Hearing loss is surprisingly common, but the majority of people who could benefit from treatment have never gotten it. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, less than 30% of US adults aged 70 or older with hearing loss have ever used a hearing aid. That number is even lower for adults aged 20 to 69 — at 16%.
While the only way to diagnose hearing loss is to go to an audiologist for a professional exam, online hearing tests are an easy and fairly accurate way to initially gauge the situation from the comfort of your home.
There are a few common types of online hearing tests, including a pure-tone test, which evaluates how well you can hear sounds of different frequencies, and a speech-in-noise test, which evaluates how well you can hear spoken words above background noises. To help you determine which home hearing tests are worth taking, we tried 20 tests and narrowed them down to our absolute favorites. For best results, take the test with a high-quality pair of earbuds or headphones in the quietest area you can find. And for more on hearing health, check out the best over-the-counter hearing aids you can buy.
Best overall online hearing test
The Mimi hearing test app is our top pick overall because it offers multiple test types, is very easy to use and doesn’t require any email sign-up. The results are more informative than other free tests, and you can go back and access them on an ongoing basis (they’re saved for you in the app).
Cost: Free
Test length: About 7 minutes
Type: Pure-tone and “masked threshold”
Cost: Free
Test length: About 8 minutes
Type: Pure-tone
Cost: Free
Test length: About 5 minutes
Type: Pure-tone
Cost: Free
Test length: About 3 minutes
Type: Speech-in-noise
Cost: Free
Test length: About 8 minutes
Type: True-tone and speech-in-noise
We tried a total of 20 hearing tests from Jabra, Eargo, Phonak, Lexie, Costco and many other brands and retailers. Ultimately, most of the tests are usable and helpful to some extent — but the ones we selected stood out in these areas.
- User experience: Was it easy to figure out the test’s steps and understand the results? Something as simple as a bar graph or a button can make the experience so much more intuitive, which is especially important for people who aren’t so tech savvy.
- Type: We looked at various types of tests, including true-tone and speech-in-noise, which can be helpful for different purposes and offer different types of results.
- Accuracy: It goes without saying that any test is only as useful as it is accurate. We prioritized tests that calibrate your headphones and that make sure you’re in a quiet area to avoid skewing the results. Tests with clear instructions were also ranked higher.
- Sign-Up requirements: We considered whether an email sign-up was required, and if so, whether the company sent many follow-up emails, texts or phone calls afterward. Many of these tests are run by hearing aid brands or retailers, which will use the test as an opportunity to market to you. They’re especially likely to do this if your results indicate that you could benefit from a hearing aid, but there’s a fine line between helpful follow-up and spam.
Online hearing tests are a useful starting point to see whether you may have hearing loss. They’re convenient and easy to use. But your results could be skewed if you don’t follow every instruction, including calibrating your volume properly. Moreover, online hearing tests aren’t as comprehensive as in-office hearing tests, and they can’t diagnose the type or origin of your hearing loss. Audiologists have expertise and better tools, and they work in sound-treated rooms with professional equipment, per Healthy Hearing. That’s why, even if your online test doesn’t detect any issues, if you’re experiencing any issues with your hearing or ears, it’s worth going in for an in-person exam.
Online tests typically consist of just one or two of the following test types:
- Pure-tone, which involves listening to tones of different frequencies
- Speech-in-noise or background noise, which entails listening for a specific sound over background noise
- Speech audiometry, which tests for how well you can hear spoken audio at different volumes
An in-office hearing exam can include all of the above test types and more. These include (but aren’t limited to):
- Bone conduction testing, which tests specific parts of the ear for issues such as fluid blockage
- Tympanometry, which tests how well your eardrum moves
- Otoacoustic emissions test, which looks at your inner ear function
- Physical examination of the ear’s structures
While online hearing tests are usually free, in-office hearing exams may come at a cost. But if you have health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, annual hearing tests are likely covered. Otherwise, the cost will vary by the practitioner or location.
One 2019 study found that home hearing tests are an “accurate and cost-effective” method of measuring hearing, specifically with pure-tone tests. Still, most online tests include a disclaimer that they’re not intended to replace a professional exam, which remains the best way to accurately measure your hearing health.
Which online hearing test is most accurate?
The best way to get an accurate online hearing test result is to use high-quality headphones in a silent room. An app like Mimi, used with calibrated headphones, is a surefire way to get as accurate results as possible since it measures your background noise for you and adjusts the volume in-app.
Who shouldn’t take an online hearing test?
If you’re experiencing ear pain, fluid, tinnitus, buzzing or a sudden change in your hearing, you should see a professional for a hearing exam rather than take an online test.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
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Source: CNET
