THE BRACELET THAT ‘FEELS’ SOUND

Neosensory Clarify, $999 (£822), neosensory.com

CLAIM: This wristband ‘improves hearing without the need to wear hearing aids’. It vibrates so high frequency sounds are felt as vibrations, which ‘re-trains the brain to better understand spoken words’, says the maker. Suitable for ‘people with mild to moderate hearing loss’ when high frequencies become harder to hear. Currently available only in the U.S. EXPERT VERDICT: ‘The manufacturer has published a study involving 18 users (13 of whom had severe or profound hearing loss) who were able to correctly identify speech using only the wristband,’ says Dr Saima Rajasingam, a lecturer in audiology at Anglia Ruskin University.

‘I would be a bit cautious about generalising the potential benefit to everyone with hearing loss, but the initial results are promising.

‘I would see this as a supplement rather than replacement to hearing aids — but it’s very expensive.’ 6/10