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Invisible hearing aids

Modern hearing aids are more discreet than ever. There are now even hearing aids available which are almost invisible to the eye. These tiny hearing aids can give you a high-quality listening experience while being discreet.

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What are invisible hearing aids?

Invisible hearing aids sit inside your ear so that they are virtually invisible to the naked eye. More impressive still is the advanced digital technology that fits into such small devices.

Invisible hearing aids are custom-fitted to your ear canal – they have no external tubes or wires.

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What is the best invisible hearing aid?

One of the smallest invisible hearing aids is the invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) style. It fits completely inside the ear canal.

The Oticon Opn IIC is invisible in 8 out of 10 users' ears, offering excellent sound quality, but without compromising on the latest digital technology.

Audio	Visual
Music	A woman holds a hearing aid in her hand
Music	Truly invisible hearing aids She inserts it in her ear and touches her ear while looking at herself in the mirror
Music	She puts on her coat and takes a last look into the mirror before leaving
Music	Open up to the world. With the new invisible* Oticon Opn^TM Small enough to hide in your ear. Oticon logo

Invisible hearing aids: the pros and cons

Whether invisible hearing aids are right for you depends on a few things. The level of your hearing loss, the shape of your ear canal and your personal preferences about hearing aids are all factors you'll need to consider.

Below is an overview of invisible hearing aids advantages and disadvantages that you'll have to weigh up.

Advantages	Disadvantages
Small, discreet style	Shorter battery life
Less likely to pick up wind noise	Controls are harder to see and feel
More natural sound experience	Not suitable for all ear canal shapes
No external tubes/wires	Challenging to handle for those with limited dexterity
Custom-fitted (more comfortable for most users)	No coordination possible between your two hearing aids
	No Bluetooth® connectivity available
	Not available with rechargeable batteries

What hearing aids are most discreet?

Invisible hearing aids invisible in canal

Invisible-in-the-canal (IIC)

Adapts automatically to the sound environment
Discreet
Can be vulnerable to ear wax and moisture build-up
Is better for minimising wind noise (due to its position)
Does not have a directional microphone
Can be difficult to adjust from those with dexterity issues

Invisible hearing aid completely in canal

Completely -in-the-canal (CIC)

Very small and discreet
Practically invisible to other people
Custom-designed to fit discreetly in your ear canal
Option to manually control settings in different environments
Can be vulnerable to ear wax and moisture build-up

In-the-canal (ITC)

Small and custom-made to fit in your ear canal
Discreet
Longer battery life than smaller models
Directional microphone enhances important sounds (like speech) and reduces background noise
Easy to insert and remove

miniRITE

Suitable for most types of hearing loss
Smaller and less noticeable than traditional BTE hearing aids
Rechargeable battery options available
Able to connect to smart devices via Bluetooth
Often connected to a small dome for ventilation

Grace Sims BSc, Audiologist and Mentor

Grace Sims completed her Bachelor of Science in Audiology at the University of Bristol and has previously worked in the ENT department at Southmead Hospital in Bristol. She joined Hidden Hearing in 2014 and is an audiologist at the Cheltenham clinic. She has been a practice educator for four years and is now a Hidden Hearing mentor.

Sources

1. https://www.oticon.ca/professionals/products/hearing-aids/opn-ite

2, https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/52837-The-pros-and-cons-of-small-hearing-aids