Pros and Cons of Purchasing Hearing Aids at Costco [Updated]

Costco, a warehouse retailer, is known for providing goods in bulk quantity and passing savings on to their customers, usually based on annual membership. Costco members can find savings on food, clothing, experiences, and more. Costco is also well-known for providing savings on electronics like big screen TVs, cell phones, home appliances, and even hearing aids.

An estimated 48 million people in the U.S. are living with hearing loss and many of them look to hearing aids for treatment. In the age of technological advancement in which we live, hearing aids can be pretty sophisticated and come with a price tag to match. So, many people see savings through their big box retailer as a way to save money. For your sake, it is best to investigate further.

Weighing the Benefits of Costco Hearing Aids

The first draw to purchasing hearing aids at Costco? Price, of course! Big box stores, like Costco even have their own brand of hearing aid. This hearing aid is placed next to the brand-named manufacturers they carry and priced significantly lower, tempting members with even greater savings.

The savings may seem significant up front, but you must look into what you are sacrificing. There are several name brand manufacturers that provide these retailers with their hearing aids, but it is likely a slightly older model, often by about 3 years. These models also have less features than if you were to purchase it from your hearing health care provider. It may be in an effort to keep cost down, but if it has a feature that may be essential to recovering parts of your hearing loss, it may become an issue later on.

Costco has audiologists or board-certified hearing instrument specialists at an optics center in the store to answer questions, give information about products on-hand, and even perform hearing tests. You can inquire whether your insurance is accepted or if paying out-of-pocket still affords you savings.

Though this seems like a one-stop shop, not all Costco locations have an optics center. A quick search online can avoid a lot of disappointment if your nearest retailer does not have one. Also, the hearing aids they sell are often “locked,” which means they are only sold, fitted, and repaired at that warehouse’s optics center. You will not be able to have it serviced anywhere else, which can be inconvenient if you went out of your way to find a warehouse that could help you in the first place.

Cons of Costco Hearing Aids

All of these reasons—de-featured and “locked” hearing aids, old technology, et cetera—and more are good reasons to get hearing aids from a local, certified hearing health provider. If you think you would benefit from hearing aids, look no further than FitHearing Audiology Network.

When taking steps toward better hearing health, each step builds on the next. Accepting that you have a hearing loss and making the choice to talk to us at FitHearing Audiology Network is a huge first step! Then, having your hearing tested allows us to thoroughly analyze the hearing ability in each of your ears. We will then be able to recommend treatment, and hearing aids is a very common recommendation.

From here, it is smart to look at the technology available based on your needs and your hearing health provider’s recommendations, of course. However, cutting corners can be a side step to your progress, if not an eventual step backward. It is true that hearing aids are a major investment, both financially and for your hearing health. So, does purchasing hearing aids that are already a few years outdated, missing a few features, and have you traveling inconvenient distances sound like it is worth saving (at most) a few hundred dollars? Likely not.

If you are concerned about the price of your hearing aids, rather than going it alone at a big box retailer, contact us at FitHearing Audiology Network to learn more about the range of models available and financing options. We can get you the hearing aid you need at a price you can afford so you do not have to settle for less!

Discount Hearing Aids at FitHearing Audiology Network

At FitHearing Audiology Network, we offer top-notch, personalized care and huge savings on hearing aids. With our discounts we have some of the best priced hearing aids around, there’s no need to compromise patient-centered care and quality hearing health services. FitHearing Audiology Network provides local services and follow up care along with discount, name-brand hearing aids. Learn more about our discount hearing aids and contact us today to schedule a consultation!