You can buy over-the-counter hearing aids at major retailers like Best Buy, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens, as well as directly from manufacturers online. No prescription, no audiologist visit, and no appointment needed. The FDA created the OTC hearing aid category in October 2022 for adults 18 and older with mild to moderate hearing loss, and since then these devices have become widely available both in stores and through e-commerce.
Major Retailers That Sell OTC Hearing Aids
Several national chains carry OTC hearing aids, though the shopping experience varies quite a bit between them. Some let you walk in and buy a pair off the shelf, while others only sell online through their websites.
Best Buy offers the widest brand selection, stocking devices from Lexie, Eargo, Hearing Assist, Lucid Hearing, Sony, Go Hearing, Jabra, and HP. You can shop in-store or online, and they also carry accessories like rechargeable cases. Orders over $35 ship free, and returns can be handled in-store or online.
Walmart carries hearing aids from Go Hearing, Lexie, Lucid Hearing, and Hearing Assist. You can order online with in-store pickup, three-day shipping, or free delivery on orders over $35. Walmart offers a 60-day return window on all OTC hearing aids, which gives you a solid trial period.
CVS sells devices from Go Hearing, Lexie, Hearing Assist, Persona Medical, iHEAR, and Lucid Hearing through its website. Like Walmart, CVS provides a free 60-day return policy on all OTC hearing aid products, plus free delivery on orders over $35.
Walgreens offers a more limited selection, carrying only the Lexie Lumen and Lexie B2 models. These are online-only purchases through the Walgreens website, so you can’t pick them up in a physical store. Same-day delivery is available in some areas, and shipping is free on orders over $35.
Hy-Vee, the Midwest grocery chain, is one of the few places where you can buy iHEAR hearing aids directly off the shelf. They don’t sell them through their website, but the in-store experience means you can walk out with a pair the same day.
Buying Directly From Manufacturers
Every major OTC hearing aid brand also sells directly through its own website. This is often where you’ll find the full product lineup, the best bundle deals, and the longest trial periods. Brands like Eargo, Jabra Enhance, Sony, and Lexie all run their own online stores. Some offer guided fitting tools, app-based sound customization, and customer support chat to help you choose the right model without visiting a store.
Going direct can also simplify returns. Many manufacturers offer trial periods of 30 to 100 days, sometimes longer than what retailers provide. If you’re unsure which model fits your needs, the manufacturer’s site typically has the most detailed product comparisons and fitting guides.
Understanding the Brand Landscape
The OTC hearing aid market has a lot of familiar consumer electronics names on the packaging, but many of these are branding partnerships rather than original products. The Lexie B1 and B2, for instance, are based on Bose SoundControl technology. Sony’s CRE-C10 uses a device originally developed by a company called WSA. HP Hearing PRO is built on Nuheara’s IQbuds platform. And Jabra Enhance Plus comes from GN Store Nord, Jabra’s parent company, which has deep roots in the hearing aid industry.
This doesn’t make these products worse or less legitimate. They’re all FDA-cleared. But it’s worth knowing that a recognizable brand name on the box doesn’t always mean that company engineered the hearing aid from scratch. If you’re comparing models, look at the underlying technology and user reviews rather than choosing purely based on brand familiarity.
What OTC Hearing Aids Cost
Prices for OTC hearing aids range from about $100 to $2,000 per pair, with some premium models pushing closer to $2,700. That’s a wide spread, but even the high end represents significant savings compared to prescription hearing aids, which can run as high as $7,000. The most popular models from well-known brands tend to fall in the $200 to $800 range for a pair.
Price differences reflect real feature differences. Budget models are typically basic amplifiers with limited customization. Mid-range devices often include Bluetooth connectivity, companion apps for sound adjustment, and rechargeable batteries. Premium models add features like self-fitting algorithms that tune the device to your specific hearing profile, multiple listening modes for different environments, and smaller, more discreet designs.
Who OTC Hearing Aids Are Designed For
The FDA designed this category specifically for adults 18 and older who have mild to moderate hearing loss. That generally means you can follow most conversations but struggle in noisy restaurants, miss words on phone calls, or find yourself turning the TV volume higher than others prefer. OTC devices are not intended for severe or profound hearing loss, where sounds are significantly muffled or absent even in quiet settings.
If you’re under 18, you need a prescription and should see a specialist, since hearing issues in younger people often require different evaluation and treatment. And if your hearing loss came on suddenly, affects only one ear, or is accompanied by dizziness or pain, those are signs of something that needs medical attention rather than an over-the-counter device.
Testing Your Hearing Before You Buy
Since you’re buying without professional guidance, it helps to get a baseline sense of your hearing before spending a few hundred dollars. The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health released a free app called Hearing Number that lets you test each ear individually using your smartphone and a pair of headphones or earbuds. The test takes about five minutes in a quiet room and is available in English and Spanish on both iOS and Android. It uses the same clinical measure that audiologists rely on, translated into a simple number you can track over time. The app doesn’t collect personal data.
This type of screening won’t replace a full audiological exam, but it gives you a clear picture of whether your hearing loss falls in the mild-to-moderate range where OTC devices can help, or whether it’s more significant and worth investigating with a professional.
Making the Most of Return Policies
Hearing aids take time to adjust to. Your brain needs days or even weeks to recalibrate to sounds it hasn’t been processing fully, so a device that feels overwhelming on day one may feel natural by week three. This is why return policies matter so much for hearing aids specifically.
Both Walmart and CVS offer 60-day return windows on OTC hearing aids, which gives you enough time for a real-world trial. Best Buy follows its standard return policy. When buying direct from manufacturers, look for trial periods of at least 30 days, and confirm whether the return is completely free or comes with a restocking fee. Start your trial in the environments where you struggle most: crowded restaurants, work meetings, phone calls. That will tell you quickly whether a particular device is solving your actual problem.