Our editorial policy

Who is responsible

Hearing Aids Index is responsible for the pages, figures and corrections published under its name. Questions about published information can be sent through the contact form.

No current page has a licensed medical reviewer credited to it. If a qualified professional reviews a page in the future, the page should identify that reviewer, the relevant credential, the scope of the review and its date. A review label must not be added for work that did not happen.

AI assistance

We may use AI tools to assist with research organization, drafting and website development. AI output is not a source or a clinical reviewer. The publisher remains responsible for the published material, its source checks and corrections.

How often facts are rechecked

Some facts change often. These are our review targets for volatile information:

These targets are not continuous monitoring. The check date shown on a page records the review that actually occurred. A fact's date changes only when it has been rechecked against its source. If a recheck finds that a figure changed, the figure, its source and its date are updated together.

What "Last reviewed" means

"Last reviewed" on a page is the date someone read the whole page against its sources and confirmed it is still right, or fixed what was not. It is not the date the site was rebuilt and it is not updated automatically. A review can confirm that a page remains accurate without changing its substance. A modification date identifies an actual substantive change, not simply a site rebuild.

Corrections

When we get something wrong, we fix it and say so. A correction note on the page states what changed and on what date. We do not quietly edit a figure that a reader may have relied on. Readers can report errors through the contact form; every report is checked against the source before anything changes.

How money is kept out of recommendations

Some brands may pay us a commission when a reader buys through our link. Our How we make money page lists every program and its status today. These rules apply on every page:

• Our recommendations use the stated buying situation and evidence, not commission availability. The Fit Check is a reading checklist, not an automated assessment.
• A commission never decides the order models appear in.
• A brand that pays us never gets softer treatment of its fees, policy limits or relevant public complaint record.
• Models from brands that do not pay us stay visible when they suit a reader.
• Brands we do not promote are still described truthfully, with dates and sources.
• Links that can earn a commission are marked as sponsored, with a short note beside the purchase link.

Health and safety

Nothing on this site is medical advice. Every page that compares or recommends hearing aids carries a short health note, taken from the FDA's published guidance and linked to it: OTC hearing aids are for adults 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, and certain symptoms mean a doctor should be seen first. We do not write that list from memory, we do not soften it, and it should remain readable and unobstructed.

We do not describe an OTC hearing aid as “FDA approved” merely because a manufacturer or device is registered or listed. The FDA warns that statements such as "FDA Registered" and "FDA Certified," and an FDA logo on OTC hearing aid packaging, may be misleading. When a maker's marketing uses FDA language, we show that caution beside it, with the FDA as the source.

What we will not publish

Invented prices, specs or return terms. Star ratings, awards or "best overall" winners that are not backed by a stated method. Testimonials. Claims of hands-on testing that did not happen. Credentials nobody holds. Countdown timers, pop-ups or urgency banners.

Our methodology explains the sources and limits behind our comparisons.