So What Is a Hearable, Anyway? (And Did the Word Even Stick?)
A Hearable is a wearable hearing help, and we are and have been so excited about what they can do for people!
We’re glad you asked, because sometimes we wonder that ourselves.
Just kidding. We actually know exactly what a hearable is, most days, anyway.
Let’s give it a go.
What Is a Hearable?
A Hearable is a device that’s made to help you hear.
That’s the short answer.
The longer answer?
Well, it depends on where and how you’re listening.
There are hearables for when you’re working out (those are the sporty types, think your Apple AirPods, Bose SoundSport, or Jabra Elites). They stream music, track your steps, sometimes tell you your heart rate, and, if you’re lucky, don’t fall out mid-run.
Then there are hearables that make work life easier, helping you hear better on phone calls, Zoom meetings, or those dreaded hybrid conference calls where half the people are in the room and half are in outer space (aka on mute).
But the hearables we’re most excited about?
The ones that actually help you hear in real life, in noise, in restaurants, while watching TV, at lectures, and even in quiet moments when you just want speech to sound clear again.
If you’re not quite ready for a hearing aid, a hearable might be your perfect in-between.
They’re like the training wheels of better hearing, light, fun, and not too serious.
So… Did the Word “Hearable” Catch On?
Kind of, but not really!
“Hearable” popped up around 2014 when people started calling smart earbuds “the next wearable.” The name stuck just enough to survive, but it didn’t exactly become a household word.
You won’t hear someone say, “I just got new hearables!” … but you will hear them say, “I love my AirPods, they help me hear better on calls.” And guess what? That’s basically the same thing. You might also hear them say I got a hearing aid. Well, that isn’t the same thing unless they got an OTC (over-the-counter) hearing aid, which is actually a type of hearable.
In other words, the word didn’t go viral, but the idea absolutely did.
Hearables Today (a.k.a. 2025 Edition)
Hearables are having a serious glow-up. Here’s what’s happening now:
- They’re basically mini hearing aids.
Apple got FDA clearance to use the AirPods Pro 2 as self-fitting hearing aids. That’s huge! Every day, earbuds are becoming actual hearing help. - They’re getting smarter.
New hearables can automatically detect noisy places and boost voices. Some even use AI speech enhancement that can pick out a person’s voice in a crowd. (Finally, something that listens better than we do!) - They’re doubling as health monitors.
Think heart rate tracking, temperature, or even, get this, picking up the “lub-dub” of your heart (someone reached out yesterday telling me just that) using the tiny speaker vibrations in your ear. (Yes, that’s a real research thing.) - They’re learning to multitask.
Fitness tracking? Check. Noise cancellation? Maybe as a hearable, but yes as a streamer. Language translation? Coming soon.
Basically, your ear is about to become prime real estate for tech.
What’s Next?
The market for hearables is exploding, expected to hit over billions this year so we hear, with forecasts climbing to double that in the next decade.
Big names like Samsung, Jabra, Apple, and Sony are all in the game. New startups are blending hearing science, AI, and comfort design to make devices that sound good and feel good.
We’re also seeing more conversations around privacy and data safety (because, let’s be real, these things can hear a lot).
And there’s still the classic challenge, batteries that can’t quite keep up with how smart the devices have become, or that they are not small enough to do what people want them to do.
But the direction is clear: the future of hearing is smart, connected, and sitting right in your ears.
So Why Do We Love Hearables?
Because they make hearing better easier to talk about.
They feel fun, not medical.
They’re for everyone, from the “I just need a little help” crowd to the “I want every gadget in my ear” people.
And if you’ve ever said, “I wish I could hear my TV without turning it up to 100,” well… there’s probably a hearable for that.
So yes, the word hearable might sound a little funny, but we’re sticking with it.
Because helping people hear better should be something you can smile about.
Stay tuned, the next generation of hearables is just getting warmed up (and charged up). We understand there will be a tiny CIC soon from a “hearable” company that will add Bluetooth streaming! This is an exciting thought and will be a game-changer again.
Stay tuned for our next update. Date today 10/7/2025