
Your audiogram says mild hearing loss. Do you need hearing aids now, or can you wait? Here is what mild really means and why acting early usually pays off.

For most of hearing aid history, getting fitted meant sitting in a clinic while an audiologist ran tests and programmed your devices on specialized equipment. Self-fitting hearing aids move that entire process onto your phone. You take a hearing test in an app, the software calculates your prescription, and the hearing aids program themselves, all…

Walk through any pharmacy or scroll through online marketplaces and you will see small ear-worn devices promising better hearing for $30, $50, or $100. Some are labeled hearing aids. Others say “personal sound amplifier” or “hearing amplifier.” They look nearly identical, and the marketing often sounds identical too. But under the hood, legally and technically,…

Ever since Apple added an FDA-authorized Hearing Aid feature to the AirPods Pro 2, one question keeps coming up: can a pair of earbuds actually replace real hearing aids? It is a fair question, because the price difference is dramatic and the convenience is tempting. But earbuds and hearing aids are designed for fundamentally different…

When Apple announced that the AirPods Pro 2 could function as hearing aids, plenty of people assumed it was marketing spin. It was not. In September 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted authorization for Apple’s Hearing Aid feature, making the AirPods Pro 2 the first FDA-authorized over-the-counter hearing aid software device. That is…

MDHearing has been selling affordable hearing aids online since long before OTC hearing aids were a regulatory category. The Chicago-based company built its reputation on a simple idea: cut out the clinic markup, sell direct, and support customers by phone and video instead of in person. With the VOLT 4 now listed at $397 a…

Important Update (October 2026): Lexie’s parent company, LXE Hearing, entered an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors on July 15, 2026 and began winding down its U.S. operations. The Lexie app was discontinued after October 8, 2026, and customer support ended October 22, 2026. We do not recommend purchasing Lexie products at this time. When…

Model Update (October 2026): Jabra Enhance launched its M Series in August 2026 (Select M1 $1,195 / M2 $1,695 / M3 $1,995). The Select 300 reviewed here is being phased out in favor of the Select M2 at the same $1,695 price. The core review below remains valid, as the M2 is its direct successor.…

Here is some genuinely good news in the world of hearing aid prices: the money you have already set aside in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) can be used to buy hearing aids. Prescription models, over-the-counter models, batteries, repairs, the whole lot. The IRS treats hearing aids as a qualified…

Important Update (October 2026): Eargo’s parent company, LXE Hearing, entered an Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors on July 15, 2026 and began winding down its U.S. operations. Eargo hearing aids are no longer available for purchase. Customer support and warranty claims were only guaranteed through September 15, 2026, and the Eargo app was removed…