Show them you care with these helpful tools
The holidays are around the corner. Are you thinking of gift ideas for those you care about who have hearing impairment? In this article, we’ll suggest several Christmas gift ideas for the hearing impaired to make their lives a little easier.
- Pyle Hearing Assistance Amplifier Aid
- Silent Vibrating Personal Alarm Clock
- TV Speaker with Hearing Aid Technology
- The TV Ears Digital Wireless Headset System
- Digital Assisted Hearing Amplifier Wireless TV Speaker
- Shock Clock Wake Up Trainer – Wearable Smart Alarm Clock
- Strobe Light for The Hearing Impaired
Also, check out our previous post on 7 Christmas Gifts for the Sight Impaired Techie.
Table of Contents
Pyle Hearing Assistance Amplifier Aid
Pyle PHLHA56 is a mini in-ear digital voice and sound hearing amplifier with a built-in rechargeable battery.
Features and Benefits
- Reduces clicking and buzzing noises while providing a clear and natural sound.
- Fits perfectly into either ear and prevents an occlusion effect.
- It is made of engineered ABS, an opaque thermoplastic that’s resistant to chemical corrosion and physical impacts.
- The device’s mini ITC (in the canal) hearing earbud is discrete and practically invisible.
- Includes a hearing amplifier, three earbuds, two batteries, and a pulling line that’s attached to the device to make it easy to remove.
Limitations
For some, the battery compartment door is difficult to open and even harder to close after the battery has been installed.
Silent Vibrating Personal Alarm Clock
The Silent Vibrating Personal Alarm Clock from Tech Tools Innovative Gifts will wake users up without disturbing others.
Features and Benefits
- Choose from audible or vibrating mode
- Place under a pillow or wear it
- Comes with a belt clip or wrist-band
- Suitable for the hard of hearing who can use the vibrating mode
- Backlit feature to see the time easily
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Can be used as a reminder to take medication
- Runs on one AA battery (not included)
Limitations
The instructions are clear but also tedious and difficult to remember. The alarm settings are for vibrating or sound – not both.
Heavy sleepers have reported that neither setting wakes them up.
TV Speaker with Hearing Aid Technology
Using hearing aid technology, ZVOX AccuVoice AV200 TV Speaker lifts voices from background sounds for clear dialogue, even at low volumes.
Features and Benefits
- Simple setup with one connecting cord and a one-page manual
- Comes with a ZVOX remote or you can use your current TV/cable remote
- Produces home theater sound with its compact aluminum cabinet
- Sturdy metal cabinet and easy-to-read display
- Try it for a 30-day home trial
- Small enough to put above, below, to the left, or the right of your TV
- Includes an Output Leveling (OL) feature to lower the audio on commercials by pushing the OL button
Limitations
The TV speaker doesn’t support Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. If you want to stream music, you’ll need to rely on a smart TV or another networkable device.
TV Ears Digital Wireless Headset System
The TV Ears Digital enables the hearing impaired to hear the dialogue on their television without turning up the volume.
Features and Benefits
- Automatically increases TV dialogue clarity through proprietary Voice Clarifying Circuitry
- With the special designation called Assistive Listening Devices, TV Ears has permission to have twice the maximum volume
- Works well with any TV including LCD, Plasma, digital connectivity with SRS, Dolby, and PCM compatibility
- Sends the TV audio to the TV Ears using Speed of Light Infrared Technology
- Doesn’t need to be adjusted or paired
- Safe to use with pacemakers
- Audio frequency response is 20 – 20,000 Hz
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Limitations
Some users have been disappointed with the delay between the TV speaker and what comes through the headset.
Digital Assisted Hearing Amplifier Wireless TV Speaker
The SIMOLIO Digital Assisted Hearing Amplifier Wireless TV Speaker brings clear TV sound to the hearing impaired who struggle trying to find the optimum volume level on their TV.
It’s also ideal for those who want to watch TV late at night without disturbing others. All they must do is plug the headset into the speaker and put the TV on mute.
Features and Benefits
- Personal custom wireless TV soundbar replaces TV headphones to free your ears and add more comfort.
- Automatically avoids interference and reproduces a private clear TV dialog from up to 100 feet away.
- Compatible with most modern TVs, Wi-Fi TVs, and cable boxes.
- Easily stream media such as Amazon Prime Video and Netflix directly from your smart Wi-Fi TV.
- Comes with cables and RCA, and 3.5 mm inputs.
- With the VCT (Voice Clarifying Tech), TONE adjustment design, and AGC (Automatic Gain Control), the TV dialog will stand out from background noise and music.
- Check the audio output of your TV-related audio service before purchasing the Digital Assisted Hearing Amplifier Wireless TV Speaker. You will need Digital Optical Toslink/SPDIF, 3.5MM AUX audio out port, or RCA. Be sure to set your TV audio format to PCM when using TV optical audio out.
Limitation
The manufacturer reports those with pacemakers should not buy this product. It’s also not recommended for anyone with severe hearing loss.
On certain TVs, such as some LG models, only the wireless speaker will work. The design of your TV’s circuit may cause the speakers to go silent.
Consult the manufacturer of your TV for more details.
Shock Clock Wake Up Trainer – Wearable Smart Alarm Clock
This clock is more than just an alarm clock. The Shock Clock Wearable Smart Alarm Clock trains you to wake up.
Features and Benefits
- The shock clock uses proven psychological principles that are paired with electric biofeedback (zap sensation) and haptic feedback (vibration & beep) to train your brain.
- Most users won’t get “shocked” because the device trains your body to wake up before the shock hits.
- Compatible with iOS and Android apps to choose the alarm strength and set it.
- There are six wake-up modes: zap, vibration, beep, or combinations of all three.
- For chronic over sleepers, there is a multi-zap function for multiple zaps.
- Adjustable alarm modes in 10% increments up to 100%.
- Set multiple alarms during the day as reminders.
Limitations
Some users of this product found that the electrical intensity of the wake up shock drops over time.
Strobe Light for The Hearing Impaired
The Kidde SL177i Fyrnetics Hardwire Strobe Light provides a bright visual signal of a heat, smoke, or CO hazard. It must be used in conjunction with a hard-wired heat, smoke, or carbon monoxide alarm.
Features and Benefits
- Includes a tamper resist pin to help deter tampering and theft.
- Provides a visual alert of a danger to the hearing impaired.
- Easy installation by quickly connecting the power harness.
- Meets the requirements of Underwriters Laboratories (UL), an independent non-profit organization that tests products for safety standard compliance.
- Be sure all devices are wired to one continuous power line (non-switched).
- Can use a maximum of 1000 feet of wire in the interconnect system.
- Backed by a five-year warranty.
Limitations
Does not work with battery-operated heat, smoke, or carbon monoxide alarm.
If you live in California, this product might be subject to Prop 65 rules and regulations (https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/).
The strobe light is not a stand-alone product and must be used with other units from the same manufacturer.
Get a head’s up on your holiday shopping this year. Give someone you care about who has hearing loss the gift of better communications. It’ll let them know that you care about their needs and struggles.
