If you are experiencing mild-to-moderate hearing loss, the over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid market has expanded since the FDA opened the category in 2022. This allows you to purchase hearing aids at physical and online retailers without first consulting a specialist. These new OTC hearing aids are cost-effective, come in a wider variety of designs, and help with mild to moderate hearing loss, among other benefits. With an increasing number of players in the market, finding the right hearing aid can be challenging.
Here are some of the best OTC hearing aids currently available, including hybrid models (for music listening), high-end variations, and more. Most importantly, we include why they are worth considering.
Hearing aids should be heard but not seen. The Sony CRE-C10 OTC hearing aids are sleek, discreet, and virtually invisible when worn. They’re easy to set up and personalize and offer prescription-grade audio quality. The volume will auto-adjust to your surroundings to give you the best possible hearing experience, whether it’s quiet or noisy. The CRE-C10 OTC hearing aids are FDA-cleared medical devices.
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Jabra Enhance Plus
Best OTC hearing aids for most people
Pros
- Very small size
- Comfortable
- Rechargeable
- Good battery life
- Clear audio quality
- Bluetooth-enabled
Cons
- Only work with select iPhones
- Can cause the occlusion effect
- Won’t last all day
- Only available through audiologists
Jabra’s Enhance Plus hearing aids offer a variety of extra features and new design options, including music playback and making calls via Bluetooth. It uses four dedicated microphones to reduce background noise and enhance speech. The water-resistant feature makes it suitable for outdoor or workout use. The Jabra Enhance app allows easy control and personalization of the settings. While it is relatively expensive for earbuds, it is considered more affordable for OTC hearing aids and offers great value for its features.
