Thread here has good info:
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I second what Rob Hooft has said. I have been using Apple Airpod Pro 2s for a few weeks and they are excellent and they are a fraction of the cost of “real” hearing aids at £229. They were only £179 in the Amazon Prime day sale a few days ago.
I too have mild to moderate hearing loss in the mid and high frequencies. May dad had poor hearing in his late 40s early 50s and blamed it on shooting. I can say the same but I also DJ’d and went to a lot of very noisy nightclubs.
So far, for me, the only limitation I have found is the six hour battery life so I will buy a second pair in the coming weeks.
Apple received FDA approval to sell them as OTC hearing aids a couple of weeks ago but they are far more versatile than most of the competition and much, much cheaper.
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I agree w many of the posts above, “give Costco a try”.
I’ve worn hearing aids for over 20 years and have nothing but good things to say about living with them (well, considering that they are necessary!). We are so lucky in our age to have these marvelous helpers available, and, thanks to Costco, fairly affordable. You’ve done the right thing to discover this Forum, too. I’d say, go with Costco’s recommend; I pretty much agree with “MBD” above.
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Sharing your audiogram would help the OP to understand if the Airpods could indeed help him.
Thanks
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I think you’re going to find a divergence of opinion on the forums. Some will say OTC are fine. Others are big fans of Costco. Others will say you should go to a private audi and spend $6000 plus.
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Reminder: Matthew Allsop, audiologist, has a number of excellent videos posted right here on Hearing Tracker. You have to go out of the Forum channel in order to find them.
Highly recommended by me. He covers the latest models–at Costco and elsewhere. I’m surprised I never see him referred to here on the Forum, considering he’s part of Hearing Tracker.
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I added it to my post. Thanks.
I get mumbling back from my wife. Normally when she is turned away from me with the tap running in the kitchen…
Your audiogram is similar to mine but slightly worse if I am reading them correctly.
For the ambient noise cancelling and the conversation boost they could work very well for you and wearing Airpods you will be the coolest teacher in the classroom. :o)
Conversation boost means that when somebody starts talking to you or you start talking the ambient noise will drop and the microphones focus on the person in front of you. The clarity is excellent.
Get them on a trial at the Apple Store on Amazon and if you don’t get on with them, send them back. If you like them, buy a second pair. I get around six hours out of mine but they do charge pretty quickly.
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Sconner, I’ve been down the road you are on now. Being basically cheap and pricing hearing aids from regular providers (before I knew about Costco), I decided to try the over the counter aids and spent about $700 on them. I tried for months to get them to work for me but everyone still “mumbled”. I finally got a real hearing test and for a mere $6500, I was assured all my problems would be solved. That’s when I discovered Costco about 4 years ago and bought one of theirs (it was a KS9 by Phonak) and they made all the difference in the world. I decided about a year ago to upgrade to rechargeable hearing aids and bought a pair of Jabra 20s which just wouldn’t work with my Android phone. I returned them and bought the Philips 9050 several weeks ago and so far, so good. I’m a big fan of Costco and my advice is don’t kid yourself and try to save money with OTC aids. Get real hearing aids and the best value out there is at Costco. Just my two cents worth. Good luck getting your hearing figured out.
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I really appreciate all the information and varied opinions. It’s tremendously helpful.
I need to read more about OTC vs. real hearing aids before making a decision.
If I go with OTC it will be Apple. If I go with real hearing aids it will be one of the Costo units (Jabra, Rexton, Philips).
Any other info or opinions would be helpful!
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Can you please give me a more detailed opinion of the Philips? I researched all three Costco offerings (Jabra, Rexton, Philips). The audiologist recommended the Philips, but by my research it seemed like the Rexton and Jabra generally had better consumer satisfaction.
Just as a data point - I have an iPhone.
Thanks!
I teach tech - robots, gaming, coding, laser cutting, drones - so by default I’m the coolest teacher in the school 
Seriously considering the AirPods
From everything I read, the AirPods would probably work for you, but for serious assistance, long-term, you’ll want professional hearing aids. And, frankly, the sooner you get them and get used to them, the sooner you’ll be into a permanent solution. Yes, they cost over $1K, but they are highly sophisticated instruments, and come with unlimited professional adjustment and advice from Costco (if you shop there, which most of us would recommend).
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You might want to go to youtube and search the hearing club. It is a Costco hearing aid guy and he reviews each one. Before I got the Philips, I bought the Jabra. I have an Android and the Jabra was terrible with connectivity but it is better with Apple. I also had to return them twice for repair. So far, the connectivity With Philips has been fine. I can’t say much about the Philips in noise but the Jabra wasn’t very good.
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I agree with everything you say. I’m leaning towards professional hearing aides. Just really nervous with the outlay of cash. $1,500 in a vacuum is a lot to spend.
Realistically, the AirPods (which I’m still considering) are more of a decent band aid than a long term solution.
Thank you for the info. I will jump on YouTube and watch the videos. Tremendously helpful!
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Elehear Beyond OTC hearing aid
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When I first learned I needed hearing aids I was floored at the $6000 a pair prices. I read up about DIY here on this forum. There were no Costco’s back then to find reasonably priced hearing aids.
Maybe DIY is a fit for you as well. It was a huge money saver for me and many others on this forum. DIY is not for everyone. It is a learning experience that does take some effort and time.
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Consider that at the $1500 coscto price point you are already saving thousands of dollars. You’re also saving another couple hundred by not buying airpods as a stop-gap and then just inevitably buying hearing aids.
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Yes, the ‘hearing club’ is good, but I also highly recommend the videos by Matthew Allsop, an audi endorsed by this Forum and he is linked to Hearing Tracker. https://www.youtube.com/@HearingTracker
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