How to Buy a Hearing Aid: A Quick Guide

Common sense and a commitment to taking charge of your own hearing health are the first things you’ll need when you set out to buy a hearing aid. An investment in a good hearing aid is really an investment in your health, so spend whatever time and money you can afford to get the solution that works best for you.

And plan on investing some real time on your research. If you ask the right questions and give yourself time to shop around, you will find the best solution out there for you at the best price. Beyond those initial bits of advice, here are steps to take that will move you along the path to better hearing.

Acknowledge that you need some help

If you really haven’t accepted the fact that you are having trouble hearing and are only shopping for some hearing assistance to placate your spouse or your children, you will probably not solve your problem. The first step is to take an honest look at how much trouble you are having and make a decision to take control of your own hearing health and proactively get whatever help you may need. If you aren’t sure whether you need help, check your hearing using a couple of good online hearing tests, including HearingTracker's free online hearing test.

Find a good hearing care provider

A good audiologist or hearing aid specialist will do a thorough hearing exam, determine how much amplification you need, fit you with custom-programmed hearing aids, and work with you until you are happy with them. Note: Your provider should refer you to an otolaryngologist if you exhibit any medical red-flags indicating ear-related diseases.

Make sure to check on the credentials of the hearing professional you visit. An audiologist has an advanced degree (generally an AuD, PhD, MS, or MA) in hearing health management, and a hearing aid specialist should have a certificate from the state showing they have completed the requisite training to test for hearing loss, fit hearing aids, and deliver other hearing health care services. Some audiologists have specialized training in areas like tinnitus management, vestibular (balance) disorders, and pediatric audiology, while some hearing aid specialists have taken the extra step to become Board Certified-Hearing Instrument Specialists (BC-HIS).

No matter what degree they might hold, the best providers adhere to “best practices,” which are a specific set of tests and protocols that have been proven to improve hearing aid outcomes. These include things like speech-in-noise testing and real-ear measurements (REM).

Ask around to see if anyone you know can recommend a good hearing care professional in your area. You may also wish to look at websites like the Better Business Bureau and other professional online ratings. There are a few trusted online retailers, like ZipHearing, that work with local clinics to offer fixed-price hearing aid + service bundles. We know that ZipHearing works directly with reputable hearing aid manufacturers, which is important because some retailers sell “grey market” products that have dubious product warranties. (Note: HearingTracker partners with ZipHearing and other national providers to offer discounted hearing aid prices to its visitors.)

Get a comprehensive hearing assessment

The most reliable method for diagnosing hearing loss is to get a comprehensive audiological exam conducted by a hearing care professional. This thorough evaluation is crucial for precise diagnosis and effective treatment. As noted above, the best evaluations adhere to best practices which include a thorough examination of your ear canal, pure-tone audiometry, speech-in-quiet and speech-in-noise testing, and tympanometry to check the movement of your eardrums and detect potential issues in the middle ear.

The hearing provider may also conduct other tests to understand how different parts of your auditory system are functioning. In this way, a comprehensive audiological examination is different from a hearing screening which, as the name implies, is intended to indicate if you have a hearing problem. Screenings are generally limited to some questions about your hearing health, an inspection of the ear canal, and pure-tone audiometry. If you haven’t had your hearing examined for a long time (or ever!), we recommend you first get a comprehensive audiological exam; in this way, you’ll have a detailed record of your hearing status that you can compare to later tests and keep it for your health records.

However, whether you opt for a screening or a comprehensive exam, one of the things you should always walk away with from any professionally administered hearing test is an audiogram. The audiogram is a graph that illustrates your hearing ability across different frequencies (pitches). Make sure to ask for a copy of your audiogram after your hearing test for your records; they come in handy for tracking your hearing status, determining your hearing number, and even programming a self-fitting OTC hearing aids (if your hearing loss is in the mild-to-moderate range).

The most common form of hearing loss is sensorineural hearing loss, where your inner ear and hearing nerves gradually lose their ability to discern sounds, most often starting with the higher frequencies. This kind of hearing loss is often progressive, getting worse with age, and irreversible. The good news, though, is that for mild or moderate hearing loss (which is the vast majority of cases), properly fitted hearing aids can be very effective.

Familiarize yourself with the options

There are hundreds of brands and models of hearing aids providing the entire range of amplification for hearing loss ranging from very mild to severe-to-profound. Even before visiting an audiologist or dispenser, it’s helpful to explore the prescription hearing aid options. A qualified audiologist will help you to understand which models are the best fit for you.

If you have determined that you have mild-to-moderate hearing loss and are relatively tech-savvy, you might also be interested in exploring over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, online hearing aids, hearables and personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), and hearing assistance technologies (HATS).

And, if you’re really curious about which hearing aids might suit you best, check out HearingTracker's Hearing Aid Comparison Tool.

Choose a product

Unless you opt for the OTC route, our advice is to find a good provider you can trust and follow their recommendations. A good provider will present you with a range of solutions, depending on your hearing loss and unique individual listening needs. These may possibly include prescription or OTC hearing aids, hearables and PSAPs, as well as hearing aid accessories, captioned telephones, smartphone apps, and more.

Ideally, you will get a choice not only of multiple models and styles but also several brands. Your hearing provider should be able to discuss the pros and cons of each style given your hearing loss and other individual factors (like your ear size). Don’t be afraid to ask to try different styles and models until you’re satisfied you’ve found the one that suits you best.

Follow up, and follow through

Make sure there is at least a 30-day return policy if you aren’t satisfied with the hearing aids. Also, ask how many follow-up visits come with the purchase — often multiple programming tweaks make all the difference in getting a fit that works for you. Most audiologists and hearing aid specialists include programming and follow-up service as part of a single bundled price for the purchase of hearing aids, but some “unbundle”, charging separately for professional services vs. products.

Just make sure you know what the total cost will be. And then take advantage of the follow-up visits. You’ll be glad you did when a slight programming change leads to major improvement in your hearing.

Consider financing options

Hearing aids can be terribly expensive, often costing thousands of dollars a pair. So be sure to ask your provider about financing options. Many hearing professionals are able to offer extended payment terms at rates well below financing with credit card debt. Keeping your monthly payments within your budget and paying off the hearing aids over a 2- or 3-year period might make the difference between an affordable purchase today versus one you put off.

For a more detailed discussion on financing options, including insurance coverage, VA benefits, and other government assistance and tax-saving strategies, see HearingTracker's A Guide to Paying for Hearing Aids.

Ask about Hearing Assistance Technology (HAT)

Most hearing aid manufacturers now are providing additional products to make hearing easier in different situations, including Bluetooth streaming of your spouse’s voice, your cellphone signal, and even your TV audio directly into your hearing aids. There are also plenty of services to improve your landline telephone signal.

Manufacturers’ accessories are proprietary meaning that they will work with only the make and model of hearing aids that you use. However, there are also generic HAT devices that can be used with any make and model of hearing aid, provided it contains a small receiving device called a telecoil. These generic HAT devices have the advantage of being less expensive than proprietary accessories. Ask about these products — they can greatly enhance the success you have with your hearing aids.

Finally, if you cannot hear various sounds around your home or office without your hearing aids, then make sure that your provider talks to you about alerting devices. These devices use an enhanced auditory signal, flashing lights or vibration to alert you to the doorbell, the smoke alarm, and other important signals that keep you safe and independent.

Although these products are offered by several online portals, including Amazon, two reputable websites that specialize in HATS are ClearSounds/HITEC and Warner Tech-Care Products.

Wash, rinse, repeat

If your hearing loss is age related, you can expect some ongoing decline. So, just as you should get your eyes checked regularly for a new prescription for your glasses or contact lenses, you should get your hearing tested on a regular basis and have your hearing aids reprogrammed if you need more amplification. And, because hearing-aid technology has been progressing along with all other digital technologies, it’s helpful to stay up on the new products that are coming out every year. Don’t be surprised if your first pair of hearing aids start to seem outdated after a couple of years once you see new features coming out from the major manufacturers. If you’re the type of person who leases your car and gets a new model every three years, you’ll be happy to know hearing aid manufacturers come up with some nice new designs with new bells and whistles every two or three years as well.

Finally, keep in front of your mind the phrase “caveat emptor” – Latin for “buyer beware,” and take the time to do your research and shop around. It’s very easy to be hurried into making a bad decision.