One of the most common questions that we get asked is, ‘How much do hearing aids cost?’
Unfortunately, there is no single answer to this question, as there are a myriad of different hearing aid types on the market, each suited to a different person and each with a different price tag.
However, in this article, we will aim to give you an idea of the range of hearing aid prices that you can expect to pay when you choose to buy your hearing aids from a private audiologist, and also some more information about what you can expect when buying hearing aids from a private audiologist.
Before we go any further it is worth noting that private audiologists actually fall into two categories. There are large multinational chains of private audiologists such as Boots and Specsavers Hearing Care, and there are also independent private audiologists such as yourhearing.co.uk.
The main difference between the two, apart from the big fancy shops and expensive advertising campaigns, is that the big chains are very rarely truly independent. For example, Boots Hearing is partly owned by the hearing aid manufacturer Phonak.
Therefore you are liable to find that when buying a hearing aid from one of the larger chain stores your choice is somewhat steered towards certain models and brands.
However, if you choose to buy your hearing aid from a truly independent private audiologist then you will be offered the full range of available hearing aids, rather than what the sales targets are pushing that week. In this way, you are much more likely to find a hearing aid that is right for you - and at a great price too.
Hearing aid prices from private audiologists
Not all private audiologists are the same, but here at Your Hearing, we want to make our hearing aid costs as clear as possible. Therefore we have divided our hearing aid prices into 5 categories.
We are also happy to provide the exact price for every hearing aid that we offer, so you always know exactly what you are getting - please see our full price list here
Transparency
At Your Hearing, we are committed to fully explaining every hearing aid recommendation that we make, and also explaining why it costs that price. The range of available hearing aids is constantly evolving so at any one time, one hearing aid manufacturer may have a hearing aid out that is better than the others.
As we are fully independent we can offer you hearing aids from all 8 manufacturers, therefore always ensuring that you are getting exactly the right hearing aid for you.
Also by choosing an independent private audiologist, rather than one of the big multinational chains, you can be sure that you are only paying for the level of hearing aid that you need.
For example, some users with low-level hearing loss and a quiet lifestyle may be perfectly well served by a low-budget or basic-range hearing aid - and that is what we at yourhearing.co.uk promise that we would sell you.
Whereas someone with a really active and dynamic lifestyle and a higher level of hearing loss really could benefit from a premium level hearing aid that is packed full of the latest technological breakthroughs, and honestly could revolutionise their lives. And if we believe that this is the case then we will tell you this, but at the end of the day, the choice is always yours.
Another point to remember when buying your hearing aid from a private audiologist is that part of the hearing aid price that you are paying is actually for the dedicated service and aftercare of that audiologist.
On average our customers will see their audiologist 4 times in the first 6 months of having their hearing aid, just to make sure that everything is exactly as it should be, and if there are any problems at all then we will do our best to make sure that they are fully rectified to your satisfaction.
Also, the price that you pay from yourhearing.co.uk includes everything except the batteries (unless you choose one of our range of rechargeable hearing aids of course!). This includes the full manufacturer’s warranty and the cost of any aftercare that you might need for the entire life of your hearing aid.
However, not all hearing aid suppliers include this so it is worth carefully checking the terms and conditions before you buy and ensuring that you factor in the cost of any aftercare into the overall price that you are expecting to pay.
Finally, we are often asked about the price difference between the different styles of the same model of hearing aid. For example, is a Behind The Ear (BTE) hearing aid cheaper than an Invisible In the Canal (IIC) hearing aid? This may be the case with some private audiologists, however, it certainly is not the case with yourhearing.co.uk.
All of our hearing aids cost exactly the same regardless of the style that you choose. So rather than feeling limited by your choice of hearing aid type, you can simply find the hearing aid make and model which is going to be the best for you and then choose the style later.
Hearing aid choices
One of the significant advantages of buying your hearing aid from a private audiologist is that you will be able to choose from a much wider range of hearing aids than if you opted for an NHS hearing aid for example.
We are committed to offering our customers the full range of hearing aids available, including models that aren’t necessarily from the latest ranges but could still be a great choice for some people - and offer them significant savings too.
We will always ensure that we find you exactly the right hearing aid to suit your hearing loss, your lifestyle, your requirements and if necessary your budget - from the entire range of hearing aids available.
Also, as mentioned above, independent private audiologists are just that - independent, whereas any of the big chains are tied to certain manufacturers. This means that independent private audiologists are both able and committed to finding the exact right hearing aid for you regardless of price, make, model or whatever is leftover in stock.
This is not always something that you can guarantee if you visit one of the big multinational chains. Choosing an independent private audiologist such as yourhearing.co.uk can actually allow your choice to increase whilst your hearing aid costs decrease.
Some hearing aid manufacturers also seem to have realised that their customers are not always getting the best hearing aid price or service from some of the larger chain stores and so are putting measures into place to actively promote independent private audiologists.
For example, if you were to buy one of the new Resound Linx 3D hearing aids from a multinational then you would not actually be able to access all of the available functions.
Whereas if you bought the exact same hearing aid from an independent you would a) probably pay less and b) get an improved model with extra features such as Teleaudiometry enabled.
Hearing aid costs from independent private audiologists
One of the concerns that many people have when thinking about buying from an independent private audiologist, rather than from one of the big chains is whether their hearing aid cost is going to be more expensive. Often big chains are associated with greater buying power and thus cheaper prices.
We can’t speak for all independent private audiologists, but here at yourhearing.co.uk we can almost always guarantee to beat the price that you will pay for the same hearing aid at one of the big multinationals. Whilst still being able to offer the same, or quite often a better, level of service and aftercare.
As a network of independent private audiologists, we can keep our hearing aid prices low due to two main reasons. Firstly we do not have to include the overheads of large flashy stores crammed with sales staff, and the cost of expensive nationwide advertising campaigns, into the price of our hearing aids.
Secondly, because we are buying on behalf of our entire network of independent audiologists we still have the buying power to ensure that our hearing aid prices are kept as low as possible.
This means that buying your hearing aid from an independent private audiologist means that you will have access to an expert independent audiologist who is committed to finding exactly the right hearing aid for you regardless of cost, make or model, whilst also providing exceptional service and aftercare, and all for a cheaper price than most of the multinationals can offer.
Finding an independent private audiologist that you can trust
Sometimes our customers come to us concerned that because we are a network of independent private audiologists, they don’t know if they can trust us 100%. However, you can rest assured that all of our expert audiologists are fully qualified, vastly experienced and regulated by the Health and Care Professionals Council along with being members of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists.
Hopefully, this has given you more of an idea about the hearing aid costs and prices that you can expect to pay from, and reasons why you should use, a private audiologist such as yourhearing.co.uk.
If you have any questions, or thoughts, or even just want a quick chat to find out more please just contact one of the friendly audiologists at yourhearing.co.uk who will be delighted to talk you through all of your options and can even arrange for a free hearing test ether next day or at a time to suit you.
Have any questions?
Call us free on 0800 567 7721, we are open 8am to 8pm 7 days a week, to speak to one of our audiologists who will be happy to help you with any hearing healthcare enquiries. Alternatively, you can fill out the form or watch our hearing aids and hearing healthcare videos below to discover more about who we are.