OTC hearing aids can be helpful. Hearing aids became available over the counter in the US only a couple of years ago. I tested some of the top options to find the best ones you can buy.

While the style may vary, all hearing aids have the same basic parts: a microphone, amplifier, speaker, and battery. Here’s how they work: First, the microphone picks up sounds from the environment.

Below is a closer look at some of the most popular hearing aid types for each style and how they sit in the ear. Hearing aids can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars for a basic OTC model to ...

They also include some features that will not necessarily fit on CIC-style hearing aids. This kind is sometimes the subject of a bit of contention among those with partial hearing loss.