Our "Invisible" Hearing Aid Guide

Are you concerned about appearances? Want to know which hearing aid is the least visible? What features are you sacrificing for invisibility?

This guide created by our Audiologist is just for you!

Styles of "Invisible" Hearing Aids

1. RIC (Receiver In The Canal)

2. CIC (Completely In The Canal)

3. IIC (Invisible In The Canal)

4. Earbud Style

1. RIC (Receiver In The Canal) Hearing Aids

Side View

Back View

Visible Area

Things to consider with this style of hearing aid

  • Depending on your hair style this hearing aid can be completely invisible
  • RIC offers the best balance of discreteness and features such as Bluetooth, rechargeablility and sound quality
  • More natural sound compared to in the ear hearing aids as it does not completely block the ear canal
  • May occupy ear space if you wear thick frame glasses and other accessories (e.g., face masks) 

2. CIC (Completely In The Canal)

Side View

Back View

Visible Area

Things to consider with this style of hearing aid

  • Your ear canal size affects visibility of these hearing aids
  • Not suitable for those with atypical ear canal shapes 
  • Black instead of beige can be the most invisible colour as it looks like the shadow of your ear canal
  • Wearers likely to feel “blocked up” inside your ear canal if you have normal low frequency hearing 
  • Rechargeable CIC are available but do not support bluetooth features such as app control 

3. IIC (Invisible In The Canal)

Side View

Back View

Visible Area

Things to consider with this style of hearing aid

  • Your ear canal size affects visibility of these hearing aids
  • Not suitable for those with atypical ear canal shapes 
  • Black can be the most invisible colour as it blends into the shadow of your ear canal
  • Runs on size 10A batteries (the tiny sized one) which can be difficult to replace
  • Not suitable for those with dexterity issues (e.g., arthritis in fingers) 
  • Limited control options (can only adjust volume which you have to control individually for each aid)
  • Due to the small size, most IIC are not rechargeable 

4. Earbud Style

Side View

Visible Area

Things to consider with this style of hearing aid

  • Hearing aid is disguised as an earbud 
  • You may have to disclose that you are wearing the earbud to assist with your hearing (others may perceive you to be wearing earphones while conversing which may be socially inappropriate in some situations)

Are you interested in any of the devices?

Arrange an appointment on 9729 2635 with our Audiologist at Bossley Park or Wetherill Park.

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