How long is a hearing aid trial period?

It depends on where you buy. State law requires a minimum trial period for clinic-fitted hearing aids, most commonly 30 days (New York, Connecticut, Florida, Texas) or 45 days (California, Vermont). Among OTC and direct-to-consumer brands, Jabra Enhance Select offers the longest trial at 100 days risk-free, Costco gives members a 180-day return window, and Eargo, Lexie and MDHearing each offer 45 days. Always confirm the exact number with the seller before you buy — it is not always the state minimum.

Can I get a full refund if I return hearing aids during the trial period?

Usually yes, but read the fine print on fees. Eargo's 45-day Right to Return and Jabra Enhance Select's 100-day trial both advertise a full refund with free return shipping, provided the devices come back undamaged. State-mandated trials for clinic-fitted aids are less generous: Connecticut law allows the seller to keep a cancellation fee of up to 12% of the purchase price, and some states permit a separate non-refundable dispensing or fitting fee even during the trial window.

Does Costco really give a 180-day return window on hearing aids?

Yes. Costco's hearing aid return policy runs 180 days from purchase for a full refund, which is roughly four times the length of a typical OTC brand's trial and well beyond any state-mandated minimum. Combined with a 3-year repair warranty and a 2-year no-deductible loss-and-damage replacement, it is the single longest risk-free window in mainstream hearing aid retail — see our [Costco hearing aids](/best/costco-hearing-aids/) guide for the full lineup and pricing.

Do OTC hearing aids bought on Amazon get the same trial period as buying direct?

Not always. ELEHEAR, for example, gives a 45-day trial when you buy directly from its own website, but a unit purchased through Amazon instead follows Amazon's standard return policy, which is typically 30 days. If a long trial period matters to your decision, check whether it's tied to the direct-purchase channel before you buy through a marketplace.

What happens if I don't return the hearing aids in time?

Past the trial window, you own the device and normal warranty terms apply instead of return terms — repairs and replacements are covered per the manufacturer's warranty (commonly 1 year for OTC brands, 1–3 years for prescription brands), but you can no longer get your money back simply because the fit or sound isn't right. That is why the trial period, not the warranty, is the number to check before you buy.

Is a longer trial period always better?

A longer trial reduces your risk, but it isn't the only factor. A 100-day or 180-day window is most valuable if your hearing loss or lifestyle makes fit hard to judge quickly — background noise environments, tinnitus, or a first-time purchase. If you've already tried a similar model and know it fits, a shorter 30-day trial on a lower-priced OTC device may still be the better financial decision. Weigh the trial length against price and your confidence in the fit, not in isolation.

Hearing Aid Trial Period: How Long You Really Get to Try Before You Buy (2026)

Quick Answer: Hearing aid trial periods range from 30 days (the minimum required by many states for clinic-fitted aids) up to 180 days at Costco. Among direct-to-consumer and OTC brands, Jabra Enhance Select offers a 100-day risk-free trial — the longest of any major OTC seller — while Eargo, Lexie and MDHearing each offer 45 days. State-mandated trials for prescription hearing aids are shorter and sometimes come with a cancellation fee: Connecticut law permits sellers to keep up to 12% of the purchase price even during the trial window. Before buying anywhere, confirm the exact trial length, whether shipping is refunded, and whether the window shrinks if you buy through a third-party marketplace instead of direct.

Hearing aids are one of the few health purchases where “try before you buy” is written into law — but the length of that trial varies by a factor of six depending on where and how you buy. A 30-day state minimum and a 180-day Costco return window are not the same product decision, and most buyers never compare the two before paying.

Trial periods by the numbers

30 days is the state-mandated minimum trial period for clinic-fitted hearing aids in New York, Connecticut, Florida and Texas.
45 days is required in California and Vermont, and is also the trial length offered directly by Eargo, Lexie and MDHearing regardless of state.
100 days — Jabra Enhance Select’s risk-free trial, the longest offered by any major OTC or direct-to-consumer hearing aid brand, with free return shipping if you send the devices back.
180 days — Costco’s hearing aid return window, roughly four times the length of a typical OTC trial, on top of a separate 3-year repair warranty.
Up to 12% of the purchase price can be withheld as a cancellation fee during the trial period under Connecticut law — a reminder that “trial period” does not always mean “100% refundable.”
30 days, not 45, is what you get on an ELEHEAR Beyond Pro bought through Amazon instead of ELEHEAR’s own site — the longer 45-day window is direct-purchase only.

Trial period by seller

Seller / route	Trial length	Refund	Notes
Costco (Kirkland/partner brands)	180 days	Full refund	Longest window in mainstream retail; see Kirkland hearing aids
Jabra Enhance Select	100 days	Full refund, free return shipping	Longest OTC/direct-to-consumer trial; see Jabra Enhance Select 300
Eargo	45 days	Full refund (less expedited shipping), paid within 10 business days	Devices must come back undamaged; see Eargo vs. Jabra
Lexie	45 days	Full refund	Bose-powered OTC line; see Lexie vs. Jabra
MDHearing	45 days	Full refund	Budget-tier direct brand
ELEHEAR (direct)	45 days	Full refund, 7–10 business days	Drops to ~30 days if bought via Amazon instead of elehear.com
Clinic-fitted, state minimum (CA/VT)	45 days	Refund minus permitted fees	State floor, not a brand policy — always ask the clinic for its actual terms
Clinic-fitted, state minimum (NY/CT/FL/TX)	30 days	Refund minus permitted fees (CT: up to 12%)	State floor; many clinics voluntarily extend it

Shop OTC hearing aids by trial length

Compare risk-free windows before you commit · from ~$799/pair

If a long, no-questions-asked trial matters most to you, Jabra Enhance Select's 100-day window gives you roughly triple the trial length of most competing OTC brands.
If you're buying through Costco, factor in the 180-day return window alongside the 3-year repair warranty — it's the most forgiving purchase in the category.
Whichever brand you choose, keep the original packaging and all accessories until the trial window closes; incomplete returns can forfeit part of the refund.

Check price on Amazon →

Trial periods this long mean you’ll likely need replacement domes or wax guards before you’ve even decided whether to keep the aids — try Amazon Prime free for 30 days to get accessories in two days instead of waiting on a slow reorder.

Why the trial period matters more than the price tag

A hearing aid that fits perfectly in the store often doesn’t perform the same in a noisy restaurant, on a phone call, or after a week of all-day wear. That’s precisely why these laws and brand policies exist — hearing aid fit is something you can only really evaluate by living with the device, not by trying it on for ten minutes. A shorter trial period puts pressure on you to decide fast; a longer one lets real-world use surface problems (feedback, discomfort, poor speech clarity in noise) before your money is locked in.

This is also why trial length is a legitimate factor in choosing a brand, not just a fallback if something goes wrong. If you’ve never worn a hearing aid before, or your hearing loss is asymmetric or noise-dependent, a 100-day or 180-day trial gives you multiple seasons and social situations to test the fit. If you’re replacing a device you already know works well for you, a 30–45 day trial is plenty.

What voids or shortens your trial

Buying through the wrong channel. ELEHEAR’s 45-day trial is direct-purchase only; the same device through Amazon reverts to Amazon’s standard ~30-day return policy.
Damage beyond normal wear. Eargo and most OTC brands will reduce or deny a refund if the devices or charger are damaged beyond normal use during the trial.
Missing accessories. Chargers, domes, and original packaging are typically required for a full refund — read the return instructions before you start using loose parts as spares.
State-permitted fees. Even inside a legally mandated trial period, some states let the seller keep a dispensing fee or a percentage of the purchase price (Connecticut: up to 12%) — a “free trial” at a clinic is not always $0 if you return the devices.

For brand-specific pricing and warranty details, see our best OTC hearing aids, Costco hearing aids, Jabra Enhance Select 300, Eargo vs. Jabra, and hearing aid repair guides.

A quick health note

Trial periods are a purchasing safeguard, not a substitute for medical evaluation. If your hearing loss is sudden, one-sided, accompanied by pain or drainage, or your tinnitus pulses or is one-sided, see a hearing professional before trying any device, OTC or prescription. Over-the-counter hearing aids are intended for adults 18 and over with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss in both ears.

The bottom line

Match the trial length to your confidence in the fit, not just the price. State law guarantees a 30–45 day floor for clinic-fitted hearing aids, but the real spread runs much wider: Jabra Enhance Select’s 100-day risk-free trial and Costco’s 180-day return window both give you far more time to live with a device than the legal minimum, while Eargo, Lexie, MDHearing and ELEHEAR’s direct-purchase channel cluster around 45 days. Whatever you choose, confirm the number in writing, buy through the channel that keeps the longer window intact, and compare current OTC pricing on Amazon before your trial clock starts.