The 5 hearing aids you should avoid

Not all hearing aids are created equal. Some are genuinely life-changing. Others? A complete waste of money.

In this article and video, I’ll break down the five hearing aids you should avoid – and what you should get instead.

_{Watch Andrew Holmes share his thoughts on the five hearing aids you should avoid – and what you should get instead.}

There’s a simple truth in hearing care, the wrong hearing aid isn’t just a waste of money – it’s worse than having no hearing aid at all. The wrong hearing aid frustrates you, it makes you think that hearing aids don’t work, it convinces you that your hearing can’t be helped and, the truth is, you’ve just got the wrong tool for the job. And the worst part? Some of these bad options are everywhere!

Today, I’m going outline the five hearing aids I wouldn’t recommend, but more importantly, what you should get instead. Let’s get into it…

It sounds brilliant, right? Glasses with built in hearing aids – one device, two solutions. Except it doesn’t work like that.

Spectacle hearing aids are often heavily advertised in newspapers and magazines, and are targeted at people looking for discreet solutions. But, here’s the problem – your vision and your hearing are completely different things and need different solutions.

With spectacle hearing aids you have limited adjustability. What happens if your frames break? Well, now you’ve lost your glasses and your hearing aids at the same time.

Instead, what you actually need is a well fitted receiver in the canal – a RIC hearing aid. It’s discreet, custom tuned to your hearing, and won’t leave you stranded if your glasses need replacing.

Some people worry about whether they fit comfortably with glasses behind your ear. Trust us, they fit absolutely fine and, if they don’t, there are always custom in the ear solutions, if really needed.

Spectacle hearing aids sound convenient, but in reality they’re a compromise that just doesn’t work.

It’s tempting – you go online and you see a device for £25 that’s going to boost your hearing and solve your problems. You think, why not?

Here’s why – these are not hearing aids, they’re personal sound amplifiers. That means everything gets louder – background noise, the hum of your fridge, the rustling of your clothes – not just speech.

With cheap amplifiers you get no customisation. Everyone’s hearing loss is different and a proper hearing aid is programmed exactly for you, and the exact amplification you need. These cheap amplifiers are one size fits none – poor build quality, batteries that die too quickly, an uncomfortable fit, and absolutely no aftercare. And, if it stops working, good luck trying to get a new one!

What you should do instead. If you’re not ready for a full hearing aid yet, consider a proper, over the counter hearing aid, an OTC. They’re from trusted brands. It won’t replace a professional fitting, but at least it’s FDA approved and designed for hearing loss.

A cheap amplifier isn’t saving you money, it’s just delaying the time until you get real help.

It’s like buying a Ferrari but leaving out the engine!

There’s a new trend – you send in an audiogram and a company mails you hearing aids pre-programmed to your results. Sounds simple, right? But here’s why that doesn’t work. There’s no real ear measurements (REMs).

A proper hearing aid fitting involves testing your hearing aids in your actual ear canals. This ensures that you’re getting the correct amplification that you actually need. Without professional fitting, there’s no adjustments, no fine tunings. Hearing aids aren’t just plug and play, they need fine tuning over time as your brain adjusts.

And there’s no support. If something goes wrong, who do you call? A chatbot, a customer service representative who just reads from a script? A local audiologist will be able to help you but, more often than not, their best recommendation will be something completely different.

Instead, you want a hearing aid fitted by a professional. With hearing aids it’s not just about the device, it’s about the fitting, the adjustments, and the aftercare that make a real difference. Relationships are the key to having great hearing.

The wrong fit for your ears and your brain!

Hearing aids are expensive, so when someone’s friend or family member has a pair they don’t need anymore, the question always comes up – “can I wear these?” And, technically, yes you can. But, almost always the answer should be “no you shouldn’t”, and here’s why.

Every hearing loss is different. Even if you and your friend have exactly the same audiogram, the way yours and their brain processes sound will be different.

The hearing aid is fitted for you and not someone else and programming is specific. Modern hearing aids aren’t just amplifiers, they’re tuned to your exact hearing levels, your comfort, and your listening environments.

What’s more, old technology might not serve you very well. Hearing aids are improving dramatically all the time and using an old pair might be more frustrating than they are helpful.

Now, there are exceptions. If the hearing aids are relatively new, and a professional can reprogram them, then they can work. But, more often than not, people try a used hearing aid, struggle with it, and give up, thinking that hearing aids just don’t work.

So, what should you get instead? Get tested, get fitted, and get a hearing aid that actually works for you.

Now, there is a time and a place for invisible hearing aids (IICs). They can work well for some people and they truly are discreet so, for certain mild to moderate hearing losses, they can be a fantastic option. But, there are some big trade-offs with IICs that most people don’t think about.

IICs block up your ears. It’s like having your fingers in your ears and this causes something called occlusion – a sensation where you feel like your voice is trapped inside your own head.

Because they’re so small, they have far fewer features – no Bluetooth, no directional microphones, no AI driven noise reduction, plus, battery life is often shorter.

If you’re serious about getting the best hearing experience, a discreet RIC, receiver in the canal, is almost always going to outperform an invisible, in canal hearing aid. It’s smaller than you think and gives you way more functionality.

With invisible in the canal hearing aids there’s a trade-off – one that works for some people but not for everybody.

Hearing aids aren’t just gadgets, they’re medical devices that have a direct impact on your quality of life. The wrong hearing aid doesn’t just waste your money, it wastes your time – time spent struggling to hear, time spent feeling frustrated, and time spent believing that your hearing aids don’t work. When, really, you just didn’t get the right ones.

So, if you’re really serious about better hearing, get a hearing aid that’s professionally fitted for you. Your hearing is definitely worth it!

For more honest and independent hearing aid reviews, please visit our Alto Hearing YouTube channel.

By Andrew Holmes – Ear Wax Removal Specialist & Trainee Hearing Aid Audiologist