Hearing Aid Styles
There are lots of choices to make when deciding which hearing aid is right for you. One of those choices is to decide which style of hearing aid will work best for you, your hearing and your lifestyle. Some styles of hearing aids are more discrete, some are more comfortable, and some perform better in difficult environments.
Read on to discover some of the differences between the different styles of modern hearing aids that are available.
RIC (Receiver-In-Canal)
Receiver in the canal hearing aids are the most discrete of the traditional style of hearing aids, being almost invisible when correctly fitted for most people. They include all the latest technology to provide the best hearing outcomes.
Best for people wanting the maximum improvement in their hearing both in quiet situations and background noise.
BTE (Behind-The-Ear)
Behind-the-ear hearing aids are the largest of the traditional styles of hearing aids. They come in a variety of powers, making them suitable for even the most profound of hearing losses.
Best for people with severe or profound hearing loss who need the maximum amplification possible.
nxtCIC (Next Generation Completely-In-Canal)
This is a brand new style of hearing aids with the Oticon Zeal being released in November 2025. This style is the smallest to offer both rechargeability and bluetooth technology. However, their small size also means that these hearing aids are not powerful enough to compensate for more significant hearing losses, and they are not able to provide as much support in background noise as other models, such as the RIC style.
Best for people who want their hearing aids to be as discrete as possible, while also requiring rechargeability and bluetooth connectivity.
IIC (Invisible-In-Canal)
Invisible-in-the-canal hearing aids are the smallest of the custom hearing aid styles. They sit deep in your ear canal and are almost invisible, meaning that you can wear them all day without anybody noticing them. However, this small size does come at a compromise in features such as the need to use standard batteries and a lack of bluetooth connectivity.
Best for people who want their hearing aids to be completely invisible.
CIC (Completely-In-Canal)
Only slightly bigger than IIC hearing aids, completely-in-the-canal hearing aids are nearly invisible for most people. There are some models that do include bluetooth technology, and some manufacturers also provide the option for a push-button for multiple programmes or a volume control. However, the small size of these devices means that they do still require standard batteries and are lacking various other features.
Best for people who want their hearing aids to be incredibly discrete, while still having some control over their hearing aid performance.
ITC (In-The-Canal)
In the canal hearing aids sit at the entrance to your ear canal, with a small portion remaining visible. Despite the small size of this style, they fit a huge amount of technology inside to give your hearing some extra support.
Best for people who want excellent hearing aid performance whilst preferring not to have their hearing aids sitting behind their ears.
ITE (In-The-Ear)
In the ear hearing aids are the largest of the custom styles filling the bowl of the ear. Their size means that they can include all the lates technology (e.g. rechargeability) as well as being easy to handle.
Best for people who need their hearing aids to be easy to handle due to difficulties with vision or dexterity.