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Most Affordable OTC Bluetooth Hearing aids in 2024: Why You Should Choose Bluetooth Hearing Aids?
Are you looking for affordable hearing aids? Or looking for bluetooth hearing aids?
If so, we recommend reading this article. This article recommends the best hearing aids you can choose from and provides a comprehensive guide on essential factors to check before buying hearing aids.
What's the difference?: Traditional Hearing Aids Vs. OTC Hearing Aids
First, when choosing a hearing aid, you need to decide whether you will choose a prescription-required hearing aid or an over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid that does not require a prescription.
The FDA granted permission in October 2022 for certain hearing aids that meet specific conditions under a certain regulation to be sold without a prescription. OTC hearing aids are recommended for individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss because they can be worn and used without a prescription or professional assistance. For the same reasons, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids are only permitted for adults aged 18 and above. Individuals under 18 must undergo a hearing test and receive professional fitting and adjustments before using hearing aids.
While traditional prescription hearing aids still generally offer superior performance, modern OTC (over-the-counter) hearing aids are available at various price points, and some OTC models provide performance comparable to prescription hearing aids.
If you have mild to moderate hearing loss or more, or if you prefer custom settings by a professional despite the higher cost and inconvenience, traditional prescription hearing aids would be more suitable. This is because they can perfectly correct your hearing through a professional hearing test and personalized settings.
However, if your hearing loss is mild to moderate and you want to manage your hearing at a lower cost and with ease, OTC hearing aids are an excellent alternative.
They offer the following advantages:
What's the deal with OTC hearing aids?
- Various price range & Affordable price
Firstly, there is a significant price difference among hearing aids themselves. Prescription-required hearing aids typically average several thousand dollars, including older and larger models. Recently released hearing aids fall into much higher price ranges.
On the other hand, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids start from around $300. While some OTC hearing aids can cost over $2000, this contrasts with prescription-required hearing aids, which generally start at a minimum of $1000, providing individuals with many available options.
Furthermore, unlike general electronic devices, hearing aids serve as aids to assist our hearing. It is necessary to adjust the settings according to changes in our hearing condition. Ideally, one should undergo a hearing test and adjust the sound settings accordingly. However, for busy individuals, it can be challenging to invest time and money into visiting a doctor or audiologist to make these adjustments every time they need to hear better.
The typical hidden costs associated with hearing aids include initial setup fees through an audiologist and costs for rearrangements.
According to the 'Sidecar Health Care Calculator,' the cost of a single visit to an audiologist for consultation varies weekly but generally ranges from $80 to $140. Adding in hearing tests and sound adjustments typically amounts to around $300.
- Convenience from purchase to maintenance
Considering that hearing aids typically last for 5 years and each person's needs may vary, but given that hearing aids are very sensitive devices, you'd likely need to adjust settings at least 3 times, totaling around $1000 in costs.
So, for the initial setup, users may need to visit a specialist at least once, and sometimes up to five times. After that, whenever adjustments are needed, they must visit an audiologist each time. This not only imposes financial burdens on users but also creates a significant time commitment.
However, with over-the-counter hearing aids, you can adjust the initial settings and adapt them yourself as your hearing changes.
Of course, since it's not set by a professional, personally adjusted settings may not be entirely suitable for one's hearing.
Of course, OTC hearing aids also offer the convenience of being available at major discount stores and even online.
Bluetooth OTC Hearing Aids : Why should you choose a Bluetooth-enabled OTC hearing aid?
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Bluetooth Function Can Fully Offer Programmable OTC Hearing Aids Features.
The greatest advantage of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids is the ability for individuals to adjust audio settings according to their own preferences and hearing needs. Despite being OTC, advancements in hearing aid technology offer a variety of programmable features such as EQ adjustments, feedback reduction, and situational listening modes. However, to fully enjoy these diverse functionalities, relying solely on the volume buttons built into the hearing aid is naturally insufficient. This is where the integration of the hearing aid with a dedicated application becomes essential. The technology required for this connection is Bluetooth capability. Therefore, to maximize the advantages of OTC hearing aids, they should ideally be 'Bluetooth OTC hearing aids'.
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Bluetooth functionality allows hearing aids to be used wirelessly like earbuds.
If you frequently stream music or videos through your phone, a Bluetooth-enabled hearing aid would undoubtedly be a great choice. Do you use wireless earbuds like AirPods, or do you prefer wired headphones for listening to music or watching videos? If you were to purchase a non-Bluetooth-enabled hearing aid, you'd need to switch between wearing the hearing aid and using your existing earbuds when listening to music. Essentially, you'd need two types of devices for everyday use. Additionally, one drawback is that you can't hear ambient sounds clearly when listening to music.
However, Bluetooth hearing aids allow you to use them as both hearing aids and wireless earbuds. You can consider them as a combination of two types of devices.
Of course, while Bluetooth OTC hearing aids are a good option for most people, they are often much more expensive than hearing aids that do not support Bluetooth. Also, some Bluetooth OTC hearing aids may not provide much flexibility in basic sound settings, which can result in a less optimal experience.
Recommendable OTC Hearing aids with Bluetooth in 2024 : Olive Air & Olive Max
Introducing Olive Union's reasonably priced hearing aids that offer Bluetooth capability and high customization options.
First, the Olive Max features a sporty design with an ear hook, making it ideal for active individuals who engage in many outdoor activities.
It delivers large, clear sound and allows for different settings on each hearing aid, providing a high degree of customization.
The newly released Olive Air is designed for everyday use. With a design similar to AirPods and equipped with active noise cancellation, it offers an optimal experience for streaming music.
Both devices feature the latest version of Bluetooth, ensuring seamless streaming and connectivity with other devices.
Considering that similar hearing aids with these features typically cost at least $700, Olive Union's products are a very reasonable choice.
