4 Best Hearing Aids of 2024 Tested by Experts

• Approximately 40 million adults in America are living with hearing loss.
• In most cases, hearing aids can help people with mild, moderate, severe or profound hearing loss.
• The benefits of using a hearing aid include improved listening clarity, communication skills, balance or steadiness and mental health.
• The best hearing aids on the market for a variety of hearing needs offer excellent customer support and different styles or features to best address your hearing loss.
• The most important features of hearing aids include feedback cancellation, background noise reduction and wind reduction for crisper sound.
• The average cost of a pair of hearing aids is $4,600, but new over-the-counter (OTC) regulations are helping to reduce cost.
• Our top hearing aid recommendation is Jabra Enhance Select because of its excellent customer support and unparalleled trial period and warranty length.

• Jabra Enhance Select: Best Customer Experience
• Phonak: Audiologist’s Pick
• Eargo: Most Discreet
• MDHearing: Most Affordable

In addition to the hearing aid devices listed above, we wanted to give a nod to Audien, our pick for “Lowest Cost” hearing aids. The newest device from Audien, the Atom Pro 2, is a rechargeable, completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aid that’s priced affordably at just $289 per pair.

A step up from the brand’s Atom 2, the Atom Pro 2 is constructed with the A2 chip for clearer sound delivery, contains four hearing modes and advanced background noise cancellation, and holds a 24-hour charge — plus, it comes with a two-in-one UV-light cleaning and charging case to help kill bacteria while powering your hearing aids.

The Atom Pro 2 is the smallest and most discreet hearing aid offered by Audien, at 15% smaller than the Atom 2 and 28% smaller than the original Atom hearing aid, and we like the company’s 45-day trial period, which gives users time to get used to wearing their new hearing aid and decide if they’re right for their needs.

According to Sheri Mello, a doctor of audiology in Raleigh, N.C., hearing aids are “tiny computers in your ears.” Most modern hearing aids use digital technology, which is easily programmable to address a person’s specific hearing loss profile and delivers a more natural sound than older analog models.

Here are the top five most common hearing aid styles and sizes:

• Behind-the-ear (BTE): Most of the device’s hardware is housed in a case that sits behind the ear. Sound travels through the open tube to your ear.
• Receiver-in-canal (RIC): The device’s hardware sits behind the ear similar to the BTE style, but a wirelike tubing carries the electric signal to a receiver, around your outer ear and directly into your ear canal.
• In-the-ear (ITE): Smaller than BTE and RIC hearing aids, this style houses its hardware completely in the ear in a shell and delivers sound directly into the ear canal.
• Completely-in-the-canal (CIC): These devices are a more discreet style than the ITE, and the device’s hardware is in the ear canal. Due to the small size, this style often lacks certain functionality, like Bluetooth connectivity, rechargeable batteries or telecoil.
• Invisible-in-the-canal (IIC): These devices are the smallest size available and fit deeper in the ear canal than CIC hearing aid models, nearly hidden from sight.

Hearing aids work by receiving sound waves through their microphones, converting the waves into electrical signals and then sending the signals through an amplifier and speaker to your ear. Most modern digital hearing aids provide sound amplification through this process regardless of style or size.

Many of the top-rated hearing aids now use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones. Instead of replacing your batteries every few days, you recharge them using a charging case, which is often included with your purchase.

To ensure your devices stay working correctly, you’ll need to clean them regularly of earwax and other debris. Always follow your hearing aid manufacturer’s instructions on how to clean the shell and tubing.

Experts don’t recommend cleaning your hearing aids with water or chemical cleaners because they’re not waterproof, which means fluid can damage the hardware. However, some devices are water-resistant. Hearing aids last for about three to seven years, but their lifespan depends on how well you take care of them.

Hope Lanter, doctor of audiology, explained that everyone’s hearing ability is different. She advocates for scheduling an in-person exam with a hearing care specialist to ensure you’ll get the most out of your hearing device.

For example, if your audiologist performs a hearing evaluation and determines you have severe or profound hearing loss, OTC hearing aids won’t meet your hearing needs. You’ll need a prescription hearing aid (like Phonak), and although they’re more expensive than OTC devices, they’re more helpful for advanced hearing loss.

You may also need a hearing aid to address accompanying issues, like tinnitus or ringing in the ears. Some OTC and prescription hearing aid brands offer tinnitus masking or sound therapy to lower the intensity of tinnitus over time.

If you have mild to moderate hearing loss and OTC hearing aids would work well for you, you have the choice to purchase online or in person. Buying hearing aids online is convenient, but you might not get the audiologist support you need to set up and maintain your device properly, like occasional adjustments or professional cleaning. When you’re shopping online, look for hearing aid companies that offer remote support with a hearing aid specialist.

Our survey of hearing aid wearers showed that price was the biggest obstacle in purchasing hearing aids since they can cost up to $7,000 per pair. Thankfully, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established new regulations in October 2022, allowing the sale of OTC hearing aids for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. This created competition within the industry and made hearing aids more affordable and accessible for people who need them.

In general, OTC hearing aids cost nearly $3,000 less than prescription devices, but those with severe to profound hearing loss will benefit most from a prescription option because it offers better technology and power for higher hearing loss levels.

Payment Options

Many OTC and prescription hearing aid brands offer financing options through third-party lenders to lower the cost barrier, but this could end up costing you more with interest over time.

Before buying your hearing aids or opting to finance, talk to your insurance company and see if your plan will cover a portion. Medicare Parts A and B don’t cover hearing aids at all, but several Medicare Advantage plans (Part C) and private health insurers may. Some Medicaid plans will also cover the cost of hearing aids when prescribed by a doctor, but it depends on the plan. And if you’re a military veteran, you may be eligible for free hearing aids, hearing exams and hearing aid batteries through VA Health Care.

You can also purchase hearing aids through your flexible spending accounts (FSA) or health savings accounts (HSA), if you contribute to one.

Lastly, your state’s vocational rehabilitation program might help pay for hearing aids so long as you need them to maintain or to get a job. Call the agency in your state to confirm eligibility.

The best way to find hearing aids that fit your ear and your hearing loss profile is by visiting your local hearing clinic and receiving a thorough evaluation. This ensures you’re getting what you need, and in some cases, it involves creating an earmold for a custom-fit design.

You’ll know if your hearing aids fit properly if you forget you’re wearing them and there’s no feedback noise. Ill-fitting devices allow sound to escape the ear canal and re-enter the hearing aid’s microphone, causing annoying high-pitched whistling.

Sometimes the hearing aid isn’t causing the poor fit — it’s wax buildup in your ear instead. If clearing wax from your ear canal doesn’t help, it’s a good idea to contact a hearing care professional for further guidance. You may need a different dome size to fit in your ear canal or a new mold that feels comfortable and stays put as you move throughout your day.

Jabra Enhance is the most well-known OTC hearing aid on the market for its excellent customer experience. Phonak is the “Audiologist’s Pick” with the best prescription hearing aid for adults or children and up to a profound degree of hearing loss in one or both ears.

Eargo earned a spot in our review for its range of ITC and OTC hearing aids, designed to fit discreetly in the ear canal for those who prefer a hidden device. And if you’re interested in a more affordable hearing aid, MDHearing offers multiple devices less than $1,000 that differ in style and technology levels.

Before purchasing any device, we strongly advise you to see your local hearing care clinic for a thorough evaluation. An audiologist can recommend the right type of device, so you know you’re purchasing what you need.

National Center for Health Statistics, Percentage of any difficulty hearing for adults aged 18 and over, United States, 2019–2022

The White House, FDA Takes Action to Deliver Low-Cost, Innovative Hearing Devices to Millions More Americans

Johns Hopkins Medicine, The Hidden Risks of Hearing Loss

Food and Drug Administration, OTC Hearing Aids: What You Should Know

The White House, Statement by President Joe Biden on FDA Final Rule

Medicare.gov, Medicare Coverage

Hearing Loss Association of America, Medicaid

Veterans Affairs, Eligibility for VA health care

Rehabilitation Services Administration, State Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies

Johns Hopkins Medicine, Troubleshooting Hearing Aids