What to Look For In Premium Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids

What to Look For In Premium Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids

The features you’ll find in outstanding hearing care solutions.

OTC hearing aids may be new to the market but they offer tons of great features to meet your needs — especially if you reach for a premium product.

Below, we share some of the key qualities you should look for in a reliable, effective, and intuitive over-the-counter solution.

An app with smart settings

⁠When selecting your OTC hearing aids, it’s important to find an option with a user friendly app that offers a wide array of settings designed to meet your individual needs.

⁠Premium apps will include valuable features like wind noise reduction and ambient noise control. Also, set up should also be fast, intuitive, and easy.

Ultimately, you want the in-app experience to enhance your experience and sense of control — and never take away from it.

Third-party recommendations

⁠⁠When shopping for your hearing care solution, it’s always a good idea to look for a product that has legitimate third-party recommendations.

⁠⁠When you know that an unbiased expert has assessed and recommended the product you’re considering, it can help you make your purchase with added confidence.

⁠You might look to a publication like Forbes Health, for example, which recently published a roundup of the best OTC hearing aids of 2024 after consulting with a panel of audiologists.

FDA registration

⁠⁠⁠As you can probably imagine, you should also ensure that your brand of choice has been assessed by the FDA. Dr Sreek Cherukuri addressed this with Forbes Health.

⁠⁠⁠“The FDA is supposed to do an audit of the manufacturing facilities to make sure they’re following good manufacturing practices (GMPs) because these are medical devices—not simply consumer electronics,” he said.

⁠“Make sure it’s a reputable company following the regulations.”

A comprehensive warranty

⁠⁠⁠⁠While prescription hearing aids may cost you as much as $50002 or more, many popular OTC hearing aids land at less than $1000 per pair — including both All-Day Clear models from Sennheiser.

⁠⁠⁠⁠That said, hearing care is still a significant investment so it’s important to ensure that your product of choice will stand the test of time.

⁠⁠Bearing the cost of hearing aids in mind, it’s best to look for an option with a comprehensive warranty so you know that the company that created it is prepared to back it up.

As you probably already know, a cheap solution can end up costing you in the long run — especially if it’s defective and you need to replace it at your own expense.

Sleek design

⁠⁠⁠⁠Of course, there is zero shame in needing hearing care of any kind but premium OTC hearing devices should also offer a premium aesthetic.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You deserve to have a hearing solution that factors in design and that you feel good about wearing.

A wellbeing investment

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We know that hearing loss can have a significant negative impact if it’s not treated over time and that the right hearing care solution can improve your quality of life.

Of course, the potential for savings with an OTC solution is a great option for many individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss. That said, your health is paramount and your standards should still be high so it’s important to invest in a feature-packed solution from a brand you know and trust.

References

1. “Best OTC Hearing Aids of 2024.” Forbes, Forbes Media LLC, 15 Sept. 2024, www.forbes.com/health/hearing-aids/best-otc-hearing-aids/#best-otc-technology-award-2024-sennheiser-all-day-clear.
2. Simpson, B. W. (2021, October 22). The Hearing Aid Revolution: Cheaper and Easier to Get. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Retrieved November 13, 2023, from https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/the-hearing-aid-revolution-cheaper -and-easier-to-get