Over the past couple of years, the revolution in hearing aid products has been nothing short of astounding. Customers now have more choices than ever at their fingertips, thanks to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). In August 2022, the FDA announced that it would allow the sale of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids, letting millions of Americans with hearing loss buy them without a prescription.

Access to OTC hearing aids is a game changer for multiple reasons. Studies have shown that hearing aids can help combat cognitive decline, reduce depression and loneliness, and improve quality of life. In addition, cost is a major barrier for many people with hearing loss, and OTC hearing aids are often significantly less expensive than traditional alternatives.

In the wake of the FDA’s announcement, retailers such as Best Buy, Target, and CVS have all started offering OTC hearing aids. If you’ve been looking to buy OTC hearing aids, one option you might have seen is Jabra: a Danish company that sells audio technology products, including earbuds, headphones, and headsets. The brand is a subsidiary of GN Store Nord, a Danish manufacturer of hearing aids and other hearing instruments.

Given the relationship between Jabra and GN, it’s no surprise that hearing aids are Jabra’s latest product offering. In October 2022, GN announced that it would start selling OTC hearing enhancement earbuds, the Jabra Enhance Plus. This was later followed by several hearing aid options.

So what are the features and cost of Jabra hearing aids, and how do they perform in authentic Jabra hearing aid user reviews? Most importantly, how do they compare against the top hearing aid brands? We’ll answer all of these questions and more below.

Jabra Hearing Aid Products

Jabra currently offers three hearing enhancement products: the Enhance Plus, the Enhance Select, and the Enhance Pro 20.

Jabra Enhance Plus

The Jabra Enhance Plus is a pair of earbuds that help reduce noise and improve speech clarity for users with hearing loss. Importantly, Jabra is careful not to call the Enhance Plus a hearing aid. Instead, Jabra markets the product as a “hearing enhancement” that is “made of all medical-grade components.” The design of the Enhance Plus is similar to other Jabra products such as the Jabra Elite earbuds, which are not designed for hearing loss.

Enhance Plus earbuds are lightweight but not very discreet as they sit in the bowl of the ear rather than inside the ear canal. They are rechargeable devices, with up to 12 hours of battery life, and come with a charging case that provides up to 35 hours of additional power.

The Enhance Plus provides three listening modes for different environments:

• Adaptive automatically chooses the best options based on your surroundings.

• Focus uses directional microphones to improve the sound in one-on-one conversations.

• Surround improves the user’s ability to hear ambient noises in the environment.

Using Bluetooth connectivity, Enhance Plus earbuds can be fully controlled using the Jabra Enhance smartphone app. However, the earbuds are only able to pair with iOS devices, not Android.

Jabra Enhance Select

The Jabra Enhance Select is a receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aid product that comes in multiple options. The Enhance Select is a rebranding of Lively, an online hearing care provider that was acquired by GN in 2021.

The different versions of Enhance Select are as follows:

• Enhance Select 50R: The baseline Enhance Select model, which Jabra says “works well in quieter situations, like one-on-one conversations and watching TV at home.” The 50R is a rechargeable hearing aid that comes in five color options with an IP68 rating for protection against water and dust. The 50R can stream music and phone calls from iOS devices and most Androids via Bluetooth.

• Enhance Select 100: According to Jabra, the 100 is “great for active lifestyles and tricky listening situations.” It includes multiple enhancements over the 50R, including better noise reduction, a live music setting, and a portable charging case.

• Enhance Select 300: The top-of-the-line 300 is “excellent even in the most complex listening situations,” according to Jabra. The 300 is smaller than the 50R and 100 while offering better hearing capabilities, true depth of sound, and advanced acoustics. The device also supports hands-free phone calls, unlike the 50R and 100.

Jabra Enhance Pro 20

Last but not least, the Enhance Pro 20 is Jabra’s traditional hearing aid model, which is available exclusively at Costco. The Enhance Pro 20 is a RIC hearing aid that appears very similar in design to the Enhance Select. Like the Enhance Select, the Enhance Pro 20 also includes a portable charging case and a smartphone app for adjusting settings on the go.

How Much Do Jabra Hearing Aids Cost?

Jabra hearing aids are available as a one-time purchase or in monthly installments (from 12 to 36 months). Below is the cost of Jabra hearing aids as of writing:

• Enhance Plus: On the Jabra website, the Enhance Plus sells for $799, or as low as $26 per month.

• Enhance Select: The cost of Enhance Select depends on the specific model and support options you choose. Below are the “basic” prices for Enhance Select products with a one-year warranty. For $200 extra, users can also select the “premium” option, which provides a three-year warranty and a device that is already programmed to your  hearing loss directly out of the box.

  • Enhance Select 50R: $995, or as low as $33 per month

  • Enhance Select 100: $1,395, or as low as $46 per month

  • Enhance Select 300: $1,595, or as low as $52 per month

• Enhance Pro 20: As a prescription hearing aid available at Costco, the cost of the Enhance Pro 20 starts at $1,599.99 and will vary depending on the state.

Jabra Hearing Aid Reviews

We’ve discussed Jabra hearing aid products, features, and cost—so what do real users have to say about them? Below are some Jabra hearing aid reviews from independent third parties.

On the Best Buy website, the Jabra Enhance Plus has an average rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars, based on 98 reviews. User “nickcal” gives the product a 4-star review, writing that while the sound quality is good, the device is “a little bulky” and the 10-hour battery life is not strong enough for all-day use. The review also states that the Enhance Plus is:

A good option for someone who knows they need some help with hearing better, but aren’t ready for traditional hearing aids… These earbuds will help you on a situational basis, but I wouldn’t use them as a replacement for my traditional hearing aids unless I was in a bind.” 

Tech writer Christopher Null reviewed the Jabra Enhance Select 300 for Wired. He wrote that the hearing aids were:

Relatively pricey, but their performance, battery life, and technical support make them worth the added cost.” 

He praised the audio quality and the ease of setup and use, while noting a few issues such as “thin” audio quality over Bluetooth.

MDHearing: The Best Jabra Hearing Aid Alternative

Jabra has a long-standing reputation as a major player in audio technology products, and that’s likely to continue with its hearing aid models. The pros of Jabra hearing aids include:

• Sound quality: Many reviews note the good sound quality of Jabra hearing aid devices—no surprise for an experienced audio equipment brand. Jabra includes multiple options for different hearing settings, which is well-suited for users with active lifestyles.

• Customer service: Jabra provides a variety of customer service options for customers who have problems with or questions about their hearing aids. The company offers free shipping and returns, a risk-free trial period, and warranties of up to three years.

On the other hand, the cons of Jabra hearing aids include:

• Cost: The price of Jabra hearing aids is perhaps the greatest negative for many consumers. The cheapest option, the Enhance Plus, costs $799, and is only a “hearing enhancement” instead of a true hearing aid. The cheapest Jabra hearing aid is the Enhance Select 50R, which at $995 is significantly more expensive than many OTC hearing aid alternatives.

• Only available in pairs: Jabra hearing aids can only be purchased in pairs, not as a standalone device for the left or right ear. This makes them impractical for users whose level of hearing loss is more advanced in one ear.

• Device compatibility: Android smartphone users may have some issues with Jabra hearing aids. The Enhance Plus isn’t compatible with Android devices, while the Enhance Select is compatible with “most Androids,” according to the Jabra website. 

Given these drawbacks, it’s understandable that many customers would look for Jabra hearing aids alternatives. MDHearing offers high-quality, FDA-registered OTC hearing aids at a price point that’s significantly lower than other brands.

MDHearing was founded by a Chicago ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor more than a decade ago, and we’ve helped over 800,000 happy customers buy affordable hearing aids. The benefits of MDHearing include:

• Competitive pricing: By manufacturing and selling FDA-registered OTC hearing aids directly to the consumer, MDHearing can offer prices that are significantly lower than Jabra and other hearing aid providers—starting at just $297 per pair.

• Diverse options: MDHearing offers multiple models of both behind-the-ear and in-the-ear hearing aids. All models are rechargeable, user-adjustable, and have feedback and background noise reduction. 

• Smartphone compatible: For patients who want a more advanced, personalized hearing aid, the VOLT MAX is MDHearing’s high-end model that includes directional microphones, personalized settings, and smartphone app compatibility for just $699 per pair. Bluetooth connectivity allows the app to personalize the settings for your specific hearing. The app also serves as a remote control for adjustments to volume and program changes.  

• Licensed customer support: MDHearing has a U.S.-based team of audiologists and licensed hearing aid specialists who offer free lifetime support and are available via phone, email, web chat, and video chat.

• Satisfaction guaranteed: MDHearing provides a 45-day risk-free trial and 100% money-back guarantee, so you can make sure the devices are the right fit for you. You have nothing to lose by giving MDHearing a try!

Ready to get started? Take our free online hearing test and get your results instantly. 
TAKE ONLINE HEARING TEST