Nuance Audio hearing glasses explained: FDA status, price, battery and where to buy

Nuance Audio glasses are EssilorLuxottica's open-ear hearing glasses for adults 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss. They are FDA-cleared: the agency's database lists 510(k) K243150, "Nuance Audio Hearing Aid Software," with a decision date of Jan. 31, 2025. EssilorLuxottica announced the US launch on April 8, 2025. Its newer Nuance Audio Plus, announced in September 2026, starts at $829 in the US, according to the company's release.

This explainer is based on EssilorLuxottica's press releases, Nuance Audio's own pages, the FDA's database and Meta's announcements, as read on Oct. 28, 2026. We haven't tested Nuance Audio glasses, and this is general information, not medical advice. If you're having trouble hearing, a hearing care professional can test your hearing and tell you what fits.

Nuance Audio and Nuance Audio Plus at a glance

The price comes from EssilorLuxottica's Nuance Audio Plus release, and the battery figures come from Nuance's battery page.

How the glasses work

EssilorLuxottica's launch release says Nuance Audio Glasses use directional microphones and open-ear speakers "to provide a comfortable and natural listening experience," with beamforming technology that "helps focus on the sounds that matter most while reducing background noise interference." The company markets them as invisible hearing glasses. The Plus release says Nuance Audio Plus uses directional microphones and beamforming technology to enhance speech clarity.

Our open-ear audio explainer covers how open-ear speakers work and what people nearby can hear.

What the FDA record says

The FDA's entry for K243150 lists the device as "Nuance Audio Hearing Aid Software" from applicant Luxottica Group S.P.A., in the class "Air-Conduction Hearing Aid Software." The Jan. 31, 2025 decision was "Substantially Equivalent (SESE)," which makes it a 510(k) clearance. EssilorLuxottica's April 2025 launch release words the glasses' status differently from the database, so we use the database's term, cleared.

For Nuance Audio Plus, EssilorLuxottica's release says the glasses are "FDA-cleared for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss." We haven't matched Plus to an FDA record of its own.

Price and where to buy

The launch release for the original glasses gives no dollar price. It says they "retail for approximately one-quarter of the average price of traditional prescription hearing aids," and the Nuance pages we read don't list a dollar figure either. For Nuance Audio Plus, the September release says: "In the USA, the recommended retail price will start at $829, depending on the lens configuration."

At launch, the original glasses were available at LensCrafters, Target Optical, Pearle Vision, "and other authorized optical and audiology practices and retailers," according to the April 2025 release. The Plus release says Nuance Audio Plus is "available now in the United States, through authorized optical and hearing-care professionals, and online in selected countries." Nuance's US site has a store finder and invites you to "Book an in-store demo experience to explore Nuance Audio." Its menu also lists FSA and HSA payments, but we haven't read that page, so we can't say what is eligible.

Battery life

Nuance's battery page says Nuance Audio Plus has up to 10+ hours of continuous use at original capacity when fully charged. In a quiet room with about 30 minutes of calls, it says battery life can reach up to 10 hours and 36 minutes. The original glasses are rated up to eight hours of continuous use. Nuance says all battery claims are "approximate and based on normal product conditions."

Nuance Audio Plus controls, calls and styles

The Plus release says the glasses have a dedicated power switch and volume buttons on the temples, and that Plus "supports voice calls only when used with an iPhone." We found no Android compatibility statement for the Nuance app in the pages we read, so check with Nuance if you use an Android phone.

Plus comes in three frame styles, Square 53, Panthos 48 and Upturn 52, in five colors.

How Nuance Audio compares with Meta's hearing features

Nuance Audio is a pair of hearing glasses, while Meta's hearing features for its AI glasses come as software. Meta's Connect 2026 recap says it added "hearing enhancement, an FDA-cleared software that helps adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss hear better, coming to supported AI glasses." It says the feature launches in the US later this year and will be available to add to supported AI glasses for $149.99 or with a Meta One subscription.

Meta's conversation focus is a separate feature. According to our guide to conversation focus and hearing enhancement, Meta's help article says it is not a hearing aid or a medical device. Meta also announced audio balance and mono audio for every AI glasses wearer, which let you "shift the balance toward your left or right ear" or "route all sound to a single side." Our guide to Ray-Ban Meta for blind and low-vision users covers Be My Eyes and Meta AI.

What isn't published

• The original glasses' US price in dollars.
• Whether the Nuance app works with Android phones.
• Which purchases FSA and HSA accounts cover.
• Which AI glasses will get Meta's hearing enhancement.
• Nuance Audio sales. EssilorLuxottica's wearables revenue line covers its AI glasses and Nuance Audio together, as our analysis of its third-quarter release notes, and our market guide collects the category's figures.