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Best behind-the-ear, or BTE hearing aids, of 2024
Igor Alecsander via Getty Images
Picking out the right hearing aid for you can be tricky. Whether you’re following an audiologist’s recommendation to browse different prescription and over-the-counter, or OTC hearing aids, or you’re part of the 80% of U.S. adults who need hearing aids but don’t wear them, you may need some hearing aid help this summer.
Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids are one of the most popular types of hearing aids out there today, but there are still plenty of brands and models to choose from.
Below, we highlight the best BTE hearing aids available today. Learn all about the best devices that are worth every penny, as well as everything you need to know — from prices to different hearing aid types — to choose the right hearing aid for you.
Best behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids
Read through our pros, cons and reasons to invest for five of the best BTE hearing aids available today. Whether you’re looking for a high-quality prescription hearing aid or an OTC device you can buy online, we have the top picks for you below.
Prices listed for prescription hearing aids may differ from what you see when discussing hearing aids with your care team. That’s because different factors can affect costs such as charges for a professional fitting and programming services to get you all set up. Our prescription-grade hearing aid prices are calculated based on data from different healthcare providers and customer accounts.
Best overall: Phonak Audéo Lumity
Phonak
The latest flagship hearing aid from Phonak, the Audéo Lumity, comes with several new and impressive features over previous Phonak devices. This includes improved speech-focused technology: StereoZoom for front-facing conversations and SpeechSensor for improved hearing from the sides and back.
This BTE 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 prescription hearing aid: Oticon Real (BTE)
Oticon
Oticon hearing aids are known for putting quality above all else, which is why its BTE model, Oticon Real, made our list. Oticon hearing aids come with some serious tech power, such as the brand’s patented BrainHearing technology, which combines targeted hearing with adaptable background noise cancellation to make it easier than ever to hear and understand the world around you.
Features like Oticon’s BrainHearing and RealSound technology, which provides next-level sound clarity and environmental noise filtration, make this a great pick for anyone that doesn’t want to spend time fine-tuning and adjusting their hearing aid throughout the day.
There are several variations of the Real BTE model to choose from, including the miniBTE T, which relies on disposable batteries, and the rechargeable miniBTE R device.
Pros:
- Robust and adaptable hearing technology means less time spent adjusting your device manually throughout the week.
- Simple design makes for a comfortable fit.
- Great for slight to moderate hearing loss.
Cons:
- Most expensive on our list.
- As a prescription hearing aid, you’ll likely need to talk with your audiologist to find a provider that can get you set up with a professional fitting.
Best for mild to moderate hearing loss: Lexie Lumen OTC
Lexie via Amazon
The Lexie Lumen OTC hearing aid has standout features and a price tag that’s still half what you’d pay for quality prescription hearing aids, making this worth your consideration. While this isn’t the only BTE hearing aid on our list that’s suited to more mild cases of hearing loss, it provides the best balance between features and a price tag that’s much more forgiving than many other hearing aids out there today.
Perfect for mild to moderate hearing loss, the Lexie Lumen OTC hearing aid comes with multiple pre-programmable listening settings that can be matched with different environments and noise levels.
This hearing aid is also equipped with a telecoil setting that lets wearers bypass background noise and tap into nearby speakers — useful whether you’re at the movies, a museum, or a busy train station.
The Lexie Lumen OTC hearing aid is currently marked down $100 from its original price from Lexie, as well as other retailers like Amazon.
Pros:
- Good background noise cancellation.
- Custom features make this hearing aid useful for a variety of scenarios.
Cons:
- No Bluetooth connectivity.
Most affordable: MDHearing Air
MDHearing via Amazon
One of the most affordable hearing aids out there is the MDHearing Air model, the brand’s latest OTC hearing aid.
If you’d prefer larger hearing aids, which can be easier to configure with bigger buttons and less prone to getting lost, consider this BTE design by MDHearing. This hearing aid sits snugly around and behind the ear for easy access.
This budget hearing aid offers impressive features like background noise reduction and omnidirectional sound amplification.
This hearing aid brand offers some of the lowest prices on our list, with the price of a pair of MDHearing Air devices sitting at just $297.
Pros:
- Super affordable for anyone uninterested or unable to consider prescription hearing aids.
- 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 when compared to other, more expensive devices.
- Behind-the-ear design can be more noticeable than other in-the-ear hearing aids.
Lightweight design: Go Hearing Ultra OTC
Go Hearing
This BTE hearing aid comes with several standout features, such as Bluetooth streaming capability, hands-free calls, and a whopping 20-hour battery life, that make it a great tool for older adults — or anyone tired of having to manually handle or adjust their hearing aid every so often.
Thanks to its flexibility and included measuring tool, this hearing aid is easily fitted and configured on your own — no visits to an audiologist or specialist required if you’d prefer to get situated from the comfort of home.
Pros:
- Comfortable and lightweight, especially for behind-the-ear hearing aids, which can sometimes be on the bulkier side.
- Impressive battery life, even for most BTE hearing aids.
Cons:
- Sound performance isn’t as impressive as other hearing aids.
- No mobile app, so adjustments are limited to the device’s buttons.
Are behind-the-ear hearing aids better than in-the-ear devices?
Your biggest question while browsing different hearing aid brands and styles is probably this: what makes BTE hearing aids better than other types of hearing aids?
There are actually a few reasons to consider BTE hearing aids over your other options. First and foremost, they tend to be easier to handle and adjust throughout the day thanks to a larger casing. Tinier devices such as those that sit in your ear can be more difficult to fine tune and may even require you to download a mobile app for manual adjustments.
Think of it in terms of wireless earbuds; if you’ve ever worn a pair of tiny earbuds and felt frustration over how they fit or how complicated they are for simple tasks like volume adjustment, you probably want to avoid ITE hearing aids and go with the more manageable BTE devices.
Other common benefits of BTE hearing aids include:
- Comfort: BTE hearing aids tend to sit comfortably around the ear. Unlike ITE hearing aids, you won’t have to worry about devices that may come loose or fall out during the day. ITE hearing aids may also be much easier to lose, especially when taking them out at the end of the night.
- Technology. BTE hearing aids simply have more room in the outer casing that sits behind the ear than other hearing aid types, which means you’re likely to find better audio quality and additional features like Bluetooth capabilities in these versus other types.
- Durability. With BTE hearing aids, you’re less likely to have to worry about dropping, breaking or damaging your device. This is because most of the important tech is housed in the casing that sits outside your ear, away from potentially damaging ear wax and moisture.
Are there other types of hearing aids?
BTE hearing aids and ITE hearing aids are arguably the two most common types of hearing devices out there today. If you think you’re set knowing these two acronyms only, however, you may be confused when you browse hearing aids online and see something different.
In reality, there are several variations of BTE and ITE hearing aids out there. Different styles may come with slight variations in how they look, feel and function, so it can be worth it to read up on the full glossary of hearing aid types out there.
Aside from BTE and ITE hearing aids, the most common variations you might come across include:
- Receiver-in-the-canal (RIC): A variation of the BTE hearing aid design, RIC hearing aids (as well as the smaller receiver-in-the-ear, or RITE, devices) come with a connecting wire in place of the traditional BTE’s earmold. This gives the ear canal more room and typically results in a more comfortable fit.
- Completely-in-the-canal (CIC): A variation of ITE devices, CIC hearing aids have the smallest design. They have 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 much do hearing aids cost?
When it comes to hearing aid prices, there are two groups to consider: prescription hearing aids and over-the-counter, or OTC hearing aids.
Prices for hearing aids can vary widely, especially between prescription hearing aids and their (typically) more affordable counterparts, over-the-counter, or OTC hearing aids. One 2018 survey that looked at hearing aid purchases from more than 2,000 adults found the average price for a good-quality prescription-grade device to be around $4,600. With so many options out there to choose from, however, you may find the ideal device with costs anywhere from $1,000 to over $8,000 per hearing aid.
OTC hearing aids are a relatively new category where customers can get their hands on decent devices for much lower costs — less than $1,000 a pair. These typically come with less robust tech features (making them ideal for people with mild to moderate hearing loss) and none of the complex extras that you get with a prescription hearing aid.
How we chose the best BTE 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 BTE hearing aids you can buy today:
- Usability: A good BTE hearing aid is easy to set up, remove and adjust on the fly, so that’s what we prioritized while reviewing and selecting hearing aids.
- Sound technology: We looked for important features like background noise cancellation and speech amplification, something that isn’t always guaranteed in BTE or other types of hearing aids.
- 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.
Police arrested a man on murder charges this month, 14 years after he allegedly killed a man in Virginia, but the victim’s body has never been found.
Shane Ryan Donahue, a Virginia man, is presumed deceased, the Prince William County Police Department said Tuesday. He was last seen leaving his parents’ home in Nokesville, Virginia, on March 22, 2010. Donahue, 23, was headed to his house in Nokesville, but never made it there.
Donahue was added to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System after he vanished. According to records, Donahue did not have a car and regularly got rides from friends. He frequented Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Fauquier County, Virginia, and Northern Virginia.
The case stumped investigators, who followed a number of leads over the years. This spring, detectives reactivated the investigation and started looking at every detail of the case from scratch, officials said. They revisited people who had been interviewed during the initial investigation and reviewed “digital evidence in greater detail due to advances in analytical technology and modern police investigative practices,” according to a news release.
Officers said Donahue was last seen leaving his parents’ home with Timothy Sean Hickerson, now a 43-year-old Florida resident. Investigators connected Hickerson to a burglary at Donahue’s home that happened just days before the Virginia man disappeared.
Detectives got an arrest warrant this month and, with the help of Florida’s Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, Hickerson was taken into custody in Palm Coast, Florida. Hickerson was charged with murder and burglary, is now set to be extradited to Virginia.
Former President Donald Trump, an avowed proponent of tax cuts, is floating the idea of reversing a measure passed during his tenure in the White House that effectively raised taxes for many U.S. homeowners.
In a post Tuesday on Truth Social, Trump suggested he would scrap a $10,000 cap on deducting state and local taxes (SALT) that was passed as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — a massive revamp that he has said boosted economic growth.
Now, in the run-up to the November election, Trump said in the post he would “get SALT back, lower your taxes, and so much more,” although he stopped short of offering details. Trump made the post ahead of a speech he’s giving Wednesday at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island.
Trump’s new proposal for getting rid of his $10,000 SALT deduction cap comes as the presidential hopeful is pitching several additional tax cuts that would, if enacted, reduce taxes for major groups of voters. He’s also vowed to eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits, a pledge that could get support from the nation’s senior citizens, as well as to end income taxes on tipped workers and on overtime pay, ideas that would help lower- and middle-income Americans.
Yet Trump’s reversal on the SALT deduction has sparked skepticism from lawmakers as well as economists and policy experts.
“So … now Trump is against the SALT tax cap which *checks notes* is a key part of the — only — major piece of legislation passed during his administration?” noted Chris Koski, a political science professor at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, on X.
Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democrat from Nassau, Queens, said in a statement on Wednesday that he is “happy that the former president is saying that he has finally reversed his devastating decision in 2017 to cap the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction.” He also urged Trump to convince Republican lawmakers to vote to restore the full deduction “if he is truly serious.”
The SALT deduction cap “has been a body blow to my constituents for the past 7 years,” Suozzi added.
Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, wrote on X,”Donald Trump took away your SALT dedications and hurt so many Long Island families. Now, he’s coming to Long Island to pretend he supports SALT. It won’t work.”
Asked for details about Trump’s proposal to restore the SALT writeoff, a spokeswoman for the Trump campaign told CBS MoneyWatch: “While his pro-growth, pro-energy policies will make life affordable again, President Trump is also going to quickly move tax relief for working people and seniors.”
Here’s what to know about the SALT deduction.
What is the SALT deduction?
The state and local tax deduction allows taxpayers who itemize to deduct property taxes, sales taxes and state or local income taxes from their federal income taxes. Prior to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, there was no limit on how much people could deduct through the SALT deduction.
But the 2017 tax overhaul passed under Trump limited the deduction to $10,000 – a blow to many homeowners in states with high property taxes, many of which are Democratic leaning. At the time of the law’s passage, the Treasury Department estimated that almost 11 million taxpayers in high-tax states like New York and New Jersey would forfeit $323 billion in deductions.
Who benefits from the SALT deduction?
Homeowners with high property taxes, such as people in New York, New Jersey and California, were the biggest beneficiaries of the the full SALT deduction.
But some experts also noted that the SALT deduction primarily put more money in the pockets of higher-earning Americans. About 80% of the full SALT deduction had helped people earning more than $100,000 a year, according to the Tax Foundation.
What happened after Trump capped the SALT deduction at $10,000?
The limit has increasingly impacted middle-class homeowners across the U.S. because of rising property taxes and incomes. Some lawmakers have also sought to either repeal or increase the SALT cap, but none of those efforts have borne fruit.
Earlier this year, some lawmakers sought to double the SALT deduction cap to $20,000 for married couples, with the change retroactive for the 2023 tax year. But that bill was blocked in the House in February.
Won’t the SALT deduction cap expire anyway?
Yes, the SALT deduction cap is a provision that’s due to expire in 2025, as are many other parts of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, such as a reduction of the individual tax brackets. But Trump has previously indicated he wants to extend the provisions in his signature tax law.
How much would it cost the U.S. to repeal the SALT deduction cap?
It won’t be cheap, according to the the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a think tank that focuses on budget and policy issues.
Eliminating the $10,000 deduction limit “would increase the cost of extending the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) by $1.2 trillion over a decade,” the group estimates, adding that such a measure would be a “costly mistake.”
Extending the TCJA’s tax cuts would increase the nation’s deficit by $3.9 trillion over the next decade, the group estimates. By adding in a expiration or repeal of the SALT deduction cap, that would grow to $5.1 trillion, it added.
“Lawmakers should not extend the TCJA without a plan to – at a minimum – offset the costs of extension, but ideally the plan would raise revenues relative to current law and help put the nation’s debt on a better trajectory,” the group said in a statement.
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