Best Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids for You

Still, so far, only a tiny fraction of adults over 40 with hearing difficulties have purchased an OTC hearing aid, according to a July 2023 survey from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. A major barrier is likely still cost, says Lindsay Creed, AuD, associate director of audiology practices at ASHA, though the introduction of the hearing aids feature on the Apple AirPods Pro 2 will likely change that landscape.

Adults in the survey who intended to buy OTC hearing aids said they were willing to pay around $200, on average, for an over-the-counter hearing aid, but many of these devices cost several times that. Many respondents also did not feel confident about choosing the right device on their own.

To help, we’ve tested some OTC hearing aids in our labs. We examined how easy they are to set up and use, and we conducted a series of audiological tests on them to see how they performed compared with some of the standards outlined by the Food and Drug Administration.