Hearing loss can negatively impact a person’s quality of life in many different ways. It makes communicating with people extremely challenging, leading to issues like social isolation, loneliness, depression, speech delays in children and missed educational and job opportunities.
In the UK alone, 18 million people are hearing impaired, according to new research from the universities of Manchester and Nottingham. Hearing impairments range from extreme to moderate, and while someone can be born deaf or hearing impaired, many people develop hearing difficulties later in age due to a lifetime of working in noisy environments.
While having a hearing impairment makes everyday life very hard for people of all ages, investing in a high-quality hearing aid can alleviate this. Every hearing aid comprises a microphone, amplifier and speaker, which pick up sound, process it into electrical signals and send it to the ear.
In addition to sporting this basic three-part system, hearing aids come in different fits and styles to suit all user needs. According to the NHS, the most common type is the behind-the-ear hearing aid. But you can also get models that fit inside the ear, providing more discretion.
In recent years, hearing aids have significantly advanced. Many of the best hearing aids now sport Bluetooth so that they can be connected to smartphones, with mobile apps allowing users to control and customise their hearing aids. A Bluetooth connection also effectively turns hearing aids into mini streaming devices, allowing hearing-impaired users to enjoy TV shows, movies and music just like anyone else.
Some of the latest hearing aids also sport artificial intelligence features, waterproof designs, portable charging cases, ample colour choices and more. Wearing a hearing aid will not only help people hear better and access many other advanced features - research even shows it can also increase life expectancy.
With the price of hearing aids ranging from hundreds to thousands of pounds, it’s a hefty investment that must be carefully considered. With that in mind, we’ve rounded up a range of hearing aids that cater to everyone’s needs, styles and budgets.
Choosing the right hearing aid
When it comes to finding the most suitable hearing aid, Dr Rony Ganguly — doctor of audiology and managing director of Pindrop Hearing — recommends booking a consultation with a qualified hearing specialist. He says: “They can accurately diagnose your hearing issues and recommend the best hearing aid for your needs.”
Ganguly also warns people to remain wary of unregulated websites and facilities that sell “cheap, over-the-counter hearing aids”. He explains: “These often lack proper quality control, aftercare, and effective measures to ensure they work as intended.”
Farah Kiani, a clinical audiologist for Hidden Hearing, says the design of the hearing aid is another important consideration. “You might want something that sits entirely in the ear canal, almost out of sight,” she says. “Or you could be happy with an aid that rests behind your ear with a thin wire or tube connecting it to a small earpiece that goes inside your ear.”
Best hearing aids at a glance:
- Best overall: Oticon Intent - £1,995, Hearing Aid
- Best for fitness lovers: Starkey Genesis AI 24 - £1,895, Hearing Aid
- Best for the avid traveller: Signia Silk 7IX Charge&Go - £1,190, Hearing Direct
- Best for TV lovers: Oticon Own - £795, Hearing Aid
- Best for discretion: Phonak Lyric - £150 per month per ear, Pindrop Hearing
- Best for challenging sound environments: Phonak Audeo Lumity - £2,140, Wholesale Hearing
- Best for comfort: Phonak Slim - £3,595, Boots Hearingcare
- Best for people with mild hearing losses: Widex SmartRIC 440 - £1,895, Hearing Aid
- Best for a hearing aid with lots of fits: Widex Moment 440 - £1,795, Hearing Aid
- Best for an honourable mention: Signia Insio 7IX - £1,795, Hearing Aid
Oticon Intent
Best: overall
The Ociton Intent is one of the latest Receiver in Canal (RIC) hearing aids available on the market, boasting a range of high-tech features. Namely, it offers 4D sensor technology that can adapt the hearing aid to the sounds around you and cut through the noise by understanding your head and body movements.
Because the Oction Intent provides up to 20 hours of battery life, you don’t need to worry about your hearing aid suddenly running out halfway through a busy day. It also charges quickly, with the Intent getting 8 hours of juice from a 30-minute charge.
Other great features include a sleek design with multiple colours, touch control for controlling phone calls, a pulsing LED status light, a companion mobile app offering many customisation options, Bluetooth Low Energy technology for streaming and more. Kim Bradshaw of Hearing Aid UK says the Octicon Intent is well-suited to those who “prefer to hear more of the surrounding sounds rather than just focusing on speech”.
Buy now £1995.00, Hearing Aid
Starkey Genesis AI 24
Best for: fitness lovers
The Starkey Genesis AI 24 is another Receiver in Canal (RIC) hearing aid that delivers superb sound quality and noise reduction thanks to Neuro Sound technology. By mirroring a healthy auditory system, this nifty feature will help your ears pick up softer sounds and more explicit speech. It also makes listening to other people less tiring.
Another area where the Genesis AI 24 excels is battery life, with a single charge providing a whopping 51 hours of battery life. As a so-called healthable, the Genesis AI 24 functions as both a hearing aid and a fitness tracker. You can track your activity, as well personalise the hearing aid and access a live translation feature, using the mobile app.
In terms of other features, the Genesis AI 24 offers 24 programming channels, 35dB wind noise reduction, 22 dB speech in noise reduction, a personal assistant, transcription, hands-free calling on iPhone, a lightweight and modern design, and more. Kim Bradshaw of Hearing Aid UK recommends this as an excellent option for “tech-savvy” users.
Buy now £1895.00, Hearing Aid
Signia Silk 7IX Charge&Go
Best for: the avid traveller
If you’re looking for a premium and almost invisible hearing aid, look no further than the Signia Silk 7IX Charge&Go. This Completely in the Canal (CIC) hearing aid sports Binaural OneMic Directionality, allowing you to hear voices even in a noisy environment. It meticulously analyses, augments and adjusts sounds so you never miss out on a conversation.
Available in black and mocha, it comes in four sizes to suit all ears and hearing needs. The 7IX Charge&Go is rechargeable and is supplied with a portable power bank, which will be handy when you need to recharge your hearing aid while out and about. According to Hearing Aid UK’s Kim Bradshaw, the Silk 7IX Charge&Go is perfect for anyone who travels and socialises a lot.
Buy now £1190.00, Hearing Direct
Oticon Own
Best for: TV lovers
Oticon also offers a discreet and customised hearing aid in the form of Own. Perfectly moulded for the user’s ear, the Oticon Own is designed to be invisible in the ear and, to reflect that, comes in a range of natural colours. As well as looking great, it also delivers an enhanced sound experience using artificial intelligence technology.
By training the Own on 12 million real-life sound scenes, Oticon has created a powerful and highly versatile hearing aid that picks up all manner of sounds you may encounter daily. If you’re an iPhone or iPad user, you can enjoy hands-free phone and video calls using the Oticon Own. It also works with Android devices that support Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA).
You can even use the Oticon Own to stream shows and films on your TV using a special adapter. Farah Kiani, Hidden Hearing, describes the Oticon Own as her “top choice” for people looking for a discreet hearing aid.
Buy now £795.00, Hearing Aid
Phonak Lyric
Best for: discretion
The Phonak Lyric is an invisible hearing aid that you can wear right around the clock for weeks and months. Unlike most hearing aids that pick up and augment outside sounds, Lyric takes a more natural approach by drawing on your ear’s anatomy for listening amplification. It sits inside your ear canal, close to the eardrum, and therefore isn’t visible to the eye.
You can get the Phonak Lyric in seven sizes, ranging from XXS to XXL, and it doesn’t require batteries or recharging. When an existing Phonak Lyric hearing aid reaches the end of its life, a specialist can install a replacement in just ten minutes. Dr. Rony Ganguly, doctor of audiology and managing director of Pindrop Hearing, describes the Lyric as a first-of-its-kind hearing aid.
Buy now £150.00, Pindrop Hearing
Phonak Audeo Lumity
Best for: challenging sound environments
For anyone who needs a hearing aid that can handle the most arduous of sound environments, it’s worth checking out the Phonak Audeo Lumity. Phonak has trained this receiver-in-canal hearing aid using artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to allow it to detect and adapt to any type of sound. Two of its more advanced features include StereoZoom 2, which essentially adjusts listening focus based on how noisy an environment is, and SpeechSensor, an algorithm for identifying the direction of primary sound sources.
Should you spend a lot of time outdoors, you’ll be happy to learn that the Audeo Lumity is waterproof and sweatproof. It also has a health tracking feature and comes in a wide variety of colours, ranging from beige to pink. Dr. Rony Ganguly of Pindrop Hearing notes that Phonak devices like Audéo Lumity excel in sound quality and feedback cancellation.
Buy now £2140.00, Wholesale Hearing
Phonak Slim
Best for: comfort
The Phonak Slim is a modern, comfortable and innovative hearing aid that deserves consideration. It boasts a striking ergonomic design that will sit comfortably behind the year, and wearing glasses will not interfere with this. But the Phonak Slim isn’t just pleasing to the eye; it’s also a high-tech piece of kit, with features like SmartSpeech providing an unparalleled sound experience.
Thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, you can use Phonak Slim with smartphones and other devices – including Roger microphones. What’s more, the Phonak Slim is rechargeable and can be used with a portable charging case. Steve Sordy, from Lincolnshire, uses the Phonak Slim and loves “not having to ask people to repeat things all the time”.
Buy now £3595.00, Boots
Widex SmartRIC 440
Best for: people with mild hearing losses
The SmartRIC 440 is one of the latest releases from Widex, having launched in April 2024. Its top features include a new L-shaped Receiver in Canal design with better microphone angling, microphone covers to prevent wind and noise interference, longer battery life, a portable charger that provides a week of wireless charging, a speech enhancer and a mobile app.
You can get this hearing aid in five colours, including tech black, dark cherry, honey blonde, silver grey and rose gold. Dr. Rony Ganguly of Pindrop Hearing says the new Widex RIC hearing aids are “a good fit for patients with milder hearing losses” as they are “very sensitive to soft sounds”.
Buy now £1895.00, Hearing Aid
Widex Moment 440
Best for: a hearing aid with lots of fits
The Moment 440 is another excellent hearing aid from Widex, with several fits available. Equipped with 2.4 GHz Bluetooth connectivity, it can be used for streaming media on iOS devices and Widex TV Play. Thanks to an innovative water-resistant nano-coating, this hearing aid is moisture-repellent. Meanwhile, Widex’s PureSound technology will ensure you enjoy natural, non-delayed listening experiences. There’s also a nifty mobile app with lots of extra features.
Buy now £1795.00, Hearing Aid
Signia Insio 7IX
Best for: an honourable mention
The Signia Insio 7IX caters to people with mild to moderate hearing impairments and is available in either an Invisible-in-the-Canal (IIC) or Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC) model. Thanks to Signia’s RealTime Conversation Enhancement technology, you'll never miss critical details in a conversation while wearing this hearing aid.
There’s also technology to prevent background noises from disrupting your hearing. Designed to fit comfortably in the ear, these hearing aids come in three colours: mocha, black, and deep brown.
Buy now £1795.00, Hearing Aid
Verdict
The Oticon Intent is our hearing aid of choice because it’s packed with high-tech sound features, long battery life and a sleek design in various colours. But we’re also impressed with the innovative approach taken by the Phonak with the Lyric, which looks like no other hearing aid and provides ultimate discretion.
