Hand-held personal hearing amplifiers are an excellent alternative to the more common behind-the-ear hearing amplifiers. They are especially useful for anyone unable or unwilling to wear either hearing aids or find behind-the-ear amplifiers uncomfortable.
The price of these types of amplifiers can range from $30 to $200, with a wide variety of products with different features and varying levels of quality.
If you are looking for a device for someone in a nursing home or long-term care facility, this style is very popular, as they are comfortable, simple to use, and hard to lose due to their size (compared to hearing aids).
Here are our top picks:
Williams Sound Pocketalker Ultra 2.0
The Williams Sound Pocketalker Ultra series of amplifiers are probably the most popular hand-held amplifier on the market. They are widely used in nursing homes and hospitals, to help communicate with patients.
It also makes a great ‘entry-level’ device for people who are experiencing hearing loss, but who aren’t quite ready to get a hearing aid.
Bellman Audio Maxi Personal Amplifier
The Bellman Audio Maxi is a higher-end model of hand-held amplifiers. It has excellent sound quality and uses advanced digital technology to reduce background noise and feedback.
The Maxi also allows its users to customize the settings to each person’s requirements, including modifying the balance between the right and left channels.
Super Ear
There are a lot of cheap, terrible quality hearing amplifiers that are available that a lot of people buy and then are very disappointed with the results, or lack of results.
One handheld style that is inexpensive, but not terrible quality is the Super Ear. It is easy to use, comfortable to wear for those who don’t like traditional in-ear or behind-the-ear styles.
It works best for mild to moderate hearing loss and can be especially useful in hospitals, nursing facilities, churches, and most situations where you need a bit of a hearing boost.
Features to look for:
- Comfortable headphones
- Easy to use
- Easy to hold
- Good sound quality
- Battery life
- Type of battery it uses (is it rechargeable?)
Frances Martin has been an editor at Hearing Hub since 2014, where she researches all of the best products for people with hearing loss. Frances has extensive experience testing and reviewing products with a focus on health.
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