7 Best OTC Hearing Aids of 2024 Tested by Experts and Reviewers

Jabra Enhance Select hearing aids are the product of a partnership between sound tech company Jabra and the hearing aid manufacturer formerly known as Lively. The company’s top two models, the Enhance Select 100 and Enhance Select 200, both offer rechargeable batteries with an impressive length per charge, and it has several quick-charge options, making this brand our pick for the best rechargeable OTC hearing aid.

Appropriate for adults with mild-to-moderately severe hearing loss, Enhance Select devices (like all OTC hearing aids) can be purchased online without a prescription. Both rechargeable models are the receiver-in-canal style, offer Bluetooth streaming, and can be purchased with a basic or premium package option. The 200 model has eight listening profiles (versus four profiles in the Enhance Select 100) and hands-free calling with iOS devices and Android devices that have OS 9.0 or newer.

Battery Life and Charging Options

Jabra Enhance Select hearing aids offer the longest battery life of any hearing aid we’ve seen from an online manufacturer. A three-hour charge gives you up to 30 hours of power. Keep in mind, though, that hearing aid batteries drain faster when you use features like Bluetooth streaming, so this number will be affected by the amount of time you use Bluetooth to stream calls, music, or videos. Among the brands we’ve researched, the Jabra Enhance battery life was equaled only by prescription models such as the Phonak Audeo Lumity, Signia Pure Charge & Go AX, and Widex Moment.

Jabra Enhance also has two quick-charge options. A one-hour charge will give you 15 hours of use, the same amount you’d get on a full charge with Eargo or Audicus hearing aids. If you’re in a hurry, just 10 minutes of charging will add 2.5 hours to your battery life. And the charging case holds three full charges, a feature that active people and those who enjoy traveling may find convenient.

Should You Buy Rechargeable Hearing Aids?

Many people with hearing loss are looking for the ease of use rechargeable hearing aids can provide. Our survey of 600 hearing aid users found that people wanted rechargeable batteries more than any other feature except for digital noise reduction, which is a standard feature in all hearing aids on this list, except Audien.

Manufacturers are paying attention to consumer demand. In the past year, our reviews team has seen multiple companies move away from disposable batteries, and that trend is likely to continue. Phonak, for example, offers no disposable battery options among its newest line of Lumity hearing aids, and Audicus now has rechargeable models in four of its five products.

For the majority of people, it’s simpler to place their hearing aids in a charging case than to routinely change out tiny batteries. When we tested more than a dozen hearing aids, our reviews team found it challenging to replace disposable batteries without dropping them. People with dexterity, coordination, or eyesight issues could find it even more difficult.

In some cases, disposable batteries might be a better choice than rechargeable ones. Stefanie Godbey, a doctor of audiology and clinician at Ohio Hearing and Audiology in Cincinnati, says that some of her patients prefer disposable batteries due to their lifestyle. One of her patients, for example, is an avid hiker and doesn’t always have a place to charge his hearing aids. In our focus group of hearing aid users, several participants who frequently travel said they enjoyed the ease of carrying batteries on trips, avoiding the need to stop and charge their hearing aids when the battery is low.

Three other considerations when deciding on battery type are:

• Cost Rechargeable hearing aids often cost more than disposable batteries. Rechargeable models from Jabra Enhance, for instance, start at $400 more per pair than a model with disposable batteries. Over time, though, you may end up saving money by not having to buy disposable batteries.
• Eco-Friendliness Disposable batteries, although small, are not good for the environment. They contain heavy metals that can stay in the soil for years or run off into waterways.
• Safety Risks Disposable hearing aid batteries and other types of button batteries, such as those found in remote controls, key fobs, and some toys, can present a dangerous safety risk. The National Capital Poison Center (NCPC) states that if an individual swallows button batteries, especially young children or pets, they can cause internal burns and even death in as little as two hours.

Older adults are also at risk of ingesting batteries. The NCPC warns that adults who have swallowed hearing aid batteries often do so because they mistook the batteries for pills. Any type of battery ingestion is a medical emergency and should be treated at your nearest emergency room as soon as possible. Call the 24-hour National Battery Ingestion Hotline at 800-498-8666 if you suspect that you or a loved one has swallowed a battery.

While lithium-ion batteries are the most common type of rechargeable battery and would also be harmful if swallowed, the risk of poisoning is much lower because rechargeable batteries are not removable in most models. They stay in the hearing aid for the entire life of the device, which is generally about five years.

How to Buy Jabra Enhance Select Hearing Aids

Before or after purchasing Jabra Enhance Select hearing aids from the company’s website, you can send in the results of a previous audiogram or take the free online Jabra Enhance hearing screening. Based on your results, the audiology team will program your hearing aids and then ship them to you. After you receive them, you’ll have a remote appointment with a member of the audiology team to help you with set up and adjustments.

Along with the best rechargeability of any OTC manufacturer, Jabra Enhance provides the longest trial period (100 days), during which you can return your hearing aids if they don't meet your needs. The company also offers the longest and most comprehensive standard warranty among OTC manufacturers. The three-year policy includes coverage for manufacturer defects, damage, and loss, but it's only included with the premium package.

Jabra Enhance partners with Bread to provide third-party financing. You can make payments for up to 18 months with no interest, subject to your credit score.

For more information, read our Jabra Enhance hearing aids review.

Get Jabra Enhance at JabraEnhance.com.

Audien is an OTC hearing aid manufacturer that prices its products at hundreds of dollars less than every other brand on the market, making it our choice for the most affordable OTC hearing aid.

Does Audien Make Hearing Aids or PSAPs?

The answer is both. Audien sells two personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), the EV1 and EV3, as well as two hearing aids, the Atom and Atom Pro. It’s important to understand the difference between the two so you can make an informed decision about which product you need.

Both OTC and prescription hearing aids are considered medical devices by the FDA and must meet certain guidelines for safety and efficacy, but PSAPs are consumer products and are not held to FDA regulatory standards.

Finally, hearing aids are designed to treat hearing loss. PSAPs, on the other hand, are intended for people with normal hearing who want the sounds in their environment to be louder for recreational purposes, such as when hunting or bird watching.

Audien Pros and Cons

The Atom and Atom Pro are FDA-registered hearing aids, but some people mistake them for PSAPs because they are quite basic compared with other hearing aids on the market. For example, Audien hearing aids don’t come with Bluetooth capability, an app or buttons on the device for adjustments, multiple listening profiles or processing channels, feedback cancellation, or digital noise reduction.

Even volume adjustments aren’t easy with this brand compared with every other hearing aid our reviews team tested. To change the volume, you need to use the tiny screwdriver that comes with the hearing aids. Turning the screw to set the volume is easy but not exactly convenient.

The primary selling points of this brand are its low prices, small sizes, and rechargeability. Both the Atom and Atom Pro include a battery life of 20 and 24 hours, respectively, and both are discreet in-the-ear models. While many people may not mind the look of a hearing aid sitting behind the ear, our reviews team did find that a few people in our focus groups, especially those in the workforce, wanted a small device that others wouldn’t notice.

Possibly due to the company’s inexpensive prices relative to other brands, Audien does not offer financing. If you have mild-to-moderate hearing loss and want a small, rechargeable hearing aid that is light on features but also priced low, Audien may fit the bill.

For more information, read our Audien hearing aids review.

Eargo focuses its efforts on simplifying hearing loss treatment with tiny rechargeable hearing aids that are both comfortable to wear and virtually invisible in the ear, making this brand our choice for the best invisible OTC hearing aid.

Eargo devices are appropriate for adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, and they were the second most popular brand among our survey of 600 hearing aid users (behind hearing aids from Costco). The majority (69 percent) of Eargo customers said their hearing aids were comfortable to wear.

How Hearing Aids Help the Ears and Brain

Comfort is a big factor in long-term success with hearing aids, and audiologists say that it’s important to wear your hearing aids as much as possible each day for the health of both your ears and your brain.

“Your brain changes when you have hearing loss,” says Jacquelyn Lovitt, a doctor of audiology and clinician from Capital Hearing and Balance in Silver Spring, Maryland. ”There are studies that show that the brain can reorganize itself when you wear hearing aids and you get adequate auditory stimulation.”

If your hearing aids are uncomfortable or aren’t adjusted correctly for your hearing needs, you’ll be less likely to wear them throughout the day. Eargo devices come with a variety of domes and tips to help you find the best fit. The set includes closed and open tips as well as fiber-style and petal-style domes. Murray explains that both the style and configuration (open or closed) of your hearing aid tip can impact sound quality.

It can be hard to know which one you need and when you’ve achieved the best fit, so it’s important to take advantage of the free remote support offered by the Eargo audiology team, especially as you’re getting started.

Are Eargos Truly Invisible?

Since invisibility in the ear is one of the brand’s selling points, our reviews team wanted to see how Eargo stacked up against other completely-in-canal (CIC) models. Note that all three Eargo devices are about the same size, 18 to 19 millimeters long. We compared the size of the Eargo 6 with the Signia Silk X, a prescription CIC model. The Eargo 6 was noticeably smaller than the Signia Silk X.

Eargo Models and Features

Eargo hearing aids are available in three rechargeable CIC models, each with a distinct set of features.

The Eargo 5 costs $1,650 and provides an in-app hearing screening, the results of which can be used to make adjustments to your settings.

The Eargo 6 costs $2,250 per pair and makes automatic adjustments based on your listening environment. We submerged the Eargo 6 in three feet of water for 30 minutes, based on its stated level of water resistance, and were pleased to find that the water-resistant claims held up. The hearing aids worked well and connected to the app with no problems after our water test.

Eargo's newest model released in February 2023, the Eargo 7, costs $2,950 per pair, and has an improved Sound Adjust+ with Clarity Mode, which automatically adapts your devices to your current sound environment and improves your experience in loud and quiet environments. The Eargo 7 comes with a two-year warranty, compared with the one-year warranty offered with the other two models.

All Eargo models include feedback cancellation and digital noise reduction. Due to their small size, though, they don’t come with directional microphones or telecoil. Because they also don’t have Bluetooth streaming capabilities, you’ll need to look at OTC brands Jabra Enhance or Audicus, or a prescription hearing aid brand, if you want to stream sound or calls.

Eargo batteries hold a charge of about 16 hours, depending on app use for volume and setting adjustments. But because they don’t have Bluetooth streaming capability, you won’t see as much variability with battery life as you would with a model from Jabra Enhance.

Where to Buy Eargo Hearing Aids

While Eargo is sold at Victra-Verizon stores and Best Buy, the stores’ salespeople may not be able to help you with the physical fit or listening settings on your Eargo devices. When we contacted Best Buy to see if it offered post-purchase hearing aid support, we were told that the company’s Geek Squad could help with adjustments. But since Best Buy employees aren’t trained in the physical or audiological fit of hearing aids, you won’t get the same level of service or expertise as at a hearing clinic.

Some hearing care clinics that sell prescription hearing aids now provide in-person support for people who have bought OTC devices. The American Academy of Audiology has an online locator to help you find a hearing clinic in your area.

Financing and Veterans Discounts

The company also offers financing with 0 percent interest for up to 24 months — the longest interest-free payment plan we’ve seen among OTC manufacturers. And if you’re a military veteran, the company will give you a 20 percent discount on a pair of Eargo 6 hearing aids.

For more information, read our Eargo hearing aids review.

With a vision of providing “healthy hearing for everyone, everywhere,” OTC hearing aid manufacturer hearX brings hearing loss treatment within reach for many customers with its affordable Lexie hearing aids. The company’s integration of Bose sound technology and its selection of three models with different adjustment capabilities make this brand our pick for the best sound processing among OTC hearing aids.

Lexie Hearing Aid Models

Lexie hearing aids are available in three models, each with a unique price point and set of features.

Lumen

Priced at $799 per pair, the Lumen is a behind-the-ear model with disposable batteries. It has six listening environments to select from using the Lexie app or the buttons on the hearing aid. You can also take the hearing screening that’s available through the app, and your Lumen hearing aids will adjust automatically based on the results.

While none of the Lexie models offer Bluetooth streaming (only connectivity with the app for making adjustments), the Lumen does come with a telecoil. This feature allows you to stream sound directly from a phone or any public facility equipped with a hearing loop. Look for this sign in large buildings such as theaters, museums, and places of worship to alert you that they have a hearing loop.

B1 and B2 Powered by Bose

The Lexie B1 and B2 use the same technology previously found in Bose SoundControl hearing aids. Known as self-fitting hearing aids, both Lexie models allow you to customize them to fit your needs and listening environment, to the extent possible, using the smartphone app. While this isn’t comparable to the level of customization achieved with prescription hearing aids, it does afford more control than many OTC models, which allow you to select between only a few profiles.

With the B1 and the B2, you can fine-tune multiple parameters, such as left-right balance, treble-bass balance, and directionality (which affects the focus on sounds coming from various directions). You can also customize listening profiles or create your own.

All Lexie models come with noise reduction to dampen background sounds and feedback management to help reduce the whistling that can occur with hearing aids. Like most OTC hearing aid companies, Lexie offers only remote support. On the plus side, every purchase comes with lifetime assistance from its audiology team.

Lexie devices are sold online and in several national retail chains that carry healthcare devices, including the following:

• Best Buy
• CVS
• Walgreens
• Walmart

While Lexie doesn’t extend traditional financing options, it does have a 24-month subscription plan that allows you to pay monthly toward the full price of the hearing aids. Another bonus of this brand is that its one-year warranty covers breakage and damage, something not all companies offer.

For more information, read our Lexie hearing aids review.

MDHearing provides a selection of four OTC hearing aid models with different styles and functionality, making it our review team’s favorite for the most versatile OTC hearing aid. The price range is also one of the lowest among OTC manufacturers, something that many people are looking for.

Features of MDHearing Models

The Air is the base model from MDHearing. While not app-compatible, it comes with four listening profiles and volume control that can be adjusted on the hearing aid itself. Like all MDHearing models, the Air provides digital noise reduction. If you’re looking for a value-priced hearing aid with rechargeable batteries, the Air could be a good choice.

The newest MDHearing model, the Neo, is a nearly invisible in-the-canal hearing aid. It includes rechargeable batteries that last up to 17 hours per charge. The Neo also has more advanced technology compared with the Air, with advanced noise reduction and feedback cancellation.

The Volt is similar to the Air: Both are behind-the-ear models with four listening settings and volume control, and both are adjusted on the device directly, without connectivity to an app. The Air, Volt, and Neo are all priced at $299 per pair, far less than the average cost of every other OTC brand in this review except for Audien.

The Volt Max is the most expensive MDHearing model. It includes auto-adjust technology, which changes its settings based on your sound environment. This functionality is also found in the Eargo 6, Eargo 7, and in four of the five Audicus models (not available in the Mini). Prescription hearing aids come with automatic adjustment technology as well, most with faster processing speeds and improved sound recognition compared with OTC models.

You can get financing for MDHearing products through Affirm, with interest-free payments for up to 12 months.

For more information, read our MDHearing review.

Like MDHearing, Lucid offers a range of features among its OTC options. You can choose from behind-the-ear, receiver-in-canal, or in-the-ear styles; disposable or rechargeable batteries; and varying degrees of customization. Lucid hearing aids are sold online and at Sam’s Club hearing clinics. The company also offers online hearing screenings and in-person hearing exams free of charge.

Lucid Hearing OTC Models

Lucid Hearing sells three feature-rich OTC hearing aids: Fio, Engage, and Engage Rechargeable.

• The in-the-ear Fio retails for $999 per pair and looks nearly invisible. It uses rechargeable batteries and connects to a smartphone app for customization.
• The Engage series fits behind the ear, syncs to an app for custom control, and is the only line from Lucid Hearing with Bluetooth streaming. The original Engage model ($599) uses replaceable batteries while the Engage Rechargeable ($799) features rechargeable batteries.

The more affordable options from Lucid Hearing use disposable batteries only and skip the mobile app entirely:

• The $299 Enlite sits in the ear canal but doesn’t feature the noise reduction technology found in the other five OTC models from Lucid Hearing.
• The Enrich retails for $199, fits behind the ear, and comes with pre-programmed settings. It’s the only OTC hearing aid from Lucid Hearing that doesn’t have a moisture-resistant coating.
• The Enrich Pro ($299) may offer a more comfortable fit for some users compared with the Enrich thanks to thinner and more flexible tubing leading from the hearing aid body to the dome inside the ear canal.

How to Buy Lucid Hearing Hearing Aids

Lucid Hearing hearing aids are sold via the brand’s website and through a variety of online retailers, such as:

• Best Buy
• Walmart
• Sam’s Club
• Amazon
• CVS
• Target
• Lowe’s

Some Lucid Hearing OTC hearing aids are available for in-store purchase at Best Buy and Health Mart, as well as regional locations like Boscov’s in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and Kinney Drugs in New York.

Lucid Hearing Customer Support

Lucid Hearing makes it easy to decide whether OTC hearing aids are right for you. You can take a simple hearing assessment through the website or call 833-464-3219 to schedule a free hearing evaluation at a nearby Sam’s Club Hearing Aid Centers or other clinic partner.

If you choose to purchase a hearing aid from Lucid Hearing, you can visit your local clinic partner for free cleanings and adjustments throughout the product’s lifetime.

Lucid Hearing’s customer support specialists can be reached via email, phone, or online chat Monday through Friday.

Get Lucid Hearing at LucidHearing.com.

Not many OTC hearing aids currently include Bluetooth streaming. While some provide the ability to pair your hearing aids with an app for adjustments, streaming calls or music requires additional Bluetooth capability. Out of the five hearing aids Audicus offers, four models have this technology, making it our choice for the best Bluetooth OTC hearing aid.

Audicus Bluetooth Hearing Aid Options

Audicus makes four receiver-in-canal hearing aids that all come with the following features:

• Bluetooth streaming capability
• Either disposable or rechargeable batteries (the rechargeable option for each model costs $200 more per pair)
• Automatic adaptation to your listening environment
• Adjustments using the app, a remote control, or the buttons on the hearing aid

But there are also differences among the four Bluetooth-enabled RIC models.

The Spirit line of hearing aids comes in two models: Spirit 1 and Spirit 2. Ranging in price from $1,398 to $1,998, both devices are suitable for moderate-to-severe hearing loss, offer rechargeable or disposable batteries, have two directional microphones for speech detection, telecoil upon request, and provide default adjustment to sound environments. However, the Spirit 2 has 16 channels and six listening environments to the Spirit 1’s 14 channels and four listening environments. Plus, the Spirit 2 is 10 percent smaller, offers Bluetooth connectivity to two devices with seamless tap control, has a larger memory with faster scanning and sound processing, and offers enhanced clarity.

Omni is the top-tier series, and also comes in Omni 1 and Omni 2 models. Omni ranges in price from $2,398 to $2,998 and offers enhanced clarity, as well as Speed Finder technology. Like Spirit, Omni has either rechargeable or disposable batteries, two directional microphones, and auto adaptation to sound environments. However, Omni offers even more channels (Omni 1 has 16, while Omni 2 has 20), and has six listening environments. Like Spirit 2, Omni 2 offers dual-device Bluetooth connectivity, a 10 percent decrease in size, more memory and quicker sound environment scanning, and more advanced sound technology — compared with Omni 1.

Finally, Audicus Mini costs $2,498 per pair. Though it doesn’t have Bluetooth capabilities, it is the only completely-in-canal model offered by the company, which could be a good option for people who prefer a discreet hearing aid.

A unique service from Audicus is in-person support at partner clinics across the United States. While there are still few locations, the company is gradually increasing the number of sites to help Audicus customers get ongoing help with their hearing aids.

Payment Options

In addition to financing through Care Credit, with 0 percent financing for up to 12 months, Audicus offers a payment plan through Allegro on the Spirit and Omni models.

Like Lexie, Audicus has a subscription plan for people who want to lease hearing aids rather than buy them outright. However, the program, Audicus Premier, is only available for rechargeable Series 2 hearing aid models (Spirit 2 and Omni 2). To opt in, you must pay a one-time $249 setup fee, followed by a monthly fee ($99 for Spirit 2 and $149 for Omni 2), but you can cancel the subscription at any time. In return, you’ll receive unlimited support, supplies, maintenance cleanings, and protection against loss or damage, along with new hearing aids every 18 months.

For more information, read our Audicus hearing aids review.