5 Lifestyle Factors to Consider When Choosing a Hearing Aid

What brands are good? What brands should you avoid? What hearing aid offers the best comfort? What hearing aid has the most features? 

First thing's first, slow down. Take a deep breath. There's a reason we recommend visiting an audiologist when exploring a hearing aid purchase. 

They can help you sort all of that out and find a hearing aid that fits in the process. It's sort of what they do. In the meantime, however, you can consider a few things to help them along.

See, aside from your specific type of hearing loss, what hearing aid you choose depends mainly on how you live. With that said, here are a few lifestyle factors you should account for when selecting a hearing aid. 

Do you live a relatively quiet life? That makes choosing a hearing aid relatively easy. You aren't going to need to worry about it falling out while you're rock climbing or getting damaged while you play squash.

If, however, you tend to be the sort to get up and go constantly, you're going to need to think about that when choosing a hearing aid — you'll likely want something durable and moisture resistant.

Yes, where you live is a lifestyle factor. Suppose you're in an incredibly hot, dry environment like Calgary or Phoenix. In that case, you won't need to worry about much aside from air conditioning (hearing aids, like any electronic gadget, are prone to overheating in the summer sun). If you live in a damper clime, though? You'll want to invest in a moisture-resistant unit and likely a dry box as well. 

Do you mostly stay at home with your cats, or are you regularly out at bars, conferences, and restaurants? 

That's a rhetorical question. We realize we're in the midst of a pandemic right now. 

The question we're asking here is how much background noise your listening environment typically includes. Certain hearing aids are designed with built-in filtering, making it easier to focus on individual sounds in even the most chaotic and hectic environment. If you enjoy being out and about or hanging out in loud environments, that's what you'll want. 

We like to think there are two types of people. 

Those who are fine with doing things the old-fashioned way, and those who shout at their fridge to update their shopping list. More and more, people fall unashamedly into the latter category. Maybe you do, too. 

Think about how much smart technology you have in your home. Wouldn't it be neat if your hearing aid could integrate with Alexa or Google Assistant or act as a headset for your TV? It can if you purchase the right model.

Last but not least, if you're not retired, think about where you work. Is it the kind of job where you'll need to have your hearing in at all hours, or can you afford to toss it on the charger for a bit in your downtime? Battery life is a serious consideration here, as is design — if you're in a customer-facing job like sales, for instance, you want a hearing aid that looks at least somewhat stylish.

That's a lot to consider. But again, you needn't worry. Your audiologist can walk you through the finer details — and they'll appreciate that you came so prepared, too. 

Stay tuned in the coming weeks as we take a deep dive into our hearing aids to determine which might be the best fit for you.