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The best headphones for hard of hearing are assumed to be the ones that don’t work for people with hearing loss. But maybe some could work.
The event that led me to be a headphone expert
It’s a situation that we are all too familiar with.
The audio glitch begins when you’re ready for your online video call. No, this isn’t a “You’re on mute” moment. It is something else. It’s when your audio headset doesn’t want to connect to your laptop or desktop computer for some reason.
“I can’t hear!” you yell. It’s a moment when you realize that very few people know how to lipread as you do. You give up trying to get them to understand your lips and instead type into the chat you have trouble hearing. The others are giving you a strange look, wondering why you suddenly realize you’re hard of hearing. You type to clarify that you think your headset is not working.
After unplugging and plugging the jack, leaving the video online room, reentering, and turning up the volume to the max, you realize you’ve got another headset to add to your graveyard of headphones over the last two years.
I have had a Goldilocks moment since the start of the pandemic.
I went through numerous headphones for hard of hearing to help me hear on video calls. Unfortunately, I bought many headsets: too big or too small, and some were just right.
Finally, I cracked the code for what makes the best headphones for hearing impaired, and the best headphones for hearing aids, especially when you wear behind-the-ear hearing aids.
You don’t have to only stream with Bluetooth to listen to calls or audio content.
It’s often not the most feasible solution with all the raves of using your Bluetooth connection between your hearing aids or cochlear implants and your audio devices.
A large amount of battery usage
The energy it takes for the audio to transfer wirelessly makes us use many batteries. These days, it seems you’re streaming everything with your hearing aids. If it isn’t the work video calls, it’s the TV or the telephone. It’s a pain to constantly change your battery midway through the day. You know you won’t have this problem when you are not using Bluetooth.
Sometimes, streaming allows for listening only.
Sometimes, Bluetooth streaming is only available for listening when using hearing devices. You may be unable to speak or communicate back without temporarily blocking access to a microphone.
Do you make these mistakes when it comes to buying headsets?
You buy headphones that are made for people with hearing.
It’s natural to buy a headphone based on the features of what they can do. However, we have another set of requirements often missed by hearing loss buyers. When choosing a headset, we are looking for the maximum volume to help us hear clearly. With the sound quality as near to our ears as possible, we benefit from additional amplification with our hearing devices.
Although branded hearing aid headphones and headphones specifically designed for the hard of hearing do not exist yet, there are plenty of headphones that would work well.
You haven’t figured out how you plan to wear the headphones with your hearing device.
Choosing the wrong headset means experiencing a whole hour of your hearing aid whistling, which can be very distracting and uncomfortable. In addition, sometimes, the headset’s position can lead to headaches, extreme sensitivity, numbness, and pain because you tried to adjust the speakers to sit around your hearing devices when they weren’t designed for that purpose.
What makes the best headphones for hearing aid users?
When looking for the best headphones for hearing aid use, we want one with enough volume and sound quality. We also want one that can sit well next to our hearing aids without causing them to whistle. Finally, the best headphones for hearing aid wearers must be comfortable wearing all day long.
After scanning the web, I can share a few headsets that are a significant plus for people with hearing loss and ones that you might want to consider based on your budget and needs. So, in no particular order, here are the ones worth checking out.
What I found to work best in finding headphones is picking one with the right shape—headphones with a round or square shape for the earcups and over 3.25 inches wide. The size should be large to cover the ear but not rest on the hearing devices to cause unnecessary feedback. These headphones are typically for gaming or at a music studio, but they allow you to continue to wear the hearing aids, get better sound experiences, and hear clearly at work and home. While you won’t find a hearing aid headphone available, using these criteria will help you.
You’re choosing devices that require removing your hearing aids or cochlear implants.
If you buy a headset that requires choosing between your hearing aids and headphones, you probably create extra work and annoyance. For example, switching your hearing aids for your headset at work is complicated when your office workers need to speak with you.
However, if your hearing aids provide a bit of amplification for mild or moderate hearing loss, earbuds for hearing impaired or a bone conductor headphone may help you not to choose between your hearing aid or headphones.
You have multiple usages.
You could need TV headphones for hard of hearing, watching YouTube on your phone, or a gaming headset for deaf, which can be used with most traditional headphones.
The nice things about the choices provided below is that you will get multiple uses.
The best headphones to use with hearing aids
Sony wh-1000xm3
- Noise-cancelling feature
- Bluetooth connection
- USB-C charging option
Pros
- Does a great job of muffling background noises.
- Battery life is pretty good, with 30 hours of listening.
- It’s lightweight.
Cons
- On Amazon, the product is known to have a chemical that can cause cancer or illness during pregnancy.
- People on the other end of your call find it challenging to hear, and it will feel like there’s an echo to them at times.
- Headphones can crack and break easily.
Behringer BB560M
- Noise-reduction feature
- Low cost
- Bluetooth and wired options for connection
Pros
- It has a pretty good sound quality for a budget version.
- The battery life is good.
- It’s comfortable to use.
Cons
- These devices are known to break easily.
- The microphone is heavy, can’t be removed, and only works with Bluetooth, not a wired connection.
- Bluetooth connection can be poor.
Beats Studio3 Wireless
- Noise cancellation
- Fast charging
- Activate smart devices like Suri
Pros
- Good battery life; it can use for 8 hours and will not go below 50%.
- Sweat-resistant and easy to manage for the active person.
- It eliminates the majority but not all of the background noise.
Cons
- Microphone quality is poor for your listeners. You may sound muffled to them.
- One Bluetooth connection can be made at a time.
- Uncomfortable to wear for slightly larger-sized heads.
Bose NC700
- Touch control
- Alexa enabled
- Premium prices
Pros
- Suitable for phone calls and watching tv
- Easy to set up
- You can hear musical notes that are crisp and clear for even a hard-of-hearing person.
Cons
- Limited battery life compared to others.
- Background noises are not fully blocked at the max level.
- App and voice assistant can be glitchy.
OneOdio A71D
- Shared port so others can listen with you without having to remove the headset
- Foldable for travel
- Earcups can swivel 90 degrees from front to back
Pros
- Removable microphone or inline mic.
- It feels lightweight and covers ears comfortably.
- A side swivel can be used for single-ear listening or to avoid whistling noise from the hearing aids.
Cons
- It breaks easily and may last months, not years.
- Sound quality may not be as good as higher ends.
- No Bluetooth connection.
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