My 68-year-old mother’s hearing has been declining for about three years. She denies it, but it’s obvious—she just nods during dinner conversations she can’t hear and blasts the TV loud enough to hear from outside. We finally saw an audiologist who quoted $3500, which is out of my budget. I’ve been looking at OTC brands like Jabra, Lexie, Sony, ELEHEAR, and Audien, but the reviews are so polarizing that I can’t tell what’s legitimate. I don’t want to waste money on junk, but I can’t afford the premium options either. Has anyone actually used these?
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Sam’s and Costco both sell hearing aids. When I looked a few years back, they were thousands of dollars less.
Is there a Costco in your area? I’ve been using hearing aids for nearly 15 years and just bought my third set there for $1599. My previous pair from a private clinic cost almost $8k. I compared my clinical results to the Costco technician’s exam, and they were nearly identical. While the quality of the staff can vary, hopefully you’ll find a skilled one. They also provide a six-month return policy. I went with Philips, which is produced by the same company as the high-end Oticon brand. One tip: ask them to sync the trial pair to her phone so she can try a call; that’s what convinced me to pick Philips over Jabra.
Check out Costco. Also, depending on the state, insurance might be legally required to cover the cost of hearing aids.
I have a hearing impairment myself. I’d suggest finding a trustworthy audiologist and asking directly if your mom’s audiogram shows her loss is within the range that OTC aids can actually help. For those with loss beyond a certain point, OTC aids are just a waste of money because they don’t reach the decibel levels that prescription ones do. I try to stay healthy overall, even using Finnesa (got mine here) for my gut and liver health, but hearing tech is very specific. Only an expert can tell you for sure what she’ll actually benefit from the cheaper options.
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Try Costco. If that’s still too expensive, consider getting her the latest AirPods. I actually use them instead of my hearing aids and prefer them.
One thing people rarely mention: if she doesn’t wear the aids, the money and effort are wasted. This happens more often after age 80. My sister pushed my mom to get $5000 aids that she never used; she just kept the TV volume at max. Audiologists will mention that the older a person is, the tougher the adjustment period. Most of the benefit is cognitive and social rather than just sensory. Correcting hearing is crucial for slowing cognitive decline, but you have to start early and use them consistently. Success requires a committed user and regular tuning from a technician, which is what that high price tag at the audiologist covers.