| Provider type | Test price | Aid from-price | Aftercare | Source | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NHS NHS audiology, after a GP referral (or self-referral where your area allows it) | Free | Free, on long-term loan. Usually behind-the-ear; occasionally receiver-in-the-ear | Batteries, repairs and follow-up appointments free. There may be a charge to replace a lost or broken aid | nhs.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Audika Hearing-care chain (Hidden Hearing and Amplifon UK are now Audika) | Free, age 19 and over | No from-price published. Audika says it "can't give you an exact price" before a test | Servicing for the life of the aid; 24-month warranty; 60-day money-back guarantee; batteries free for three years. Optional Oneplan cover from £75 a year | audika.co.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| Boots Hearingcare High-street pharmacy chain | Free in store | From £695 a pair (Essentials). Rechargeable from £995. Top tier from £4,195 | Lifetime aftercare; up to four years' warranty; 90-day money-back guarantee; annual hearing tests | bootshearingcare.com | 5 October 2026 |
| Specsavers High-street optician chain | Free in store | From £500 a pair (Advance range). Listed models up to £3,000 a pair. Rechargeable from £1,000 | Aftercare with a two-year follow-up; four-year warranty; 100-day money-back guarantee; charger or four years' batteries | specsavers.co.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| All About Hearing Independent audiologist, Suffolk | £30 hearing screening (30 minutes, pass or fail) or £60 comprehensive assessment (75 minutes) | Devices from £999. The page does not say whether that is per aid or per pair | Fitting, manufacturer warranty and an aftercare programme included. Length not stated | allabouthearing.co.uk | 5 October 2026 |
| The Hearing Specialist Independent audiologist, south-west London (four clinics) | £59 assessment | From £1,695 a pair. Single aids from £798. Premium tier up to £4,400 a pair | Four-year warranty and four years of unlimited aftercare included | thehearingspecialist.co.uk | 5 October 2026 |
- Boots Hearingcare: The same Boots page also says, in general terms, that private aids "typically start from around £695 per device". Its own price line says £695 per pair. Ask for the quote in writing. (checked 5 October 2026)
- Specsavers: Specsavers says other levels of branded technology are available beyond the models it lists, so £3,000 is the top of its published list, not a ceiling. (checked 5 October 2026)
Each row is the provider's own published wording, opened by Pete on 5 October 2026. Rows are grouped by type and listed alphabetically within each type. That is not a ranking. Prices are for a pair unless the row says otherwise. A provider may change a price at any time; its written quote is what counts. We delete a row we cannot re-open. Listing a provider here does not mean it is a partner of ours. Full list on Sources.
What can this site do, and what can it not do?
This is not medical advice. We are not a clinic, not the NHS, not an audiologist and not a hearing-aid shop. We do not test hearing, fit aids, diagnose, read an audiogram or hold an appointment. We cannot tell you whether a hearing aid would help you.
Do not use this form if you have sudden hearing loss in one ear, sudden dizziness with hearing loss, or bleeding from the ear. NICE guideline NG98 (last updated 2 October 2023) says hearing loss that came on over three days or less, within the last 30 days, should be seen by a specialist within 24 hours. Ask for a same-day GP appointment, call 111, or go to A&E.
What we can do: show the prices we opened and dated, explain the NHS and private routes, and, if you ask, pass your request to one independent audiology clinic that covers your area. That is free for you. The clinic may pay us.
How does asking a clinic to contact you work?
- Test or aids. A hearing test tells you where you stand. Hearing aids are a separate decision after it. The test is often free; the aids are where the cost is.
- One ear or both. Say which. A change in one ear only is worth raising with a GP first. How many aids, if any, is for you and the audiologist after the test.
- Clinic or home. Most people go to a clinic. A home visit is a different product. No partner clinic takes home-visit requests yet, so we only pass on clinic requests.
- Ask one clinic to contact you. Use the form. One partner clinic may call or email you. Nothing is booked until you agree a time and a price with them.
What does NICE actually say about one hearing aid or two?
NICE guideline NG98, Hearing loss in adults: assessment and management, is NICE's guideline on hearing loss in adults. It was published 21 June 2018 and last updated 2 October 2023. We opened it on 5 October 2026. Recommendation 1.6.2 says, in full: "Offer 2 hearing aids to adults with aidable hearing loss in both ears. Explain that wearing 2 hearing aids can help to make speech easier to understand when there is background noise, make it easier to tell where sounds are coming from, and improve sound quality."
Recommendation 1.7.3 says: "For adults with hearing loss in both ears who chose a single hearing aid, consider a second hearing aid at the follow-up appointment." So choosing one aid first does not close the door on a second.
NICE also says the person should be part of the decision. Recommendation 1.5.2 asks the audiologist to "agree and record a personalised care plan, taking into account the person's preferences, including goals, and give the person a copy." And the "Your responsibility" statement on the guideline's overview page says: "It is not mandatory to apply the recommendations."
Read NG98 on the NICE website.
Who decides whether I have one aid or two?
You and the audiologist, after a hearing test. The phrase "aidable hearing loss in both ears" is a clinical judgement made from your test results. We cannot make it, we do not read audiograms, and we cannot say whether a hearing aid would help you at all.
Is there a local rule on one aid or two?
We have not found one we could open and date, so we do not publish one. If you are using the NHS, ask the audiology service that sees you how it applies NICE NG98. If you are paying, ask the clinic for its recommendation and the reason, in writing.
What if the problem is in one ear only?
Raise it with a GP first. NICE NG98 recommendation 1.1.6 says GPs should consider referring adults for specialist investigation when "unilateral or asymmetric hearing loss" is the main concern. The NHS website (page last reviewed 18 October 2023, opened 5 October 2026) says CROS and BiCROS hearing aids "can help if you've lost hearing in one ear. They come as a pair."
Hearing loss in one ear that came on suddenly is different. NICE NG98 recommendation 1.1.2 says hearing loss that developed over three days or less, within the past 30 days, should be seen within 24 hours. Do not wait for a clinic to call you back: ask for a same-day GP appointment, call 111, or go to A&E.
How much is one aid compared with two?
Each provider is quoted on its own. We do not average them.
- NHS: free, whether you are fitted with one aid or two (NHS website, opened 5 October 2026).
- The Hearing Specialist (independent, south-west London): pairs from £1,695 and "single hearing aids from £798" (checked 5 October 2026).
- Specsavers: its prices are "always for a pair of hearing aids", from £500 a pair (checked 5 October 2026). We did not find a published single-aid price.
- Boots Hearingcare: its price line says from £695 per pair (checked 5 October 2026). The same page also says private aids "typically start from around £695 per device". Ask which applies in writing.
- All About Hearing (independent, Suffolk): "devices start from £999" (checked 5 October 2026). The page does not say whether that is per aid or per pair.
- Audika: no price published (checked 5 October 2026).
Can I start with one aid and add a second later?
NICE NG98 recommendation 1.7.3 says a second aid should be considered at the follow-up appointment for adults with hearing loss in both ears who chose one. Privately, we have not seen a published price for adding a second aid later. Ask whether a second aid later costs the same as half a pair now, and whether the aftercare and warranty dates match.
What should I ask the audiologist?
- Does my test show hearing loss in one ear or both?
- What do you recommend, one aid, two or none, and why?
- Is the price per aid or per pair?
- If I start with one, what would a second cost later? Please put it in writing.
- Is there a trial period, and does it cover one aid and two?
Do I need two hearing aids?
We cannot say, and nobody should before a test. NICE NG98 recommends offering 2 hearing aids to adults with aidable hearing loss in both ears. An audiologist applies that after testing you, and you decide together.
Is one hearing aid half the price of two?
Not always. On 5 October 2026, The Hearing Specialist listed single aids from £798 and pairs from £1,695. Specsavers prices pairs only.
Will the NHS give me two hearing aids?
NICE NG98 says to offer 2 hearing aids to adults with aidable hearing loss in both ears. We have not found a local rule we could open and date. Ask the NHS audiology service that sees you.
Want one clinic to call you? Request a private hearing appointment. Free for you; the clinic may pay us.