Bluetooth Hearing Aids: Costs, Top Models, and More

People who wear hearing aids often struggle to hear audio from cell phones, televisions, computers, and other personal audio devices. Bluetooth hearing aids help solve that problem — they bring the traditional daily benefits of hearing aids along with clearer audio and greater sound control.

But what exactly is Bluetooth technology, and how do you choose the best Bluetooth hearing aids? We explore everything you need to know to decide if Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids are right for you, and review some of the best Bluetooth hearing aids available today.

You’re probably familiar with Bluetooth devices. Bluetooth technology is common in wireless headphones, speakers, smartphones, newer vehicles, computers, and televisions.

Bluetooth is a form of wireless technology in which devices use radio waves to communicate over a short distance. Bluetooth helps users connect their electronic devices wirelessly, enhancing the ease of use.

When you connect two Bluetooth-compatible devices — such as a smartphone with a set of Bluetooth headphones — it’s called “pairing the devices.” Once paired, you can take calls or listen to music without having to hold your phone up to your ear or deal with wires.

Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids facilitate wireless connectivity with Bluetooth-compatible devices, including your smartphone, music player, computer, and television. With Bluetooth, you can stream sound directly to your hearing aids.

Here are a few of the things you can do with Bluetooth digital hearing aids that you can’t with traditional hearing aids:

• Hands-free calls You can take calls without lining up your phone with the hearing aid microphone.
• Audio on the go You don’t need to take out your hearing aids to put in headphones. Instead, stream audio directly to your hearing aids while walking or working out. Another perk? You can retain your ability to hear what’s going on around you.
• Control personal volume You can watch TV with your family or friends and adjust your sound without changing the volume for everyone.
• Smartphone app control Pair your smartphone with your hearing aids for easy hearing aid control. You won’t need to manipulate your hearing aids directly — instead you use the app to adjust settings like volume and connectivity.

Hearing aids with Bluetooth capabilities provide new opportunities for people who use hearing aids, but this technology has both advantages and disadvantages. Find out what to expect so you can decide if Bluetooth hearing aids are a good fit for your needs.

Pros

• Better sound quality With Bluetooth hearing aids, you experience music, podcasts, and phone calls without removing your hearing aids or having to line up devices with the hearing aid microphone. The result is higher quality sound.
• Superior sound control Many Bluetooth hearing aids allow you to pair one or both hearing aids to a device. When you pair both, you get to enjoy a richer, more balanced sound. With just one hearing aid paired, you retain your ability to hear what’s going on around you, which can keep you safe when driving or jogging outdoors.
• Enhanced ease of use When you pair Bluetooth hearing aids with your smartphone and other Bluetooth devices, you don’t have to switch from one device to another. You may listen to music from your smartphone and seamlessly accept a call or start a conference call from your laptop.
• Convenient hearing aid control Adjusting traditional hearing aid settings can be challenging if you have limited dexterity. Using either a streamer or smartphone, you gain easy control over your hearing aid settings.

Cons

• Higher price Because Bluetooth hearing aids contain additional technology, they cost more than your standard hearing aids.
• Short battery life Bluetooth utilization can drain hearing aid batteries. Look for hearing aids with good battery life and charging cases for convenient charging on the go.
• Learning curve If you’re new to Bluetooth technology, it will take time to learn. Over time, the process becomes easier and faster.
• May need a streamer While you can most likely find hearing aids that pair with your existing smartphone, you may need a streamer — especially if you don’t use a smartphone. A streamer acts as a central connection point for Bluetooth devices.

Our team of experts has spent more than 200 hours researching hearing aids to find the best Bluetooth hearing aids for different needs. After we talked with audiologists, read customer reviews, and researched more than 30 models and styles of hearing aids, the following Bluetooth hearing aid models stood out.

Jabra Enhance is a leader in online Bluetooth hearing aids. Buyers purchase Jabra Enhance hearing aids online and work remotely with the company’s audiology care team, saving them a trip to the doctor’s office. Jabra Enhance sells only one style of hearing aids with the choice of either conventional or rechargeable batteries.

The battery-powered hearing aids come with a one-year supply of batteries. The rechargeable version boasts 30 hours of sound per charge, with the portable case holding three additional charges.

Jabra Enhance hearing aids are nearly invisible and come in seven colors designed to match your hair shade. Both versions allow for direct streaming from Apple devices, while the rechargeable model also supports streaming from select Android devices. You can purchase Jabra Enhance’s Android Phone Clip+ streamer that accommodates all Bluetooth-enabled Android devices for an added fee.

What sets the Jabra Enhance buyer’s experience apart is three years of complimentary follow-up care. Use the Jabra Enhance Select app to work remotely with an audiology team when you need assistance with your sound experience.

Price: $1,195 to $1,995

Hearing loss suitability: Mild to moderately severe hearing loss

Type: Receiver-in-canal

Trial period: 100-day money-back guarantee

Warranty: Three-year manufacturer’s warranty and three-year loss and damage protection

Get Jabra Enhance at JabraEnhance.com

MDHearing carries a line of affordable hearing aids. The Volt Max is the most advanced model, designed to enhance audio sound quality. Not only do these hearing aids pair with your smartphone and other Bluetooth-enabled devices, but the MDHearing app has unique features that support hearing aid customization.

With noise reduction, feedback cancellation technology, and automatic adjustment between four audio settings, the Volt Max hearing aids deliver high quality for the cost. MDHearing often runs specials on its products. Its latest promotion is to buy a pair of MDHearing Volt Max hearing aids for $599, saving you $1,400.

Price: $299 to $699

Hearing loss suitability: Mild to moderately severe hearing loss

Type: Behind-the-ear

Trial period: 45-day risk-free trial

Warranty: Two-year warranty

Get MDHearing Volt Max at Mdhearingaid.com or call 844-936-0233.

Audicus Wave Bluetooth hearing aids are directly compatible with both Apple and Android smartphones. Because the Wave works with most Bluetooth-enabled smartphones, you won’t need to carry around a streamer.

The Wave has rechargeable batteries and is the most inexpensive model from Audicus. Its battery lasts 16 hours and takes approximately 3 to 5 hours to charge.

Audicus hearing aids come standard with unlimited programming adjustments and support; a short, 45-day trial; and a two-year warranty. Audicus charges extra for loss and repair coverage. Starting at $89 per month, Audicus offers a membership program that includes new Wave hearing aids every 18 months, loss and damage protection, and accessories.

Price: $1,398 to $2,998

Hearing loss suitability: Mild to severe hearing loss

Type: Receiver-in-the-canal

Trial period: 45-day money-back trial

Warranty: Two-year manufacturer’s warranty

Find Audicus Wave at Audicus.com.

Phonak is a well-known hearing aid brand, and its Audeo Paradise 90 Bluetooth hearing aids provide clear sound for people with all levels of hearing loss. With features including speech enhancement, noise cancellation, and ADP 2.0 — an algorithm that makes listening and understanding easier — the Phonak P90 hearing aids utilize cutting-edge technology to help people hear better.

The P90 Bluetooth hearing aids come with either standard or rechargeable batteries. For ease of use, the P90 has built-in tapping technology so you can pause or play audio streaming by tapping near your hearing aids.

Price: $2,299 to $2,399

Hearing loss suitability: Mild to profound hearing loss

Type: Receiver-in-canal

Trial period: 45-day risk-free trial

Warranty: Depends on retailer

Get Phonak Audeo Paradise 90 at Yeshearing.com.

Oticon hearing aids are some of the most advanced products for clear hearing. The Oticon More Bluetooth hearing aids contain advanced BrainHearing technology and optional Tinnitus SoundSupport.

BrainHearing enhances understanding by providing the brain with the information it needs to interpret sound better. Based on clinical evidence collected by Oticon, BrainHearing technology results in a 15 percent increase in speech understanding. And with Tinnitus SoundSupport, you can manage tinnitus symptoms with customizable sounds and settings.

Oticon More facilitates direct streaming from all iPhones and select Android devices. With Oticon’s ConnectClip streaming device, you can pair all Bluetooth-enabled smartphones to the More hearing aids. The More are rechargeable and fully charge in only three hours.

Price: $1,599 to $2,399

Hearing loss suitability: Mild to moderate hearing loss

Type: In-the-canal

Trial period: 45-day money-back guarantee

Warranty: Three-year manufacturer’s warranty and three-year loss and damage warranty

Get Oticon More at Yeshearing.com.

The ReSound One is an advanced hearing aid with 17 channels — far more than most hearing aids. More channels support better sound differentiation, so you can clearly hear speech and filter out background noise. The One boasts an additional microphone in the ear canal that helps you locate sounds and get a better sense of your surroundings.

The One’s Bluetooth capabilities can stream directly from either Android or Apple smartphones. These hearing aids are rechargeable with up to three days of charges in the portable carrying case for easy charging anywhere.

With the ReSound One Relief app, users can adjust settings to manage tinnitus symptoms and enhance overall sound quality.

Price: $1,499 to $2,399

Hearing loss suitability: Mild to severe hearing loss

Type: Receiver-in-ear

Trial period: 45-day trial with free returns

Warranty: One-year to four-year manufacturer’s warranty and one-year lost, stolen, or damaged warranty

Find ReSound One at Yeshearing.com.

Hearing aids take time to process sounds and send them to your ear. The delay between when the sound occurs and when you hear it — caused by the processing time — creates an artificial sound. Widex utilizes PureSound technology to shorten the processing time, creating more real-life sound.

The Moment BTE 13 D hearing aids marry clear sound with Bluetooth connectivity. You may pair your Moment hearing aids to an iPhone or iOS device directly or use a COM-DEX streamer to connect to Android devices.

Price: $1,399 to $2,299

Hearing loss suitability: Mild to moderately severe hearing loss

Type: In-the-ear or behind-the-ear

Trial period: 45-day risk-free trial

Warranty: Three-year manufacturer’s warranty and three-year loss and damage warranty

Get Widex Moment at Ziphearing.com.

Contralateral routing of signal (CROS) hearing aids assist people who have hearing loss in just one ear. The Signia CROS X line of hearing aids offers Bluetooth connectivity designed to enhance audio clarity for people with one-sided hearing loss. The CROS X hearing aids have rechargeable batteries.

Price: $1,649

Hearing loss suitability: Mild to moderate hearing loss

Type: In-the-ear

Trial period: 45-day trial

Warranty: Three-year manufacturer’s warranty and three-year loss and damage warranty

Get Signia CROS X at Yeshearing.com.

The Starkey Livio AI combines advanced sound technology with activity tracking for a hearing aid that supports overall wellness. You can think of the Livio AI as a Bluetooth hearing aid plus a fitness tracker all in one. Starkey’s Healthable technology tracks fitness goals and active listening for optimal health and hearing.

The Thrive Hearing Control app also boasts some unique features. Using your hearing aids, you can find your phone by having it ring, and the app can transcribe your conversations.

Price: $1,449 to $2,899

Hearing loss suitability: Mild to profound hearing loss

Type: Behind-the-ear

Trial period: 45-day money-back guarantee

Warranty: Three-year manufacturer’s warranty and three-year loss and damage warranty

Get Starkey Livio AI at Yeshearing.com.

Most people use a smartphone as their central connection point for Bluetooth devices. Because it is convenient to use a smartphone, Bluetooth connectivity is an important factor to consider when shopping for Bluetooth hearing aids. Most hearing aids are designed to connect with either Android or Apple iOS devices.

If you have an iPhone, look for Made for iPhone (MFi) hearing aids. For Android users, the best hearing aids have Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids (ASHA) technology. Universal Bluetooth hearing aids are compatible with both Apple and Android phones and other devices.

Consumers without a smartphone require a separate device called a streamer. A streamer acts as a central connection point for your Bluetooth devices. Similarly, you may find that you need a streamer in the future if you buy a different smartphone or have some Apple and some Android devices.

Other factors to consider include:

• Price Bluetooth hearing aids range in cost from around $800 to $5,000 each.
• Battery Consider the battery life and whether the hearing aid uses rechargeable or disposable batteries. Rechargeable batteries are the most convenient for adults who spend lots of time away from home.
• Style Consider whether you prefer in-the-ear, in-the-canal, or behind-the-ear Bluetooth hearing aids.

Yes Hearing is a valuable tool for finding high-quality hearing aids with local service. Yes Hearing works with the most trusted hearing aid brands to bring customers the same products at an average of 30 percent savings. Locations are scattered across the United States, so you can work with a local doctor to help you select, fit, program, and service your hearing aids.

Here’s how Yes Hearing works:

1. Call Yes Hearing at 855-806-8817. A representative answers any questions and helps you find a local Yes Hearing provider.
2. Call the local provider to make an appointment.
3. During the consultation, the audiologist works with you to select the best hearing aids for your needs.
4. Once your hearing aids arrive, make another appointment to get them set up.
5. You have a 45-day trial, during which you qualify for a 100 percent refund.
6. If you decide to keep your new Bluetooth hearing aids, visit your Yes Hearing provider for ongoing care.