Yes, for the right person. Since October 2022, adults in the US have been able to buy hearing aids without a prescription, a hearing exam or a visit to an audiologist. The FDA created this over-the-counter (OTC) category for one group of people: adults 18 and older who believe they have mild to moderate hearing loss. If that is you, an OTC hearing aid can be a real, cheaper first step. If your hearing loss is severe, sudden, or only in one ear, it is the wrong tool, and the FDA says so plainly.
The harder part is finding one. Search Amazon for hearing aids and a large share of what comes back is not a hearing aid at all, but a sound amplifier sold with the same words in its title. Every pick below is a real OTC hearing aid: its exact model appears in the FDA’s own device records in the OTC hearing aid category, and the card links to that record so you can check it yourself. Then, and only then, it also had to be well rated by buyers on Amazon.
The short version
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Our pick
EarCentric EasyCharge OTC Hearing Aids (pair)A plain, rechargeable behind-the-ear OTC hearing aid with no app to learn. Full review
$149.00 on Amazon Amazon Price as of Oct 31, 11:09 AM UTC
Only one hearing aid passed both checks, and only on amazon.com. That surprised us too. Plenty of OTC hearing aids are sold on Amazon, from Audien, ELEHEAR, Jabra, Lexie and Sennheiser among others, but when we checked, buyers had rated every one of them below our bar. The best-rated “hearing” products on Amazon are sound amplifiers, which do not qualify. We will add picks as soon as more pass. If you are reading in the UK, see the note further down: the OTC category is a US one, and we have not yet found a UK listing we can recommend.
Who OTC hearing aids are for
The FDA, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) all describe the same reader:
- An adult, 18 or older. The FDA says anyone younger needs hearing aids by prescription, and should see a doctor, preferably an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT).
- With perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. “Perceived” means you think it is mild to moderate; you do not need a test to buy one. OTC hearing aids are not for severe or profound hearing loss.
The NIDCD lists the signs that usually go with mild to moderate loss:
- Speech or other sounds seem muffled.
- You struggle to hear in groups, in noisy places, on the phone, or when you cannot see who is talking.
- You often ask people to repeat themselves or speak more clearly.
- You keep the TV, radio or music louder than other people like.
Both the FDA and the NIDCD add a limit at the other end: if you cannot follow speech even in a quiet room, or have trouble hearing loud sounds, your hearing loss may be more than an OTC hearing aid is designed for, and a hearing professional is the right first stop.
See a doctor first if any of these apply
The FDA requires every OTC hearing aid box to carry a warning listing reasons to see a doctor, preferably an ENT, before using one. These are the FDA’s red flags:
- Your ear has a birth defect or an unusual shape, or was injured or deformed in an accident.
- You saw blood, pus or fluid coming out of your ear in the past 6 months.
- Your ear feels painful or uncomfortable.
- You have a lot of earwax, or think something could be in your ear.
- You get really dizzy, or have a feeling of spinning or swaying (vertigo).
- Your hearing changed suddenly in the past 6 months.
- Your hearing changes: it gets worse, then gets better again.
- You have worse hearing in one ear.
- You hear ringing or buzzing in only one ear.
ASHA goes a step further and recommends a full hearing evaluation by an audiologist before you buy any OTC hearing aid. It notes that insurance often pays for the evaluation even when it does not pay for the hearing aid. That advice is worth taking even if none of the red flags apply: a test tells you whether your loss really is in the mild to moderate range the category was built for.
Hearing aid, or sound amplifier?
This is the single most useful thing to check before you buy. The FDA draws the line clearly:
- Hearing aids are medical devices “intended for people who have hearing loss.” OTC hearing aids are one kind; prescription hearing aids are the other.
- Personal sound amplification products (PSAPs) are “intended for consumers with normal hearing.” The FDA says they “are not medical devices like hearing aids,” and the NIDCD gives the typical use: boosting sound in particular situations, such as birdwatching.
On Amazon, the two are sold side by side, often with the words “hearing aid” in an amplifier’s title. A product that calls itself a “hearing amplifier”, a “sound amplifier” or a “PSAP” is not an OTC hearing aid and did not qualify here, however well it is rated.
How to check a hearing aid yourself
The FDA says the outside of the box for an OTC hearing aid must prominently show the words “OTC” and “hearing aid”, along with the battery type, whether you need a phone to use it, the warnings above, and the maker’s return policy. If that labeling is missing, the FDA suggests contacting the seller or manufacturer.
The FDA also warns that phrases like “FDA Registered” or “FDA Certified”, or an FDA logo on the package, may be misleading. So we did not take a listing’s word for it. Most OTC hearing aids do not need an FDA premarket review; instead, the company that makes them registers with the FDA and lists each model under an OTC hearing aid product code. Self-fitting models, the kind you tune with an app and a built-in hearing test, need an FDA clearance as well. Both records are public, and we only list a hearing aid when the exact model on the Amazon listing appears in one.
One more thing worth knowing: the FDA’s OTC rules do not require a warranty, so it advises reading the return and warranty terms before you buy.
The pick
EarCentric EasyCharge OTC Hearing Aids (pair)
A pair of rechargeable behind-the-ear hearing aids with simple volume control, sold over the counter for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. EasyCharge is named in the FDA registration and listing entry of its manufacturer, Xiamen NewSound Technology, under the OTC air-conduction hearing aid category, alongside the EX2 model number shown on the Amazon listing.
- Model
- EasyCharge (EX2)
- Style
- Behind the ear, with domes and regular or long tubes
- Controls
- Volume control on the hearing aid
- Battery
- Rechargeable, about 3 days per charge (maker)
- Charging
- Desktop dock plus a portable case that holds 3 more charges
- In the box
- Hearing aids, dock, portable case, USB-C cable, power adapter, domes, tubes, cleaning tools
The proof: FDA registration and listing, OTC hearing aid (QUF)
Best for
Someone who wants a plain, button-controlled hearing aid with no app to learn and a long time between charges.
Worth knowing
This is a preset hearing aid, not a self-fitting one: there is no app or hearing test to tune it to your own hearing, only volume and fit. An FDA listing means the maker registered it in the OTC category; it is not an FDA review of how well it works.
The EasyCharge is about as simple as a hearing aid gets: a behind-the-ear design, a volume control, and a choice of domes and tube lengths so you can find a comfortable fit, even with glasses. There is no app and no Bluetooth. EarCentric says one charge lasts about three days, and the pocket charging case holds three more charges, which makes it easy to live with if you would rather not charge something every night.
Two things to understand before you buy. First, it is a preset hearing aid, not a self-fitting one: you choose the fit and the volume, but it does not test your hearing and tune itself to it. If your hearing is clearly worse at some pitches than others, an audiologist’s test first will tell you whether a simple aid like this is enough. Second, its FDA record is a registration and listing, not a review of how well it works. That is the normal route for this kind of hearing aid, and it is what the FDA’s OTC category requires, but it is not the same as an FDA clearance. The FDA listing names both “EasyCharge” and the “EX2” model number shown on the Amazon listing.
What did not make the list
Several well-known hearing products are missing on purpose:
- Sound amplifiers, including the Williams Sound Pocketalker and the many “hearing amplifier for seniors” listings. Some are well rated, but they are amplifiers for people with normal hearing, not hearing aids.
- Audien, ELEHEAR, Jabra Enhance Select, Lexie B2 and Sennheiser All-Day Clear. All are sold as OTC hearing aids, and the Sennheiser is an FDA cleared self-fitting model, but buyers rated every one of them below our bar on amazon.com when we checked.
- Sony CRE-E10. The one listing we found on amazon.com had too few buyer ratings to pass, and we could not match the model to an FDA record.
- AirPods Pro with Apple’s Hearing Aid Feature. In 2024 the FDA authorized this feature as the first OTC hearing aid software, for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, used with “compatible versions” of AirPods Pro. It is a legitimate option if you already use an iPhone. We have not listed it because the FDA authorized the software rather than a particular earbud model, so there is no single model number we can match to a listing.
A note for UK readers
The OTC hearing aid category is a US one. In the UK, the NHS provides hearing aids free, as a long-term loan, if your GP refers you to an NHS hearing service, with batteries and repairs also free. Private hearing aid providers are the other route; the NHS notes that a single private hearing aid can cost anywhere from £500 to £3,500 or more. The NHS advice is to see your GP if you are having problems with your hearing, and not to wait until it is severely affected: the earlier you get hearing aids, the more you get out of them.
An OTC hearing aid is a good first step for an adult with mild to moderate hearing loss and none of the FDA’s red flags. If you are unsure which side of that line you are on, a hearing test answers it, and it is often covered even when the hearing aid is not.