The NCOA Adviser Reviews Team researches these products & services and may earn a commission from qualified purchases made through links included.
The NCOA Adviser Reviews Team researches these products & services and may earn a commission from qualified purchases made through links included. NCOA does not receive a commission for purchases. If you find these resources useful, consider donating to NCOA.
Zepp Clarity is a newer brand in the hearing aid market. The company promises discreet and comfortable designs, tons of in-app settings, and other premium features for relatively low prices. It’s the first brand to challenge Eargo by releasing an Eargo 7 lookalike for a fraction of the cost without skimping on features. Plus, the Zepp Clarity receiver-in-canal model is one of the first over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids with Auracast Bluetooth—unique accessibility technology that’s expected to replace the use of telecoilsⓘ A telecoil is a small copper wire (similar to a receiver) built into a hearing aid that allows you to connect to a phone or loop system to bring audio directly to you. Loop systems are commonly found in public facilities, like theaters. in public spaces.
To find out how the hearing aids perform, our Reviews Team personally tested the Zepp Clarity Pixie and Zepp Clarity Omni. We can confirm these models are lightweight, comfortable, and easy to customize. We believe Zepp Clarity is a strong contender for our list of the best hearing aids—especially for people in the market for an over-the-counter model.
In our Zepp Clarity review below, you’ll learn about the differences between each Zepp Clarity hearing aid, how they compare to similar devices, and what our testers liked and disliked about the Pixie and Omni. This information can help you decide which Zepp Clarity hearing aid, if any, is right for you.
With an in-the-canal design and nuanced settings like the Zepp Clarity Pixie and One, the Eargo 7 and 6 automatically adapt to your listening environment. Active people may find this feature more convenient than having to change modes on a smartphone app.
The Zepp Clarity Pixie is a tiny completely-in-canal hearing aid that may look familiar to anyone shopping around—it appears virtually identical to the Eargo 7, 6, and SE.
Our Reviews Team tested the Pixie personally and discovered it’s a worthy competitor to Eargo hearing aids due to the app’s variety of customizations and numerous listening modes. The Zepp Clarity Pixie has a couple of extra Bluetooth features and supports hearing loss in higher frequencies compared to Eargo devices.
We do think the Eargo hearing aids are more convenient because they automatically change modes based on your sound environment. You can also tap the outside of your ear to change modes if needed. With the Zepp Clarity Pixie, changes must be made via the smartphone app. Clarity Boost is an exception—when this feature is turned on, you can tap twice on the outside of your ear to switch to Clarity Boost mode.
The Pixie and Eargo 6 and 7 have a clarity feature designed to make speech easier to understand in noisy environments. They also allow the user to adjust noise cancellation depth plus the volume of bass (low frequency) and treble (high frequency) sounds. The Pixie goes a step further than the Eargo devices by allowing users to adjust mid-frequency sounds too.
“With any in-the-canal hearing aid, there is risk of occlusion (hearing your own voice amplified) due to plugging up the ear canal,” said Hannah Formella Zdroik, a Wisconsin and Illinois-based audiologist. “Some people may not like that, so it is a big deciding factor on the style of hearing aid. The receiver-in-canal and behind-the-ear styles allow for the ear to be more ‘open’ with a simple receiver and tip, which may be a great feature for someone who does not want to plug up their ear.”
Formella Zdroik also said a completely-in-canal hearing aid may not be appropriate for people who tend to experience earwax issues or recurrent ear infections.
Our testers were pleased with the comfort and fit of the Zepp Clarity Pixie. “I found the Zepp Clarity Pixie hearing aids very comfortable and light-weight,” one said. “They fit in my ear very easily and didn’t move around at all.” The hearing aids come with open and closed silicone tips in various sizes to help you find a secure fit with no feedback or whistling. You can order a sample fit kit on the Zepp Clarity website if you want to try them on for size. The Pixie is slightly larger than the Zepp Clarity One and the Eargo 7, 6, and SE, which may work better if you have a narrow ear canal.
Our testing team also praised the app’s range. “For me, the app is really the standout feature of the Zepp Clarity hearing aids,” one tester said. “It’s easy to navigate and understand. I like that there are a lot of options for different programs too.” Testers were impressed by how loud the Pixie could amplify sounds, and they appreciated being able to set different volumes for each ear. You can also use the app to set reminders for cleaning the hearing aids or replacing the ear tips.
Laura Sinnott, an audiologist in Utica, New York, said it’s crucial to choose a customizable hearing aid because “everyone’s hearing needs are highly personal.” She recommended spending time learning how the controls affect sound quality in different environments.
“With controls, you’re like a sound engineer tuning the soundtracks of your daily life. You may find that settings in one environment, like driving, do not work well in another environment, like a coffee shop,” she said. She also praised the variety of controls and intuitive user interface in the Zepp Clarity app.
The app wasn’t the only user-friendly feature we noticed. “After placing the hearing aids in my ears, the device told me which program it was set to, which I thought was very helpful,” said one of our testers. Other hearing aids may announce a new program through a series of beeps, and it can be difficult to memorize the meaning of each beep. We prefer hearing aids that give verbal indications instead, like the Pixie.
Like other completely-in-canal hearing aids, the Zepp Clarity Pixie is too small to support Bluetooth streaming or hands-free calling, but it does use Bluetooth to connect to your phone. This lets you use the app and a feature that’s unique to the Pixie: Smart Phone Call. When your phone rings, the hearing aids play a sound and automatically switch to Phone mode for optimal listening. You’ll still need to hold the phone up to your ear because the Pixie doesn’t stream audio.
Another Bluetooth-enabled feature called “Find My Hearing Aids” didn’t work as expected. Because the hearing aids are so small, they might be difficult to find if they’re dropped or fall out of your ear. If this happens, you can tap a button in the app to make the hearing aids play a sound. In theory, you follow the sound to locate the hearing aid. In reality, the sound is far too quiet to be helpful, especially for someone with hearing loss.
The Zepp Clarity One has the same shape as the Pixie but is about 2 millimeters longer. We think it’s a good option for people who would rather save $800 than have all the bells and whistles of the Pixie.
For example, the One has no Clarity Boost feature to make speech easier to understand in noisy environments, but you can still customize noise cancellation depth and bass, middle, and treble tones in the app to improve your listening experience.
The Zepp Clarity One also doesn’t have the Pixie’s Find My Hearing Aids capability, but that’s not a significant loss since it didn’t impress our testers. The One also doesn’t alert you when your phone rings.
If you tend to work up a sweat or get caught in the occasional rain shower, the Pixie may be the better option because of its higher ingress protection rating (a protection rating against solids and liquid, like dust and water). With a score of IPX7, the Pixie should be able to handle brief submersion in water up to 1 meter, or just over 3 feet. On the other hand, the IPX2 rating of the One means it can tolerate being splashed but shouldn’t be submerged or hit with pressurized water.
Finally, the One comes with a one-year warranty, while the Pixie comes with a two-year warranty.
The Zepp Clarity Omni is a receiver-in-canal hearing aid that offers Bluetooth streaming for iOS and Android devices. It also includes Auracast Bluetooth, which allows you to hear broadcast audio in public spaces.
“Auracast works with smartphones and remote microphone accessories like we already have, but it’s more reliable and allows streaming from one audio source to many devices simultaneously,” said Sinnott. “For example, if a sports bar has an Auracast transmitter, they may choose to keep the television speaker volume low, but you would be able to stream the audio directly into your hearing aids.”
Sinnott said Auracast can also help people clearly hear airport announcements or conference presentations, among many other uses.
The only drawback is that Auracast technology is new, so few venues support it at the moment. It’s also relatively rare in hearing aids but is expected to become the norm, and it may even make telecoils obsolete. We’re excited to see this technology in a hearing aid under $1,000.
As with the Pixie and One, we also appreciate how many personalization options are available on the app. But our testers noticed that the battery level of the Omni isn’t displayed on the app like it is for the Pixie and One. In any hearing device, Bluetooth streaming drains the battery faster than regular use, so it’s convenient to monitor battery life in the app.
Our testers said the Omni was comfortable and so lightweight, they hardly noticed it on or in their ears. It should be comfortable for all-day wear. The casing sticks out behind the ear a little more than other receiver-in-canal hearing aids we’ve tested. If you prefer a discreet look, we recommend Jabra Enhance or Phonak.
Our testing team also said the hearing aids were easy to set up and use overall, but using the buttons correctly required some practice.
“I do wish the buttons on the hearing aids were spaced out a little bit better because I found myself turning up the volume when I really intended to just switch modes. But I think that would be something that a user would easily get used to,” one tester said.
Testers also praised the sound quality when streaming music. “They didn’t sound quite as good as my Apple AirPods, but I would say it was similar. I have tested other hearing aids and found the sound quality to be pretty awful for Bluetooth, but I’m impressed with the Omni.”
Pros
Cons
Zepp Clarity hearing aids can be purchased online without a prescription. They are not currently available in retail stores.
Heather Andrews, AuD, CCC-A, a board-certified audiologist from East Tennessee State University, can provide remote support should you have any questions about wearing or using your Zepp Clarity hearing aids. She can be contacted via Zepp Clarity’s customer service.
Zepp Clarity hearing aids cost $899–$1,999 per pair. The Omni, which is a receiver-in-canal (RIC) model, is the most affordable option at $899. It costs about half as much as the Jabra Enhance Select 500—our pick for the best OTC hearing aid—while offering many of the same features, including Auracast Bluetooth.
The One and Pixie cost $1,199 and $1,999, respectively. They compete directly with the Eargo line of completely-in-canal hearing aids, which cost $1,650–$2,950. In addition to being more affordable than Eargo hearing aids, the One and Pixie offer more customization options in the app and are better suited for high-frequency hearing loss.
Like all hearing aids, those purchased from Zepp Clarity are eligible for reimbursement through an HSA or FSA, but may not be covered by Medicaid or Medicare Part A and Part B. Learn more in our guide to insurance coverage for hearing aids.
You can reach Zepp Clarity customer service by:
Zepp Clarity hearing aids come with a one-year to two-year warranty, depending on the model, and a 45-day trial period. You may request a sample fit kit to ensure the One and Pixie models fit comfortably in your ear canal.
Zepp Clarity accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diner’s Club, Elo, JCB, and UnionPay credit card payments, as well as Shop Pay, PayPal, Google Pay, and Venmo. Financing is available through Shop Pay and Klarna.
| Cost per pair | $1,999 | $1,199 | $899 |
| Type of hearing aid | Completely-in-canal | Completely-in-canal | Receiver-in-canal |
| Type of hearing loss | Mild to moderate | Mild to moderate | Mild to moderate |
| Maximum battery life | 17 hours | 18 hours | 18 hours |
| Bluetooth streaming | No | No | Yes |
| Customization | Best | Better | Good |
| Clarity Boost | Yes | No | No |
| Controls | Tap on ear, app | Tap on ear, app | Buttons on hearing aid, app |
| Find My Hearing Aids | Yes | No | Yes |
| Warranty | 2 years | 1 year | 1 year |
| Dimensions | 8.26 mm | 7.6 mm | 6.8 mm |
Zepp Clarity hearing aids are an affordable alternative to Eargo and Jabra Enhance hearing aids. Our testers like the emphasis on personalization in the app and say the hearing aids are comfortable to wear. We recommend all three models:
Yes, Zepp Clarity is a legitimate company that makes quality over-the-counter hearing aids. The company is part of Zepp North America, which was founded in 2013 with a focus on wearable health technology. Our testing team had positive interactions with Zepp Clarity customer service, and the hearing aids were as comfortable and easy to use as other OTC devices from brands like Eargo and Jabra Enhance.
Zepp Clarity and Eargo hearing aids are similar in design and customization. Eargo hearing aids are better if you’re looking for a device that automatically changes listening modes based on your sound environment. The Zepp Clarity Pixie or One hearing aids are a better choice for people looking for an affordable option or for those who have hearing loss between 5,500-7,500 hertz. Schedule an exam with an audiologist if you’re not sure what type of hearing loss you have.
All Zepp Clarity hearing aids connect to an app via Bluetooth, but the Zepp Clarity Omni is the only model with Bluetooth streaming and Auracast technology. The Omni and Pixie also use Bluetooth to locate misplaced hearing aids.
Have questions about this review? Email us at reviewsteam@ncoa.org.
