Factor 6 - Your level of social engagement
Whether you enjoy spending time at home or out of the house at restaurants or social events, the best hearing aid for you will be one that matches your level of social engagement. The more active you are socially, the more “advanced features” you may want to look out for, and the less socially engaged you are, the more basic your hearing aids may be.
For the highly socially engaged:
If you travel frequently, attend live entertainment, regularly give presentations, or attend social events, the best solution for you will be one that can automatically adjust to the sound environment. Modern hearing aids can be programmed to adjust the volume based on your environment.
Those who have a high level of social engagement will want to consider:
- Automatic sound adjustments
- 360-degree sound
- Wireless connectivity
- TV connectivity

Since your social activities will have you changing sound environments more frequently, getting hearing aids with this automatic adjustment feature would be ideal. Wireless connectivity will also allow you to connect your hearing aids directly to your phone or tablet while on the go. Refer to Step 1 to get an overview of which features are available in each hearing aid type available.
For the moderately socially engaged:
If you occasionally participate in social events, meetings, and/or outdoor physical activities, the best hearing aid for you will be one with certain advanced features (such as automatic adjustment and 360-degree sound).
Those who are moderately socially engaged will want to consider:
- Automatic sound adjustments
- 360-degree sound
- Wireless connectivity
- TV connectivity
For the lightly socially engaged:
If your everyday social activities take place in a relatively quiet environment (or if you attend relatively few social activities), you most likely will not require some of the high-tech features that hearing aids can offer (such as automatic sound adjustment).
Those with a low level of social engagement will want to consider:
- Basic hearing aid offerings
- TV connectivity