Why You Can Trust CNET New Bose-Lexie Hearing Aid to Enter the Over-the-Counter Market
The B2 is an updated version of Lexie Hearing's B1 aid, which also uses Bose technology. Both will be available at stores throughout the country next week.
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We'll be entering another world of hearing aids after a new rule from the US Food and Drug Administration goes into effect on Oct. 17, which will allow many hearing aids to be sold over the counter and without a prescription.
To get a leg up in the new market, Lexie Hearing, in partnership with Bose, is launching a new hearing aid called the Lexie B2 Hearing Aid. The B2 adds a fully rechargeable battery with life up to 18 hours, which is an upgrade from the B1. (The B1 is a rebranded version of Bose's SoundControl hearing aids, which were available online direct-to-consumer under that name up until recently when Bose partnered with Lexie Hearing.) Both the B2 and B1 allow users to self-tune their own hearing aids, and they pair with the Lexie app, which offers additional support.
A pair of B2 hearing aids will cost $999, or $49 per month for two years, if you prefer to split the payments up. (This is more expensive than the B1, which Lexie says will drop in price to $849.) The B2 is part of the greater over-the-counter hearing aid rollout and will be available at Walgreens, Best Buy and a total of 11,000 stores and pharmacies nationwide and online starting Oct. 17.
The B2 is a receiver-in-canal hearing aid, and it comes with a detachable piece or speaker that's selected to fit the majority of people who use it (about 80%). To test how the hearing aid actually fits, you'll use the ear-measuring tool in the paired app and your phone will tell you whether you have the right fit. If you need a different detachable piece, Lexie says it will automatically send you the right one.
Like all other over-the-counter devices, the Lexie B2 Hearing Aid is meant for people with perceived mild or moderate hearing loss. Bose and Lexie Hearing's partnership mirrors other partnerships between consumer electronic companies and hearing aid companies, like Sony's announcement that it'll be entering the over-the-counter hearing aid market with WS Audiology.