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The five best hearing aids in 2024
Hearing aids can be vital for your wellbeing if you suffer from hearing loss of any severity.
You should always consult with your audiologist before making a purchase, whether you’re picking out your first pair of hearing aids or investing in something newer and better than your current pair. But if you want some help sorting through hearing-aid brands to find the best of the best in 2024, we have you covered.
If you’re suffering from mild to profound hearing loss, you deserve a hearing aid that works for you, not against you. That means no medical devices with subpar sound amplification or poor usability. We put in the work to weed out the hearing aids that aren’t worth it and shine a spotlight on the ones that are.
Learn more about the best hearing aids of 2024, plus the types available and what makes each of them different.
What are the best hearing aids in 2024?
Looking at both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, we considered factors like fit and design, sound technology, and affordability to find the absolute best hearing aids for you.
- Best overall OTC hearing aids: Jabra
- Best for moderate to severe hearing loss: Phonak
- Best Fit: Eargo
- Best sound quality: Sony
- Most budget-friendly: MDHearing
Browse the best hearing aids from trusted brands like Phonak, Eargo, and Sony.
Prices listed for prescription hearing aids are calculated based on data from trusted healthcare providers and customer accounts. What you see here and what your audiologist or primary care provider quotes may be different, thanks to charges like professional fitting and programming services.
Best OTC hearing aids overall: Jabra Enhance Plus
Jabra
Until recently, hearing aids required a prescription from an audiologist or hearing specialist. This meant working with your healthcare providers to schedule a hearing test and, in most states, buying from a licensed seller. Since OTC hearing aids were approved by the FDA in 2022, brands like Jabra have stepped up to the plate with direct-to-consumer devices like the Jabra Enhance Plus.
The first OTC hearing aid from Jabra, the Enhance Plus is a tiny device that could pass for a pair of wireless earbuds at first glance. This design offers a sleek, almost invisible look that won’t stand out. The best features for this hearing aid include a long battery life (10-plus hours per charge), great speech amplification, and a lower price point than most prescription hearing aids.
Prices start at $799 for the Jabra Enhance Plus hearing aids.
Pros:
- Easy set-up and maintenance using the Jabra Enhance app
- Great battery life
- Nice balance of affordability and accessibility, making these our pick for best OTC hearing aids
Cons:
- Jabra mobile app is currently only available for iOS
- Sound quality and background noise cancellation features could be better
Best for moderate to severe hearing loss: Phonak Audéo Lumity
Phonak
If you’re interested in the latest hearing aid designs, we recommend the newest flagship hearing aid from Phonak, the Audéo Lumity. This hearing aid has several new and impressive features over the previous Phonak release (the Audéo Paradise) such as improved speech-focused tech — StereoZoom for front-facing conversations and SpeechSensor for improved hearing from the sides and back.
This hearing aid also offers Bluetooth connectivity for both iOS and Android devices and fitness-tracking features like step counts (via the MyPhonak mobile app). As a prescription hearing aid, the Phonak Lumity is available in four technology tiers, with more functionalities (and a higher price) tied to higher ones. These include L30 (essential), L50 (standard), L70 (advanced), and L90 (premium).
Prices start at around $1,800 for the lowest tier, the Lumity L30 hearing aid.
Pros:
- High-quality sound amplification from a trusted hearing aid brand
- Multiple tech tiers can make it easy to find the right device for your needs (and your budget)
- Mobile app compatibility with iOS and Android devices
Cons:
- MyPhonak app has conflicting reviews about user friendliness
- Choosing the right tech tier can be overwhelming — consult with your audiologist to find the right fit for you
Best fit: Eargo 7
Eargo
The latest OTC hearing aid from Eargo, the Eargo 7 fits snugly in the ear canal. This model builds upon previous Eargo devices with a sleek, nondescript design and tech improvements regarding audio processing, filtering, and noise reduction features.
The sound design of the Eargo 7 is high quality and beats out previous designs by the hearing aid brand. But the standout feature here is the device’s comfortable fit: These hearing aids stay in place thanks to small, interlocking “petals” that keep everything in place.
With prices starting at $2,650, these are some of the most expensive hearing aids on our list, but the fit is more than worth it.
Pros:
- Snug and discreet design makes for an easy in-ear fit
- Exceptional battery life (15+ hours per charge)
- Great sound quality for OTC hearing aids
Cons:
- Expensive for OTC hearing aids
- Unique design can make routine cleaning a hassle
Best sound quality: Sony CRE-E10
Sony
Another OTC hearing-aid favorite, the Sony CRE-E10 device excels at crisp sound quality, whether you’re listening to music, nearby conversations or nothing more than the ambient sounds of everyday life. This hearing aid offers speech enhancement and feedback reduction at a quality to rival many prescription hearing aids.
If you want a premium hearing aid that you can fit yourself, with perks like Bluetooth connectivity and an exceptional battery life, this is the hearing aid for you. One caveat: You will have to deal with a price tag closer to prescription hearing aids versus your average OTC device, as the CRE-E10 is normally available for $1,299.
The good news is that this hearing aid is currently on sale for around $1,100 — this applies whether you shop from Sony or Amazon below.
Pros:
- Exceptional sound quality for OTC hearing aids
- With a battery life clocking in at more than 25 hours per charge according to Sony, these hearing aids are the longest-lasting devices on this list
Cons:
- Higher price than most OTC hearing aids
- Although there are automatic adjustments that kick in based on your environment, there are no touch controls or physical buttons — all adjustments can be made via a mobile app, which can take some getting used to
Most budget-friendly: MDHearing AIR
MDHearing
The most affordable device on our list is the latest behind-the-ear hearing aid design by MDHearing. The MDHearing AIR offers solid noise reduction and quality comfort. The inviting price point and limited tech make this OTC hearing aid great for anyone looking to try out their first pair of hearing aids.
Get a feel for this comfortable behind-the-ear hearing aid for just $297 a pair today, available from MDHearing.
Pros:
- Super affordable and easy to use
- Excellent customer support according to customer reviews
- Free shipping, free lifetime support, a one-year warranty, and a 45-day risk-free trial make this one of the best and safest purchases you can make when shopping for new hearing aids
Cons:
- Limited tech capabilities compared with other, more expensive devices
Different hearing aid styles to choose from
There are smaller devices that fit entirely in the ear canal for a less noticeable look, while bulkier hearing aids have parts that sit comfortably behind and around the ear. The most common styles you’ll come across include:
- Behind-the-ear (BTE): BTE hearing aids loop over the top of the ear, with most of the electronics in a plastic case behind it. With the largest design, these provide optimal sound amplification over other models.
- Receiver-in-the-canal (RIC): RIC hearing aids (as well as the smaller receiver-in-the-ear, or RITE, devices) are similar to a BTE in design, but with a connecting wire in place of the BTE’s earmold. This gives the ear canal more room and results in a more comfortable fit.
- In-the-ear (ITE): ITE hearing aids are custom-made to sit entirely in the outer ear. These devices have a longer battery life and usually come with more features, such as volume control, than smaller models.
- Completely-in-the-canal (CIC): CIC hearing aids have the smallest design, with a custom-built shell that fits in the ear canal. These are the least noticeable, but don’t offer many features or the most powerful sound amplification.
- Open fit: A variation of a BTE, an open-fit hearing aid has an over-the-ear design with an open dome in the canal instead of a tube or mold. This keeps the ear canal open for natural sound to enter the ear as well – ideal for mild to moderate hearing loss.
How we chose the best hearing aids of 2024
For a closer look at how we rate products, here is what we prioritized while putting together our list of the best hearing aids you can buy today:
- Sound technology: We looked for important features like background noise cancellation and speech amplification.
- Affordability: We looked at both prescription hearing aids and the more budget-friendly OTC devices to make sure we highlight high quality hearing aids of all price points.
- Customer reviews: All of our hearing devices hold a four-star review or higher from happy customers just like you.
- Comfortability: We paid attention to the design, shape, and fit of each hearing aid to ensure only the most comfortable hearing aids made the list.
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Israel accused of killing journalists in Lebanon strike and children as troops storm Gaza hospital
Tel Aviv — An Israeli airstrike killed three journalists Friday in southern Lebanon, in a compound that was known to be housing more than a dozen journalists from several organizations, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati called the attack deliberate and “war crimes committed by the Israeli enemy.”
The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately comment on the strike, but later said it was looking into it.
The three journalists were identified as two camera operators and one engineer who worked for media companies linked to Iran and the Lebanese group it backs, Hezbollah, which Israel has been in an escalating war with for a year. Hezbollah has long been designated a terrorist group by the U.S., Israel and many other nations.
The pre-dawn strike about five miles inside the Lebanese border obliterated a building and destroyed at least one vehicle labeled “PRESS.”
Ramiz Dallah/Anadolu/Getty
The Associated Press and other agencies said no warning had been issued before the strike on the guesthouse where the journalists had been sleeping.
The IDF reported five casualties of its own in southern Lebanon on Thursday, saying that Hezbollah militants came out of a tunnel shaft and began lobbing grenades, prompting Israeli soldiers to return fire.
The IDF says 22 of its soldiers have been killed in action in southern Lebanon since Israel launched ground operations there at the beginning of October.
Amir Levy/Getty
Israel’s military has also pressed on and ramped up its offensive against Hezbollah’s Hamas allies in the Gaza Strip since the killing of the group’s leader Yahya Sinwar earlier this month. IDF strikes killed at least 38 people in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, health officials in the Hamas-ruled Palestinian territory said Friday, with at least 14 children reportedly among the dead.
In the north of the enclave, Israeli forces stormed the last operational hospital in the area, the Kamal Adwan Hospital, after two other neighboring facilities went out of service in recent days. The hospital is in Beit Lahia, northwest of Jabalia, which has been a major focus of IDF operations in recent weeks.
Health workers said IDF troops entered the hospital in the middle of the night, soon after a World Health Organization delegation left the facility.
AFP/Getty
In a statement, the IDF said forces were operating in the area of the hospital “based on intelligence information regarding the presence of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure in the area,” and that they had “eliminated hundreds of terrorists” there. The IDF said it had evacuated about 45,000 Palestinian civilians before the operation.
Three Israeli soldiers were killed in the operations in northern Gaza, the IDF said Friday.
Amid the ongoing fighting in Lebanon and Gaza, U.S. Secretary of State Antonly Blinken was back in the region this week pushing for a peace agreement.
After his 11th visit to the Middle East in a year, Blinken was in London on Friday, where he was meeting his counterparts from Jordan and Qatar, along with Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister.
After his discussion with Jordan’s foreign minister, the State Department issued a statement saying Blinken had, “underscored the importance of bringing the war in Gaza to an end, securing the release of all hostages, and alleviating the suffering of the Palestinian people.”
On Lebanon, Blinken told Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadiin that the U.S. remained committed to working with its regional partners “to establish lasting stability” by seeking a diplomatic resolution to the Israel-Hezbollah conflict based on an existing United Nations resolution.
Blinken has said that Israel cannot leave its troops in Lebanon for an extended period of time, and that the IDF has to do more to avoid harming civilians, Lebanon’s military forces and U.N. peacekeepers based in the south of the country.
Israel confirmed Thursday that it would send its spy chief David Barnea to Qatar on Sunday for another round of talks with U.S. and regional officials aimed at hammering out a cease-fire agreement. CIA Director Bill Burns is also expected to join the meetings, along with the prime minister of Qatar, which has served as one of the mediating countries over the past year.
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