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Best Affordable, Low-cost Hearing Aids for Seniors and Elderly People
Hello people hope you slept well and are ready for what the day brings. Today, we would be providing our expert review on the best affordable, low cost hearing aids for seniors. But before then, let us see why hearing aids are important for seniors and elderly people.
Importance of Hearing aids for seniors
As we grow old, it is only natural we become slower and less agile than we were during our youthful days. Control of our senses (like hearing, sight etc) slowly begin to dissipate and we might need support in the form of hearing aids or visual aids. It is for this reason we write to inform you of the best hearing aids for our esteemed elderly readers. Before we highlight the importance of hearing aids, let us take a quick look at what a hearing aid is.
What is a hearing aid?
A hearing aid is an electronic device used by people with hearing problems for clarity of sound and increase of volume of the sound coming into the ears, to better hear and understand conversations with friends, family and colleagues. A hearing aid is worn in or behind the ears and is very important for people with hearing difficulties to communicate and participate well in daily activities.
There are three basic parts of a hearing aid, namely:
- Microphone: This part of the hearing aid is used to receive and convert sound waves to electrical signals.
- Amplifier: This part of the hearing aid receives sound from the microphone and increases the power of the signal received and then sends to the speaker.
- Speaker: The user of the hearing aid then hears what was said through the speaker
How do hearing aids help?
So on to the next segment of the post, how does hearing aid help. Let’s highlight the importance of the hearing aid:
- A hearing aid is used to improve the hearing and speech of people with hearing difficulty arising from damage to the small sensory cells in the inner ear.
- A hearing aid drastically improves and magnifies sound entering the ear
Although, a hearing aid is great for those with minor hearing loss, it should be noted that there is a limit to what an hearing aid can do, if the damage to the hear is very severe, then there is nothing the hearing aid can do about that. It is advisable to visit an otolaryngologist (physician who specializes in ear, nose and throat disorders) to investigate the root cause of the hearing loss and see if a hearing aid can help out.
Now that we have seen just how important an hearing aid is to people with hearing loss, let’s move on to the next segment of the post which is to review the top hearing aids for the elderly.
Best Low Cost Hearing Amplifier
Empower Hearing Amplifier
This is a hearing aid that is very available for its functionalities, as opposed those very expensive audiologists fitted hearing aids. The build for this device is a behind the ear type of hearing aid, it improves the volume of conversations and blocks out background noise with its twelve-band digital sound processing.
The empower hearing amplifier is very portable, with a thin design which is almost invisible behind the ear. The device has a sound level and amplification program that is adjustable through a single switch. This makes it easier to dial up or down the volume based on the distance of the speaker or clarity of the message being passed across.
The empower hearing aid is powered by A zinc-air batteries and the hearing aid comes with 10 zinc-air batteries for immediate operation. A set of batteries can last several 18-hour days before need for replacement. Elderly folks we have interviewed report that device is very comfortable and can be worn to bed without even noticing.
Included in the box for this product is a carrying case, the empower boost assembled with tubing and tip, size 10 zinc-air batteries, cleaning brush and wire and power tip for increased volume if needed.
Pros:
- It selectively amplifies speech whilst blocking out background noise using energy efficient, twelve band digital sound processing
- The product is lightweight, small and ready to wear out of the box
- This device comes with all what you need to start using it straight out the box: batteries, tubing and power tip
- It comes with a 12-month warranty from the manufacturer
Cons:
- It is not universal, it is constrained to one ear. This means you either order for the left ear or right ear and it can’t be interchanged
- The batteries need replacement and can’t be recharged
CLICK HERE FOR PRICE OF EMPOWER HEARING AMPLIFIER ON AMAZON
Otofonix Elite Hearing Amplifier
This is another top choice for the elderly, it is made in the United States by a founder who is a seasoned board – certified ear specialist with over 26 years of professional experience. The device comes packed with many features which include its advanced 12 band digital sound processor with feedback cancellation which amplifies the sound frequencies of the human voice with noise cancellation features to block out unwanted background noise. Its WRDC (Wide dynamic range compression) technology also helps to make soft sounds more audible.
The Otofonix elite hearing amplifier comes with 4 preset program configuration which are normal setting, noisy setting, treble setting and power setting. You can set this programs and switch between them with a single click.When it comes to build, the Otofonix is quite similar to the empower hearing amplifier in the sense that it is lightweight and behind the ear which makes it go unnoticed.
The device runs on size 312 hearing aid batteries, and the good thing is that it comes with 7 of these batteries to help you hit the ground running. Other things included in the package are otofonix elite digital hearing amplifier assembled with size 1 sound tube and medium open ear dome, 1 size 2 sound tube for larger fitting requirement, extra size open ear domes, 1 medium closed ear dome and 1 cleaning brush for the ear domes
Pros:
- The device comes pre-programmed with all digital circuitry designed for all environmental situations
- Designed by an experienced ear physician
- Adaptive background noise reduction
- Manufacturers warranty for a period of 12 months
- Eliminates whistling / feedback
- Switch between 10 volume levels and 4 programs with a push of a button
- Unlimited phone and email support by the manufacturer
Cons:
- The batteries need replaceable batteries which cant be recharged
- It cannot be interchanged, it is either for the left or for the right ear.
CLICK HERE FOR PRICE OF OTOFONIX ELITE HEARING AMPLIFIER ON AMAZON
Britzgo Digital Hearing Aid
This is another great option for seniors with hearing loss, and it is very affordable. The otto BHA-220 amplifier by britzgo is a maximum output designed amplifier which helps to boost voices and conversations in any setting.
The design of the device is super simple, with oversized buttons which are highly conspicuous and effortless to control. These buttons are located at the top part of the device. Whilst the battery compartment is at the lower part of the device. Buttons included are the power on / off button, and volume control button. It Is a behind the ear device, meaning it can be worn without people noticing.
The device features a 4 preset hearing programs, and it has super-efficient power consumption. The product comes packed with the hearing amplifier, 2 power one zinc -air batteries 2 spare domes, a cleaning brush and a protective case
Pros:
- 4 frequency modes available including high, low, mid and wide
- Manufacturer boasts a 500 hour battery use
- Ambidextrous tube which makes it easily adjustable for either the left or right ear
- Cheap
- It is a simple amplifier, not as smart as the others with noise cancellation technology, so loud sounds simply become louder
- Uses replaceable battery
CLICK HERE FOR PRICE OF BRITZGO DIGITAL HEARING AID ON AMAZON
Banglijian Hearing Amplifier
Another highly rated amplifier for the elderly is the banglijian hearing amplifier. This hearing aid is also designed by an audiologist and is affordable but still packed with great features. One of the most important features being that the batteries being used are rechargeable. This helps save cost on changing batteries.
The device is also built as a behind the ear model with a sound tube, ear hook and ear drome. The top part of the body has the volume control button and power button which doubles as a charging indicator with a red blink indicating the device is charging and green device indicating it is fully charged. .
The banglijian amplifier has a full digital tone quality for low audio distortion and a much clearer voice. So, what comes with the banglijian amplifier? This amplifier comes with 6 ear domes, a cleaning brush, a power adapter, a shockproof case, 3 sound tubes and a user manual. The device comes with a 3 year manufacturer warranty, this shows that the manufacturer is confident in its product.
Pros:
- Smart noise reduction with digital chip
- Uses rechargeable batteries
- Lightweight at only 3.7g
- 2 programs and 5 volume levels to adjust to your listening environment
- Can be used in either ear
Cons:
- Noise reduction is not 100% as there can be slight background noise during use.
CLICK HERE FOR PRICE OF BANGLIJIAN HEARING AMPLIFIER ON AMAZON
Sound world CS50 wireless Bluetooth sound amplifier
This is another fantastic option for an amplifier, it comes with 3 built in amplification presents and a free customizer app for Android and IOS to allow the user to personalize the amplification profile. Depending on the environment, the device can be adjusted as needed. For example, you can boost mid and high frequencies to hear sounds better and cancel out background noise during personal conversations whilst during a movie outing, you can increase the low frequency range for a more balanced sound.
The device utilizes Bluetooth 4.0 technology and supports A2DP, AVRCP and HFP profiles, and it is reported that the battery lasts 12 hours per charge. This is pretty lower than the other devices reviewed, but not to worry, the battery being used is a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery.
The device comes packed with the CS50 amplifier, 2 rechargeable batteries, AC charger adapter with micro USB cable, small ear tips, medium ear tips, large ear tips, zippered carrying case and ear tip cleaning tool.
Pros:
- The device works with Bluetooth to be used with your mobile phones
- It runs with rechargeable batteries which eliminates purchase of replacement batteries
- Technology to cancel out background noises
Cons:
- It cannot be interchanged, it is either for the left or for the right ear
CLICK HERE FOR PRICE OF SOUND WORLD CS50 AMPLIFIER ON AMAZON
Final Recommendations:
If you are looking to buy a top hearing aid at an affordable rate, then we recommend the Empower hearing aid, as this is one of the best selling hearing aids with the most positive reviews. If you are technology savy and looking for a hearing aid that is more technologically advanced, then you can go for the sound world CS50 wireless Bluetooth sound amplifier.
If you are on a very tight budget however, then the Britzgo BHA-220 is the best option for you. Regardless, be rest assured that you cant go wrong with any of the options we highlighted above.