Best Amplified Phones for the Hearing Impaired

Talking on the phone can be a frustrating and difficult experience when someone has hearing loss. Luckily there are many different resources and products that can help people who have difficulty hearing understand the person on the other end of the line.

Geemarc Ultra Amplified Corded Telephone (aka AMPLIPOWER50)1Read the Full ReviewCheck Pricinggeemarc50
Clarity Amplified Photo Phone
2Read the Full ReviewCheck Pricingclarityphoto
Clarity XLC3.4 Amplified Cordless Phone3Read the Full ReviewCheck Pricingclarity cordless

Talking on the phone can be a frustrating and difficult experience when someone has hearing loss. Luckily there are many different resources and products that can help people who have difficulty hearing understand the person on the other end of the line. Since there are so many different options, shopping for a phone for the hard of hearing can be a confusing experience with many factors to consider.


This guide covers:

  • Types of Phones for the hearing impaired
  • What type is best for your level of hearing loss
  • Features
  • Cost/Budget
  • Where to Buy


Types of Phones for the Hearing Impaired


Amplified phone


Amplified phones allow people with hearing loss to turn up the telephone volume level much higher than a traditional phone so voices can be heard comfortably and clearly.  They also usually allow users to modify the tone of the other speaker’s voice to suit the hearing of the listener.

Amplified telephones come in a range of different amplification levels, in order to choose the right device you should know the general level of decibel (dB) hearing loss you have. As a rough guide, telephones with 18-28 dB of amplification are good for mild hearing loss; 30-48 dB of amplification for moderate hearing loss; and 50-55 dB of amplification for severe hearing loss.

Most of these types of phones amplify the incoming voice, although some amplify both the incoming and the outgoing voice. Sometimes people with hearing loss are also soft spoken because they are unable to hear themselves speak properly.

PROS: Amplified phones are easy to use, volume control is built directly into the telephone, and you don’t have to worry about compatibility problems. With most of these types of phones you can get an amplification increase from 30-50 dB.

CONS: Phones with built in amplifiers are more expensive than an add-on amplifier. Some might not work well with hearing aids.

PRICE RANGE: $60 to $200+


Portable Amplifiers

If you don’t want to buy anything new and would like to increase the sound level of an existing phone, you can purchase a portable amplifier. This is a small device that you will attach to your regular phone to help amplify the volume of incoming calls, while blocking feedback and background noise. They usually work best for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. These devices increase sound by up to 40 decibels, and generally have the ability to control the tone of speech.


  • They are inexpensive.
  • Easy to install.


  • Compatibility with existing phones (especially older models) is often a problem as it only works with certain models.

Price Range: $50 or less

Captioned Phone



The captioning service is free to use as it is funded by the FCC. Although in order to use it you need to have a captioned phone as well as a high speed internet connection.

Whenever a call is made on a captured phone the phone automatically connects to a third party captioning service. The operator listens to the other caller who is speaking and then the voice gets transcribed into the captions that are displayed on the large, easy-to-read, built-in screen of the captioned phone. It works like a regular telephone all you need to do is speak and listen using the handset.

A captioned telephone may also be called a CapTel, which is the main brand name for a captioned telephone.


If you would like to use your regular phone and have captioning display on your computer screen (rather than having to purchase a captioned phone) there are services that offer this.  Users can listen to the other person speaking through any telephone, including cordless, landline or cell phones and also read what the other person is saying on a computer monitor or laptop.  For more information on Web based CapTel see the following websites:

PROS: No interaction with an operator, no complicated procedures to follow, you won’t miss any of the conversation. Captions appear automatically on all calls. No need to dial a toll-free number first. Easy to read display. Option of having captions on or off. Most of the newer phone models have touch screen making them easier to use.

CONS: You must have your own internet connection. If you have a speech impairment it may be difficult to use. Conversations are relayed through a third person.

PRICE RANGE: Service is provided free for each state, phones range in price from $100-$200. Depending on your disability and/or income you may be able to get a phone for free or with a discount.



VCO (voice carry over) are phones allow an individual who can speak but cannot hear well to see what the other caller is saying by reading the conversation. They are very similar to captioned phones, but they use a different type of relay service so you don’t need an internet connection to use this type of phone.

The other big difference between a VCO phone and a captured phone is that with a VCO phone you are not able to hear what the other person is staying – you can only read it. Captioned phones let you hear and read what the other person is saying at the same time you are speaking to them. VCO is sort of a combination of voice and text communication. The other person’s voice responses are typed for you to read, either by the person or by a special operator through a Telecommunication Relay Service (TRS).

You can make a single line VCO call or a two-line VCO call. A single line just means that you are speaking to the relay agent and then waiting for the typed response of the person you are speaking to. If you get two phone lines (with two different numbers) installed at your home, then you can make what is called a two-line VCO call. If you use two lines, one phone line lets you speak directly with the person you are calling, while the second line is used to receive the relay agents typed response from the other person.


CONS: You aren’t able to hear the person on the other end of the line; you can only read what they say unless you are using the 2 line VCO. You will have some interaction with the phone companies relay agent and there is a bit of a procedure that you have to follow when you make a call.




A TTY is a device that enables people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech-disabled to use the telephone by typing messages back and forth to one another instead of talking back and forth. You can think of it as being similar to text functions on cell phones, but with TTY you can ‘text’ over a landline. You are basically typing message back and forth with someone so users on both ends of the conversation need to have a TTY device, unless the call is placed through a relay service.

TTY devices used to be the most popular way for hard of hearing to communicate, but recently newer technology like texting on mobile phones has become a much more convenient way for the hard of hearing to communicate with friends and family. They are however still very useful devices, especially when having to deal with government services and programs.

If someone with a TTY device needs to call a regular phone they call a relay service by dialing 7-1-1 and the relay service will verbally relay the conversation to the person at the other end. Also if someone without a TTY device wants to call a person with a TTY device they can also call 7-1-1 to have the relay service communicated the conversation to the TTY user. The Relay service must be provide free of charge, 24 hours a day by every state.


PROS: You do not need internet access to use TTY.

CONS: You need to know how to type.


Emergency Telephones

emergency phone


PROS: Watch or pendant can give piece of mind for anyone living alone if they become unable to dial for themselves. Some don’t have a monthly subscription fee.

CONS: Tend to be more expensive than regular amplified phone.

PRICE RANGE: $150-$300

Amplified Cell Phones


Another option to consider is to get an amplified cell phone. Cell phones can offer a number of benefits to the hard of hearing. They are portable, you can text easily, there are phone captioning apps available, and you can amplify the sound of the conversation easily. There are a few amplified phones on the market that have similar features like big keys, loud ringers, bright displays, emergency call button, with amplification boost up to 40 dbs. These cell phones are typically designed for seniors, so they are easy to navigate and easy to use.

PROS:  These have a lot of the best features of hard of hearing phones rolled into one. They are amplified, you can text on them, they have large button, they are easy to use, can be used in an emergency and they are small so they are very portable.


PRICE RANGE: $80-$400

What type is best for your level of hearing loss?

When you have hearing loss and are trying to find the right phone, there are a number of factors that are important to think about when you are looking at features and trying to determine what will work for you. You should think about how often you use the phone, how much you are willing to spend, is privacy an issue, do you like sending text messages, are you fast typist (if you are considering a TTY), do you already have 2 phone lines (for a 2 line VCO). Since hearing can be subjective, it is a good idea to do a bit of research before making a purchase.

For low to moderate hearing loss, the best place to start is with an amplified model, they are easy to obtain and set up. If you are finding that the amplification doesn’t help clarify conversations, then you can move onto a captioned phone or another type of internet relay device. The main purpose of an amplified phone is to increase the sound capacity. After that is accomplished, the phone should be helping make sure the sound is as clear as possible. Some phones will increase the volume by as much as 30 to 50 decibels. Some people find their hearing loss is most noticeable only when they are using a phone. This could be because of the electronic changes made to a voice in phone conversations or because the pitch range on a telephone is slightly different.

If your hearing loss is moderate to severe, you may find that you cannot get the level of amplification that you need through an amplified phone. If that is the case, you should consider a captioned phone, VCO or TTY device. It will help to avoid missing parts of a conversion and you will still be able to hear the voice of the person on the other end of the line.


Most of the phones that are designed for people with hearing loss have a lot of great features that can really help people with their daily lives. Some of the features may include extra loud ringers, caller ID, large numbers keys and an amplified speakerphone. Some phones are able to work with a headset, photo dialing, backlit keypads, answering machine or wall mounts. Some phones will also have special alerts that let you know if the phone is not hung up correctly. Here are some of the features that you will want to be aware of:


Many of the amplified phones have settings that allow you to turn up the volume on the ringer, some capable of ringing about five times louder than a traditional telephone.  Some models have visual call indicators, like a flashing light so you can see when you are receiving an incoming call.  There are even model that connect to a lamp and the light will flash if the phone is ringing.

Hearing Aid Compatible

Amplified Audio Boost 


Tone Equalizer or Tone Management

You should ensure that you get a device with a tone equalizer that lets the user adjust the tone and frequency of the other persons voice to better suit the users own hearing needs. A lot of people with hearing loss have difficulty in this area.

Adjustable volume control


Headphone compatible


Visual message indicator



Since a lot of these types of phones are designed with seniors in mind, they often feature large fonts in lighted LCD display and a lighted keypad.


If freedom of mobility is important to you, you should consider a cordless phone.

Answering System






Most phones for the hearing impaired range from $100 to $300. You can get phones with all kinds of bells and whistles, but you will pay for the extra features so it is important to decide what features you will actually use when you are shopping for a phone. If you’re looking for something simply to amplify the sound of a conversation, then you can save money with a less expensive device.

If, however, you want a device with some of the specialty features like captioning screen or VCO you have to pay a bit more for those types of devices. Although getting a the right phone can help make talking on the phone that much easier if you have hearing loss, so it can be looked at as an investment in quality of life.

Under $50

Inexpensive devices such as Talking Caller ID devices and Portable Telephone Amplifiers will give you amplification on your phone for under $50. If you are considering one of these types of devices you should ensure that it is compatible with your existing phone.

$50 to $100

There a are a number of great amplified phones that fall into this price category The Clarity are a top brand in the amplified market and they offer a number of  models including their basic corded Clarity Amplified Photo Phone for around $50. Panasonic have a cordless amplified phone for around $70. Features can be a bit hit and miss this price range, so you will want to have close look at those if you are buying.

$100 to $200

Most phones for the hearing impaired fall into this price range, you should get a good level of amplification, high quality tone control, call display, caller ID and amplified answering machine. If you are looking for a TTY, Captioned, VCO phone you should expect to pay somewhere in this price range.

Where to Buy a Phone




Clarity Amplified Photo Phone

The Clarity Amplified Photo phone is a popular budget model phone that has most of the key features that are important for anyone with mild hearing loss for around $50. This phone is suited for those who need some assistance communicating over the phone, but don’t want an overly complicated device to do it. Read the Full Review



Clarity XLC3.4 Amplified Cordless Phone
