Editorial Policy

Sources come first

We build each guide from primary sources — government agencies, manufacturers' own specifications and published research — and link to them in the article. When a source and a sales page disagree, we go with the source.

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules for over-the-counter hearing aids
• National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
• Hearing-aid makers' own specifications, prices and support documents
• Published, peer-reviewed hearing research

Numbers are dated

Prices and figures are given as ranges with the source and the month we checked them. They change, so treat them as a guide to what to expect and confirm the current price before you buy.

How a guide is checked

We use AI tools to help research and draft our guides. Before anything is published, every claim is checked against the sources the guide cites, and a guide that does not pass that check is not published. Each page shows when it was first published and last updated.

Independence

We earn commissions from some links, and we say so on every page that has them. Commissions never change our recommendations, and we don't accept payment for coverage or rankings.

What we are not

We are not doctors, audiologists or hearing-aid dispensers, and nothing on this site replaces a hearing test or advice from a professional who knows your situation.

Corrections

If you spot an error, email [email protected]. We check every report, fix what is wrong and update the page's date.