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Before 2022, the only way to get hearing aids was to visit an audiologist for an examination and a prescription. For people who had limited access to hearing specialists, or who could not afford to visit a hearing specialist and then pay thousands of dollars for prescription hearing aids, that often meant going years without treatment—if they were able to get it at all.
But in 2022, a ruling from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) changed all of that, making it legal for hearing aid companies to sell hearing devices to people without a prescription. For people with mild to moderate hearing loss, being able to buy FDA-regulated over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids without seeing a doctor was a game changer.
Hearing aids are now more accessible than they have ever been, with options available both online and in-stores, and at a wide range of prices, depending on how much technology you need.
Hearing loss is a major health issue that is often not recognized as such, and hearing aids can make an enormous difference in a person’s health. We believe anyone should be able to find hearing aids that meet their needs and fit within their budget, and we are glad to see the cost for good quality hearing aids has continued to decrease since 2022. While it is not always the case that low cost equals low quality, you do need to be especially careful to avoid OTC hearing aid scams, like when a brand promises high quality at a bargain price.
Nebroo is a new online OTC hearing aid company with a stated mission “to make high-quality hearing solutions accessible to everyone.” But does this company deliver on its promise?
Our Reviews Team took a close look at the two OTC completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aid models Nebroo sells, documenting their cost, features, and customer feedback. During our research, we became overwhelmingly convinced that Nebroo is not a brand we feel comfortable recommending.
Keep reading to see what we learned, and visit our reviews of the best OTC hearing aids and the best affordable hearing aids to find out which hearing aids we do recommend.
Nebroo is an OTC hearing aid company marketing its CIC hearing aid as “nearly invisible” and easy to use. At $180, this is the lowest cost Nebroo model and as of November 2024, it has been discontinued. It has a rechargeable battery, eight sizes of ear tips, and claims to provide high performance in noisy environments.
We hoped to learn more about the average experience of Nebroo buyers, so we took a look at the reviews on the brand’s website and immediately noticed the website has almost 700 5-star reviews, which is difficult to believe, since even the best quality hearing aids we have reviewed have an average of less than 5 stars. This leads us to believe it is unlikely that all of these reviews are from real buyers.
Our Reviews Team found several complaints online stating Nebroo requires buyers to jump through hoops to secure a refund through its 120-day satisfaction guarantee, such as high shipping fees to return the hearing aids to addresses outside the country, and some never got their money back. Because of this, we do not feel comfortable recommending Nebroo devices.
Nebroo hearing aids are marketed as CIC (completely-in-canal), hearing aids that are discreetly designed and easy to use. On the company website, the Pro hearing aid is described as a high-audio quality hearing aid for users with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, and a rechargeable, 20-hour battery life. During research, we were unable to find any design or feature difference between the $180 Nebroo OTC CIC hearing aid and the $200 Pro, leading us to believe this is an unjustified price increase.
Our Reviews Team found very little information about Nebroo online. We also noticed the company’s privacy policy was written in March of 2024, and the first jobs were posted on LinkedIn around the same time. Meanwhile, the brand hosts almost 700 5-star reviews on its website, which is difficult to believe. Because of this, it is difficult to make a definitive conclusion about whether or not Nebroo hearing aids are a scam or if they are legitimate hearing devices that work as promised.
While the Nebroo website states the company offers a 120-day satisfaction guarantee, there are reports online that the customer service is unresponsive to requests and there are numerous and sometimes complicated steps people need to take to get a refund.
Nebroo has an “F” rating on Better Business Bureau (BBB), with five negative complaints and reviews. Because multiple buyers mentioned being told they had to ship their return to a country outside of the United States, we looked into the business address Nebroo lists on its website and found it is a “virtual office space,” which may mean the company has no live representation within the United States.
We also noticed Nebroo doesn’t appear to respect the privacy of its customers. The privacy policy states the company will contact customers through text without their consent. In this policy, it is also states that any information a past or potential buyer shares with Nebroo will be shared with their suppliers, which are based overseas in China.
We also don’t like that Nebroo seems to have included legal language in its policy to prevent any transparency about the company, with the terms of agreement stating customers agree not to share anything online that could harm the reputation of the company.
While mystery shopping, we experienced predatory marketing, receiving numerous emails and text messages after our tester put an item in the cart but didn’t complete the order.
If you are a Nebroo buyer who was scammed, there are actions you can take to recover any money lost. Start by gathering any paperwork related to your purchase, including order confirmations, receipts, shipping notifications, and credit card or bank account statements. If you haven’t already contacted Nebroo to try to resolve your order issue, attempt to connect with a representative before taking further action.
If Nebroo isn’t willing to refund your order, immediately contact your bank or credit card company—the sooner, the better. In many cases, your credit card company will be willing to initiate a chargeback, forcing a refund from Nebroo. If after doing this you have still not received a refund, we suggest reporting the scam to the consumer protection agency in your state, as well as reporting the company to the Better Business Bureau.
You can reach Nebroo customer service by:
While we do not recommend Nebroo hearing aids, we have tested and reviewed a number of reputable and affordable OTC hearing aid brands that are worth considering. The best hearing aids are easy-to-use, have features that will improve your quality of life, and fit within your budget.
We like this brand for its affordable pricing and transparent marketing practices. With five different models to choose from, you can pick the model with the features most suited to your lifestyle and hearing needs. Learn more in our full MDHearing aids review.
Jabra Enhance is an excellent over-the-counter hearing aid option for someone looking for more advanced features, like Bluetooth connectivity, and a user-friendly mobile app. Jabra Enhance offers four different models with varying levels of functionality, and each option comes with audiology support. Learn more from our in-depth Jabra Enhance review.
Eargo is an OTC hearing aid brand popular with users who prefer a more discreet hearing aid. Eargo manufactures hearing aids that are “virtually invisible” and offers a free (non-functional) pair to new users to test for fit. All Eargo hearing aids come with lifetime support. Learn more in our Eargo hearing aids review.
| Cost per pair | $180–$200 | $594–$2,400 | $999–$1,995 | $799–$2,950 |
| Type of hearing aid | Completely-in-canal (CIC) | Behind-the-ear (BTE), completely-in-canal (CIC), in-the-canal (ITC) | Receiver-in-canal (RIC), receiver-in-ear (RIE) | In-the-ear (ITE), completely-in-canal (CIC) |
| Type of hearing loss | Mild to moderate | Mild to moderate | Mild to moderate | Mild to moderate |
| Battery type | Rechargeable | Rechargeable | Rechargeable | Rechargeable |
| Bluetooth | No | Yes, in VoltMAX | Yes | Yes, in LINK by Eargo |
After researching Nebroo hearing aids, we cannot recommend them as a legitimate option for an OTC hearing device. Nebroo appears to be a brand new company with signs of scamming buyers, including failing to honor the 120-day satisfaction guarantee. The Nebroo privacy policy indicates the company can contact past or potential buyers without their consent, and our tester experienced predatory marketing practices when shopping on the Nebroo website. Because we were not able to find many third-party reviews about Nebroo, we believe they have not built a reputation as a trustworthy brand.
In place of Nebroo, we suggest MDHearing. This hearing aid company has established themselves as a reliable provider of over-the-counter hearing aids that are user-friendly and affordable.
If a hearing aid company is a scam, there is typically evidence of this online. We always suggest that consumers read third-party reviews on sites like Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot before making a purchase, as the company cannot censor these reviews like they can on its website. If a company doesn’t have any third-party reviews online, we generally suggest steering clear of the company.
We believe Nebroo has been in business since March 2024. This is when the company first published its privacy policy and began to advertise jobs on LinkedIn for the first time.
If your Nebroo hearing aid was purchased through the website, you may be able to leave a review. But we suspect Nebroo is controlling which reviews are shared on the website, and may even be posting fake reviews. You can leave your honest opinion about Nebroo on the Better Business Bureau page for the brand.
Questions? Email us at reviewsteam@ncoa.org.
