Styles

Tiers of hearing aids:

Premier Digital Technology Hearing Aids: Most advanced technology with all the available features
Advanced Digital Technology Hearing Aids: Higher technology hearing aids with some of the key additional features
Standard Digital and Analog Technology Hearing Aids: Entry level hearing aids

Are there different styles of hearing aids?

There are three basic styles of hearing aids. The styles differ by size, their placement on or inside the ear, and the degree to which they amplify sound.

Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids consist of a hard plastic case worn behind the ear and connected to a plastic earmold that fits inside the outer ear. The electronic parts are held in the case behind the ear. BTE aids are used by people of all ages for mild to profound hearing loss.

Open Fit Behind-the-ear Sleeker, open-fit aids fit behind the ear completely, with only a narrow tube inserted into the ear canal, to enable the canal to remain open. For this reason, open-fit hearing aids may be a good choice for people who experience a buildup of earwax, since this type of aid is less likely to be damaged by such substances. Some people may prefer the open-fit hearing aid because their perception of their voice does not sound “plugged up.” Open Fit BTE aids are used by adults for mild to moderately-severe degree of hearing loss.

Receiver-in-the-Canal (RIC) or Receiver-in-the-Ear (RITE) Sleeker BTE hearing aids (hard plastic case worn behind the ear and connected with a thin wire to a small plastic earpiece that fits inside the outer ear. The RIC or RITE aids are sleeker and smaller because the actual receiver of the hearing aid, which sends sounds to the ear canal, sits directly inside of the ear canal with the small earpiece on the end of the thin wire. RIC or RITE aids are used by adults for mild to severe degree of hearing loss depending on the size of the earpiece that sits in the earcanal. The greater the degree of hearing loss, the thicker and larger the plastic earpiece that sits in the ear canal.

In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids fit completely inside the outer ear and are used for mild to severe hearing loss. The case holding the electronic components is made of hard plastic. ITE aids usually are not worn by young children because the casings need to be replaced often as the ear grows or changes in shape, for example, if one gains or loses weight.

Canal aids fit into the ear canal and are available in three styles. These stylesare used for mild to moderately severe hearing loss. Because they are small, canal aids may be difficult for a person to adjust and remove. In addition, canal aids have less space available for batteries and additional features. They usually are not recommended for young children or for people with severe to profound hearing loss because their reduced size limits their amount of power and volume to help the patient hear.