As a 34-year-old professional who is deaf, I recently decided to trial private hearing aids with Amplifon.
I wasn’t sure whether going private would offer anything significantly different from NHS hearing aids. And truthfully, three weeks isn’t long enough to fully evaluate something this important. But I’ve noticed something that surprised me.
The benefit isn’t about “hearing more” than NHS aids provide.
It’s about how much less hard my brain has to work.
The difference is cognitive. After full days of meetings, travel, background noise, and constant communication, I’m noticeably less fatigued. The reduction in listening effort is significant. It’s not about turning up the volume — it’s about reducing the mental strain that comes with piecing conversations together all day.
I also think hearing aid providers could do more to speak to working-age adults. Many of us operate in demanding environments — business travel, outdoor activities, fast-paced workplaces, social events — and we don’t often see ourselves reflected in hearing aid advertising.
If you’re hard of hearing rather than profoundly deaf, you can feel caught between two worlds — not fully part of the Deaf community, but not fully hearing either.
There is real value in solutions that acknowledge that space.
For me, this hasn’t just been about amplification. It’s been about clarity, and quality of life.
Since then, I purchased Phonak hearing aids from amplifon and five months later, I would never look back.