When a hearing loss is noticed and diagnosed, the obvious goal of the audiologist is to provide the patient with a better long-term hearing experience.

Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) is often viewed as being the only reason why one would have hearing challenges, but those in younger age brackets should never ignore the early signs of hearing loss.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIH) reports that while age is a strong predictor of hearing loss in older adults, 14 percent (27.7 million) of adults under the age of 69 report some trouble hearing.

Meeting The Hearing Needs Of The Younger Generations

In October 2021, the FDA released their proposed regulations for selling over-the-counter (OTC) or “lifestyle” hearing devices in response to President Biden’s Executive Order that was announced in July 2021.

Big technology brands are always eager to take advantage of any growing market, which is why Jabra was created and is now ramping up to sell hearing devices to younger generations. They have termed their first product, the Jabra Enhance Plus, a “lifestyle device.”

Jabra has been quick to showcase its new hearing device. In keeping with its claim of being a lifestyle device, not a hearing aid, it is styled as an earbud with 3-in-1 capabilities — hearing enhancement, plus the ability to stream music and phone calls — so it will be popular with a younger market.

Jabra’s Recommendations Before Buying The Jabra Enhance Plus

Unlike Bose’s SoundControl, Jabra makes a point of encouraging the input and support of a hearing care expert before purchase. This is to be admired, given that too many people misdiagnose their hearing loss and its cause, thus possibly causing further hearing damage by applying the wrong hearing treatment.

Certified Jabra Enhance Centers can be located throughout the US, but Jabra also makes online professional support available for those in more remote locations.

Who Is The Jabra Enhance Plus Device Best For?

Advertised to those with a mild to moderate hearing loss, Jabra implies that the Enhance Plus is for those with an awareness of some level of hearing loss but only want hearing assistance in certain situations.

The Jabra Enhance Plus is not recommended as a replacement for a prescription hearing aid. It is mostly a hearing enhancer that also works as a wireless earbud. It was purely designed to meet what they found the younger demographic wants in a hearing device:

Lower cost
Hearing support
Tech friendly
Discreet style

Jabra then added on the following benefits:

Background noise filter – improves conversations in social settings
Hear speech in noise – helpful at work and on video calls
Ten hours on a single charge, 30 hours with a charging case – gives greater freedom to enjoy the outdoors
Three sizes of earbud
High-quality music and phone call clarity

Jabra states that visiting a hearing expert is the best first step to check their candidacy for the Jabra Enhance Plus – similar to a person with poor eyesight needing to visit an ophthalmologist first.

There is simply no way to address a unique hearing need with a lifestyle device produced for generic hearing needs. And self-diagnosis with a poor choice of hearing treatment can lead to further chronic hearing damage.

However, when the Jabra Enhance Plus turns out to be the ideal device for a younger person’s hearing challenges, budget, and lifestyle — someone with a mild to moderate hearing loss who needs the occasional bit of hearing help — it keeps us hopeful that the numbers of younger people seeking treatment will change.

Cost Of The Jabra Enhance Plus

Although pricing remains unavailable, I expect these lifestyle hearing devices to cost approx. $1,000, but this is purely speculation on my part.

Given the product specifications, I assume they will come close to the cost of a typical OTC hearing aid.

Next Steps

If you would like to learn more about the Jabra Enhance Plus, visit us at SLENT Hearing & Balance Center to have a hearing assessment and check your candidacy.

We at SLENT Hearing & Balance Center are here to help you with your hearing journey regardless of which device you choose whether it be a lifestyle device, OTC, or a prescription hearing aid.

Book a hearing assessment to gauge your hearing level, and please feel free to call us to ask any questions about the Jabra Enhance Plus (or any other hearing health concerns you or your loved ones may have).