Certus Hearing Reviews
Certus One vs the Hearing Services Program, Specsavers and private clinics
Australia splits sharply in two: if you qualify for the Hearing Services Program, a fitted pair is free. If you do not, you are in a A$1,495 to A$12,000 private market.
Prices checked 31 July 2026.
Is Certus One as good as a professionally fitted hearing aid?
No, and it is not priced as if it were. It does not replace a professional fitting.
Check your Hearing Services Program eligibility before buying anything. If you qualify, a fully subsidised fitted pair costs you nothing and is a better device than this one.
The options, priced
| Option | Price | Fitting | Aftercare | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hearing Services Program | A$0 if eligible | Audiologist fitted, government funded | Included, about A$50 a year for maintenance | Eligibility only: 21+ and holding a pensioner concession card, DVA card or equivalent. Most working-age adults do not qualify. |
| Specsavers Australia | From A$1,495 a pair | Audiologist fitted, free hearing test | Included | A$0 with HSP funding on the Standard range, but the full A$1,495 to A$6,495 if you are not eligible. |
| Private clinics (Audika and others) | A$3,000 to A$12,000 a pair | Audiologist fitted, full service | Bundled | Medicare does not cover hearing aids for most adults. |
| Certus OneOur product | A$349.99 a pair | Self-fitted, preset. No audiogram, no appointment. | 90-day home trial, 2-year warranty, email support | No professional fitting, no in-person aftercare, much smaller gains in loud rooms, and no HSP funding. |
Sources: Specsavers Australia price list, Hearing Services Program devices. Checked 31 July 2026. Verify current prices with each provider before deciding.
A$0
Eligible pensioners, veterans and other card holders aged 21+ get fully subsidised hearing devices through the Australian Government Hearing Services Program. If you qualify, a fitted pair costs nothing.
Source: Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. Checked 2026-07-31.
A$1,495
Specsavers Australia lists its entry pair at A$1,495 and its premium ranges from A$4,495 to A$6,495 a pair, before any Hearing Services Program subsidy.
Source: Specsavers Australia published price list. Checked 2026-07-31.
A$3,000 to A$12,000
Outside the subsidy, most Australian hearing aids sit between A$3,000 and A$12,000 a pair. Medicare does not cover hearing aids for most adults.
Source: Australian hearing aid cost guide, February 2026. Checked 2026-07-31.
Under 21s and workers
If you are under 21, or working and not on a qualifying card, you are outside the Hearing Services Program and pay the full private price.
Source: Hearing Services Program eligibility. Checked 2026-07-31.
Where the cheap option genuinely loses
Noise. A professionally fitted pair uses directional microphones and adaptive processing that a preset in-canal device at this price does not match. In a restaurant, a pub, or a room with more than three people talking, the difference is audible, and our own reviewers say so.
The audiogram. A professional fitting shapes amplification to the exact frequencies you have lost. Certus One applies a preset profile. ClearVoice SpeechLift lifts speech frequencies and softens background noise, which suits the common pattern of age-related loss, but it is not your curve.
Someone to go back to. In-person aftercare has real value: retuning, wax removal, replacement domes, an annual check. Certus gives you email support and a 90-day window.
Where it genuinely wins
Time. There is no referral, no appointment and no waiting list.
Money at risk. $349.99 with a 90-day trial is a small bet if what you want to find out is whether amplification helps you at all.
Starting at all. People wait an average of ten years between noticing a hearing problem and acting on it (RNID, Hearing Matters). A cheap device that gets worn beats an expensive one that never gets bought.
What we would tell you to do
- Get a hearing test anyway. Most high-street chains offer one free with no obligation, and knowing your audiogram is useful whatever you buy afterwards.
- If your loss is more than moderate, do not buy this. Over-the-counter devices are capped on output by design (US Food and Drug Administration). Go the fitted route.
- Check what you are entitled to first. If you hold a pensioner concession card, a DVA card or another qualifying card and are 21 or over, the government fully subsidises a fitted pair. That is a better deal than anything on this page.
- If you mainly want conversation at home, on the phone and one-to-one, that is the case our 1287 reviews describe working well.
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Certus One than a fitted pair in Australia?
- Certus One is $349.99 a pair. Hearing Services Program: A$0 if eligible. Specsavers Australia: From A$1,495 a pair. Private clinics (Audika and others): A$3,000 to A$12,000 a pair. The trade is the audiogram, the professional fitting and in-person aftercare.
- Is a cheap over-the-counter device as good as an expensive fitted one?
- Not in noisy environments, and not fitted to your hearing. In quiet rooms, one-to-one conversation and on the phone, the gap is smaller than the price difference suggests. A 2026 meta-analysis of 15 studies and 774 participants found self-fitting over-the-counter devices performed comparably to audiologist-fitted devices on patient-reported measures, although the authors rate the certainty of that evidence as low.
- Should I use the Hearing Services Program instead?
- Check your Hearing Services Program eligibility before buying anything. If you qualify, a fully subsidised fitted pair costs you nothing and is a better device than this one.
- Do I need a hearing test before buying an over-the-counter device?
- You are not required to have one, but it is worth doing. A hearing test tells you whether your loss is inside the mild-to-moderate range these devices are built for, and if it is not, no over-the-counter device at any price will help.