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by Rachel L. MacAulay
If you’re experiencing extensive hearing loss, you may find that Unitron hearing aids can improve your hearing. What kind of hearing aids do they offer and how user-friendly is their entire process?
More Than Five Decades of Experience
Unitron, a leading hearing aid manufacturer based in Waterloo Region, Canada, has been dedicated to designing, manufacturing, and selling hearing aids for over 55 years. As part of Sonova Holdings, Unitron has a global presence with offices in 28 locations and a network of distribution partners across 80 countries.
With a strong focus on customer relationships and user experience, Unitron prioritizes making the journey from the initial hearing appointment to the selection, purchase, and use of hearing aids as easy and hassle-free as possible. Their unique, comprehensive FLEX™ experience aims to empower individuals throughout the entire process.
Unitron offers a diverse range of nearly 20 hearing aid products, accompanied by cutting-edge technological advancements and a variety of accessories. This article aims to provide customers with an in-depth understanding of Unitron hearing aids, including the pros and cons to consider before making a purchase.
Hearing Aid Styles
A study in the International Journal of Audiology found that nearly 80% of adults age 55–74 who would benefit from hearing aids choose not to get them. Among the reasons cited were the device’s fit, comfort, and appearance. Today, companies like Unitron have made huge strides in designing and manufacturing a wide selection of different types and sizes of hearing devices.
Unitron offers multiple product lines, and their current platform is called Blu, but in spring 2023 they released their new Vivante Moxi. Let’s explore the main products and their intended usage:
Moxi: This receiver-in-canal (RIC) style is suitable for mild to severe hearing loss.
Stride: Designed for mild to severe hearing loss, Stride is a behind-the-ear (BTE) option.
Max: Max is a powerful BTE option specifically designed for severe to profound hearing loss.
Insera: Offering a custom fit, Insera is the ideal choice for mild to severe hearing loss. A full line up from ITE to the smallest IIC is available.
Consumers should consult with their hearing provider to determine which type not only works best for them, but also feels the most natural for them to wear. Unitron offers a variety of devices in each style. This selection, along with the company’s customer-friendly “FLEX” experience, can help ensure that users keep their hearing aids in and on.
Unitron Hearing Aid Technology Levels
Unitron hearing aids are available in four levels of technology, numbered from 3 to 9. The higher the number, the more advanced the technology and the greater the support and customization in challenging listening environments. Here’s a brief overview of each level:
- Premium Technology (Level 9): Provides maximum support in complex listening situations, including speech from all directions.
- Advanced Technology (Level 7): Offers spatial awareness to capture sounds from various directions, including the side and back in complex environments.
- Standard Technology (Level 5): Incorporates spatial awareness to pick up more sounds in the environment, with basic background noise support.
- Essential Technology (Level 3): Provides amplification with basic background noise support, focusing on speech in front of you in complex environments.
The FLEX™ Solution
To experience Unitron’s complete FLEX™ solution, you will need to make an appointment with an audiology or ENT/allergy group nearby. You can also use headphones to take Unitron’s online three-minute hearing test, though it doesn’t replace a professional diagnostic test.
Ask your hearing provider or clinic whether they participate in the FLEX: Trial program, which allows consumers to test out a trial hearing aid, risk-free, in the real-world situations you encounter everyday: watching TV, hearing friends out at a noisy restaurant, navigating through busy crowds, etc.
For two weeks, you can experience what it’s like to wear Unitron hearing aids and fine-tune them for your lifestyle. Users with Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids can utilize the Remote Plus app on their smartphone to input positive and negative feedback, and the app also gathers information on the length of time you wear the aids and the type of sounds you encounter in the environments you frequent.
By the time your trial is over, your hearing specialist will have gathered the information necessary to pick the right hearing aid for you and your lifestyle. Furthermore, you’ll be able to upgrade the technology level of the hearing aid you choose in the future, if necessary, and pay only the price difference.
Design
Unitron knows how important the design of a hearing aid is to the user, in addition to its function and ease of use. Since its founding, the company has recognized that comfort and appearance make a huge difference in whether somebody will continue to wear these devices that improve their quality of life. Five devices in the company’s Moxi and Stride product lines have received the prestigious Red Dot design awards, including the 2017 Best of the Best award for the Moxi Now.
Unitron designers created the Moxi Now not just as the smallest hearing aid, but also as one that is fully functional, easy to use, and comfortable.
Unitron’s Popular Hearing Aids
Unitron offers a broad selection of hearing aids, from Moxi™ Jump and Fit receiver-in-canal devices to behind-the-ear Stride™ offerings to custom-made in-the-ear Insera aids. Which hearing aid will work best for you depends on many factors, including your level of hearing loss, comfort, preferred placement on the ear, preferred level of technology, price, and more. All of Unitron’s families of devices offer a range of price points, reflecting that model’s number of features.
Moxi Jump R
The Moxi Jump R hearing aid has a push button that allows you to adjust the volume and settings, a rechargeable battery (the “R” is for rechargeable), and a telecoil, which acts as a wireless antenna to make it easier to hear telephone conversations, movies, and more by amplifying the sound you want to hear so it stands out from the ambient sound you don’t. The Moxi Jump R utilizes Sonova’s Sword chip 3.0—the latest generation wireless chip for smart hearing devices.
The Jump R comes in four technology levels, and all Moxi Jump R devices use Unitron’s Discover platform, which renders the hearing aids compatible with all current cellphones, whether they’re Apple or Android. Additionally, Moxi Jump R users can take advantage of Unitron’s FLEX option to upgrade their hearing aids to a higher technology level and just pay the difference between the price of their current Moxi Jump R device and the new one.
Features:
- 10 colors
- 4 receiver power levels
- Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Charging case
- Bluetooth connectivity
- 4 technology levels – 3, 5, 7, 9
- Push-button control
- Telecoil hearing loop system
- Standard 3-year warranty
Price range:
We have found that prices for the Moxi Jump R vary significantly, depending on where you purchase your device. For example, we’ve seen prices of approximately $999–$1,199 for the Moxi Jump 3, and we’ve seen prices of approximately $1,999–$2,199 for the Moxi Jump 9. These prices are for a single device, not a pair.
Pros:
- SoundNav 3.0 automatically adjusts for ideal sound in particular environments
- On-board microphone allows for hands-free phone calls
- Push-button technology allows user to answer, ignore, and end calls directly from hearing aids.
- Media streaming to both ears through Duolink
- Can connect with other Bluetooth devices
- Can be paired with Unitron TV connector, which streams audio signal from TV directly to hearing aid
- Besides serving as a remote control, the RemotePlus app has a “coach” feature that helps users get accustomed to hearing aids without having to go back to their hearing provider
- Telecoil hearing loop system delivers customized sound to the patient’s ear in crowded places
- 24-hour charge with Sonova rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Cons:
- A pair of Moxi Jump 9 devices can potentially cost over $4000
- Not available direct to consumers—must go through hearing professional
- Battery life not guaranteed, as power receivers and different streaming media tend to eat into battery life
- Over time, rechargeable batteries may have trouble holding their charge
- Thicker size means some users are more aware of them sitting behind their ear
Moxi Fit Hearing Aids
Like the Moxi Jump, the Moxi Fit has an onboard push button to control volume, but other technical features like Telecoil and Bluetooth connectivity depend on the version of the Fit you use. While the Jump only utilizes the newest Unitron platform—Discover—because it’s been around longer, the Fit has versions that use all three of Unitron’s hearing aid platforms—Discover, North, and Tempus. This means that you need to really make sure your hearing professional knows what’s most important to you in a hearing device. For instance, the Moxi Fit aids using North and Tempus platforms feature the Telecoil hearing loop system but no Bluetooth technology, while the Moxi Fit using the Discover platform has Bluetooth technology, but no Telecoil. All of the Unitron hearing aids in the Moxi Fit family use 312 batteries, which are not rechargeable. Additionally, the Moxi Fit Discover model is slightly longer and wider than the North and Tempus models; however, it is also slightly lighter.
Features:
- 10–12 color choices, depending on model
- 3–4 receiver power levels, depending on model
- 312 disposable battery
- Bluetooth connectivity on Moxi Fit Discover models
- Telecoil hearing loop system on Moxi Fit Tempus and North models
- 4–5 technology levels, depending on model
- Push-button control
- Standard 3-year warranty
Price range:
Prices depend entirely on where you’re purchasing the device, as different audiologists and hearing aid clinics have different markups that can change the end price by as much as $1,000 or more. As for benchmarks, the base model Moxi Fit 3 costs approximately $999 on average (per ear), while the highest-performing Moxi Fit 9 costs approximately $1,899 on average (per ear).
Pros:
- Media streaming to both ears through Duolink
- Smartphone apps allow wearers to control their device from their phone: RemotePlus app with Moxi Fit Discover models and uControl app with Moxi Fit Tempus and North models
- Both RemotePlus and uControl apps allows users to input ratings so their hearing professional knows how best to tweak the hearing aid settings for the user’s specific needs
- Relatively small RIC hearing device
Cons:
- Thicker size means some users are more aware of them sitting behind their ear
- Not available direct to consumers—must go through hearing professional
- Users who prefer Telecoil but want Bluetooth technology can’t currently get both with the Moxi Fit
Stride P R
Unitron’s Stride P R hearing aid is similar to the company’s Moxi Jump R offering in features and technology, but where that device has the receiver in the ear canal (RIC), Stride is a BTE device—it sits behind the ear, with just a tube into the front of the ear. The P R is the newest member of the Stride device family and the only Stride device that uses Unitron’s Discover platform. This means it features Bluetooth technology and is compatible with all smartphones. Additionally, it is the first Stride hearing aid that uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The older Stride M R uses a 312 battery that can be rendered rechargeable using a rechargeable kit. Although the Stride P R is a rechargeable update of the Stride P, which was a 2016 Red Dot design award winner, the P R is both longer and heavier than the P. Therefore, previous Stride wearers may feel the difference at first.
Features:
- 10 colors
- Regular or thin tube option
- Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Charging case
- Bluetooth connectivity
- 4 technology levels – 3, 5, 7, 9
- Push-button control
- Standard 3-year warranty
Price range:
Depending on technology level, Unitron Stride hearing aids range from approximately $999 to $2,099 or more, each.
Pros:
- SoundNav 3.0 automatically adjusts for ideal sound in particular environments
- On-board microphone allows for hands-free phone calls
- Push-button technology allows user to answer, ignore, and end calls directly from hearing aids.
- Media streaming to both ears through Duolink
- Can connect with other Bluetooth devices
- Besides serving as a remote control, the RemotePlus app has a “coach” feature that helps users get accustomed to hearing aids without having to go back to their hearing provider
Cons:
- Longer and heavier than other Stride hearing aids
- Does not have Telecoil hearing loop system
- Not available direct to consumers—must go through hearing professional
- Battery life not guaranteed, as charge is affected by frequency of use and type of media streamed
Insera
Unitron’s Insera hearing aids are a line of in-the-ear devices that are custom-made for each individual using Unitron’s EarMatch™ “modeling process.” This includes the full shell, half shell/canal, mini canal, CIC (completely in canal), and IIC (invisible in canal) products. The devices all utilize the Unitron Tempus platform and all offer similar features, except for their size.
Features:
- 4–5 colors – beige, brown, cocoa, and tan (the IIC also comes in black)
- Full shell, half shell, and mini canal devices have 4 receiver power levels; CIC and IIC models have 3 receiver power levels
- Push-button technology
- Custom batteries (not rechargeable) – 13, 312, or 10A
- Telecoil hearing loop system
- Full shell, half shell, and mini canal devices have 5 technology levels; CIC and IIC models have 4 technology levels
- Tempus platform features Unitron’s SoundCore technology, combining SoundNav, SpeedPro, Sound Conductor, and Spatial Awareness for clearer speech and more natural listening even in the most challenging environments
- Standard 3-year warranty
Price range: Without factoring in the price of an audiologist and a custom fitting , we’ve found that Unitron’s Insera devices range from approximately $999 to $1,899 on average (per ear), depending on the style and technology level.
Pros:
- Skin tone colors allow devices to be worn discreetly
- Media streaming to both ears through Duolink
- uControl app allow wearers to control their device from their phone
Cons:
Custom fit means users must have a fitting with a hearing professional
- Some users may find ITE devices uncomfortable and unnatural
Technology and Comfort with a Price Tag to Match
Overall, Unitron hearing aids are definitely a case of “you get what you pay for.” With its dedication to user comfort and experience and its wide variety of hearing aids, Unitron remains one of the top hearing device companies in the industry today. Its relentless pursuit of technological enhancements to its products means it continues to deliver the latest in design quality, user-friendliness, and personalization.
What does this mean for you? An increased likelihood that you won’t even notice you’re wearing hearing aids, so you can enjoy the clarity of sound that you thought you’d never hear again. But it also may mean a higher price tag than you may get with other hearing aid brands, depending on the style and technology level of the Unitron hearing aid you pick.
Rachel L. MacAulay has written for the healthcare community for a decade. Previously, she was an analyst for the voice & wireless industry.
