Rexton Hearing Aids

Rexton (http://www.rexton.com) is a hearing aid company whose profile states that for more than 50 years they have provided hearing solutions. Rexton was an independent company before it was sold to Siemens Hearing Instruments Inc. As a subsidiary of Siemens AG, Rexton hearing aids are available internationally through affiliates around the world. (Siemens manufactures the hearing aids for Rexton.) Rexton has affiliates in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America. Rexton's hearing aids are even available in places like Iran and Malaysia.

The site has a library that answers questions about hearing loss, such as how do we hear?, what are the types of hearing loss?, what are signs of hearing loss and more.

The hearing library also includes downloadable PDFs with the titles "Tips for Success" and "Tips for Family." The Tips for Success PDF gives advice to people who are trying to adjust to their new hearing aids. One tip points out that the wearer's voice may sound odd to the wearer at first. Another tip is about how to deal with group conversation situations.

In Tips for Family, Rexton offers suggestions for family members, such as being aware that long distance reduces the ability of the hearing aid user to understand. Another family tip encourages the family to be aware of the impact of noisy environments on the user's ability to hear.

The Rexton.com site also has a "find-a-professional" feature to assist with finding a healthcare professional to help with hearing tests and selecting an appropriate hearing instrument. Submitting the form puts the consumer in contact with Rexton, which then schedules a hearing test.

In addition, an FAQ section answers common questions from hearing aid users such as, "Can I purchase hearing aids online?" The answer is that Rexton does not support online hearing aid sales because hearing aids are medical devices that need to be fitted by qualified health professionals. Further, the site also has two videos on hearing loss. Unfortunately, at the time the site was visited, neither video had captions.

Rexton offers a full line of hearing aid products - from the behind-the-ear style to in-the-canal hearing aids. Rexton's hearing aid products range from a very basic hearing aid with limited features, such as Arena (no Bluetooth technology), to sophisticated hearing instruments, such as Insite, with Bluetooth technology, wireless assistance and smoothing of sounds (the softening of sudden sounds like glass breaking).

Over time, as new hearing aid technologies become available, features that are not available today in the most basic hearing aid model will become available even in the basic models. All of Rexton's hearing instruments are digital. Rexton also sells accessories such as a battery charger for recharging hearing aid batteries, wireless remote controls for the hearing aids and Bluetooth accessories for streaming sound directly to the hearing aid.

One place Rexton's hearing aids are available is at Costco Hearing Aid Centers, where Rexton is one of three hearing aid suppliers. According to the Costco, prices for Rexton hearing aids ranged from about $900 to $1,500 per hearing aid. Costco also sells Rexton hearing aids as a private label brand, called Kirkland Signature.

Rexton has teamed up with Lions Club International Foundation in an Affordable Hearing Aid Project. The initiative provides discounted digital hearing aids through the Lions Clubs and their hearing programs. Rexton is the only company involved. The way it works is that a local Lions club selects eligible individuals based on economic need and arranges for professional testing and hearing aids. The project has an arrangement with HearUSA to provide hearing aid consultations in 10 states where the company owns stores (California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania).