Having a highly visible hearing aid can be problematic. When you meet someone new, they feel like they have to talk more loudly and animatedly, and this can attract unwanted attention.
This can be particularly uncomfortable and awkward when you find yourself somewhere new with a whole new crowd. It doesn’t make for easy fitting in.
But, there’s an easy solution in the form of invisible hearing aids. You can carry on about your business and no-one will be none the wiser about you being hard of hearing.
And, lucky for you, we’ve been checking out some of the best invisible hearing aids out on the market, and have hand picked our top 5 favorites to review for you here today.
But we totally get that choosing one can be tricky, which is why we’ve also put together a handy little buying guide for you. It will walk you through all the key points to consider before you buy.
Then we’re going to top that off with another handy section where we answer some of your most frequently asked questions on the subject.
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
OUR TOP PICK
What could be better than an invisible hearing aid than an invisible hearing aid with Bluetooth!
This means that rather than having to adjust the settings directly on your hearing aid and draw attention to it, you can simply reach for your smartphone and make the changes there.
The compatible app is free to download and is available for both Android and iOS devices. Through the app, you can adjust the settings according to your personal hearing profile, and make adjustments to the volume.
And the really great thing about them is how you can adjust them according to where you are. For example, there’s a super handy conversation mode, one for outdoors when it’s windy drowning out background noise, one for restaurants that are noisy and crowded, and one for traffic.
This is made possible by the gadget's noise reduction feedback canceller, to enhance the sounds you do want to hear.
They’re not exactly invisible, but they do sit within your ear just like in-ear headphones, so people may assume that you have bluetooth earbuds in rather than that you’re hard of hearing.
We were blown away by the battery life. In standby mode it will last up to a whopping 120 hours. And in working mode they’ll last a full 24 hours.
We were also pleased to learn that this hearing aid comes backed by a 90-day money back guarantee, and a full years warranty.
There aren’t many customer reviews for these hearing aids on the big online retailer websites, but we can assure you people are raving about them elsewhere on the internet.
They’re available in two different color options, black or white. Simply choose the color that would make the best camouflage.
Pros:
- Adjust volume on smartphone
- Looks just like bluetooth earbuds
- There’s 4 handy pre-set programs
- You can drown out background noise
- Rechargeable with excellent battery life
- Backed by a 90-day money back guarantee
Cons:
- Not beige & not completely invisible
- Can’t be used for taking calls via Bluetooth
- Not many customer reviews on the big online retailer sites
EDITORS CHOICE
Now, if it wasn’t for the hefty price tag, we would have made this hearing aid our number one pick.
Eargo is the industry leader in hearing health and these are one of their FDA registered, medical grade hearing aids. And if your Health Insurance Plan offers a hearing aid benefit, you can file a claim for these beauties.
One of the things we love about the Eargo 5 is how it can be completely personalized to your specific hearing profile, so you can start using them straight away without having to wait forever for an appointment at the hearing clinic.
It works in conjunction with a powerful Eargo 5 app. And through this you can adjust the sound according to your specific environment. And this is great because it helps to focus on what people are saying to you and minimizes any unwanted or unnecessary background noise.
It also offers excellent sound fidelity, which is great for music lovers, you hear every note exactly as it’s meant to be heard.
They’re also incredibly comfortable to wear, thanks to their special patented interchangeable petal ear tips. They stay suspended inside the ear canal allowing air to flow through, for a completely natural feel. You’ll forget that they’re there.
The battery life is really good - they will last from breakfast right the way through to supper. And it comes with its own charging case.
We were also very reassured to learn that these hearing aids are backed by lifetime customer support from a team of licensed hearing professionals. And there’s a lengthy 2-year warranty.
There aren’t a whole lot of customer reviews for this product just yet, partly because of the steep price, but mostly because it’s only been around since 2021.
Sure it’s an expensive hearing aid, but if you decide to buy through Amazon, you can pay in more affordable installments over the course of 18 months interest free upon approval for the Amazon Rewards Visa Card.
Pros:
- Comes from a top brand in the industry
- FDA registered, medical grade hearing aids
- Personalized to your specific hearing profile
- Focuses on the sounds you want to hear
- It offers excellent sound and music fidelity
- Rechargeable with excellent battery life
- Backed by expert lifetime customer support
Cons:
- Premium product at a premium price
BEST VALUE
When we saw the customer ratings on these beauties we just had to see what all the fuss was about - and we weren’t disappointed! It’s not often a hearing aid gets a 5 star customer rating on the leading online retailer websites like Amazon.
They’re very discreet and fit neatly inside your ear with no protruding parts. And this makes them comfortable to wear with glasses or with a facemask. You don’t have to worry about them falling out, they will stay in place. And they come with plugs of different sizes, so you simply try them and wear the one you like the best.
And not only will they boost the sound of anyone talking to you, but they also have a chip designed to reduce background noise, so any voices you hear will be much clearer and easier to understand.
They’re super simple to use, there’s only one button to be concerned about, and no fiddly built-in programs to get your head around. Instead you simply double click the large button to adjust the volume.
They’re completely rechargeable and come with a special charging dock. They only take two hours to reach a full charge, and a full charge gives a run time of a whopping 20 hours. And the charging dock doubles as a handy portable carry case that will fit right in your pocket.
And they also happen to be available at a very good price, too.
Pros:
- Has excellent customer ratings
- Small and discreet appearance
- Chip to reduce background noise
- Couldn’t be any simpler to use
- Offers up to 20 hours of battery life
- Well priced & great value for money
Cons:
- If the power is left on when you put them in you will hear an unpleasant buzzing noise
RUNNER UP
These iBstone hearing aids are very reasonably priced, coming in at under $200, and have been met with very positive customer feedback.
They give you clear sound amplification, and at the same time they also work to reduce excess background noise, so you can focus all of your attention on what it is you actually want to hear.
Being an in-canal hearing aid, it’s not very noticeable at all. And, being beige on the outside, it’s almost invisible in some people’s ears, blending in against your skin color.
They’re also very comfortable to wear since they’re particularly lightweight at just 2 grams each. And they come with a choice of different ear domes in the box, and you simply wear the one that fits best and that you find the most comfortable to wear.
They’re 100% rechargeable and they come complete with their very own charging dock. And the indicator light turns from red to blue to let you know when they’re fully charged.
They only take 2 to 3 hours to reach a full charge, and then they have a lengthy runtime of up to a whopping 24 hours.
And in addition to the charging dock, you also get a handy portable carry case. And you get spare filters and a special tool for adjusting the volume with.
We also love how each hearing aid is labelled with an L or an R, so you can easily tell which one is for which ear.
And the other thing we love is that if there was a sudden loud noise, you have built-in ear protection to save your ears.
Pros:
- Relatively affordable & reasonably priced
- All background noise is noticeably reduced
- Very comfortable with a choice of ear domes
- They can run for up to 24 hours on a full charge
- Each hearing aid is labelled with an L or an R
- There’s ear protection against sudden loud noise
Cons:
- Not suited for those with severe hearing loss, just mild to moderate hearing loss
RUNNER UP
For those of you who don’t like the idea of a totalling in-ear hearing aid, and would prefer one with a hook over the ear where you can easily adjust the volume, we decided to include these beauties in our shortlist.
The hook that reaches around and into the ear is entirely transparent, and the slightly bulkier part of the hearing aid is beige to blend in with certain skin colors, and will be hidden by your outer ear.
Your hearing can be boosted by a whopping 35 decibels, and you can choose from 10 different levels of volume to get the perfect setting.
We also love how it features 4 different built-in listening programs, so you can adapt your listening to your specific environment, whether it’s indoors, outdoors, or with a lot of background noise. This is thanks to the advanced noise cancelling and its suppression of background noise and feedback.
And the great thing about these particular hearing aids is that if you only need one for one bad ear, you only need to buy the one and you don’t have to buy an entire pair.
Each hearing aid comes with 7 batteries. Each battery can last about a week, and you can buy more through Amazon which sells them in bulk for a great price.
It comes backed by a 1-year warranty, and you get access to USA-based lifetime customer support. And better yet, they’re also backed by a 45-day money back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose by giving them a try.
Amazon occasionally has deals on this particular hearing aid - simply click on “Check Price” to see if there’s a deal on now. When this article was written you could save over $100 on it.
Pros:
- It’s tiny and is beige and transparent
- Hearing can be boosted by 35 decibels
- Features 4 built-in listening programs
- You get 7 batteries included in the box
- Advanced background noise cancellation
- Only buy what you need, not always a pair
Cons:
- May be uncomfortable to wear with glasses or with a face mask
- They’re not rechargeable and you will have to buy more batteries
Best Invisible Hearing Aid Buying Guide
As promised, here’s your buying guide. We’re going to walk you through all the key points you should consider when deciding which invisible hearing aids are the ones for you.
In-Ear Vs Over-the-Ear
In-ear hearing aids sit directly inside your ear, with no bulky overhang making the hearing aid easily visible if you have short hair or are wearing your hair up. This is why our shortlist of invisible hearing aids is mostly composed of this type of hearing aid.
Moreover, in-ear hearing aids are also more comfortable to wear for those who wear glasses, or for those who wear face masks with straps over the ears.
However, these days you can get over-the-ear hearing aids which are really tiny, and they’re virtually invisible as the gadget hides behind your ear. The great thing about this type of hearing aid is that you can easily reach behind your ear to adjust the volume - something that’s a little trickier with the in-ear varieties. This is why we included a pair in our buying guide.
FSA or HSA Eligible
For those who don’t already know, FSAs and HSAs are pre-tax accounts you can use to pay for healthcare related expenses. Where applicable in our reviews we’ve mentioned whether our shortlisted hearing aids are FSA or HSA eligible.
Color
Many “invisible” in-ear hearing aids are beige, presumably to blend in and camouflage against some people’s skin. But this definitely doesn’t work for everyone! In our shortlist we’ve included some beige and some black hearing aids.
Battery Life
If you want your rechargeable hearing aids to keep working from breakfast through to supper, then you will need them to have sufficient battery life. We’re talking 15 to 16 hours here.
We’ve also included non-rechargeable ones in our shortlist, but we ensured that spare batteries are readily available.
Reduced Background Noise
Sometimes the real difficulty in hearing someone speak to you is that you can’t hear them over the background noise, which is why you should look for hearing aids that actively reduce this noise.
To that end, some of the hearing aids that made our shortlist have built-in programs to achieve exactly that, cancelling out wind noises outdoors for example, or indoor restaurant chatter.
Value for Money
If you haven’t looked into it before you won’t believe just how much invisible hearing aids can vary in price. You can get some for as little as $35, but on the other end of the spectrum you can get some that cost about $3,000.
So if like most people you have a limited budget, we strongly recommend that you check prices as you go along, so you can get a good picture of what features you can or can’t afford.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best invisible hearing aid on the market in 2021?
We would argue that the best invisible hearing aid on the market in 2021 is our number two pick, the EARGO 5. But it’s considerably more expensive than most of the other hearing aids out there. So if you don’t have the budget for it, check out the other invisible hearing aids that made it to our shortlist.
What is the cheapest invisible hearing aid?
We found a great invisible hearing aid that’s available for under $100. It’s our number three pick, the Laopao Digital Rechargeable Mini Invisible Hearing Amplifier.