Best Phone for Hard of Hearing & Best Phone for Hard of Hearing Seniors UK

Best Phone for Hard of Hearing and Best Telephones for Hard of Hearing

Researching different types of telephones for the hard of hearing?

What are phones for the hard of hearing?

Phones for hard hearing are designed to help individuals who experience hearing loss, communicate over the phone more easily. The phones are designed with a wide variety of features to enhance things such as hearing aid compatibility, visual indicators, amplification and many more.

In this article, we will cover the characteristics and elements of hard for hearing phones and how they can benefit you depending on your unique hearing challenges. Continue reading to find out what hard of hearing phone best suits your needs, allowing you to be able to communicate with family and loved ones without any issues.  

There are various hard-of-hearing phones available

In today's market, there are various styles of phones for hard of hearing and the choice you make is often dictated by your specifications, like your level of hearing loss and even level of sight.  They range from basic devices to premium phones that will cost you more but offer more features that will assist and improve your communication with loved ones.

Most hearing aids that we supply can also have a matching landline phone produced by the same manufacturer which will help to provide the most effective hearing possible for you on the phone.

Contact us if this is something you wish to discuss, or if you just want general information about phones then read below. 

Modern-day phones for hard of hearing

The phones for hard of hearing have come a long way and now they work very similar to hearing aids in regards to filtering unwanted background noise, so words are more clear.  Modern hard of hearing phones cater to varying levels of losses and can really improve the quality of your communication and lifestyle. 

However, if you have a more severe loss, you will probably need one that offers a larger dB volume so you can successfully communicate.  

Widex PHONE DEX Hard of Hearing Cordless Phone

A great example of a cordless phone would be the Widex PHONE DEX - a telephone for the hard of hearing, as seen in the image below.  This type of telephone is designed for people with hearing loss.  You can pair it with your hearing aids or use it as a conventional phone as well. 

While landline phones for hearing loss don't offer the freedom of smartphones, they do offer additional features like very loud ringers and lights that indicate an incoming call.  Telephones for hard of hearing like this one, provide you with excellent speech understanding in both ears. 

Key features of this particular model include:

• Range - Around 300 metres
• Contacts - 50 numbers
• Standby - 100 hours
• Call-time battery - 10 hours

Landline phones for hard of hearing 

Here are a few more specifics to consider when choosing a cordless phone for hearing loss:

• Can you control the volume?
• Does it include incoming call indicators like a flashing light or vibrations?
• Does it have a speech to text/caption feature/screen?
• Can you text from the phone as well or use a type pad?

Examples of Phones for Hard of Hearing Mobiles

What is the Doro phone?   We have a lot of queries about the best phones for hard of hearing and dexterity.  We thought it might be beneficial to talk a little bit about the Doro mobile, as it is such a great example and patients have liked the simplicity of the technology. 

The Doro phone is a user-friendly mobile phone that appeals to those who are hard of hearing, have trouble with dexterity, vision impairment and is ideal for the older generation who are active.  They are designed and created with seniors in mind with a louder sound, large buttons, separated keys and digital hearing aid compatibility. 

The Doro phone's main priority is to make life easier for the elder generation, giving them and the ones they love the peace of mind.  However, they also appeal to all ages as they are great for those who have difficulty with sight.  Bigger buttons also allow for a more simple solution for communicating.

What’s so different about the Doro mobile phones for hard of hearing and difficulty with sight?

• Large button mobile phone.
• Fall alerts.
• GPS integration – So family members can locate you if needed.
• SOS button – You can contact your family and friends in case of an emergency.
• Remote Assistance – For mobile phone assistance directly, like adjusting your phone settings.
• Responder smartphone app – For all additional features.
• Easy to set up.
• Bluetooth connectivity (in some models).

What type of phone is the Doro?

These mobiles offer the Android smartphone experience combined with an easy-to-use interface, built-in assistance and extra security safety features. 

They started off with a lack of the innovative features you’d get with today’s smartphone, like touchscreen displays and high-res cameras – but they are what they are and provide a device that is great for calls and texts for active seniors.

The Doro mobile phones of today

Now Doro offers simple smartphones that give consumers the best of both, so you can now benefit from some smartphone features in a user-friendly package – making Doro phones a popular simple mobile phone brand.

How much do Doro phones cost?

In today’s market, Doro phones can cost from around £25 to £180 – it all depends on what you want and what you need your mobile phone for.  For instance, if you want to link hearing aids you might be limited on what model you can go for, as not all will be compatible with all hearing aids and - more importantly - the devices you are currently wearing.

Best Phone for Hard of Hearing and Telephones for Hard of Hearing

Doro Phones for Active Seniors

Here are some of the current Doro mobile phones available on the market:

Is a Doro mobile phone worth it?

At the end of the day, like with a lot of technology, you have to way it all up.  What do you want from your phone? What do you need it for?  Do you find using modern smartphones difficult?  It is important to remember that sometimes cheaper smartphones have numerous features that are tricky to use due to being a lower specifications option.

The best thing to do is visit a mobile phone store and have a look at their Doro phone options, as well as compare them to a cheaper smartphone alternative.  Then ask a member of staff to go through some of the main features you’d use every day and see if the Doro phone is right for you.

Best mobiles and best house phones for hard of hearing brands

Here are some more examples of the main phone brands that are ideal for those who are hard of hearing.  They include some of the features of the Doro phone as well as powerful voice and ringer volume, big buttons and adjustable options.

• Geemarc phones for hard of hearing
• Emporia phones for hard of hearing
• Swissvoice phones for hard of hearing
• Amplicomms phones for hard of hearing
• Ornin phones for hard of hearing
• Alcatel phones for hard of hearing

Best Phone for Hard of Hearing

Hearing aids, hearing loss & smartphones

What if I'm a hearing aid wearer and looking for the best phone for hard of hearing?

If you are a hearing aid wearer and are thinking about purchasing a smartphone like the Doro mobile phone, speak to your audiologist as you’ll need to double-check check your hearing aids are compatible with said device. Or failing that, what hearing aids are compatible with each Doro model.

Consider your options

When looking for a phone for hard of hearing there are various specifics to consider.  Here we look into what options are available and which might be better for you.  To make it easier we have broken guidance into hearing loss levels. 

• Best phone for hard of hearing - Mild to moderate hearing loss

If you have this level of hearing loss, which is usually age-related,  you might not need to do anything in particular when using your mobile phone with your devices.  Your hearing aid microphones will just pick up the sound from the phone.  That being said, you are more than likely going to get some degree of background noise here.

• Best phone for hard of hearing - Profound hearing loss

If you have this kind of severe hearing loss and frequently use your mobile you would naturally desire clear speech and sound.  We would recommend wearing hearing aids that include Bluetooth for that extra boost and a telecoil feature. 

Hearing aids which include telecoil can direct sound to the device's processing technology without the need for a microphone.  It also offers a much-improved signal-to-noise ratio, as well as reducing feedback.

Hearing Aids and Smartphone Bluetooth Connectivity - Hearing aids and iPhone and Android compatibility

From experience, many of our patients who have hearing loss and wear hearing aids opt to use their smartphones to communicate every day at home and on the go rather than purchasing a phone specifically for hard of hearing. 

They connect and pair their iPhone or Android mobiles (as well as other wireless devices) to their hearing aids and stream calls, audio and much more via Bluetooth technology.

They can also manage their hearing aid devices by boosting their hearing in a challenging environment or adjusting settings and volume.  They generally have a cordless phone for hard of hearing at home for landline calls.  All modern hearing aids have Bluetooth and offer premium connectivity and connection to loved ones.