The best hearing aid for you will depend on many different factors, such as what kind of hearing loss you have and how it affects you. This decision should always be made during a consultation with a trained audiologist, but it’s important to understand the options available to you.

Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids

With this type of hearing aid, the electronic elements are contained in a plastic casing that hooks over the top of your ear and sits behind it.

Receiver in the ear (RITE) and receiver in canal (RIC)

This type of hearing aid also has a casing that sits behind your ear, which contains the microphone and amplifier components. The receiver (speaker) is positioned at the entrance to your ear.

Open-fit

This is similar to a RITE hearing aid, with the microphone and amplifier housed in a casing that hooks around your ear. The receiver (speaker) sits inside the case and is connected to very thin, narrow tubing, and fits inside your ear canal. The tubing enables the ear canal to stay open.

In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids

With this type of hearing aid, there is no external casing that hooks around the top of your ear. Instead, all of the components of the hearing aid sit completely in the outer ear at various depths.

In the ear (ITE) full shell hearing aids

This type of hearing aid contains the electronic elements in a plastic casing that’s custom-made to fit the conchal bowl (also called the concha or bowl) of your outer ear.

In the ear (ITE) half shell hearing aids

This is a smaller version of the full shell ITE hearing aid, sitting just at the entrance to the ear canal so it’s less noticeable. Again, this type is custom-made to fit your ear.

In the canal (ITC) hearing aids

This type of hearing aid contains all the components in a very small plastic case, which is positioned in the entrance to the ear canal. These hearing aid types are custom-made to fit the size and shape of your ear canal.

Completely in the ear canal (CIC) hearing aids

These are similar to ITC hearing aids, but the tiny case is pushed into your ear canal. Like ITC aids, they are custom-made to fit each individual. They are unobtrusive and barely noticeable.

Invisible in the canal (IIC) hearing aids

As the name suggests, these discreet hearing aids cannot be seen from the outside because they sit deeper in the ear canal.

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