Health: Best Place to Buy Hearing Aid

1. Amazing Hearing

24251 Avenida De La Carlota, Suite B-1, Laguna Hills; 949-667-9818; amazinghearing.net

Amazing Hearing has been serving the needs of Orange County residents for almost a decade. Owner and audiologist Ann Mundell-Noel started the business in 2013, but she has been in the industry for about 30 years and still finds it very rewarding.

“We know that hearing is a huge part of our life,” she said. “It not only affects our communication with other people, but it can affect our balance, our alertness, our memory, our overall cognitive functions, and so our goal is to maximize that for each person.”

Amazing Hearing’s patients range in age from 7 up to 108, with the majority being in their 60s to 90s. The staff aims to be as accommodating as possible by offering Saturday and evening appointments and going to people’s homes if they’re not able to make it to the office, as was the case during the pandemic. They can even adjust hearing aids remotely. The specialists take a medical approach to each patient’s issues before selecting the right hearing aids. Amazing Hearing is not tied to any manufacturer. They also offer custom ear protection for swimming, motorcycle riding and more, as well as ear monitors and assistive devices for TVs.

“I wish I could give everybody normal hearing,” Mundell-Noel said. “I can’t, but what I tell them is that we do our best so that they can hear their best.”

MARK RIGHTMIRE, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Register readers voted Amazing Hearing as the top place to buy a hearing aid in Orange County as part of the 29th annual Best of Orange County readers’ choice awards.

— Magda Liszewska

2. Costco Hearing Aid Center

Multiple locations; costco.com

One of the benefits of Costco membership is access to the services at the Hearing Aid Center. Members can schedule a complimentary in-person appointment and hearing test, which takes about an hour in a private sound booth. Based on the results, the hearing aid staff — who don’t work on commission — will suggest the most appropriate hearing aids if needed and help with fitting and follow-up visits.

Costco works with a few well-known brands, including Kirkland, to provide a variety of hearing aid styles from behind the ear, in the ear to tiny models that go completely in the canal. Like with many other products in the warehouses, Costco aims to offer value pricing.

Most hearing aids offered through the Hearing Aid Centers come with remote services and can be adjusted from a smartphone or a tablet. You can also expect free loss and damage coverage and free warranty periods, the length of which varies by model.

Ears to Hear has been around since 2006, offering hearing tests, care, ear health check-ups and patient aftercare, all with the goal to “maximize your hearing potential.”

The hearing providers start with a comprehensive evaluation before making a unique recommendation. They don’t stop at just selling the hearing aids. The specialists make sure patients understand the journey and expected outcomes as they come up with a long-term plan. The staff works with patients after they buy the hearing aids through followup appointments, ongoing evaluations and verifications of the hearing instruments, minor in-house repairs, cleanings and personalized treatments.

“It makes me feel so thankful and honored to be recognized as one of the best in OC, especially through all the pandemic challenges we all had faced together,” President Gina Menear said. “It means others are aware that we truly care about trying to help others to get the chance to live a better life through better hearing.”

3. Ears to Hear

2200 Harbor Blvd., Suite B-165, Costa Mesa; 714-754-7777; earstohear.co