JLab Hear OTC vs. Zepp Clarity Pixie

The JLab HEAR OTC Hearing Aid offers an affordable and user-friendly solution for those with mild to moderate hearing loss, featuring customizable sound settings and a sleek design. Extensive testing reveals its effective performance in various environments, making it a reliable choice for everyday use.

Zepp Pixie are a unique OTC hearing aid offering useful wireless app features, a discrete size, near all-day battery life, and more. From a price and performance perspective, Pixie beats Eargo, its closest competitor, on both counts.

JLab Hear OTC achieved a SoundScore of 3.65/5 and a SoundGrade of B in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #26 of 61 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.47/5.

Zepp Clarity Pixie achieved a SoundScore of 3.88/5 and a SoundGrade of B in HearAdvisor lab testing. It ranked #17 of 61 OTC Hearing Aid devices tested. The OTC Hearing Aid category average SoundScore was 3.47/5.

The portable charger is flimsy and HEAR have a lower egress rating of IPX4. However, with some extra care and cleaning they should hold up to regular daily use.

Zepp Pixie appear to be well built although their IP rating of X7 suggests regular cleaning and maintenance will be key to long-term protection from dust and debris.

HEAR do not offer enough power for all-day use with a battery life of 10 hours (less with streaming). The battery life is however respectable for a wireless earbud.

With a battery life of 17 hours, Zepp Clarity should last your entire day without needing to recharge. The portable charger is also robust and the added on-the-go power is a nice addition.

HEAR offer wireless connectivity for both iOS and Android users. I personally experienced stable streaming and phone calls with my iPhone 12.

Not yet rated by our experts

The JLab Hearing Health app offers a nice feature set for personalization. Some elements could be more user friendly, but it makes sense after a little troubleshooting.

The Zepp app offers useful features for customizing the sound quality to your preferences. Be sure to complete the on-ear assessment within the More tab.

HEAR are comfortable and had good retention in my ears. They completely seal your ear when worn properly but feel less “plugging” as they are lightweight.

I found Zepp Clarity comfortable however, they sit deeper in your ear which may not suit everyone's preferences or needs.

This is highly personalized, but HEAR look like modern earbuds and distance themselves from the negative stigma some attribute to hearing aids.

Clarity are small and sit almost completely in your ear canals. This can make them very desirable if you are looking for a discrete hearing aid option.

JLab Hear OTC has a value score of 5.0/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

Zepp Clarity Pixie has a value score of 3.1/5 based on lab performance and public display price.

I ran into a few issues with my initial Bluetooth pairing but HEAR and the touch controls work well otherwise.

Some may find the smaller size of Pixie more difficult to handle and see, especially if you have limited finger dexterity and or low vision.

JLab falls short on actual hearing care as help is limited to their online Help Center and or standard Customer Support.

Zepp currently offers technical assistance via phone, email, or directly through the Zepp mobile app. Additionally, the Support tab provides a helpful Q&A section should you need assistance.