So, you have chosen to go private for your hearing aids – but which provider? When it comes to choosing a hearing aid there any many factors to consider other than the device itself. Some of the most common questions asked are, 'Who is the best hearing aid provider?', 'How much do hearing aids cost?' or 'How do different retailers compare?'
For instance, how does Hidden Hearing compare to rivals Amplifon? What are the differences between them?
We, at Hearing Aid UK, think it is important to know the main retailers out there. This way you can gain from a better understanding, which in turn might help steer you in the right direction when searching for hearing aids.
Here we compare two of the big retailer names on the high street by discussing the pros and cons of the service they provide - so you can see the differences and whether they are right for you and your hearing loss needs.
With a head office in Kent and around 80 clinics and 200 hearing aid dispensers, this retailer is the third-largest in the UK. Hidden Hearing is owned by the same company that owns manufacturers Oticon and Bernafon - William Demant Holding. Oticon and Bernafon are two of the major manufacturers in the industry.
Considering that the price point is a huge factor for most consumers, we feel that not publishing prices can only be negative. In fact, Hidden Hearing is one of the main retailers who don’t publish their prices.
Although an Italian company, Ampifon currently has a sizeable UK presence and operate in eighteen countries. Their Italian Head Office is in Milan and they also have a UK HQ in Manchester. To date, they have around 200 centres and employ around 100 dispensers. Similar to Hidden Hearing they provide a home visiting service, but it’s important to know that this is not offered in all areas of the UK.
Amplifon came to the UK hearing aid market in 2006 with Ultravox, who own Amplivox, Ultratone, Sietech and Hearing Health. They have no affiliation with any hearing aid manufacturer, but they have always been known to have a solid business relationship with Resound. With this in mind, most hearing aids they sell are from this brand and to put this in perspective 11% purchased Widex and roughly 19% invested in Phonak hearing aids.
We, at Hearing Aid UK, are completely transparent with our prices, services and much more. The advantages and disadvantages that we have stated for Hidden Hearing and Amplifon have come from a reliable source - the Which? Report from last year. You can view this report here
Click on the links to find out more information surrounding hearing aids and hearing healthcare:
If you would like to speak to one of our audiologists about anything within this article or any other hearing healthcare queries - call us free on 0800 567 7621.
Read Next: Digital Hearing Aids
When we refer to a product as 'New', we mean that the product is new to the market.
When we refer to a product as 'Superseded', we mean that there is a newer range available which replaces and improves on this product.
When we refer to a product as an 'Older Model', we mean that it is has been superseded by at least two more recent hearing aid ranges.