Hearing Aid Styles

Hearing aids come in all different shapes, styles and sizes. Perhaps you’ve thought about getting a hearing aid but you’re worried about how it will look and have the old fashioned big beige image in your mind. At Healthy Hearing we only fit the very best technology and will ensure it is comfortable and as discrete as possible.

The most common styles of hearing aids:

Behind the Ear

(BTE)

In BTE hearing aids, the complete technology is contained inside a durable case that sits on the back of the outer ear. Sounds are transmitted to the user’s ear directly, via a small tube or through an ear mold. BTE hearing aids have traditionally been the largest, but also the most powerful hearing aids available.

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Receiver in Canal

(RIC)

The receiver in the canal (RIC) hearing aids are our best selling model due to its discrete size and natural sound quality. Sitting comfortably behind the ear, the microphone is housed in the outer case with a very thin tube running into a receiver which sit within the ear canal. RICs offer crisp quality sound which travels directly into the ear canal.

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Lyric

Lyric is one of the world’s most unique hearing aids. It sits completely in the ear and is the only 100% invisible hearing aid that lasts for months without replacement, changing of batteries or maintenance.

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Custom Made In the Ear

(ITE/ITC/CIC/IIC)

In-the-ear hearing aids are custom-made to fit the shape of your ear. There are different types and sizes of in-the-ear hearing aids and not each type is suitable for everyone due to ear shape and ear canal size.

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Behind the Ear

Receiver in Canal

In the Ear

Lyric

Advantages

Suited to all types of hearing loss – including profound losses
Larger casing can house more powerful batteries, meaning they don’t have to changed as frequently
Frequently available in rechargeable models and with Bluetooth connectivity

Discrete and sleek design
Frequently available in rechargeable models and with Bluetooth connectivity
More natural sound due to the receiver being in the ear canal
Dual-microphones help to improve speech understanding in noise

Really discrete
Being in the ear means wearing glasses is a lot easier
Available in a wide choice of options and sizes

Completely invisible and stays in the ear all the time
Once fitted there’s no need to worry about batteries or cleaning
Natural sound as it’s next to the ear drum

Disadvantages

Larger in size which means they are less discrete
Less natural and crisp sound quality compared to a receiver-in-canal hearing aids as the sound is being transmitted through a tube

They can get in the way of glasses and get pulled off if wearing a face mask
Can be visible with very short hair
Domes will need replacing

Not always available with rechargeable options
Less connectivity options
Not suitable for more severe hearing losses due to the lack of power

Does not have Bluetooth capabilities due to small size
Has to be fitted by an audiologist and appointments needed every 3-4 months to change the device
More expensive option as it is a yearly subscription

The most common styles of hearing aids:

Style Comparison