Hearing Aid Manufacturers UK

Hearing Aid Manufacturers UK

Hearing aid manufacturers comparison

What's the difference between hearing aid manufacturer and hearing aid retailer?

A question we are often asked by people who are looking to purchase hearing aids is, ‘What is the difference between a manufacturer and a retailer?’ A common misconception is that they are one and the same but this is not the case.

A hearing aid manufacturer is a company that actually makes the instruments. They are also responsible for the design, new developments and will hold the license for their products. The retailer is the company or person that then sells the hearing aids.

When it comes to manufacturers, it is important that you know who you are dealing with as technology levels and the quality of the products can vary greatly. There are many small manufacturers who produce what seem to be lower-cost hearing aids, but the reason the products are cheaper is that the technology is far below the level you would receive from the larger manufacturers.

This is often because research and development are costly and the smaller companies simply don’t have the resources to keep up with their larger competitors. Having said that, some smaller companies do produce high-quality specialist equipment that may not be available elsewhere.

At Hearing Aid UK, we recommend hearing aids from all the world’s hearing aids leading manufacturers.  Much of the manufacturing of hearing aids these days is done overseas but each of the manufacturers also has a base in the UK.

How many hearing aid manufacturers are there?

There are quite a few in the audiology industry, however, below are the main hearing aid manufacturers as a reference.

Hearing Aid Manufacturer BERNAFON

Company name:  William Demant Holding

Overseas base:  Denmark

UK base:  Hamilton, South Lanarkshire

Hearing Aid Manufacturer OTICON

Company name:  William Demant Holding

Overseas base:  Denmark

UK base:  Hamilton, South Lanarkshire

Hearing Aid Manufacturer PHONAK

Company name:  Sonova Holding

Overseas base:  Switzerland

UK base:  Warrington, Cheshire

Hearing Aid Manufacturer RESOUND

Company name:  GNReSound

Overseas base:  Denmark

UK base:  Oxford, Oxfordshire

Hearing Aid Manufacturer SIGNIA (formerly SIEMENS)

Company name:  Siemens

Overseas base:  Germany

UK base:  Crawley, West Sussex

Hearing Aid Manufacturer STARKEY

Company name:  Starkey

Overseas base:  USA

UK base:  Stockport, Greater Manchester

Hearing Aid Manufacturer UNITRON

Company name:  Sonova Holding

Overseas base:  Switzerland

UK base:  Warrington, Cheshire

Hearing Aid Manufacturer WIDEX

Company name:  Widex

Overseas base:  Denmark

UK base:  Chester, Cheshire

Manufacturer affiliations

Over the years, many retailers have built affiliations with certain manufacturers and in some cases are partially owned by them. This is a selection of retailers that have ties to manufacturers:

Boots Hearing Care:  (David Ormerod Hearing Centres) – Majority owned by Sonova Holding (Phonak, Unitron).

Hidden Hearing: Owned by William Demant Holding (Bernafon, Oticon).

Bloom Hearing and Regional Hearing Services:  Owned by Widex.

While this does not mean that you would necessarily receive substandard technology from these retailers, it does mean that you are likely to be offered a limited choice. As they are affiliated with certain manufacturers, there is a good chance that they will recommend that the company’s products first. (If you went to buy a car at a Mercedes dealership they wouldn’t offer you a Ford!)

Another thing to watch for in these cases is that manufacturers will often use these retailers to clear their stocks of older technology by offering things like 2 for 1 deal. While this looks like a fantastic offer on the surface, you may not be getting the best technology available for what you are paying.

We can support you and your hearing locally nationwide

At Hearing Aid UK we work with professional, independent audiologists from all over the UK.  Because they are independent, you can be sure that the advice you receive and the products they recommend are the right solution for you based on your hearing needs.

Want to know more about hearing aid manufacturers?

Our audiologists are happy to help and support you with any questions you may have about hearing aid manufacturers or any other areas of hearing healthcare free on 0800 567 7621

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