Hearing aid types
Independent hearing aid provider
As an independent hearing care provider, we can offer a wide range of leading brands, technologies and styles for you to choose from. This means you can get the best solution personalised to your needs.
There are multiple different types of hearing aid available, each with their own benefits and features. If you are unsure what’s best for you, contact your nearest Peninsula Hear Care clinic for clear, independent advice.
Get the best hearing aid for you
If you don’t know what hearing aid is best for you, trying to work that out on your own can be a daunting task. Our Peninsula Hearing Care audiologists are here to help, we will make sure that you aren’t overwhelmed by providing you with friendly, clear and independent advice. Our local audiologists will be happy to give advice and to make recommendations based on the level of your hearing loss and your lifestyle.
Please read on for a guide on the different hearing aid technologies and types we provide. This will cover the different technologies, like Rechargeable Hearing Aids and Bluetooth Hearing Aids. We will also illustrate the different types of hearing aid, like ‘Behind The Ear’, and ‘In The Canal’, for example.
This is aimed at helping you understand the fundamental differences between types and what different technologies are available to you, so that you can make an informed choice when you speak to a Peninsula Hearing Care audiologist.
Things to consider
We will make recommendations and advise you on what to consider when choosing a hearing aid, such as:
- Your level of hearing loss
- Your lifestyle
- The styles you like
- Comfort
- Technologies & features you require
- Price and quality
Send us a message
If you have a question for our team you can send us a quick message here and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Alternatively, if you prefer to speak to us, feel free to give us a call. Or request an appointment by clicking below.
Bluetooth hearing aids
Bluetooth is a wireless technology that allows two devices to connect and communicate with each other without the need for any other network infrastructure. It is one of the most common wireless standards in the world and you will likely find it on a wide range of everyday items, such as your phone, TV or Radio.
Bluetooth hearing aids allow for direct connection to other Bluetooth devices, which means you can:
- Connect them to your phone to take or make calls.
- Connect it to your music device or radio to listen to music or podcasts.
- Connect them to your TV to stream sound directly to your hearing aids.
Rechargeable hearing aids
The days of running out of hearing aid batteries are behind us. As well as hearing aids that use traditional disposable batteries, we also offer a range of fully rechargeable hearing aids. These are available as behind the ear and in the ear hearing aids.
Rechargeable hearing aids provide all day use, and simple and portable recharging, taking around 3-4 hours to fully charge from either a portable charger or a plug in charger for you to leave at home. If you’re in a hurry, just 30 minutes of charge can provide up to 5 hours of usage.
Get in touch with your local Peninsula Hearing Care clinic to find out more.
Discreet hearing aids
As you might expect, discreet hearing aids are the very smallest type of hearing aid we provide and are designed to be worn without people noticing them.
We provide a range of discreet hearing aids as ‘Invisible’, ‘In The Canal’ and these are custom made to fit inside your ear canal and out of sight.
Digital hearing aids
The digital age has brought huge advances in hearing aid technology and all hearing aids we now provide are digital.
Digital hearing aids:
- Produce richer, more natural sound.
- Provide functionality that allows pairing with other devices in your home, like your TV, phone or computer.
- Are smaller and more discreet.
- Can be programmed and maintained remotely.
- Can be easily tuned to your specific symptoms of hearing loss.
- Are more reliable, and last longer.
Behind the ear (BTE)
Hearing aids with ear mold
These send sound through very thin, clear tubing that is connected to a dome (soft tip) that sits inside your ear canal. Open-fit BTE aids are suitable for people with mild to moderate hearing loss and a good option for people who can hear low pitches well.
- Lets you hear sound naturally as it does not block up the ear
- Soft tip reduces that feeling of being plugged up that can happen with an earmould
- Comfortable and less visible than an earmould
- Need to be inserted correctly so they do not become loose
- Not usually suitable if you suffer from ear infections
- Cleaning can require more dexterity
Open behind the ear (BTE)
Hearing aids
These send sound through very thin, clear tubing that is connected to a dome (soft tip) that sits inside your ear canal. Open-fit BTE aids are suitable for people with mild to moderate hearing loss and a good option for people who can hear low pitches well.
- Lets you hear sound naturally as it does not block up the ear
- Soft tip reduces that feeling of being plugged up that can happen with an earmould
- Comfortable and less visible than an earmould
- Need to be inserted correctly so they do not become loose
- Not usually suitable if you suffer from ear infections
- Cleaning can require more dexterity
Receiver-in-ear (RITE) & Receiver-in-the-canal (RIC)
Hearing aids
These are similar to open-fit BTE hearing aids, except that the part of the hearing aid that sits behind the ear is smaller. It has a thin wire that connects to a speaker insider the opening of the ear.
- Smaller and less visible than BTE hearing aids
- Suitable for a wide range of hearing loss, from mild to profound loss
- All the benefits of open-fit BTE aids but they can be fitted with more amplification
- Can be vulnerable to wax and sweat so regular cleaning of the receiver is important
In the ear (ITE) & in the canal (ITC)
Hearing aids
ITE and ITC hearing aids have microphones in the earmould, so the whole hearing aid fits into your ear. ITE aids come in different sizes and can be seen in the ear, when looking side-on. ITC aids are smaller and less visible as they fit inside your ear canal.
- Much less visible than BTE hearing aids, with no parts behind the ear
- Suitable for a wide range of hearing loss, from mild to profound loss
- Convenient for people who wear glasses
- Not usually suitable if you suffer from ear infections
- The small controls can be more fiddly, so a remote control can be very beneficial
- Not generally as robust as BTE hearing aids
Completely in the canal (CIC)
Hearing aids
CIC hearing aids are not usually seen when worn as the working parts are in the custom moulded earmould, unless someone looks closely at your ear. They fit further into the ear canal than ITE and ITC hearing aids.
- Extremely discreet and lightweight
- Extremely comfortable as they are custom made to fit your ear shape
- Only suitable if you have mild to moderate hearing loss
- Can be prone to wax and sweat so regular cleaning is important
- The small controls can be more fiddly, so a remote control can be very beneficial
Invisible in the canal (IIC)
Hearing aids
IIC hearing aids are fitted very deeply into the ear canal. They are invisible when worn as they cannot be seen and they are custom moulded to the shape of your ear.
- Invisible when worn
- The ultimate in comfort
- Durable
- Only suitable if you have mild to moderate hearing loss
- Because of their small size, they may have limited features
Hearing aid aftercare
As standard with all of our hearing care products, we are proud to offer the following for your peace of mind:
30 day moneyback guarantee
100% satisfaction guaranteed
Up to 5 years’ manufacturer’s warranty
Comprehensive after-sales service and lifetime care
Hearing aid repairs
This service is available at our local clinics
Request an appointment and find out more about our services at your local clinic, our opening hours and directions here:
Axminster | Teignmouth | Budleigh | Helston | Seaton | Sidmouth | Ottery St Mary | Exeter | Exeter (St Thomas Centre) | Exmouth