Your hearing professional will recommend one or a lot of types based on factors like your level of hearing loss, aesthetic preferences, lifestyle needs, and budget. Most BTE and RIC designs come in a variety of colors and metallic finishes to enrich your hair or skin tone. *Individual results might vary. invisibility might vary based on your ear's anatomy*.

  1. Invisible-In-The-Canal (IIC)

This custom-fitted style is inserted farther into the ear canal than other designs, thus it's fully invisible* once worn. IIC hearing aids are designed to be removed daily to promote good ear health. For gentle to moderate hearing loss. 

Invisible-in-canal (IIC) hearing aids are the smallest custom hearing aids available in the market. They are designed and sculptured to fit entirely within your ear canal and are thus almost, if not fully, invisible. Extraction cords are sometimes fitted to IIC hearing aids to help insert and remove them from the ear.

Nano Hearing Aids provide deep fitting IIC hearing aids that fit in the deep bony portion of your ear canal, among some millimetres of your eardrum (please note your Audiologist/Hearing Aid Dispenser should be certified and licensed by Starkey to prescribe their deep fitting IIC hearings because it needs specialist training to take a deep ear impression).

Deep fitting IIC hearing aids will significantly reduce the feeling of ‘occlusion’ (e.g. hearing your voice louder in your head as if it's trapped inside) which may generally occur when IIC hearing aids fit within the outer cartilaginous portion of your ear canal. this is often as a result of unlike the cartilaginous portion, the bony a part of the ear canal doesn’t internally vibrate as much when you speak.

Features:

  • Custom-made for you
  • For mild to moderately severe hearing loss
  • Completely invisible in most ears

  1. Completely-In-Canal (CIC)

CIC hearing instruments are custom to fit completely within the ear canal. Only the tip of the hearing aid “handle” shows outside the ear canal, that is used to insert and remove the hearing aid. They are also known as Nano Hearing Aids and quite popular online.


 For mild to moderate hearing loss. Completely-in-Canal (CIC) hearings were are designed and sculptured to fit almost entirely within your ear canal and are therefore nearly invisible, with solely the faceplate and battery drawer typically visible. Extraction cords are usually fitted to CIC hearing aids to help insert and remove them from the ear.

Features:
  • Virtually undetectable
  • For mild to moderately severe hearing loss
  • Custom-made for you

  1. In-The-Canal (ITC)

ITC hearing instruments are custom to fit within the ear canal with a smaller portion of the hearing aid showing within the outer ear. For mild to mildly severe hearing loss. 

In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids are larger than mini-canal (MC) hearing aids. they're designed and sculptured to fit in the lower third of your external ear (cavum concha). Extraction cords are fitted to ITC hearing aids to help insert and remove them from the ear.

Features:
  • For mild to mildly severe hearing loss
  • Custom-made for you
  • Variety of color options available

  1. In-The-Ear (ITE)

ITE hearing instruments are custom-made to fit among the outer portion of the ear. For mild to severe hearing loss.

In-the-canal (ITE) hearing aids are the biggest of all custom hearing aids. they're designed and sculptured to fit either half your external ear (cavum concha) or the whole external ear (cavum and cymbal concha). Extraction cords are fitted to ITE hearing aids to help insert and remove them from the ear.

Features:
  • Easy to adjust
  • For mild to severe hearing loss
  • Custom-made for you
  • Variety of color options available

  1. Receiver-In-Canal (RIC)

Barely visible when worn, the RIC style is an instrument in which the receiver, or speaker, is within the ear canal. skinny electrical wires are used rather than a plastic acoustical tube, reducing distortion. RIC hearing aids give a comfortable, open fit. For mild to moderate hearing loss.

Receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aids attached behind the ear and delivers the sound directly into the ear. this is often as a result of the receiver is located outside of the hearing aid itself and instead within the ear canal. The hearing aid and receiver are connected by a discreet ‘receiver wire’ that houses an electrical cable.

Features:
  • Discreet design
  • Variety of color options available
  • Easy to adjust
  • For mild to severe hearing loss

  1. Behind-The-Ear (BTE)

If you've got a severe hearing loss or small ear canals, behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids are an excellent solution.

In the BTE hearing aid, all electronic components are tucked neatly in a shell or housing behind your ear and you'll choose from a large range of sizes, shapes, and colors.

You can simply control volume and choose programs on most BTE hearing aids.

If you wish a smaller housing than a behind-the-ear hearing aid, then receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) hearing aids may be the solution.

Whether or not rite hearing aids are perfect for you, depends on the shape of your ear and your degree of hearing loss.

Receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aids are most likely behind-the-ear hearing aids in shape and style. however, they're smaller because the receiver (or the loudspeaker) is placed within the ear-tip rather than the housing. These are the best hearing aids if you've got mild to severe hearing loss.

You can speak with hearing care skilled about hearing aid types, and if you may benefit from behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids, receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) hearing aids or receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aids.

Features:
  • Variety of color options available
  • For moderate to severe hearing loss
  • Easy-to-use buttons or dials
  • Discreet design