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Hearing Aid Manufacturers UK

Kimberley Bradshaw - Head of Marketing
Written By:
Kimberley Bradshaw

Head of Customer Content Experience

Kimberley Bradshaw - Head of Marketing
Medically Reviewed By:
Kimberley Bradshaw

Head of Customer Content Experience

Updated: 2nd January 2024
Hearing Aid Manufacturers

Hearing Aid Manufacturers UK

Hearing aid manufacturers' comparison

 

What's the difference between a hearing aid manufacturer and a 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 the same but this is not the case.

A hearing aid manufacturer is a company that makes the instruments. They are also responsible for the design, and 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, you must know who you are dealing with as technology levels and the quality of the products can vary greatly. Many small manufacturers 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

 

Hearing aid 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) – The majority is 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 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 deals. While this looks like a fantastic offer on the surface, you may not be getting the best technology available for what you are paying.

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Unlike most national retailers we are not owned by any manufacturer, this means we can offer the full choice of all makes and models of hearing aids

We can support you and your hearing locally and 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.

And if you 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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This article was written by Paul Harrison - Audiology Expert

Meet Paul Harrison, Audiology Expert & Founder

Managing Director & founder of Hearing Aid UK, with over 20 years of audiology experience and a member of the British Society of Hearing Aid Audiologists Council (BSHAA) between 2015-2020.

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Common FAQs when researching hearing aids and hearing loss

Is this the best model for me?

If you are looking at this page then it is likely that an audiologist has suggested that you purchase this particular hearing aid, so is this the best model for you?

In general, any audiologist will always be recommending to you the model that best suits your needs. Here is a useful check list to make sure that is the case.

  • Audiologist level of knowledge. The audiologist you have seen will hopefully have a wide knowledge of all available hearing aids, however some will only be familiar with a small number of brands and therefore may not really be in a position to know which model is the best for you. It is OK to challenge their recommendation and ask them to justify why this particular brand is the one for you.
  • Do research. Read about the hearing aid that was recommended. Does it seem like it will suit your lifestyle? Does it have more or less features than you need? 
  • Be aware of sales targets. Many high street retailers have specific tie-ins to a particular manufacturer/brand. The hearing aid they have suggested may still be the correct one for you, but do your research so that you know why they might have recommended it.

If in doubt, feel free to give us a call. That's what we're here for.

Do I need one hearing aid or two?

If you have a significant hearing loss in both ears, you should be wearing two hearing aids. Here are the audiological reasons why:

Localisation. The brain decodes information from both ears and compares and contrasts them. By analysing the miniscule time delays as well as the difference in loudness of each sound reaching the ears, the person is able to accurately locate a sound source. Simply put, if you have better hearing on one side than the other, you can't accurately tell what direction sounds are coming from.

Less amplification required. A phenomena known as “binaural summation” means that the hearing aids can be set at a lower and more natural volume setting than than if you wore only one hearing aid.

Head shadow effect. High frequencies, the part of your hearing that gives clarity and meaning to speech sounds, cannot bend around your head. Only low frequencies can. Therefore if someone is talking on your unaided side you are likely to hear that they are speaking, but be unable to tell what they have said.

Noise reduction. The brain has it’s own built in noise reduction which is only really effective when it is receiving information from both ears. If only one ear is aided, even with the best hearing aid in the world, it will be difficult for you to hear in background noise as your brain is trying to retain all of the sounds (including background noise) rather than filtering it out.

Sound quality. We are designed to hear in stereo. Only hearing from one side sounds a lot less natural to us.

What are the benefits of rechargeable hearing aids?

For most people, the main benefit of a rechargeable hearing aid is simple convenience. We are used to plugging in our phones and other devices overnight for them to charge up. 

For anybody with poor dexterity or issues with their fingers, having a rechargeable aid makes a huge difference as normal hearing aid batteries are quite small and some people find them fiddly to change.

One downside is that if you forget to charge your hearing aid, then it is a problem that can't be instantly fixed. For most a 30 minute charge will get you at least two or three hours of hearing, but if you are the type of person who is likely to forget to plug them in regularly then you're probably better off with standard batteries.

Rechargeable aids are also a little bit bigger and are only available in behind the ear models.

Finally, just like with a mobile phone, the amount of charge you get on day one is not going to be the same as you get a few years down the line. Be sure to ask what the policy is with the manufacturer warranty when it comes to replacing the battery.

 

Are behind the ear aids better than in the ear aids?

For most people, the answer is yes. But it's never that simple.

The majority of hearing problems affect the high frequencies a lot more than the low ones. Therefore open fitting hearing aids sound a lot more natural and ones that block your ears up can make your own voice sound like you are talking with your head in a bucket. Therefore in-ear aids tend to be less natural.

However the true answer is we can't tell until we have had a look in your ears to assess the size of your ear canal, and until we have tested your hearing to see which frequencies are being affected.

People with wider ear canals tend to have more flexibility, also there are open fitting modular CIC hearing aids now that do not block your ears.

There is also the age old rule to consider, that a hearing aid will not help you if it's sat in the drawer gathering dust. If the only hearing aid you would be happy wearing is one that people can't see, then that's what you should get.

Most people can adapt to any type of hearing aid, as long as they know what to expect. Have an honest conversation with your audiologist as to what your needs are.

What are channels, and how many do I need?

Generally speaking, six or more. Unless it's none at all.

The number of channels a hearing aid has is often a simplistic way an audiologist will use to explain why one hearing aid is better than another, but channels are complex and it is really not that straightforward.

Hearing aids amplify sounds of different frequencies by different amounts. Most people have lost more high frequencies than low and therefore need more amplification in the high frequencies. The range of sounds you hear are split into frequency bands or channels and the hearing aids are set to provide the right amount of hearing at each frequency level.

Less than six channels and this cannot be done with much accuracy, so six is the magic number. However, a six channel aid is typically very basic with few other features and is suitable only for hearing a single speaker in a quiet room. The number of channels is not what you should be looking at, it's more the rest of the technology that comes with them.

As a final note, different manufacturers have different approaches. One method is not necessarily better than any other. For example some manufacturers have as many as 64 channels in their top aids. Most tend to have between 17 and 20. One manufacturer has no channels at all.

Where can I get the hearing aids covered?

Hearing aids are easily lost, misplaced or damaged and typically are one of the most expensive personal possessions an individual can own. We offer hearing aid warranty cover for £80 per year per aid.  Find out more here

How much does the hearing test cost?

All our audiologists use the very latest technology and provide the full range of tests to accurately measure your hearing for free.  Find out about what we offer all our customers here

Do home visits cost extra?

Hearing Aid UK offers all their customers free home visiting services and home visits for hearing aids - Including hearing tests, fittings, maintenance, check-ups and much more in the comfort of your own home and at your convenience.  Find out more information here

How come you're much cheaper than other places?

Here, at Hearing Aid UK, we are dedicated to offering low hearing aid prices. We achieve this by having no head office and low marketing costs.   Our hearing aid prices are amongst the lowest you will find anywhere in the world.

Need advice? Give our hearing aid experts a call for FREE

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