An audiologist tests the 5 best-selling hearing aids in Ireland — and reveals why you're paying up to €2,800 for technology that costs €260
In thirty years as an audiologist — across the public system, Specsavers and private clinics — almost no one ever walked into my office alone saying "I can't hear well anymore."
They're brought in. And it's almost always the daughter, or the son, who notices first: the TV turned up louder and louder, the missed phone calls, dad who smiles at Sunday dinner but no longer takes part.
I've fitted thousands of hearing aids. But I had never really compared what people actually get for their money in each price bracket.
Then I saw the purchase invoices: hearing aids sold for €2,800 cost €260 to produce for the big brands. I decided to investigate.
I contacted 50 former patients — people who had left without a solution because they couldn't afford it — and for six months we tested every available alternative. The results explain why so many older people in Ireland stay trapped between impossible choices.
First: it's not that your father "doesn't listen to you"
There's a misunderstanding that damages family relationships. We think that someone losing their hearing simply doesn't hear sounds. In most cases that's wrong: they hear perfectly well that you're speaking — but they no longer make out the words.
That's why he turns up the TV. That's why at a restaurant he shuts down and stays quiet. That's why he sometimes answers off-topic or seems "distracted." He isn't ignoring you: his brain can no longer separate your voice from the background noise.
And the longer you wait, the worse it gets. On average, people live with this problem 5 to 10 years before acting — years of meals where they feel left out, of "never mind, it's not important," of quiet isolation. Not out of laziness: out of shame, and because the alternatives all seemed too expensive.
The €2,800 question: where does your money really go?
When you buy hearing aids from traditional retailers, you're not paying for the technology. You're paying for the whole system around it:
Marketing. Distribution. Profit margins. Only 11% of what you pay is the device that ends up in your father's ear.
"But if the device costs so little, where's the catch?"
It's the question everyone asks me — and it's fair. Let me be clear.
Those €260 are not Claria's cost. They're what the big brands spend per unit: the same kind of chip, but with the brand royalty and the amortisation of their global marketing. Claria produces direct, without that "brand tax" — so it starts from far less.
And the €99? It's the Hearing Week price, at a reduced margin, meant to make the product known and gather reviews. The normal price is €200. They're not selling at a loss: they're temporarily giving up part of the profit.
I tested every alternative with 50 former patients
Once I understood these markups, I contacted 50 former patients who had left without treatment because they couldn't afford it. Together we tested every available alternative for six months.
Here's what we found, ranked from worst to best:
These aren't hearing aids — they're amplifiers that can damage your hearing:
- No frequency-specific amplification
- They amplify ALL sounds, including harmful ones
- No professional tuning
- 78% reported painful whistling
"Completely useless. It made everything louder but not clearer. Painful whistling." — Martin, 73
Verdict: Dangerous and ineffective. Audiologists advise against these products.
The public route and the PRSI Treatment Benefit help, but with real limits:
- Long waits for HSE appointments, fittings and renewals
- The PRSI grant (up to €500/aid) often covers only a basic model
- 2 patients out of 5 don't wear them — poor looks or poor comfort
"I waited months. The aid is fine but bulky. It stayed in the drawer." — Joe, 71
Verdict: Subsidised but frustrating — a long process and a basic model that often ends up forgotten.
- Aggressive sales tactics reported by hundreds of customers
- Proprietary models that tie you to their service for years
- Pressure tactics — "They rang me 3 times a day until I bought"
- High markups despite internal components similar to cheaper alternatives
"Good technology, but I was treated like a customer to squeeze. Under pressure from the first minute." — Frances, 68
Verdict: Mid-to-high price, questionable sales methods.
The most advanced technology — but with a markup over 1,000%:
- Excellent 20-channel processing
- Full Bluetooth connectivity
- Advanced noise management
- Lifetime aftercare (though patients report cancelled appointments)
"Fantastic technology. But €2,800? My car cost less." — Eamon, 69
Verdict: Excellent devices, but the 1,000%+ markup is hard to justify.
This direct-to-consumer model surprised me. The technical specs:
- The same 16-channel digital processing as Phonak/Oticon
- Adaptive noise reduction — separates the voice from background noise, the real problem when you can't make out words
- Rechargeable (over 30 hours from a 2-hour charge)
- Delivered to your door — no clinic visit, no waiting list
- Customer support included, no appointment
I want to be honest with you, because it's what this industry lacks: no hearing aid will make you hear like you're twenty again — be wary of anyone who swears it will. But this one does what truly matters: it gets you back to understanding conversations. On the phone. At the table. With the grandchildren.
And here's the key point on price: they sell direct. No shop, no commission, no company overheads.
When Claria sells at €99, the company makes a modest profit through direct sales. When Amplifon sells at €2,200, the markup is over 1,000%.
The same technology. A different business model.
"I got them for my father. The following Sunday he was telling his stories at the table again. I hadn't seen him like that in two years." — Claire, 47 (his daughter)
Verdict: Professional technology at a fair price. This is what hearing care should cost.
€200 €99 · 1-year warranty
"But can it work without an audiologist's tuning?"
It's the most important question, and it deserves an honest answer.
In clinic, the audiologist tunes the device to your hearing curve. Claria does something different: the 16-channel technology adapts automatically, and it's pre-calibrated for the most common hearing loss — the age-related kind, where you first lose the high frequencies (the consonants, the "I hear but I don't understand the words"). This covers the vast majority of cases.
You adjust the volume and programmes (quiet, conversation, outdoors) with a simple button. No appointment, no waiting.
And it's your ear that decides whether they make a difference for you, not a salesperson in a shop.
My conclusion after 30 years in the field
The premium brands offer brilliant technology at €2,800+. The public route means months of waiting for basic aids that often end up in a drawer. The Amazon products are simply dangerous.
Claria™ has solved what matters most — giving people quality hearing aids they'll actually wear, at a price they can afford.
If you're reading this for a parent: the greatest gift isn't the device. It's getting them back into the family conversations. And at €99, the difference is heard right away.
⚡ Update since the article was published:
Claria™ has received enormous attention and, for a limited time, is offering -50% for Hearing Week.
Every order includes: a 1-year warranty and free insured delivery.
Take advantage of this limited-time offer and try Claria™ at -50% — 1-year warranty and free insured delivery included.
Check availability1-year warranty · Free delivery
THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT AND NOT A NEWS ARTICLE, BLOG OR CONSUMER PROTECTION UPDATE. THE SITE OWNER RECEIVES COMPENSATION FROM THE SALE OF HEARING AIDS.
I ordered them for my father after yet another Sunday when he sat silent at the table. Two weeks later he started asking "and then what happened?" during the grandchildren's stories again. I never imagined €99 could give me my father back. Dr Walsh is right about the markups.
I'd spent €2,200 at Amplifon last year. I got these out of curiosity during the trial. Honestly I don't hear a difference — except in my wallet. I returned the others and got a refund. If only I'd known sooner.
I'd stopped answering the phone because I couldn't make out the words and I was ashamed to ask people to repeat. Now I finally follow conversations. I'm retired and the €99 price made the difference. I should have done it years ago instead of waiting. 👍