacturer’s warranty.

What’s the difference between hearing aids and PSAPs?

Make sure you purchase an FDA-regulated medical device instead of a personal sound amplification product (PSAP). PSAPs are sold over the counter and don’t need an audiogram. They’re not meant to be used by people with hearing loss.

The takeaway

About 37.5 million U.S. adults have hearing loss and would benefit from wearing hearing aids.

Get fitted for hearing aids, and make sure the ones you buy fit properly, are comfortable, and accommodate your tech style.