My mother will be 89 this spring. She’s remarkably healthy, taking only an almost homeopathic dose of Levothyroxine and no other medication. After cataract surgery she reads the paper without glasses.
But her hearing is horrible. And hearing aids have been an ongoing problem for multiple reasons over the past five or so years. She does not want to use them. That’s another matter which I DO NOT need advice about.
On a whim I let her try my Airpods, since she’s about to get new hearing aids (which she won’t use). Someone tipped me off that Airpods pro can function as hearing aids for “low to moderate” hearing loss. Apple being Apple there’s a lot of sales talk on the web site and maybe some weasel words about how well they will work in real life. Mom actually liked the Airpods and found them comfy. Getting new hearing aids or Airpods will be the same price, more or less, and I’ll have to pay for them.
She has an Iphone, but AIUI, apart from configuring the Airpods, it’s not necessary to carry it around for them to work as hearing aids.
I realize that they will not be as good as proper hearing aids, but perfect is the enemy of good, and since she uses her real hearing aids grudgingly when I visit and never at other times, some form of aid that she uses all the time is better.
Please: No recommendations about other brands. She and I are happy inside Apple’s walled garden.
Anyone here that have personal experience, either as user or being close to a user, that can give me some advice?
We have a family friend in her late 70’s, whose relationship with hearing aids sounds very similar to your mother’s. She at the prompting of her children began enthusiastically using Apple Airpod Pro’s as a hearing assistance tool. It helped her being a part of conversations, others not having to repeat themselves over and over. It was great!! ……….for a while.
But like most things, she would not wear them, misplace them, quit using them.
I tried using my AirPod Pros as hearing aids, but since they are a few years old, the batteries don’t last an entire day. If people have found they can use theirs for 17 hours straight without a recharge, I would like to hear that (no pun intended). Perhaps I need to get a new pair.
I only have high frequency ( >2k) hearing loss, which I’ve had for at least 45 years. I tried traditional hearing aids, and they worked, but the quality of life improvement wasn’t enough for the hassle; I don’t need to hear the sound of potato chip bags.
I tried the AirPods Pro a few months ago, and they helped with TV dialogue, but amplified room background noise too much, even after tuning.
So I’m an atypical case; I’d say try them if you can return them.
Maybe buy two pairs of AirPods? While you’re using one, the other can be on the charger. Given the high cost of regular hearing aids, you’re almost certainly spending less.
I tried them for my father, who has moderate hearing loss. He did not find them useful - in his opinion, they didn’t help his particular hearing issues, the battery life wasn’t good enough, and they were not comfortable.
It seems that your mother is having a better experience, so the most I can say is good luck!
Regular AirPods and PairPod Pros fit entirely differently, and function differently - I wouldn’t call that an informed decision at all. YMMV.
One other aspect of Pros is that they now offer translation. I haven’t fully tested mine out, other than turning on the Spanish channel on TV. They work surprisingly well. It’s not perfect, but the technology is remarkable. I felt like a real hoopy frood who knows where his towel is.
Anecdote, not data: On Amazon Prime day, I was getting new headphones. There was a deal to get some “sound amplifying ear buds” for cheap, like $50. My father would never admit he was having hearing issues. I let him use the sound amplifiers, and he was amazed at the sounds he was no longer hearing. After a month, he got some proper hearing aids. So, using the airpods might go down the same path.
I was just worried that if she comes back with “I didn’t like wearing those, they were uncomfortable/didn’t fit”, she may not be receptive to “well, the Pros fit differently”.
If they aren’t pro 2 or 3 models it might not be a useful test of hearing assistance.
From AI, FWIW:
… [image]
AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 work as clinical-grade, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. These models utilize a validated hearing test and personalized audiogram to adjust sound in real-time, providing amplification and improved clarity for conversations and media.
Key Details on AirPods Hearing Health:
Supported Models: Only AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 (with the latest firmware) support these specific features.
Requirements: Requires an iPhone or iPad with iOS 18 or later, or Mac with macOS Sequoia.
Features: Includes an FDA-authorized Hearing Aid feature, a hearing test, and active Hearing Protection.
Functionality: They amplify sounds to assist with hearing in, for example, noisy environments and improve conversation clarity.
Availability: These features are subject to regulatory approval and may not be available in all regions.
Key Differences:
AirPods Pro 3: Offers enhanced battery life in transparency mode (up to 8 hours) and improved, more natural sound processing compared to the Pro 2…
Strictly physical comfort wise I found it helpful to try different sizes of the ear tips for AirPods-the smaller size than the medium that they come with proved to be more comfortable for me and I’m used to hearing aids. The different sized ear tips also helped secure them better in my ear too. A set of three sizes was inexpensive ($6) from Amazon.
What you gonna do?