Dear Savvy Senior: Can you recommend over-the-counter hearing aids for seniors on a budget? — Hard of Hearing

Dear Hard: The new FDA-approved over-the-counter hearing aids that hit the market in October have become an attractive alternative for millions of older Americans.

These new hearing aids can be purchased at pharmacies, electronics stores or online without a hearing exam, prescription or appointment with an audiologist. And the savings are significant. The average cost of an over-the-counter hearing aid is about $1,600, which is about $3,000 less than the average price of a prescription hearing aid.

But sorting through options and styles can be confusing. Here are tips along with reliable resources that can help you choose the right device for you.

Check your hearing

The first step in acquiring a hearing aid is to get your hearing tested. Over-the-counter devices are designed only for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. Signs include trouble hearing speech in noisy places, in a group and during phone calls.

It’s best to get a hearing test through a hearing care provider, like an audiologist. These in-­person tests are usually covered by private medical insurance, and as of this year Medicare will pay for general hearing evaluations without a referral.

You can also assess your hearing at home with a good app-based test, such as Mimi (mimi.health) or SonicCloud (soniccloud.com).

If you find that you have severe hearing loss — unable to hear spoken words in a quiet room or trouble hearing loud music or power tools — over-the-counter aids probably aren’t right for you. You’ll likely need a prescription hearing aid, which you must get through an audiologist or hearing instrument specialist.

Selecting a device

If you decide that an over-the-counter hearing aid might suit you, here are a couple of pointers:

>> These devices come in two types: self-­fitting and preset. Self-fitting aids typically use a smartphone app to set up and adjust the device to suit your specific hearing needs, so this option is best for people who are technologically inclined.

Preset hearing aids are simpler devices that come with set programs for different levels of hearing loss, and the controls are directly on the hearing aid.

Also, because over-the-counter devices have a learning curve, it’s important to know the level of access you’ll have to customer support. Before you buy, ask how long you can receive support after your purchase and the kind of experts who provide support.

>> You also need to know the company’s return policy. It can take weeks to get accustomed to wearing hearing aids and to figure out whether they work for you. Choose a brand that offers a minimum 30-day free trial or money-­back return policy.

Top recommendations

A National Council on Aging review team researched, tested and interviewed users of over-the-counter hearing aids and came up with a list of recommendations based on various criteria. They include:

>> Best for older adults: Jabra Enhance (jabraenhance.com)

>> Most user-friendly: Lexie (lexiehearing.com)

>> Most affordable: Audien (audienhearing.com)

>> Best financing options: Audicus (audicus.com)

>> Best remote customer service: MDHearing (mdhearingaid.com)

>> Best rechargeable: Go Hearing (gohearing.com)

>> Best variety: Lucid (lucidhearing.com)

>> Best earbud-style: Sony (electronics.sony.com; click on “More”)

To learn more, see 808ne.ws/OTCaids.

Jim Miller is a contributor to NBC-TV’s “Today” program and author of “The Savvy Senior.” Send your questions to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070; or visit savvysenior.org.