Eargo Hearing Aids Review: What Experts Say (2024)

FEATURED PARTNER OFFER

Partner Offers feature brands who paid Forbes Health to appear at the top of our list. While this may influence where their products or services appear on our site, it in no way affects our ratings, which are based on thorough research, solid methodologies and expert advice. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services

Get $400 Off Eargo 7 With Code FORBESFALL23

Experience The Eargo Difference With Eargo 7

• Removable petal tip to deliver crisp and natural sound
• Self-fitting technology to personalize your Eargo devices from comfort of your home
• Sound Adjust+ with clarity mode that automatically adapts to any environment
• Virtually invisible and practically disappear into your ear
• Lifetime remote support from licensed hearing professionals
• Water-resistant & Sweat-resistant

Shop Now

On Eargo's Website

Summary

• Coverage of types and severities of hearing loss: Eargo offers four models of completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aids for people with mild to moderate high-frequency hearing loss.
• Aesthetic: Eargo hearing aids “float” inside the ear canal with soft, flexible tips, making them virtually invisible and cosmetically appealing.
• Easy setup: Customers can take an optional online hearing screening test and speak with an Eargo representative to determine the best self-fitting hearing aid for their level of hearing loss (mild to moderate high-frequency hearing loss).

What We Like

• Nearly invisible and sold as a pair
• User can adjust hearing aid settings for the environment, noise and wind reduction on most models

What We Don’t Like

• Customer service availability and options

Founded in 2010, Eargo is a medical device company headquartered in San Jose, California. Eargo hearing aids were designed by Florent Michel, M.D., an ear, nose and throat surgeon whose flexible, soft and self-adjusting hearing aid designs were inspired by fly fishing feathers.

Eargo has a Better Business Bureau rating of A- and 95 resolved or “answered” customer complaints in the last three years.

Eargo offers four hearing aid models that fit inside the ear canal, making them nearly invisible. Eargo also provides an online hearing test to help potential users determine their level of hearing loss. You can speak with Eargo representatives, too, who can help you choose the best hearing aid for your lifestyle and degree of hearing loss.

Customization Options and Special Features

Depending on the Eargo hearing aid model you need, features may include:

• Environmental programs. The sound match feature can be adjusted to the user’s environment, such as a noisy restaurant or theater, for better hearing. (Eargo 5, Eargo Neo HiFi and Eargo Neo only)
• Soft, replaceable tips. Eargo hearing aids come with two sizes of soft, replaceable silicone tips that “float” inside your ear while allowing in air and natural sounds.
• Black cap for inside the ear opening. The Eargo 5 comes with a black “cap” that further promotes invisibility by blending into the natural darkness of the ear opening.
• Rechargeability. All Eargo hearing aids are rechargeable, lasting approximately 16 hours on a full charge. When fully charged, the Eargo charger can power the hearing aids for up to a week.
• 45-day return policy. Eargo offers a 45-day return period that starts the day your hearing aids are delivered.

Eargo Hearing Aid Apps and Accessories

The Eargo mobile app is compatible with Eargo 5, Eargo 6 and Eargo 7 hearing aids. Eargo’s apps allow you to personalize settings for different listening environments. The Eargo app also comes with built-in hearing screening to create a “sound map” for better customization of hearing settings. Using their unique sound map, users can fine-tune their hearing aid settings independently from home.

Eargo Warranties and Discounts

Eargo 7 hearing aids include up to a two-year warranty on each hearing aid. Eargo 5, Eargo 6 and Eargo Neo HiFi hearing aids each come with a one-year warranty.

The Eargo warranty covers unlimited repairs on the hearing aid and one-time loss or damage coverage per hearing aid. During the warranty timeframe, Eargo will inspect the hearing aid and/or charger and repair or exchange the unit with a new or refurbished unit. However, if you lose or damage the hearing aid or charger during Eargo’s 45-day return period, you can’t return the system for a refund.

Eargo offers a 10% discount on Eargo 6 and Eargo 7 hearing aids to first responders, nurses, doctors. Veterans and active military members are eligible for a 20% discount on Eargo 7 devices.

Original Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids, though some Medicare Advantage plans may cover the cost of hearing aids. Eargo does accept private health insurance, however, and the company may even help customers in need of assistance with their paperwork. Eargo lists a step-by-step process on its website to ensure insurance coverage, which includes confirming policy or claim eligibility with the company and uploading hearing test results (which may be required depending on the provider). Eargo also provides a helpful insurance FAQ list to give prospective customers a head start.

Check with your health insurance provider to find out whether your policy covers Eargo hearing aids specifically. Since Eargo hearing aids don’t require a professional hearing health assessment and fitting, they may not be covered under traditional hearing aid coverage.

Eargo hearing aids may be covered by some other types of insurance, such as the Federal Employees Health Benefits insurance program. With that said, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation of Eargo in 2021 relating to its insurance reimbursement claims submitted on behalf of customers covered by federal employee health plans.

During multiple calls to customer service in one day, the touch tone prompts didn’t work, forcing us to call back more than a dozen times. We were connected only one time with a customer service agent, who was courteous, knowledgeable and helpful. Several other times, the call prompt worked but disconnected after several minutes of being on hold. However, on a different day, we were able to get through to an Eargo representative right away.

The chat box on the Eargo website provides only automated answers and links to articles that might be helpful. To get questions answered by a real person, you must provide your phone number for a callback.

One concern with Eargo hearing aids is that they don’t require an in-person diagnosis of hearing loss or hearing-related health issues, says Stelios Dokianakis, an audiologist and owner of Holland Doctors of Audiology in Holland, Michigan.

“Hearing problems can come from allergies, sinus problems, fluid in the middle ear, growths or tumors and, of course, excessive wax in the ears,” says Dokianakis. “Without an appropriate diagnosis and someone to look in the ears, getting hearing aids can mask reversible problems and lead to more serious complications.” Even though Eargo’s preset programs can be adjusted on some of its hearing aid models, the devices still won’t equal the precise accuracy of a prescription hearing aid, he adds.

“Like drugstore reading glasses compared to prescription glasses, they only make sense for mild problems and if the cost is significantly lower,” says Dokianakis. “That’s probably the biggest complaint I’ve heard from patients regarding Eargo. They’re not much cheaper than entry-level, professionally-fit, prescription hearing aids.”

Eargo has an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on the Consumer Affairs website. Most user reviews are positive, citing improved hearing and ease of use. “Since using Eargo, there’s been an improvement with my hearing, although I’m not sure it deals with all the tones that I have deafness with,” wrote one reviewer. “Other than that, the hearing aids fit very well in the ear.”

“I am pleasantly surprised at how easy Eargo is to use,” wrote another reviewer. “For the first time, I am wearing hearing aids all day, as they are so comfortable and the sound is so natural, I almost forget they are on.”

Eargo didn’t fare as well with user reviews posted on the Better Business Bureau website. Many reviewers complained about customer service not getting back to them in a timely manner. Others wrote that their hearing aids stopped working properly soon after receipt or around the time the warranty expired.

“Initial support was great. However, one hearing aid completely stopped working within five months,” wrote one reviewer. “I called customer support repeatedly. I was literally on hold for over 30 minutes, multiple times, at which point a recording would come on to send an email instead due to high volume … Over a week later, they sent an email indicating they would send a replacement. A replacement never arrived.”

While not suitable for every person with hearing loss, Eargo hearing aids cater well to people with mild to moderate high-frequency hearing loss who are looking for a discreet, rechargeable device. Eargo hearing aids are also sold as a pair (unlike some competitor devices that are sold separately) and don’t require an audiologist exam or prescription. Furthermore, its hearing aids are less expensive—about half the price in some instances—than high-end prescription devices. The company’s 45-day return policy offers additional peace of mind as well.

However, Eargo devices are not designed for people with severe to profound hearing loss. Another potential downside is that these devices bypass a proper audiology exam, which may catch potentially serious (or possibly treatable) underlying health problems at the root of a person’s hearing loss. An audiologist can also help ensure hearing aids are fitted correctly and fine-tuned to a person’s specific needs and preferences.

Beauty is in the eye—or ear, in this case—of the beholder.

While Eargo garners largely positive customer reviews, there’s an inherent risk when someone takes their hearing health into their own hands. Eargo’s hearing aids may help alleviate mild hearing loss in some users, though it’s always advisable to visit a professional audiologist for a formal diagnosis and hearing aid fitting to avoid more serious—and possibly undetected—health problems.

Eargo hearing aids are designed to help people with mild to moderate high-frequency hearing loss. They are an attractive option for people who tend to be self-guided in terms of their health and wellness and are looking for an invisible hearing aid solution. With that said, evaluation by an audiologist can determine your level of hearing loss and better inform your choice of hearing aid.

Consumers can purchase Eargo hearing aids directly from the company’s website by simply selecting the desired device, such as the Eargo 7, and proceeding to checkout. Eargo does accept some health insurance, so be sure to check your plan’s benefits—or call Eargo for help in investigating your benefits—before making a purchase or choosing a specific device.