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Hearing aids from a well known opticians

(65 Posts)
Madwoman11 Thu 26-Feb-26 11:40:04

I have an appointment for the hearing aids that aren't very visible at a high street opticians.
They were very open when discussing the price list in regards to the higher priced ones are made by the same company that manufacturer their own brand.
Makes sense to go for their brand which is identical, now do I want The Elite, The Super, Premium, Plus or standard?
Also do I need the cleaning kit, Perfect dry Lux device that dries and sterilised hearing aids or the more expensive Perfect Dry Done that dries, sterilises and charges ?
They do come with 100 day money back guarantee if you aren't happy.
Any help would be much appreciated

GoldenAge Sun 01-Mar-26 11:48:55

Hearing loss is very personal so my advice to you Madwoman11 is to get a referral from your GP to the Audiology department at your local hospital where you will go into a soundproof booth. However, the aids you will receive will be NHS funded and whilst the NHS did supply me with Phonak during the pandemic and the Specsaver audiologist I subsequently went to see told me that they were indeed top of the range for the NHS, they weren't sufficiently advanced for my hearing loss. I actually went to Specsaver because a friend of mine who has two deaf parents and is both partially deaf and works on TV in an environment where hearing is really important, recommended I do that since she had recently upgraded hers and couldn't speak any more highly of them. I went and bought a pair of Phonak (yes, the same manufacturer as the NHS ones), at a cost of £2,000 each. They come in a container that links to the USB port on my computer when they need charging. There was a four year guarantee but I only needed that once when our new puppy managed to run off with one and damage it but the store replaced it with no problem. I have an app that the aids connect to - all singing all dancing hearing aids that definitely do the job. The issue for me is that I feel there's too much going on behind my ears with specs as well as aids so having an aid inside the ear may be useful but my experience with my mother was that however much she paid, there was always feedback because the nature of the mould was hard plastic that couldn't account for jaw changes (like when she ate or yawned) and as she aged and the cartilage in her ears deteriorated so too her ear cavity changed shape so she was constantly having to renew to avoid the feedback whistle. Good luck.

theworriedwell Sun 01-Mar-26 12:46:37

Whiff

Did you know if you ask your GP for a referral letter for a hearing test at Specsavers your test is free and if you do need hearing aids you can get free NHS ones from them .

I had a thorough hearing test I have lost some of my hearing in my left ear but because I can hear my heart beat in it a present from having jaundice left me . A hearing aid you only make it louder.

I am not a proud chap as my dad would say and NHS hearing aids would do me fine . So you don't have to pay hundreds + pounds on hearing aids.

I've said it before but it depends where you live. Where I live the health authority don't fund this you have to get referred to the audiology department at the hospital.

OldFrill Sun 01-Mar-26 15:09:30

theworriedwell

Whiff

Did you know if you ask your GP for a referral letter for a hearing test at Specsavers your test is free and if you do need hearing aids you can get free NHS ones from them .

I had a thorough hearing test I have lost some of my hearing in my left ear but because I can hear my heart beat in it a present from having jaundice left me . A hearing aid you only make it louder.

I am not a proud chap as my dad would say and NHS hearing aids would do me fine . So you don't have to pay hundreds + pounds on hearing aids.

I've said it before but it depends where you live. Where I live the health authority don't fund this you have to get referred to the audiology department at the hospital.

It's the same where l live, you have to be referred to audiology and it's a 3 year waiting list.

theworriedwell Sun 01-Mar-26 15:24:28

It doesn't seem fair does it OldFrill. Other people obviously think this applies to us all but it certainly doesn't.

Mollygo Sun 01-Mar-26 23:37:26

I had to visit the audiology dept to get a referral. On the other hand, Specsavers asked DH if he had hearing problems when he went for an eye test. They tested his hearing (in a sound proof booth).
I agree that’s no use if your area doesn't provide them but it’s quicker than having to get a referral.

Lovetopaint037 Mon 02-Mar-26 02:33:55

My dh has such profound hearing loss that without his hearing aids he is stone deaf. He has Specsavers hearing aids with moulds that completely cover the inner ears. I often ask him what people say on the tv and he can tell me whereas I often miss words if I haven’t got my drop in ones in as I often only put them in for the tv, phone calls etc. They are helpful and batteries are free. They send you a letter to tell you when your free three yearly test is due when usually you are given the latest hearing aids. Don’t pay unless you have tried the NHS ones first.

Whiff Mon 02-Mar-26 06:51:52

Where I used to live I don't know if my GP would refer me . But then again where I used to live my GP ignored my heart condition and my neurologist didn't give a dam ..

I live in the north west healthcare is brilliant. Yes healthcare is a post code lottery thankfully if I hadn't moved I don't think I would be alive today .

My brother and sister are in law moved to Lincolnshire and also have brilliant healthcare .

I was giving people information. It was my local Specsavers who told me how to get test and hearing aids if I needed for free.

theworriedwell Mon 02-Mar-26 12:44:50

Whiff

Where I used to live I don't know if my GP would refer me . But then again where I used to live my GP ignored my heart condition and my neurologist didn't give a dam ..

I live in the north west healthcare is brilliant. Yes healthcare is a post code lottery thankfully if I hadn't moved I don't think I would be alive today .

My brother and sister are in law moved to Lincolnshire and also have brilliant healthcare .

I was giving people information. It was my local Specsavers who told me how to get test and hearing aids if I needed for free.

It's great that you got what you needed but your post was misleading as not everyone can go to Specsavers and get NHS hearing aids.

Musicgirl Mon 02-Mar-26 12:59:23

Also, in Lincolnshire, bluetooth hearing aids are not available on the NHS.

Mollygo Mon 02-Mar-26 16:04:48

Musicgirl

Also, in Lincolnshire, bluetooth hearing aids are not available on the NHS.

That’s a shame. DH’s latest hearing aids are NHS and Bluetooth. I wonder why Lincoln doesn't do that.

Whiff Mon 02-Mar-26 18:05:23

People can ask the question so why was my post misleading. They can ask and be told yes or no

My brother had been waiting 10 years to have his hands operated on. When they moved to Lincolnshire within a month he saw consultant next month his first hand operation on 3 months later the other one . My sister in law has MS never had such good health care . So that's why I said Lincolnshire has good health care .

Try healthcare in the black country it's the pits .

theworriedwell Mon 02-Mar-26 19:30:31

Whiff

People can ask the question so why was my post misleading. They can ask and be told yes or no

My brother had been waiting 10 years to have his hands operated on. When they moved to Lincolnshire within a month he saw consultant next month his first hand operation on 3 months later the other one . My sister in law has MS never had such good health care . So that's why I said Lincolnshire has good health care .

Try healthcare in the black country it's the pits .

Read your first paragraph. You didn't say you might get a test/hearing aid. It was misleading, you might have thought it applied everywhere but it doesn't.

Whiff Mon 02-Mar-26 20:57:24

People have common sense or should do . If I took everything that is written on GN as true for everywhere then I would be an idiot. Especially as some of the posters do not live in the UK..

I was saying what I was told at Specsavers and did t what they said to do . Unfortunately my loss of hearing in my left ear can't be helped because jaundice left me hearing my heart beat in my ear and a hearing aid would only make it louder.

Common sense is should be used by all . Or has it gone out of fashion🤷🤷🤷

theworriedwell Tue 03-Mar-26 08:08:24

Whiff

People have common sense or should do . If I took everything that is written on GN as true for everywhere then I would be an idiot. Especially as some of the posters do not live in the UK..

I was saying what I was told at Specsavers and did t what they said to do . Unfortunately my loss of hearing in my left ear can't be helped because jaundice left me hearing my heart beat in my ear and a hearing aid would only make it louder.

Common sense is should be used by all . Or has it gone out of fashion🤷🤷🤷

Specsavers gave you good advice for where you are. I was alerting people to the fact it doesn't apply to everyone. Sorry that seems such a big deal to you.