Your first appointment usually takes around an hour and we hope that you'll learn a lot about your ears. If you would like to bring along a friend or family member that’s fine with us, it can actually be very helpful.

After asking a few questions, our hearing expert will check your ears by playing sounds at different pitches through a pair of headphones and asking you to press a button every time you hear a sound. They will then ask you to wear a special headband that will test how well you hear sounds through vibrations.

Using a tiny camera, they will examine the health of your ear canals and ear drums, ensuring that sound has a clear pathway through the structures of the middle and inner ears – they’ll even show you on screen what they’re seeing. This will be recorded to help keep track of any changes in your ear over time.

If a hearing device would be beneficial, your hearing expert will talk you through all the options that might be suitable for you. They may also take a mould of your ear canal, so that your new device fits properly. This takes five minutes and is completely painless.

Real Ear Measurement is used to account for the individual way sound travels through your ear canals. A special microphone analyses the sounds produced by the hearing devices in your ear canal to ensure you’re getting the best level of sound.

In most cases your hearing aids or devices can be fitted on the same day as your test. They’ll be programmed to your needs, and we’ll make sure you know how to use them before you leave the store.

We’ll also organise a follow-up appointment after four weeks to check that everything is well and fine-tune the programming if necessary. This may be via our RemoteCare service or with the finetuning app. Your hearing expert will explain all the details during your initial appointment. Find out more about our aftercare package.