If you survey hearing aid wearers a year after they purchase devices, more than 80% are happy they took the plunge. There's little doubt that hearing aids are one of the most meaningful health investments you can make.
My hearing aids impact my social engagement, mental sharpness, and confidence in challenging listening environments.
Hearing aids also give me sticker shock.
Fortunately for me (and probably you), there are several legitimate ways to get a deal on quality hearing aids. Keep scrolling for discounts on prescription hearing aids along with some newer options like Telehealth and over-the-counter devices.
First, a little background.
Hearing aid pricing is elusive. That's because each local practice sets its price and markup independently. The system is similar to car dealerships which purchase from the manufacturer and manage the final price.
This is where most deal seekers get stuck. Without good information it's hard to figure out if you are getting a deal or paying top-dollar.
The national average for a pair of prescription hearing aids is around $5,500, but there are many variables, including form factor, technology level and follow up care packages.
Get Local Hearing Aid Discounts and Deals
If you aren't excited about OTC or Telehealth, you still have some deal-seeking options.
As discussed above, most local clinics set their own prices, making it difficult to find out what anyone is charging until halfway through your appointment. Yes Hearing and ZipHearing offer a way around this problem.
Both companies represent a large group of clinics or professionals across the country and work with that group to set fair, pre-negotiated prices. That's great for anyone looking for hearing aid deals because you can compare prices and plan your budget before you walk into the office. Typically Yes Hearing and ZipHearing come in around 30% below local clinic pricing due to their negotiating power.
The drawback: You'll need to work with one of Yes Hearing or ZipHearing's existing providers (both groups allow you to switch individuals if needed).
You can use this tool to compare local deals by brand.
Discount Pricing for Top Hearing Aid Brands
Below you will find an up-to-date list of discount prices for several top prescription hearing aid brands like Phonak, Starkey, ReSound, Signia and Oticon. You explore prices for all brands and technology levels on the "compare" section of this site.
ReSound unveiled NEXIA in October 2023. If you’ve read our past reviews, you might know that ReSound is a regular innovator in the hearing category.
The brand was the first to partner with Apple for Bluetooth streaming back in 2013. In 2022, ReSound released an impressive algorithm update with improved beam-forming tech that boasted a 150% improvement in background noise.
ReSound is also the only manufacturer that places a microphone inside the ear to use the natural shape of the pinna to sort out background noise. Those popular features will remain with ReSound NEXIA with some exciting additions.
The first is a visible reduction in size. Impressively, NEXIA maintains a 30-hour battery life while cutting 25% off the overall size—big thumbs up from us.
The second big announcement is that NEXIA has an updated Bluetooth capability that allows Auracast streaming in public places. If you aren’t familiar with Auracast, check out our guide to the topic here.
ReSound is among the best in the industry at separating speech and noise in a background situation. Our lead audiologist recently put NEXIA in a test box and found the hearing aids could consistently provide up to 8-10 dB of background noise reduction.
ReSound NEXIA is on most of our shortlists for the best premium, receiver-in-canal hearing aids on the market.
- Overall notes: ReSound NEXIA is an all around excellent product with an innovative approach to microphones and one of the smallest form factors in the industry. ReSound NEXIA has strong Bluetooth connection that now boasts Auracast compatibility.
- Price: The national average price for ReSound NEXIA is $7,410 per pair. In our price research we've found some national providers with prices as low as $3,198/pair. Click here for more on prices.
- Features: Rechargeable, Bluetooth with hands-free calling for iPhone and iPad, Small behind the ear style
- What audiologists say: “ReSound offers elegant design and good (if not elite) sound quality. These hearing aids are high quality and reliable.” - Garrett Thompson, AuD
Great for background noise management
Auracast compatible
Small form factor and an optional 3rd microphone in the ear
More expensive compared to direct to consumer and OTC options
NEXIA's in-ear M&RIE microphone is a bit larger and can be uncomfortable for some
Phonak Lumity hearing aids are new in August 2022 and replace the world's most popular hearing aid (Audéo Paradise).
Lumity get’s top marks from audiologists for stable Bluetooth connection, precise customization and impressive accessories like the Phonak Roger Pen.
Think of this hearing aid as the Mercedes level. High-end, built by the world's largest hearing company and packed with all the tech you could want.
- Overall Notes: Audéo Lumity is the #1 hearing aid on the market by sales volume. It offers best-in-class Bluetooth streaming, powerful sound algorithms, remote care, and an innovative ear vent. If you can swing the cost for this premium device, chances are that you'll be very happy.
- Price: The national average price for Phonak Lumity is $6,213 per pair. In my price research I found two larger providers who offer lower prices starting at $3,195/pair. Click here for more on prices.
- Features: Rechargeable, Bluetooth and hands-free calling, behind the ear style, motion sensors
- What audiologists say: “Our patients say that the sound is clear and crisp, while maintaining natural sound quality. Patients also love the unique ability to pair with almost any cell phone and take calls hands-free.” - Garrett Thompson, AuD
Top of the line customization, Bluetooth connection and rechargeable batteries
Enhanced background noise reduction
Highly water-resistant option available for active lifestyles
Audeo Lumity is a premium product with an average price of $3,198 - $7,000 per pair
Phonak manages sound quality in a way that can lead to a "closed off" feeling compared to Oticon or ReSound's more open sound quality
Starkey released a brand new family of hearing aids in late February of 2023. Starkey Genesis AI replaces Starkey's Evolv AI lineup which was intruduced just a year earlier. Genesis is re-built from the ground up with some mind-blowing features like live translation and fitness tracking.
Genesis boasts the longest-lasting rechargeable battery on the market, with up to 51 hours on a single charge. Most people are fine with 20 hours, but this extra battery life could mean a weekend camping trip without a charge.
- Overall Notes: Starkey Genesis AI has more tech features than any other brand of hearing aid. If you can afford the premium price and lead an active lifestyle, this product is a great choice.
- Price: The national average price for Starkey Genesis is $7,350 per pair. I found some national providers with prices as low as $3,598/pair. Click here for more on prices.
Features: Full range of styles and features including Bluetooth, rechargeability, and fitness tracking. - What audiologists say: “Starkey Genesis AI is a solid receiver-in-canal hearing aid option. It is jam-packed with technology; any techy or tinkerer would love it." - Garrett Thompson, AuD
Great features like AI
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Starkey Genesis AI Custom
Starkey Genesis AI Custom
Starkey is a U.S.-based manufacturer with a full line of hearing aids that includes behind the ear and in-the-ear styles. They make the list for their elite status in custom molded (nearly invisible products). If you can afford to pay medical-grade prices and want an invisible style, you won’t be disappointed by Starkey.
Starkey is known for intelligent features like fitness tracking, a virtual assistant, and the smallest Bluetooth hearing aid on the market.
- Overall Notes: Starkey Genesis AI is broadly considered the best for custom mold hearing aids. If you want a custom mold, and lead an active lifestyle, this product is a great choice.
- Price: The national average price for Starkey Genesis Custom hearing aids is $6,443 per pair. Our research indicates that you can get Starkey Custom devices for as low as $3,198 for a pair. Click here for more on prices.
- Features: Full range of styles and features including Bluetooth, rechargeability, and fitness tracking for larger devices.
- What audiologists say: “Starkey has been making the smallest and best custom hearing aids for decades. Genesis AI is currently the smallest custom device on the market with Bluetooth streaming capabilities.” - Ramsay Poindexter, AuD
Smallest models are almost entirely invisible
Starkey is a leader in comfortable custom molded products
Larger sizes come with Bluetooth streaming and rechargeable batteries
This is a premium device which costs $3,000-$7,000 per pair
Custom molds require additional lead time and replacement time
The smallest version of Starkey Genesis AI customs are not Bluetooth enabled or rechargeable
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Oticon is the second most popular hearing aid brand (after Phonak). The brand has built a fanbase around its “open” sound philosophy by using advanced methods to support natural sound. Their newest device, the Oticon Intent, goes a step further, offering open sound quality customized to the user’s intent.
The newly designed devices continuously adapt based on four built-in sensors. Together, the brand calls this MoreSound Intelligence 3.0.
- Conversation sensors: Search your soundscape for speech sounds.
- Head sensors: Track your movement to gather information about where you are focused.
- Body sensors: Track your movement through the room and open the field of sound when you walk
- Acoustic sensors: Analyze background noises, echo and room dimensions
None of these sensors are brand new to the world of hearing aids, but Oticon claims to be the first brand to use all four together in one connected system. Add in Oticon's already impressive Deep Neural Network and you get what might be the smartest hearing aid in the industry.
- Overall notes: Oticon Real is an undisputed leader among top-tier hearing aids. If you are attracted to the idea of hearing more of the sounds around you vs. solely focusing on voices, this product is a great choice.
- Price: The national average price for Oticon Intent is $6,330 per pair. In my price research I found some national providers with prices as low as $2,898/pair. Click here for more on prices.
- Features: Rechargeable, Bluetooth LE Audio, Behind The Ear Style
- What audiologists say: “Oticon is among the best. If you are looking for all-around, top-of-the-line technology, this is an excellent choice.” - Ramsay Poindexter, AuD
Open sound quality that many users prefer
Bluetooth streaming from Android and Apple devices
Offered with both rechargeable and disposable batteries
Oticon Real hearing aids start at $2,898 and can cost as much as $7,000 with walk in care
Oticon Real hearing aids require a visit to an in person audiologist and are not sold online
Signia Pure Charge&Go hearing aids were released in October 2023. They are among the smallest behind-the-ear devices on the market in 2023 and amazingly hold nearly 40 hours per charge (second only to Starkey Genesis AI). Signia is known for limiting background noise by using motion detection to gather information about your surroundings as you move from one space to the next. Their new IX line of devices uses updated beam-forming to track multiple conversations at once. The hearing aids automatically sense when you start walking or sit down and make intelligent decisions about where to focus.
- Overall notes: Signia Charge&Go IX is a hearing aid for someone on the go. It's the smallest, has the most extended battery life, and offers best-in-class motion-based adjustments.
- Price: The national average price for Signia 7IX hearing aids is around $7,400 per pair. We've found some national providers with prices as low as $3,198/pair. Click here for more on prices.
- Features: Rechargeable, Bluetooth, Behind The Ear Style
- What audiologists say: “Signia offers hands-free streaming (for iOS) and connectivity with their app. It is a solid device with impressive specs and design." - Garrett Thompson, AuD
Among the smallest body size on the market
Second longest battery with 40 hours per charge
Fully customizable with premium sound processing
Only sold through local clinics at $3,198 - $7,000 a pair
Does not include a Find My Hearing Aids feature
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Signia Styletto hearing aids have a unique design to the hearing health category. The sleek devices look more like tech products than medical devices and are a favorite among style-seeking customers.
Styletto combines this fashion-forward design with all the features you would expect, like Bluetooth streaming, rechargeability, and clear speech in background noise.
Styletto hearing aids come with an AirPod-like charging case and use motion detection to gather information about your surroundings as you move from one space to the next.
The hearing aids automatically sense when you start walking or sit down and make intelligent decisions about where to focus. Styletto also gets top marks for the Signia Assistant feature in their app.
- Overall Notes: If you are looking for a more fashion forward hearing aid with all the top-of-the-line features, look no further. If you need button controls onboard your device, you may consider another option.
- Price: The national average price for Signia Styletto is $7,400 per pair. We've found some national providers with prices as low as $3,198/pair. Click here for more on prices.
- Features: Full range of styles and features including Bluetooth, rechargeability, and motion detection.
- What audiologists say: “Not your grandfather's hearing aid! The Styletto is a refreshing update to traditional hearing aid design.” - Garrett Thompson, AuD
Sleek product design
Bluetooth streaming enabled
Rechargeable
Slightly less processing power than Signia's traditional design
Signia Styletto is a premium hearing aid that requires professional fitting and costs $3,000-$7,000 per pair
Signia Silk was the hearing aid choice of the late Queen Elizabeth and has been one of the top invisible hearing aids on the market for years. In October 2023, Signia Silk became the market's smallest rechargeable, prescription-programmed hearing aid.
Signia Silk is a tiny, fully customizable hearing aid with a robust set of technologies, including wireless controls via the Signia App, remote programming after your first office visit, and intelligent sound algorithms that sort out background noise.
Signia Silk originally made a name for itself by using what they call Click Sleeves to match the size of your ear canal and make their hearing aids ready to wear. The majority of invisible-style hearing aids require a custom ear imprint. Signia's approach cuts down on prices and wait times.
Now, Signia is back with a complete renovation of their popular Signia Silk. The new Silk Charge&Go IX features a brand-new operating system and, most notably, a rechargeable battery.
- Overall Notes: Signia technology is well regarded by audiologists and hearing aid wearers. Silk isn't the most feature-rich option on the market, but it offers real customization, quality sound, and connection to smartphone volume and program adjustments. Importantly, it is nearly invisible but doesn't require a custom mold and offers rechargeable batteries.
- Price: The national average price for Signia hearing aids is around $4,744 per pair. We've found some national providers with prices as low as $3,198/pair. Click here for more on prices.
- Features: Signia Silk has a few extra features. One is CROS, which is specifically for people with one ear that needs aid and one that does not. This feature allows you to wear a hearing aid in both ears to create a full sound picture. Silk also offers Twin Phone, which is a setting that allows the sound of your phone in one ear to come through in both hearing aids. The Silk IX hearing aids come in simple red and blue colors to make it easy to know which goes in the left and right ear.
- Our Take: If you are on the market for in-the-ear hearing aids and want rechargeable batteries, Signia Silk is in rare company. Eargo (OTC disruptor) is the only other invisible option with rechargeable batteries. Some customers note that custom-molded devices like Starkey Genesis or Oticon Own are a bit more comfortable for all-day wear. Still, those devices require disposable batteries at comparable sizes.
Nearly invisible
Professionally programmed
No custom-mold required
Rechargeable batteries
Premium price point $2,998 - $5,000 for a pair
Requires an in person office visit
No Bluetooth features due to the size
Alternative Options for Budget-Shoppers
Option 1. Purchase Over The Counter
Until late 2022 you had to get a prescription to purchase hearing aids. That all changed with the FDA's new OTC hearing aid ruling.
You can now buy a decent pair of hearing aids online or at a drugstore for $700 - $1,300. I have in-depth reviews of most OTC options on this blog.
Some of my favorites include Bose ($799), Sony ($999), Jabra Enhance Plus ($799), and AirPods Pro 2 (not officially a hearing aid but a good starter).
The drawback to this approach: OTC hearing aids don't have all the latest technology, and they require some tech-savvy to program at home (no doctor involved).
Option 2. Telehealth Care
Jabra Enhance Select and Audicus are two respected companies that sell prescription-level devices with care from a hearing professional all online. The remote care model makes them more efficient, and they pass those savings on to the customer with around 50% lower prices on similar technology.
How it works: Take an online hearing test or submit an existing test, and these Telehealth providers will program and ship hearing aids to your door. Telehealth hearing aids range from $1,000 to $3,000 per pair and come with complementary remote follow-up care.
The drawback: You'll work with a professional through video and phone calls and won't have hands-on support for fittings and ear exams.
My Favorite Telehealth Service
Option 3. Big Box Retail
Hearing aid deal seekers might also check out Sam's Club and Costco for lower hearing aid prices. There are some drawbacks to working with a big box retailer, but many Americans find good value at these big box locations. Costco and Sam’s Club prices range from $1,500 - $2,500 per pair.
Read my full Costco review here and Sam's Club review here.
Final Thoughts
I know from experience that hearing aids are worth the investment. I also know that getting a fair deal is an important part of the process. I hope you've found this guide helpful as you look for a solution that works for you and your budget.
Got some handy hearing aid discount tips? Send me a note at [email protected].
