In the world of over the counter hearing aids, Eargo is one of the big names. I’ve called these hearing aids ‘top-shelf’ hearing aids before, and I still believe that’s absolutely true. The sound quality is undisputed, they look like cool gadgets, and they often come with the latest features. For example, the Eargo 7 can be fully submerged in water, a feature shared by no other over the counter hearing aids (I know of).
With great features often comes a great price tag, and this is also true for any Eargo. Even older models that have seen a price reduction over the years are still more than $1,000 for a pair. Which begs the question: are there any affordable alternatives for Eargo hearing aids? Well, yes.
In this article, I’ll highlight three affordable real alternatives for Eargo hearing aids. Let me explain the ‘real alternatives’ part. In essence, every over the counter hearing aid would be an alternative. But Eargo is not just any hearing aid, they’re completely-in-canal gadgets.
The three alternatives I’ll mention are similar models, but all three are under $1,000: the Lucid Hearing fio, the Sony CRE-C10, and the MDHearing NEO. The first two are not that much less than $1,000, and the MDHearing NEO is a budget model with fewer gadgets. But all three are a true alternative to Eargo hearing and significantly cheaper.
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The Lucid Hearing fio
The fio is the clearest alternative for any Eargo model: these hearing aids look very much like the Eargo. I’ve described them as high-tech kidney beans before, and I still think that’s a pretty good description. Although sound doesn’t automatically adjust, you control the sound for the fio with a mobile app, giving it some smart features.
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The Sony CRE-C10
Although the Sony doesn’t look like the Eargo hearing aids as much as the fio does, it will look the same once it’s in your ear canal. Like the other models in this list, the CRE-C10 is a CIC model that’s nearly invisible. Unlike the other models, it has some advanced features, like self-fitting features and automatic sound adjustment.
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MDHearing NEO
The MDHearing NEO is unlike the other two. In all fairness, its features don’t come as near the Eargo models as the Sony and the Lucid Hearing. But then again, neither does the price. At under $300, the NEO is one of the most popular over the counter hearing aids. You forego the fancier features, but you’ll get great sound quality for a good price.
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