Hearing Aid Brands Explained: Who Makes Phonak, Oticon, Signia, ReSound and Starkey Hearing Aids?
Hearing Aid Brands Explained: Who Makes Phonak, Oticon, Signia, ReSound and Starkey Hearing Aids?
The hearing aid market is unusually concentrated. Five company groups sit behind the brands you are most likely to be offered in the UK: Sonova (Phonak), Demant (Oticon), WS Audiology (Signia and Widex), GN (ReSound) and Starkey. Knowing who owns which brand is genuinely useful, because it explains why the same handful of names keeps appearing wherever you look for hearing care. This guide sets out who makes what, how much the badge really matters, and where a personal sound amplifier fits if your listening difficulties are mild.
If you have started researching hearing support, the brand names arrive quickly and without much explanation. Search for Phonak hearing aids and you will find pages of them; the same goes for Oticon, Signia, ReSound, Starkey and Widex. They are presented as competing choices, but the picture behind them is more consolidated than most buyers realise.
This is not a ranking, and we are not going to tell you which brand is "best". We do not sell any of them. What we can do is explain the landscape honestly, so that when an audiologist recommends a particular model you understand what you are being offered and what questions to ask.
Who actually makes the big hearing aid brands?
Five groups sit behind the hearing aid brands sold in the UK, and four of the five are European. Here is the ownership picture, taken from each company's own corporate information.
| Brand | Owned by | Based in | Also owns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phonak | Sonova | Stäfa, Switzerland | Unitron, Hansaton, AudioNova, Advanced Bionics |
| Oticon | Demant | Denmark | Bernafon, Sonic, Audika, Interacoustics |
| Signia | WS Audiology | Lynge, Denmark | Widex, Rexton, Audio Service, Vibe |
| Widex | WS Audiology | Lynge, Denmark | As above |
| ReSound | GN | Ballerup, Denmark | Beltone |
| Starkey | Starkey (privately owned) | Eden Prairie, USA | Audibel |
That consolidation is worth holding on to. If you visit three different providers and are shown three different "brands", there is a reasonable chance two of them share a parent company, a research budget and a manufacturing base.
Phonak hearing aids: the Swiss group behind the brand
Phonak hearing aids are made by Sonova, a Swiss company founded in 1947 and headquartered in Stäfa. Sonova describes itself as a global leader in hearing care and also owns Unitron, Hansaton, the AudioNova retail chain and the Advanced Bionics cochlear implant business. Phonak's Infinio platform launched in 2024.
What is worth noticing here is the reach. Sonova makes hearing aids and also owns a retail chain, which means the company recommending a device and the company making it can sometimes be related. That vertical integration is neither good nor bad in itself, but it is a fair thing to ask about.
Oticon hearing aids: the Danish group with a century of heritage
Oticon hearing aids are made by Demant, a Danish group whose hearing heritage runs back to 1904. Demant is listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen and says it employs more than 26,000 people across around 130 countries. Alongside Oticon it owns Bernafon, Sonic, the Audika retail network and the Interacoustics diagnostic equipment business.
Demant says it is the only company covering every area of hearing healthcare, from the equipment used to test your hearing through to the device fitted afterwards. Whether or not that is strictly unique, it does mean an Oticon fitting may involve Demant equipment at more than one stage.
Signia and Widex hearing aids: two names, one owner
Signia and Widex hearing aids are both made by WS Audiology, formed in 2019 when Sivantos, the former Siemens hearing business, merged with Widex. The combined group is registered in Lynge, Denmark, and also owns Rexton, Audio Service and Vibe.
This one surprises people. Signia and Widex are marketed as distinct premium brands with different sound philosophies, and they are managed separately, but they belong to the same parent. WS Audiology also owns Vibe, its own over-the-counter brand for markets where buyers do not have easy access to an audiologist.
ReSound hearing aids: a brand in the middle of a change
ReSound hearing aids are made by GN, a Danish company based in Ballerup that traces its history back to 1869. GN also owns the Beltone brand.
Worth checking before you buy
In March 2026 GN announced an agreement to sell its entire hearing business, including ReSound, to Amplifon. Amplifon is itself a hearing care retailer, including in the UK. If you are considering ReSound, it is reasonable to ask your provider where that stands now and what it means for aftercare, because ownership changes can affect service arrangements over time.
Starkey hearing aids: the American independent
Starkey hearing aids are made by Starkey, a privately held company based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, founded by Bill Austin in 1967. Starkey describes itself as the only American-owned provider of hearing technologies and also owns the Audibel brand.
Being privately held means Starkey is not answerable to public shareholders in the way the Danish and Swiss groups are. Whether that translates into anything you would notice as a wearer is not something we can demonstrate, so we will not claim it does.
Does the hearing aid brand actually matter?
The brand matters less than most buyers expect, and the fitting matters more. All five groups sell a premium range and simpler ranges beneath it, so the badge on the box tells you very little on its own. What it tells you nothing about is the thing that shapes your day-to-day experience most: how carefully the device is programmed to your hearing test results, and how easy it is to get adjusted afterwards.
What you are actually paying for
When you buy privately, the price covers more than the hardware. It typically includes the assessment, the programming, the follow-up appointments and the aftercare, bundled into one figure. The NHS notes that private hearing aids can cost anything from £500 to £3,500 or more for a single hearing aid, and advises researching typical costs and aftercare before committing.
Where the brand does make a difference
- App and streaming support. Each group runs its own app and its own approach to phone and TV streaming. If that matters to you, ask specifically rather than assuming.
- Availability of spares. Domes, wax guards and receivers are brand-specific. A widely stocked brand is easier to keep running years later.
- Who can service it. Devices can be locked to the provider that fitted them, which limits where you can go for adjustments later. Worth asking directly.
Questions worth asking before you commit
If you are sitting in front of an audiologist, these are the questions that tend to matter more than the brand name on the box.
- 1What exactly does the price include, and for how long? Ask specifically about follow-up appointments, adjustments and repairs.
- 2Can another provider adjust these later, or are they locked to you?
- 3What is the trial period, and what happens if I return them?
- 4Is this brand owned by the company I am buying from?
- 5What will spares such as domes and wax guards cost me each year?
How you buy these brands in the UK
You generally cannot buy these brands directly, because they are regulated medical devices fitted by a qualified professional. There are two main routes, and they are not mutually exclusive.
- 1The NHS route. See a GP, who can refer you to an audiologist. NHS hearing aids are provided free as a long-term loan, with free batteries, free repairs and no charge for follow-up appointments. The trade-offs the NHS itself flags are that the aids supplied are usually behind-the-ear or occasionally receiver-in-the-ear types, and that waiting times can sometimes be longer than for private treatment.
- 2The private route. You can go directly to a private provider without a referral. You get a wider choice of styles, including the smaller and less visible ones, and you pay for it. The NHS advises shopping around between providers and factoring in the cost of aftercare.
Both routes involve a proper hearing assessment. If your hearing has changed noticeably, changed suddenly, affects one ear more than the other, or comes with pain, discharge or persistent ringing, see a GP rather than buying anything online. Those are situations that need looking at, not amplifying.
Where personal sound amplifiers fit, and where they do not
Personal sound amplifiers are a different category from the brands above: they are consumer electronics for everyday listening support, not regulated hearing aids, and they are not fitted to a prescription. That distinction is the whole point, and it cuts both ways.
| Prescription hearing aids | Personal sound amplifiers | |
|---|---|---|
| What they are | Regulated medical devices | Consumer sound amplification devices |
| How you get them | NHS referral or private audiologist | Bought directly, no appointment |
| Set-up | Programmed to your hearing test results | Adjusted by you, by volume and preset |
| Suited to | The full range, including significant hearing loss | Mild to moderate everyday listening challenges |
| Typical UK cost | Free on the NHS, or £500 to £3,500 or more privately per hearing aid | JD Health Tech's range starts under £50 a pair |
| Aftercare | Professional follow-up appointments | Remote support and a returns window |
Being straightforward about it: a personal sound amplifier is not a substitute for an audiology assessment, and it will not do what a professionally programmed hearing aid does. It amplifies sound; it does not correct a specific pattern of hearing loss the way a prescription device is set up to.
When a personal sound amplifier is probably the wrong choice
If sounds are loud enough but words still run together, amplification alone is unlikely to fix that. The same applies if your hearing difficulty is significant, sudden, one-sided, or accompanied by pain or discharge. In those cases the honest answer is to see a GP or audiologist first, and we would rather say so than sell you something that disappoints you.
When it is a sensible option
For people whose difficulties are mild and situational, the calculation is different. If you follow most conversations comfortably but struggle with the television, a busy restaurant or a meeting room with poor acoustics, a personal sound amplifier is a low-commitment way to see whether more volume and clarity helps, without a referral, an appointment or a four-figure outlay.
Set-up is deliberately simple. There is no appointment and no programming software: you charge them, fit whichever dome size feels comfortable, switch on and adjust the volume or preset until speech sounds clear. That simplicity is a real advantage if fiddly technology puts you off, though it also means nobody is tailoring the sound to your ears but you.
Plenty of people also use one while they wait for an NHS appointment, then keep it as a spare. Others try one first, discover it is not enough, and go on to a full assessment better informed than they were. Both are reasonable outcomes.
Not sure which route you need?
Start with a free online hearing check to get a rough picture, then explore our UK-supported range of personal sound amplifiers, backed by a 30-day home trial.
Take the Free Hearing Check Browse Hearing AmplifiersFrequently asked questions about hearing aid brands
Phonak is owned by Sonova, a Swiss company founded in 1947 and headquartered in Stäfa. Sonova also owns Unitron, Hansaton, the AudioNova retail chain and Advanced Bionics.
Hearing aids are regulated medical devices, programmed to your hearing test results by a qualified professional. Hearing amplifiers, properly called personal sound amplifiers, are consumer products that make sounds louder and clearer for everyday listening. They are not fitted to a prescription and are not medical devices.
Less than the marketing suggests. Five groups make almost all of them, and two brands you are shown as alternatives may share a parent company. The bigger practical differences are the app, the streaming support, how easy spares are to get, and who is allowed to adjust the device afterwards.
Not in the normal way. These are regulated medical devices fitted and programmed by a qualified professional, either through the NHS after a GP referral or privately. If you want something you can buy directly and set up yourself, that is a personal sound amplifier, which is a different category of product.
No. Personal sound amplifiers are consumer products and can be bought without a prescription, a referral or an appointment. That convenience is also the limitation: nobody is assessing your hearing, so a check-up is still worth having if your hearing has changed.
Many people do, but most find it easier to build up gradually over the first week or two rather than wearing one from morning to night straight away. The NHS makes a similar point about hearing aids: adjusting can take a few weeks or months. Keep the volume at a comfortable level and take a break if your ears feel tired.
In-canal styles sit inside the ear and are difficult to see from the front, though nothing is completely invisible from every angle. If discretion is your main concern, the style you choose matters far more than the brand on the box.
JD Health Tech offers a 30-day home trial with UK-based support, so you can try amplifiers in your own home, in the situations that actually matter to you, and return them if they are not right. Full terms are on our 30-day home trial page.
Sources referenced: Sonova, Demant, WS Audiology, GN and Starkey corporate information; NHS guidance on hearing aids and implants. Prices and product availability correct at the time of writing. This article is general information about the hearing device market and is not medical advice.
