Jim needed hearing aids. Boots said £3,500. NHS said 11 months. Then we found something we had to share.

January 3,2026

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If you're over 65 and struggling with your hearing, you already know the situation.


GP refers you to audiology. Wait time? Eleven months in our area. Sometimes even longer.


Go private? Boots wants £3,500. Specsavers wants £2,500. Hidden Hearing won't even tell you the price until you've sat through their sales pitch.


Try Amazon? We did. Whistling, feedback, couldn't hear voices properly. Sent them back within a week.


That was us six months ago. Stuck between waiting a year or spending money we don't have.


Then our son David sent Jim a text.

"Dad, before you do anything, read this"

David had been watching Jim struggle for months. 

 

The nodding along at family dinners. The TV volume creeping up. Me repeating myself ten times a day.

 

When we told him about the Boots quote, he went quiet. "£3,500? 

 

Don't do anything yet. Let me look into it."

 

Two days later he came round for tea.

What David told us

"Mum, you know those £3,500 hearing aids at Boots? The actual technology inside seems to cost about £200 to make."


We didn't believe him at first.


He showed us his research on his laptop. Same chips. Same processors. Same components.


So where does the rest go?


Shop rent. Sales staff. Commissions. Marketing. Area managers. Shareholders.


"Private clinics have hundreds of stores mum. Someone's paying for all that. It's you."


We had no idea. Thought expensive meant better. Thought that's just what hearing aids cost.
It's not.

What David told us

What he found

David had been watching Jim struggle for months. 

 

The nodding along at family dinners. The TV volume creeping up. Me repeating myself ten times a day.

 

When we told him about the Boots quote, he went quiet. "£3,500? 

 

Don't do anything yet. Let me look into it."

 

Two days later he came round for tea.

What David told us

David had done his research. Proper research, the way young people do these days.


Found a UK company called HearWell. They sell direct. No shops. No salespeople. No markup.


£149 for a pair of hearing aids.


Not each. A pair.


"Pete's dad got them three months ago," David said. "Same problem as dad. Wears them every day. Says they're brilliant."


Same technology the expensive ones. Proper UK medical certification. 45-day trial - send them back if they don't work.


Jim wasn't convinced. "If they were that good, everyone would know about them."


"That's the point dad. Boots spends millions on advertising. These people don't. They just sell a good product for a fair price."

We were still skeptical

Of course we were. Sixty years of being told you get what you pay for.


But David kept at it. Showed us the reviews. Thousands of them. People our age saying the same things.


"Couldn't afford Boots. Couldn't wait for NHS. Tried these. Best decision I made."


"Why did nobody tell me about this sooner?"


"Wore them to my grandson's wedding. Heard every word of the speeches."


And his father-in-law Pete's dad. Not some stranger on the internet. Someone we know. Wearing them every day. No complaints.


"What's the worst that happens?" David said. "You send them back and you've lost nothing."


Jim looked at me. I looked at him.


"Fine. Order them."

They arrived in a few days

Proper packaging. Not some flimsy envelope.


Charging case. Five different ear tip sizes. Instructions in actual English. Little cleaning brush.


Jim put them in. Tried a couple of different tips. Found the right fit.


Turned them on.


No whistle. No screech. No feedback.


He looked at me. I was standing by the kitchen door, hadn't raised my voice.


"Say something."


"What do you want me to say?"


"Keep talking."


"Jim, I don't know what you want me to..."


"I can hear you. Properly."


First time in three years.

The birds

That's what he kept saying the first week.


"I can hear the birds Margaret. When did they come back?"


They'd always been there. He'd just stopped hearing them.


The clock ticking. The kettle clicking. The car indicator. Little sounds he'd forgotten existed.


Every few hours: "Can you hear that? What is that?"


Like a child discovering things for the first time.

Three months later

Jim wears them every day now. Charges them overnight. Puts them in first thing.


He's back at golf. Back at the pub on Fridays. Back being part of conversations instead of pretending.


Last Sunday our granddaughter Emma whispered a secret in his ear. Actually whispered.


He heard every word.


He couldn't do that a year ago.

David was right

We'd have waited eleven months for the NHS. Or spent our savings at Boots. Or just kept struggling.


Because we didn't know there was another option.


How many people are in that situation right now? Thinking they're stuck between a year-long wait and thousands of pounds?


That's why we're writing this. Because someone should tell them.

If you want to try them

Here's where we got Jim's: 

 

https://gethearwell.co.uk/products/hearwell-comfort

 

Price: £149 per pair (last time I checked still 50% discount)

 

Trial: 45 days at home, just send them back if they don't work for you not happy 

 

Shipping: Free, arrives in a few days 

 

Warranty: 1 year in case something happens. 

 

They're not for very severe hearing loss - you'd need proper medical help for that.

 

But if you're like Jim - struggling in restaurants, TV too loud, missing what the grandchildren say - might be worth a try.

 

£149. Less than a weekly shop.

 

David says to tell your kids to look into it. They'll find the same thing he did.

 

Margaret & Jim x

Comments (4)

Jean_54

18 Jan, 2026 at 9:16 am

Lovely post Margaret and Jim. This is so relatable! Sharing with my sister, her husband is just like Jim x😂
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JanR58

15 Jan 2026 at 1:16 pm

2 weeks with Hearwell now, amazing value! Returned my £2,400 Specsavers aids for full refund. These work just as well!! Should've found these sooner! Thx!
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Linda.W

10 Jan, 2026 at 9:16 am

My son sent me this article yesterday after I missed another important phone call. Just ordered HearWell with the discount. On pension so the £149 price really helps. Fingers crossed! Will update in a few weeks
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RobertJames

7 Jan, 2026 at 10:22 am
 

Can finally hear the telly without subtitles! Wife doesn't have to repeat herself anymore. Should've done this years ago instead of waiting for NHS. Worth every penny!👍
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