The 9 best rechargeable hearing aids, according to hearing experts and actual users

Cost: $2,000 – $6,000 | OTC or prescription: Prescription | Covered by insurance: Depends on provider | FSA/HSA eligible: Yes | Visibility: Yes | Battery life: Up to 51 hours | Remote/app customization: Yes

The Starkey Genesis AI battery offers up to 51 hours on a single charge — the best battery life of all the hearing aids we tested and researched. The hearing aids also offer a high level of customization inside and out, starting with the look and style: five different styles (invisible, completely-in-canal, in-the-canal, in-the-ear, receiver-in-canal) and seven colors in a range of skin tones.  

What truly sets apart Starkey Genesis AI hearing aids from the pack — aside from the whopping 51-hour battery — is the highly intelligent technology that includes its neuroprocessor, which mimics the way your brain functions, to improve the power of your hearing aid by making over 80 million automatic adjustments an hour to ensure that you hear sound as crisp and clear as you did prior to experiencing hearing loss. 

It also focuses on speech, even when there is background noise, so you hear only the person you are talking to. What's just as impressive is the sensors that track your physical activity and social engagement with actionable health reports; they even have fall detection alerts. If Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids are a must-have for you, go ahead and check that box as well: The Starkey Genesis AI hearing aids allow you to pipe in your favorite music, shows or take calls with a simple tap on the ear. 

These are prescription hearing aids, so you will need to make an appointment with an audiologist for a hearing test and fitting.

Cost: $1,595-$1,795 | OTC or prescription: OTC | Covered by insurance: Reimbursement available dependent on provider and policy | FSA/HSA eligible: Yes | Visibility: Over the ear | Battery life: Up to 24 hours | Remote/app customization: Yes

The Jabra Enhance Select 300's discreet, almost invisible design (it's smaller than a paper clip) lasts 24 hours on a single charge. But our top OTC pick's long battery life is only one of the many impressive features of this hearing aid that rivals prescription hearing aids that are three times the cost. 

When it comes to sound, Jabra's SoundScape technology, coupled with smart microphones, delivers a natural, crisp and clear sound compared to many of its competitors. Also, its true depth of sound spatial and noise-canceling technologies help you recognize where sounds are coming from around you while also minimizing unnecessary background noises. For an added bonus, the hearing aids offer Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free calls and streaming your favorite music, podcasts and TV shows right to your hearing aid (iPhone 11 or newer required for calling). 

Jabra offers two packages for its Select 300 hearing aids: the basic package ($1,595), which comes as a preprogrammed device with three hearing profiles to choose from; and the premium package ($1,795), fully customizable and offering remote adjustments and support from an audiology team. 

Cost: $2,500-$5,500 | Availability: Prescription | Covered by Insurance: Depends on provider | FSA/HSA Eligible: Yes | Style of Fit: Receiver-in-canal (RIC) | Battery Type: Rechargeable | Remote/App customization: Yes | Colors available: 12 options ranging from black/fine gold, black/silver, cosmic blue/rose gold, snow white/rose gold, beige, black, deep brown

Signia's Styletto AX is a prescription hearing aid features Contralateral Routing of Signal (CROS) — the longest standing rehabilitation solution for individuals with single-sided deafness. The Styletto AX uses Signia’s Augmented Experience (AX) platform, which uses a split processing technology to separate speech from background noises to help you hear conversations better. 

Other key features include “Own Voice Processing,” which helps improve the sound of your voice as you speak. There's also Auto EchoShield, which helps create cleaner, crisper sounds and an upgraded eWindScreen to reduce wind sounds. Last but not least, it’s available in five performance levels, offering between 16 and 48 sound processing channels. 

Bluetooth is available for iPhone and Android users, but only iPhone users can use the hands-free calling feature. Unlike other BTE devices, though, there are no manual controls to adjust volume or sound settings. Instead, adjustments must be made using the Signia app.

Cost: $999 | OTC or prescription: OTC | Covered by insurance: No | FSA/HSA eligible: Yes | Visibility: Visible | Battery life: Up to 18 hours | Remote/app customization: Yes 

The Lexie B2 is made by Bose, a leader in sound quality. In addition to exceptional sound quality, 18 hours of battery life and full Bluetooth streaming capabilities, Lexie really shines in the support department. Lexie B2 owners get lifetime customer service that's available seven days a week, along with live chat, phone or video support on the Lexie app. Through the easy-to-use app, you'll customize B2's settings to accommodate your personal hearing profile and, if you have any issues, you'll be connected with an expert who can help over video, chat or the phone. 

While this rechargeable hearing aid has only an 18-hour battery life, it's likely more than most people will need in a day. If you're uncertain about your ability to customize your hearing aid but don't want to shell out thousands for a prescription hearing aid, this device's support team makes it worth considering. 

Cost: $2,000-$4,500 | OTC or Prescription: Prescription | Covered by insurance: Depends on provider | FSA/HSA eligible: Yes | Style of fit: Behind-the-ear (BTE) | Battery type: Rechargeable | Remote/App customization: Yes | Colors available: Sandalwood/black, copper/black, graphite/black, silver/black

For those looking for a high-quality, nearly invisible rechargeable hearing aid that is extremely comfortable to wear, the Phonak Slim is worth a spot on your shortlist. During a Phonak Slim study, 63% of people rated Phonak Slim as more comfortable to wear compared to their own hearing aids and 67% of people rated Phonak Slim as more secure when wearing glasses compared to their own hearing aids. Battery performance is expected to last up to 4 years.

The hearing aids are equipped with Phonak SmartSpeech Technology that provides either improved speech understanding or reduced listening effort in many listening environments. As for Bluetooth connectivity, you can pair it with any smartphone, tablet or TV—up to eight devices at a time. This allows for hands-free calls directly to your hearing aid with a simple tap on the ear. 

Editor's note on comfort: The first day our tester was fitted for the hearing aid by an audiologist, she wore it all day without issue, saying, "By the first hour, I forgot it was there." It blended seamlessly with her skin tone and was easily covered by hair. She also noted that even though you could adjust the hearing aid to various settings via the Phonak app for places such as a restaurant, concert or while watching TV, she felt like it adjusted on its own as she never had any trouble going from day to night wearing the device. 

Cost: $4,000-$6,000 | OTC or prescription: Prescription | Covered by insurance: Depends on your plan and provider | FSA/HSA eligible: Yes | Visibility: Visible | Battery Life: Up to 24-hours | Remote/App customization: Yes

The Oticon Real also delivers on battery life, providing hearing assistance for up to 24 hours before needing a recharge. Unlike an OTC hearing aid, all Oticon hearing aids require a trip to your audiologist for a hearing test and prescription. By going this route, you will be able to have hearing aids fitted for comfort and programmed to meet your hearing profile.

These high-tech prescription hearing aids employ a sort of artificial intelligence technology known as a Deep Neural Network BrainHearing system to support the way your brain interprets sound by using layers of vast amounts of data—over 12 million real-world sound samples. The Oticon Real has additional features to enhance clarity, including the sudden sound stabilizer, which reduces the sound of sudden soft and loud noises, along with a wind and handling stabilizer to tamp down on noises that can come from things like your glasses or hair touching your device.

The hearing aid comes in two rechargeable styles—behind-the-ear with a small receiver attached to a thin wire that sits in your ear canal or behind-the-ear with the receiver resting over the top of your ear. Oticon Real is also available with a disposable battery version, if you ultimately decide replaceable batteries are a better fit for your needs.

Cost: $289 | OTC or prescription: OTC | Covered by insurance: Depends on provider | FSA/HSA eligible: Yes | Visibility: Invisible | Battery life: Up to 24 hours | Remote/app customization: No

If an affordable, nearly invisible, rechargeable hearing aid is important to you, Audien Hearing's Atom 2 is worth a place on your shortlist. This hearing aid is smaller than traditional earbuds and fits easily into your ear canal for a look that's hard to spot. It also offers a battery life of up to 24 hours on a full charge — and all for under $300.

Four listening modes help you navigate your day in different environments. And the biggest draw of the Audien Hearing Atom 2 is its simplicity and low cost, but there are a few drawbacks to consider. This device comes in only one color, and there's no customization. But if you're looking to try out an affordable tiny hearing aid with preset functions, the Audien Hearing Atom 2 might just be a winner.

Cost: $799 | OTC or prescription: OTC | Covered by insurance: Reimbursement available | FSA/HSA eligible: Yes | Visibility: Visible | Battery life: Up to nine hours, with four additional charges held in the charging case per full charge | Remote/app customization: Yes

With Eargo's Link rechargeable hearing aids, you can seamlessly transition between hearing aid mode, streaming, and phone calls. The Eargo app is simple to use and can easily find the optimal hearing profile for your environment, whether outdoors, indoors, or at a noisy gathering. With four preset hearing profile programs and Bluetooth streaming capabilities that rival traditional high-end earbuds, these aids are a two-in-one solution for music and podcast lovers who also suffer from hearing impairment. 

The only downfall is that the hearing aids offer only nine hours of use per charge. That said, the portable charging case holds four additional charges for up to 45 hours of total use between case charges.

Cost: $1,300 | | OTC or Prescription: OTC | Covered by insurance: No | FSA/HSA eligible: Yes | Style of fit: Ear bud | Battery type: Rechargeable | Remote/App customization: Yes | Colors available: Black

If you don't want a hearing aid that sits in your ear canal, but also don't want to look like you're wearing one, the Sony CRE-E10 hearing aid offers a modern earbud-like style that will leave people thinking you are listening to music or talking on the phone. 

The sound quality is exceptional and the hearing aids automatically analyze and adjust sound levels as you go about your day, which is not always available in OTC hearing aids. You can customize the sound levels and settings via the Sony hearing app, to accommodate where you are—restaurant, indoors, or outdoors. Apple iOS users can stream music, take calls, and watch TV and movies on their devices with connectivity to their aids.

The CRE-E10 hearing aids have multiple sizes of silicone tips to accommodate different ear shapes, plus a charging case and cleaning accessories. Sony estimates the batteries last up to 26 hours on a single charge, which is more than most. Another bonus, you can use your health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) toward this purchase.

The only downside is the lack of Android connectivity, and all adjustments must be made via the Sony Hearing control app rather than a tap on the ear.