There’s a good chance that you have a Bose speaker somewhere in your home. Amar Bose founded his company in 1964, and the brand has set the standard in audio ever since. Today you can find Bose in luxury car speakers, $500 noise-canceling headphones, and sideline headsets.
One question Bose has received for years:
Why don’t you sell hearing aids?
The answer from Bose has been simple; regulation around hearing aids was just too complex. For decades the FDA has tightly controlled who could dispense and sell hearing devices.
Times are changing and that’s good news for people with hearing loss.
Over the last few years, the FDA’s mood around direct-to-consumer hearing aids has gone from very icy to increasingly warm. You can read more about the legislation here.
As someone with hearing loss, these changes are very welcome. It means more competition, more innovation, and, finally, lower prices.
In 2018 the FDA ruled that Bose could sell a self-fitting hearing aid without assistance from an audiologist. The brand went to work, and three years later, they launched their product.
The brand quickly realized that they needed a partner with experience in healthcare to provide support to customers. It turns out that headphones and hearing aids require different levels of service.
In July 2022 Bose formed a strategic partnership with Lexie. Bose was an early investor in the Lexie and saw an opportunity to pair their winning self-fit technology with Lexie’s experience in care
Today you can buy two models of Bose OTC hearing through Soundly and program them at home.
Lexie B1 - Disposable batteries $749 per pair
Lexie B2+ - Rechargeable batteries $999 per pair
We recommend B2+ for most shoppers for its improved charge case, streaming capabilities and rechargeable batteries.
In this review, I’ll break down what you need to know about Bose hearing aids and include some photos from my own unboxing and setup experience.
- 50+ hearing aid brands reviewed and rated by our team of hearing aid wearers and audiologists
- 200+ hours each month spent researching brands and care options
- 100% independently owned and operated
We launched Soundly.com in 2022 to create a better starting point for the hearing health experience.
Instead of selling hearing aids directly, we spend our time reviewing products, publishing clearly organized information, and building modern tools to make the process of accessing hearing health easier. Learn more.
Our work is funded through reader support. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Read more about our research process here.
- 50+ hearing aid brands reviewed and rated by our team of hearing aid wearers and audiologists
- 200+ hours each month spent researching brands and care options
- 100% independently owned and operated
We launched Soundly.com in 2022 to create a better starting point for the hearing health experience.
Instead of selling hearing aids directly, we spend our time reviewing products, publishing clearly organized information, and building modern tools to make the process of accessing hearing health easier. Learn more.
Our work is funded through reader support. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Read more about our research process here.
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Bose Hearing Aids
Fast Facts About Bose Hearing Aids
- Soundly (along with some other retailers) sell Bose hearing aids for $999 and $749 per pair (compared to $3K-$8K industry average for a pair of hearing aids).
- The more expensive model (B2+) comes with rechargeable batteries and streaming capabilities while the less expensive model (B1) uses a disposable 312 battery that lasts 5-7 days.
- B2+ hearing aids allow Bluetooth streaming for iPhone and Android devices
- This product is fully programmed at home with the app. Soundly customers can access a complimentary setup call with an audiologist, but the wearer makes the updates on their side.
- Bose hearing aids are water-resistant and include background noise reduction.
- Bose hearing aids have two microphones on each device to allow for directional control.
My Lexie B2+ hearing aids arrived 3 days after I ordered them online. They came in a simple well designed box.
The box contains two grey hearing aids along with their recharge case. The case feels quality and has a nice magnetic snap. The Lexie B2+ case carries enough power for an additional 18 hours of charge on-the-go.
The rest of the box contents are pretty standard, including a brush for maintenance, USBC charging cable, several sizes of dome tips, wax guards and a user manual.
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Once your hearing aids are powered up (using disposable or rechargeable batteries) you will pair them with the Lexie Hearing app on your iPhone or Android device.
The Lexie App borrows from the incredibly simple Bose design with a simple set of controls to change the sound quality and volume. You can also select from pre-set options like “Noisy Indoor”, “Outdoors”, and “Music”. Over time you can manually change the pre-sets as a shortcut to your favorite sound settings.
The Lexie Hearing app also tracks your battery level so that you know when to recharge or change batteries.
Watch the video above for a full-length demo of the app.
So are Bose hearing aids good?
In short, yes. In addition to our hands on reviews of Lexie B2+, Soundly has also sold hundreds of devices to customers. Feedback around Lexie B2+ specifically is excellent.
My own experience wearing the product has also been positive. I love the simplicity of the app and I have enjoyably worn the product in both public settings and at home.
My only complaint is that the hearing aids occasionally don't connect to my app which requires me to reset them by popping them into the charger and pulling them out again. Otherwise, I have very few complaints.
Of course, there are several pros and cons to consider.
Pros:
- Bose is a beloved company with a legitimate background in tech.
- This product is FDA-approved and built on legitimate science.
- At $999 or $749, Bose isn’t cheap, but the price is 3-5X less than traditional competitors.
- Bose hearing aids are programmed at home, saving you trips to the audiologist.
Cons:
- Lexie B2+ Powered by Bose only allows streaming for iPhone and Android users. B1 does not allow streaming at this time.
- Bose hearing aids use self-fit programing. That’s great if you are comfortable with downloading the app and adjusting your hearing aids. If you are worried about doing all this yourself, it might be worth visiting an audiologist or looking into a brand like Jabra Enhance, which will program your hearing aids remotely before shipping them to your home.
- Bose hearing aids target mild to moderate hearing loss. If you have severe hearing loss, we would recommend working with an audiologist. Hear.com and Zip Hearing are good sources for local clinics.
- Bose hearing aids only come in one style (behind the ear) and one color (grey).
Need Help Deciding?
Soundly.com is a leading online shopping destination for hearing aid wearers. Our team includes hearing aid wearers, audiologists, and industry veterans. Read more about Soundly's story here.
If you are just beginning your research, we recommend starting with a hearing test. The test will provide you with a chart of your hearing loss and a clearer picture of your options.
You can also take Soundly's 5-minute quiz, and a member of our team will review the results and provide a product recommendation based on your results.
Of course, you can also call or text our team anytime at 1 (213) 460 1310.
