How to Buy The Best Hearing Aids: Buying Guide

If you're having problems with hearing loss, Sam's Club is here to help. We offer hearing aids and all of the hearing aid accessories you need, as well as personal sound amplification solutions for voices and electronics.

What are hearing aids?

Hearing aids are devices that help individuals with hearing loss. They may fit in the ear canal or attach to the outer ear.

Hearing aids are different than personal sound amplification headsets. Amplifiers can fill in the gaps for anyone with mild to moderate hearing loss, which is a key part of your hearing health.

What are the best hearing aids?

Different reviewers recommend different hearing aids, depending on your needs. Sam's Club offers a variety of hearing aid styles from trusted hearing aid manufacturers GHI (General Hearing Instruments) and Liberty, as well as personal sound amplifiers from Lucid and Accent.

Who needs hearing aids?

People who have been diagnosed with severe hearing loss by an audiologist need a hearing aid to filter out background noise, enable volume control, and provide better hearing. A hearing test is the first step toward determining if you need a hearing aid. The audiologist should help you determine what type of hearing loss you have and what kind of hearing aid will best suit your needs. You get a free hearing test from a hearing professional at more than 450 Sam's Club locations nationwide.

Buy hearing aids at Sam's Club

Sam's Club and SamsClub.com offer a full selection of hearing technologies, hearing aid accessories, and personal sound amplifiers at members-only prices.

What Different Types of Hearing Aids Are There?

Hearing aids come in many different styles:

• In the ear (ITE) hearing aids: These include invisible in canal (IIC), completely in the canal (CIC) hearing aids and in the canal (ITC) hearing aids. These low profile options are discrete visually, but you should find options with a trial period to ensure that you don't mind having a speaker in ear.
• Behind the ear (BTE) hearing aids: These include receiver in the ear (RITE) hearing aids and hearing aids with earmolds. These may be called half shell in the ear hearing aids or speaker in the ear hearing aids.
• Over the ear (OTE) hearing aids: These are similar to behind the ear hearing aids but they fit over the outer ear.
• Personal sound amplification: If you have moderate hearing loss and your hearing test does not indicate you need a hearing aid full time, you may choose a personal sound amplifier headset. These headsets can make it easier for you to enjoy watching TV or movies or cell phone conversations or using any other electronic device.

What are Hearing Aid Accessories?

Hearing aids require accessories like hearing aid batteries, micro-poly tubes, hearing aid domes, and hearing aid travel accessory kits.

• Batteries: Hearing aids require unique batteries to work. This means that battery life is a key feature of hearing aids.
• Tubes: If you have a BTE hearing aid or OTE hearing aid, you may need a tube to connect the hearing device at the outer ear to the receiver-in-canal.
• Domes: Hearing aid domes create better hearing aid comfort by offering different sizes and fits in-ear.
• Travel kits: A convenient pack that includes replacement tubes and hearing aid batteries and a cleaning tool in a convenient travel case.

What hearing aid accessories does Sam's Club sell?

Sam's Club offers:

• Duracell hearing aid batteries
• GHI replacement tubes
• GHI sound domes
• GHI OTE travel accessory kits

Find a full list of hearing aid accessories (including bulk hearing aid accessories) at SamsClub.com.

Hearing aid accessories in bulk

Take advantage of members-only prices from Sam's Club to stock up on bulk hearing aid batteries, tubes, receivers, and travel accessory kits.

What are Personal Sound Amplification products?

Some personal sound amplifiers look similar to hearing aids, and many work with Bluetooth to amplify the TV, radio or phone volume for you. Sam's Club has sound-amplifying devices for one or both ears, depending on how much help you need. You can choose between our in-ear amplifiers or headset devices.

How do personal sound amplification products work?

Many personal sound amplifiers look like traditional headphone headsets. They connect to televisions, cell phones and other electronic devices via wireless Bluetooth technology. This provides hearing assistance without the hassle of cords.

Sam's Club offers a Lucid wireless audio streamer TV adapter that allows your television to transmit a Bluetooth signal to your personal sound amplifier. Check your TV specifications to see if you need a Bluetooth adapter for your TV. Most modern smartphones, like iPhones and Android phones, offer a built-in Bluetooth connection.

Who are personal sound amplification products intended for?

Personal sound amplifiers work well for people with moderate hearing loss or for people starting to experience hearing loss who want to ensure hearing health.

Is personal sound amplification the same as headphones?

Not exactly. For one thing, personal sound amplification is cordless thanks to the Bluetooth connection. Some models also give you the ability to modify the levels of outside noise and background noise as well as the television or cell phone with volume controls. That means you can use them in conversations and not just when watching TV. Check the product specifications at SamsClub.com to find the specific features of Lucid headphone headsets and neckbands, and Accent personal sound amplification.

What Sizes of Hearing Aids Can I Choose?

Hearing aids come in a variety of sizes. Some also offer domes for comfortable in-ear speaker fit.

Get fitted for hearing aids

Visit an audiologist for a hearing test and fitting. You can find a state-licensed hearing professional at more than 450 Sam's Club stores across the United States.

Decide what fit is best for you

Select a hearing aid based on what kind of better hearing you need, and what kind of new hearing aid is most comfortable while helping with your hearing loss.

What to Consider when Buying Hearing Aids

Get a hearing test to confirm you need hearing aids

A hearing test is the first step you should take to determine if you need a hearing aid. If you're not ready for a hearing aid, a personal sound amplification headset may provide the support you need for moderate hearing loss. Find a club near you and check the "Services" section to see if the club has a Hearing Aid Center.

Battery life

You will come to rely on your new hearing aid in your everyday life, so you need to ensure that your hearing aids have a long and reliable battery life. Keep a plentiful stock of bulk Duracell hearing aid batteries from Sam's Club or SamsClub.com. The GHI travel kits offered at SamsClub.com also include batteries just in case.

What type of fit is comfortable for you

You will wear your hearing aid on an everyday basis, and so you want to make sure your fit is comfortable. This is especially true for in-ear and receiver-in-canal hearing aids. You may want to ensure you get a trial period for your new hearing aids with a follow-up visit if you are being fitted for the first time.

Health insurance coverage

Check with your Sam's Club hearing professional for insurance information. Depending on the results of your hearing test, your professional may refer you to a doctor for further testing that your insurance plan, Medicare or Medicaid may cover.

Price

Sam's Club offers members-only prices on hearing aids and personal sound amplification. Online comments reveal that many members save hundreds of dollars by trusting Sam's Club with their hearing supply needs.

What Brands of Hearing Aids and Personal Amplifiers Does Sam's Club Sell?

• GHI: GHI Simplicity hearing aids in OTE and ITE hearing aid types.
• Liberty Hearing: CIC and BTE hearing aids.
• Accent: OTE personal sound amplification
• Lucid Audio: Personal sound amplification headsets
• Duracell: Bulk hearing aid batteries

FAQ - Hearing Aids

Does health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid cover hearing aids?

Medicaid and Medicare usually only cover hearing loss needs caused by a medical condition. Sam's Club's free hearing tests will reveal if your hearing loss is due to a medical condition and will refer you to a doctor so your hearing loss treatment can be covered.

How much do hearing aids cost?

Sam's Club offers hearing aids starting under $400. Our members-only prices can save you hundreds of dollars, so visit your local Sam's Club or sign in a SamsClub.com to find the best hearing aid prices.

What is the most powerful hearing aid at Sam's Club?

Different online reviews find various hearing aid brands to be the most powerful. Check the product specifications for GHI and Liberty hearing aids at SamsClub.com to see power levels for the hearing aids we offer.

How long do hearing aid batteries last?

Hearing aid batteries can last between three days and three weeks, depending on the hearing aid you choose and the settings you utilize. So it's important for you to review product specifications at SamsClub.com before purchasing a hearing aid to find out the battery life for a specific hearing aid type.

How do hearing aids work?

A hearing aid receives a sound from a directional microphone, which converts the sound to electronic signals and sends them to an amplifier. The amplifier then increases the power of the electronic signals and then converts them to sound for an in-ear speaker.