Hearing Aid Styles

Hearing Aids have come along way since the big, bulky, beige units you couldn’t miss whistling away behind Grandpa’s ears! These days there are many different styles of hearing aids to choose from including:

Behind The Ear (BTE) - This style is suitable for mild to severe hearing losses. The hearing aid is housed in a curved casing that fits comfortably behind the ear. A tube connects to a custom ear mould directing the sound into the ear. This is the most easily maintained hearing aid with the longest lifespan and is the most suitable technology for the majority of ears. There are two styles of BTE’s aids. Full size BTE’s are more suitable for those with a more severe hearing loss who have limited dexterity, while mini-BTE’s are suitable for those with a milder hearing loss and better dexterity.

Receiver In The Ear (RITE) – This style is suitable for mild to severe hearing losses. RITE aids are similar to the BTE style except the speaker (receiver) is in the ear canal. As there are less components in the main housing, the BTE component is slightly smaller and more aesthetically appealing. The disadvantages of having the speaker in the ear canal is that the hearing aid needs to be handled more delicately and is more susceptible to malfunction due to wax and moisture issues.

In The Ear (ITE) - This style is suitable for mild to moderately severe hearing losses. The hearing aids are custom fitted directly into the ear, filling the visible portion of the ear. There are no external tubes or wires.

In The Canal (ITC) - This style is suitable for mild to moderate hearing losses. Similar to but smaller than an ITE hearing aid. ITCs are custom fitted deeper into the ear canal. There are no external tubes or wires.

Completely In the Canal (CIC) - This style is suitable for mild to moderate hearing losses. CIC hearing aids are the smallest available. The small size means they can only house small batteries with short lives. All the hearing aid components are in the canal exposing them to more moisture and wax and as such require more work to maintain and have a shorter life span.

Manufacturers produce a number of these different styles utilising different designs.


Please contact us for more information on hearing aids and which styles might be appropriate for you.