Hearing aid tips to help navigate the noisy festive season
The festive season is nearly upon us, and for most people, that means spending time with family and friends. But if you have a relative or friend with hearing loss, they can find large gatherings challenging, so it’s important to do what you can to help make their experience a good one.
To find out what people with hearing loss find helpful – and unhelpful – at social events, in October 2025, we asked 605 Which? members with hearing loss about the aspects they find most tricky and what others can do to minimise them.
We also asked 816 Which? members who have family or friends with hearing loss, what they found has worked well and not so well in the past.
In our survey, 39% of people with hearing loss said they find certain aspects of Christmas social events with family and friends difficult.
The trickiest situations are following the conversation when lots of people are talking (94%), made worse by other background noise (92%).
While these issues can be problems in any social situation, they can be particularly isolating at Christmas when there are more gatherings than usual, and everyone seems to be having a great time.
More than two fifths (43%) of the people who said they find some aspects difficult said there are things family and friends can do to minimise the issues. So here are seven ways to help and four things to avoid this Christmas.
Whatever steps you take, it’s essential to discuss with your family member or friend what would work best for them, as everyone has different needs and priorities.
If someone close to you needs hearing aids, find out how the NHS compares to private hearing aid providers.
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What to do to help someone with hearing loss
Follow these tips for making Christmas an enjoyable time for anyone with hearing loss you’re socialising with.
1. Minimise background noise
Noisy environments are the enemy of hearing aid wearers and those with less-than-perfect hearing, as they make conversation harder to hear. One survey respondent said: ‘If there is a lot of background noise, the hearing aid will often amplify that and dull down the person sitting opposite me.’
Avoid getting together at busy restaurants – many of our survey respondents said they find being in a home environment easier.
If you do meet up in a restaurant, ask to be seated away from noisy areas, such as near speakers playing music, the kitchen, or the entrance. It can help if the person with hearing loss sits with their back to the noise they don't want to hear.
If you’re at home, don’t have music, the radio or the TV on in the background, or keep them quiet. Be mindful of noise from kitchen appliances such as kettles and coffee machines, the loud scrunching of gifts being unwrapped and the clattering of plates being washed, as they can make it harder to hear people speaking.
It can also be helpful to keep the number of guests small and gather in rooms with carpet and soft furnishings – whether you’re at home or somewhere else – as this makes for better acoustics.
Consider seating children separately to keep noise to a minimum, but check with your relative first. A grandparent may want to sit with their grandchildren regardless of their hearing issues.
Make sure everyone there, including children, is aware that the person has hearing loss and may struggle to hear in certain situations.
2. Face them when speaking
It’s easier for people with hearing loss to understand what you’re saying if you look directly at them and don’t cover your mouth so they can see your face. Make sure you have the person’s attention before you start speaking and that others aren’t making too much noise beforehand.
One person in our survey suggested: ‘If starting a conversation with me, say my name first: that alerts me to turn round and face you, and to pay attention to your voice among many.’
3. Be understanding
People with hearing loss can sometimes feel blamed if they don’t hear things, which can make them feel unwelcome and stop them from enjoying the occasion. It can be easy to forget that hearing is an issue for some. As one survey respondent pointed out: ‘In today’s busy society, we tend to think everyone can hear, even with hearing aids.
Be patient if you’re asked to repeat yourself, and make sure those with hearing loss are being included in conversations. Sit them next to someone you know is sympathetic. Let them choose where to sit so they can be in the best place for their needs – on a certain side if they have hearing loss in one ear, for example.
A noisy environment can be tiring, stressful, and uncomfortable for someone who struggles to hear, whether they have hearing aids or not. Offer them another room to sit in if they prefer.
In our survey, some of those with hearing loss said they didn’t want to put constraints on others or spoil their enjoyment by expecting them to accommodate their hearing needs, so showing you’re happy to do this will go a long way toward making them feel valued. Also, bear in mind that they might pretend they’ve heard what’s been said to save face or avoid causing potential annoyance.
4. Speak slowly and clearly
Don’t mumble or talk too fast to make it easier for what you’re saying to be heard. Speak up but don’t shout as this can be uncomfortably loud for someone wearing hearing aids. ‘Either speak louder or get close to my ear but not both,’ advised one survey respondent. Lower voices can also be easier to hear.
Some of the people in our survey pointed out that how audible people are can get better or worse as alcohol flows, so it’s worth being aware of how the behaviour of guests changes as the day or evening progresses.
5. Consider assistive tech
Devices such as remote or table microphones can be helpful at social gatherings, as they can pair wirelessly with your relative’s hearing aids to help them hear the conversation.
Speech-to-text apps that turn speech into words displayed on a smartphone can be useful, too.
Find out more about how hearing aid features and assistive devices can help.
6. Arrange for them to sit at the front
Events such as school nativity plays and church services can be a lovely part of the festive season, but someone with poor hearing may struggle to follow them if they’re sitting too far away. Arrange for your family member to sit as close to the front as possible so they can get the most out of the event.
‘Ask schools and organisers of community events to cater for the hard of hearing – maybe asking when selling tickets and reserving front seats for the person with hearing aids,’ suggested one person in our survey.
7. Discuss wearing hearing aids
If your relative has hearing aids, they might need reminding to wear them or use the right setting for the situation. However, some people don’t like wearing them or find them uncomfortable to use in noisy places. Agree with your relative in advance what reminders they would find helpful when it comes to their hearing aids.
What not to do when someone has hearing loss
It’s inevitable that people will sometimes act in a way that makes the situation worse when socialising. In our survey, 28% of people with hearing loss said there are things family and friends have done at past Christmas gatherings they’ve found unhelpful. Here’s what to avoid doing.
Laugh or get annoyed when they mishear you
You may find it funny when your relative hears something incorrectly due to poor hearing but they certainly won’t if you laugh. And as frustrating as it might be to have to keep repeating yourself, showing some understanding will help them feel valued rather than unwanted.
Ignore them or that they have hearing loss
If you ignore the fact that someone has hearing loss and they end up not being able to follow the conversation, this can make people feel excluded at get togethers, as some of our survey respondents expressed.
‘'They just forget and you get left out,’ said one about some people in social situations. ‘They don’t have time to repeat things as the conversation has moved on.’
Asking your relative questions and giving them a specific task to do at the event can help them feel more involved.
Talk to them from another room
As being able to see the person speaking to them is so important for someone with hearing loss to be able to take in what’s being said, talking to them from another room is unlikely to be successful. Face them and get their attention before you speak.
Complain if they ask to turn the subtitles on when watching TV
Watching TV together can be a big part of gatherings over the Christmas period, but bear in mind that a relative with poor hearing may need the subtitles on to enjoy the programme along with everyone else without turning it up to a level that’s too loud for others.
See all our hearing aid guides for more information.
