Finally there is a hearing aid that is environmentally responsible and good to people. The Solar Ear, a brand of solar hearing aids, is the recent winner of the Tech Laureate Award for its impact on society, particularly in developing nations. Not only is the Solar Ear company bringing affordable hearing aid technology to communities typically too disadvantaged to acquired hearing aids, but the company is also bring jobs to the deaf community.

Typical hearing aids cost above $700 and most insurance companies will not cover the cost of hearing aid devices. This is irrelevant, however, since the majority of the world does not even have health insurance. The technology to help individuals suffering from hearing loss is there, but it is frequently priced out of their reach. Unable to afford hearing aid devices, these individuals suffer in silence. The Solar Ear project is aiming to change all of that. Solar Ear hearing aids are priced around $100 each, and the battery, which lasts 2-3 years, costs about $1 and it recharged by the sun. Since the Solar Ear is recharged by the sun, those without electricity, particularly in developing nations, now have access to hearing aid technology.

The Solar Ear project began in Africa, but has since expanded to Brazil where it will supply solar hearing aids to all of South America. From there, the company plans to reach out to the Middle East and China. The Solar Ear project is also in the planning stages of bringing the project to Arizona for distribution in the United States.

Solar hearing aids are effective devices for relieving hearing loss. Unfortunately, most of the individuals suffering from hearing loss world-wide are unable to afford hearing aid devices. The Solar Ear project produces digital hearing aids that are effective and environmentally friendly. The project is also creating sustainable jobs for the deaf community in many disadvantaged areas. Solar hearing aids, like Solar Ear, are bringing hearing aids to thousands of individuals who are unable to afford typical hearing aids.

The usual life span of a disposable hearing aid is of 30 – 40 days. If the user wears it only for a few hours every day, and takes care to switch it off in the rest of the time, then such a device may last even longer. This relatively short duration has the advantage that earwax buildup and canal blockages are less frequent than in case of instruments that last for 4-5 years. Thanks to a mushroom-shaped cap that is to be inserted into the ear canal, these hearing instruments fit almost everybody, therefore they come in only one size. This is possible because the main part of the device is in the behind-the-ear module. Very few users actually found discomfort in wearing this kind of hearing aids. Disposable hearing aids cost less than $100, which makes them a good solution for people who can’t afford to pay several thousands dollars at once for a traditional hearing aid. Moreover, people who are only very slightly affected by hearing loss may not need all those advanced features that are incorporated in those expensive and sophisticated hearing aids. If they can benefit from better audition with the basic three levels of volume, than disposable hearing aids may be best for them.

When it comes to hearing devices here are two main types of hearing devices which include digital hearing aids and analogue hearing aids. Digital hearing aids take advantage of new digital technology, with most users reporting very good results. Digital hearing aids take the sound, convert it into bits, and make necessary changes before amplifying the signal so that you can hear it better.

There are many companies that offer digital hearing aids. Some of the companies include Miracle Ear, Belton, Widex, Starkey, Phonak. All these companies offer hearing devices can be programmed and tuned to your specifications and can automatically adjust in different environments. This is made possible by a micro computer inside the digital hearing aid. It can be adjusted by your hearing doctor so you get the best results possible. Check out our page on hearing aid reviews for more information on each brand.

Hearing aids have been around a long time. The newer version of the ear hearing aid is of the digital form. Just as everthing else seems to be going digital so are hearing aids. The older style of hearing device uses Analogue technology. It seems like there hearing devices go by many names these days and including; “hearing amplifiers” “digital aids” “Digital Hearing Aids”, “BTE Hearing aids”.

To help you hear better these older hearing devices basically amplify the sounds that you normally can’t hear through what amounts to a microphone. Next the signals “sounds” that the microphone just picked up are sent through the tubing in the hearin device and directly into the ear of the wearer. Like I said, this technology is a bit older but It has been improved in recent years to give a solid boost in hearing. These newer, more sophisticated analogue hearing aids can be programmed much like their digital cousins however the new digital hearing devices can be customized to a much higher level. If you are on a budget then the anlogue type of hearing device can be a great value and can improve your hearing greatly.

Digital hearing aids are much more complicated to explain but I’ve spent some time explaining it in another post. Check out my post on Digital Hearing aids. For the hearing impaired, digital hearing aids, such as those sold by Miracle Ear, provide a life changing experience that improves every aspect of daily living. However this improvement comes at a hefty price. If you have the money to invest is hearing devices such as the ones sold by Miracle Ear or other major brands such as Rexton, Siemens or  Beltone. Any of these major players provide digital hearing devices that improve your life by allowing you to hear things that have gone silient. If you have hearing loss than I don’t have to tell you how nice it is to have your hearing restored.

People budgets are shrinking, expecially with the current state of the economy and the ever dwindling social security pay checks. If you don’t have a lot of money to drop on a hearing device then all is not lost. There are even lower end, affordable models of digital hearing devices that can provide a lot of the functions and benifits of the more expensive hearing devices. If you are really under a budget then there are some As Seen On TV products out there such as TV Ears, Silver Sonic XL,Loud & Clear, Lee Majors Bionic Hearing Aid. These products are all under $100 dollars but these devices are not hearing aids. Less the cost a lot less, but don’t expect amazing results. Don’t think that inexpensive hearing aids are impossible to find. There are great deals out there but you have to be willing to do the research on hearing devices yourself. The world wide web is becoming a great resource for people to research different brands and styles of hearing devices and find prices that would be impossible to find buying direct from you doctor.

Rexton Digital Hearing Aids Reviewed

Rexton is known for manufacturing a large variety of both digital and analog hearing aides. They split their hearing aids into 3 main categories each with a significant difference in price. The Arena is offers the standard features and is in the basic range. The Targa model is a mid-level hearing aid that gives the wearer such features as adaptive noise reduction as well as a technology known as microphone noise reduction which can greatly enhance the effectiveness of the hearing aid. Rexton latest and greatest hearing aid is known as Calibra. If you are wanting the best digital hearing aid Rexton has to offer then this is the model for you then check out Rexton Hearing Aids.

Siemens Hearing Aids Reviewed
Siemens has a long history of helping people hear better. In fact the company has been around for 125 years and has one of the most respected names in the business. Siemens offers a range of digital hearing aides for anybody’s pocketbooks. The least expensive models Siemens produce are the Cielo and Artis models which both have some great features including digital noise reduction. If you want some more features but don’t want to break the bank then the Intuis and Phoenix models are great options. These models come with a high tech micro computers and background noise reduction technology. If you want the best digital hearing aid that Siemens has to offer then you should look into the Acuris and Centra models.

Beltone Digital Hearing Aids Reviewed

Beltone has a long history of helping people hear better. The company was founded in 1940 and has a vast distribution that covers twenty five countries. Beltone is a very reputable brand with a great reputation. Beltone offers three different levels of digital hearing aids as well. If you are on a budget then you should consider the as it Beltone’s low end model. For middle of the road models from Beltone you should check out Access and Mira. Both have technologies to recognize human voices, ways to deal with feedback and do a good job of reproducing human voice sounds. One of the best Beltone hearing aids is the Linq and Edge which have nine digital channels to help hear human conversation clearly while eliminating background noise.

As you can see all these companies mentioned above have great long standing reputations with a wide range of digital hearing aids to meet almost any budget. There are many other brands out there as well and I will do my best to review these when I get more time. If you could not find the information on the company you were looking for then check back soon as I update this site fairly often. Check out our other Hearing Aid Reviews below.

Phonak Hearing Aids

Starkey Hearing Aids

Widex hearing Aids

Oticon Hearing AIds

Song Bird Hearing Aids

Disposable Hearing Aids