02 September 2026

Types of Hearing Aids & How to Choose

Hearing Aid Types Explained: Features, Styles and How to Choose

There are many different types of hearing aids, and the best choice is not necessarily the smallest, newest or most expensive.

The five main styles of conventional hearing aids are behind-the-ear (BTE), receiver-in-canal or receiver-in-the-ear (RIC/RITE), in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), and completely-in-canal or invisible-in-canal (CIC/IIC).

A good hearing aid should suit your hearing loss, communication needs, lifestyle, physical abilities, technology preferences and budget.

The right style depends on your hearing loss, dexterity, lifestyle, preferred features and budget.

Modern hearing aids use microphones to pick up sound, digital processing to adjust that sound, and a receiver or speaker to deliver it to your ear. They can make sounds easier to hear and improve communication, but they do not restore normal hearing.

What are the different types of hearing aids?

Behind-the-ear (BTE)

The hearing aid sits behind the ear and sends sound through tubing to an earmold or earpiece.

BTE hearing aids are highly versatile and can be used for hearing losses ranging from mild to profound.

May suit:

• mild through to profound hearing loss
• people who need greater amplification
• children
• people who prefer larger controls
• people who find small devices difficult to handle

Things to consider:

• they are generally more visible than very small in-ear devices
• the larger size may make them easier to handle and can allow more power and features.

Receiver-in-canal / receiver-in-the-ear (RIC / RITE)

A small hearing aid sits behind the ear. A thin wire connects it to a receiver, or speaker, positioned in the ear canal. The receiver may sit under a soft dome or in a custom earmold.

May suit:

• many different types and degrees of hearing loss
• people wanting a relatively discreet behind-the-ear device
• people wanting features such as rechargeability and wireless connectivity
• people who want flexibility in earpiece style

Things to consider:

• part of the device sits inside the ear canal
• earwax and moisture can affect the receiver
• very small controls can be difficult for some people to operate

In-the-ear (ITE)

ITE hearing aids are custom-made to fit inside the outer ear.

They can vary considerably in size and may be suitable for mild to severe hearing loss depending on the model.

May suit:

• people who prefer not to wear a device behind the ear
• people who want larger controls than very small canal devices
• people who want a custom fit

Things to consider:

• they are more exposed to earwax and moisture
• larger ITE devices may be easier to handle than very small canal aids

In-the-canal (ITC)

An ITC hearing aid is custom-made to sit partly inside the ear canal.

May suit:

• people wanting a smaller device
• many people with mild to moderately severe hearing loss

Things to consider:

• smaller controls may be harder to manage
• there may be less room for batteries and additional features
• earwax can affect the device

 

Completely-in-canal (CIC)

These hearing aids sit almost completely inside the ear canal.

Some manufacturers also use terms such as invisible-in-canal (IIC) for particularly deeply fitted devices.

May suit:

• people who place a high priority on discretion
• some people with mild to moderate hearing loss

Things to consider:

• very small devices can be difficult to insert, remove and clean
• their size can limit battery capacity, power and some additional features
• they are generally not suitable for severe to profound hearing loss.

CROS and BiCROS hearing aids for single-sided hearing loss

CROS and BiCROS hearing aids are designed for particular patterns of hearing loss.

A CROS system may be considered when one ear has an unaidable hearing loss and the other ear has normal or near-normal hearing. A microphone worn on the unaidable side picks up sound and sends it wirelessly to a device worn on the normal-hearing side.

A BiCROS system works similarly but is used when the better-hearing ear also has an aidable hearing loss. In this case, sound from the unaidable side is transmitted to the better-hearing ear, while amplification is also provided for the hearing loss in that ear.

These systems do not restore hearing in the unaidable ear. Instead, they make sounds arriving from that side available to the better-hearing ear.

Bone-conduction hearing devices and cochlear implants

Not every hearing loss is best managed with a conventional hearing aid.

Bone-conduction devices transmit sound as vibration through the skull to the cochlea, bypassing the outer and middle ear. They may be considered for some conductive or mixed hearing losses and, in some circumstances, single-sided deafness. Bone-conduction systems may be worn externally or used with a surgically implanted component.

Cochlear implants are different from hearing aids. They may be considered for some people who do not receive sufficient benefit from conventional hearing aids. This can include people with severe to profound hearing loss, some people with significant hearing loss in one ear (single-sided deafness), and some people who retain useful low-frequency hearing but have severe to profound high-frequency hearing loss.

Cochlear implant candidacy is based on more than the hearing test alone and requires specialist assessment by a cochlear implant team.

What hearing aid features should you look for?

Modern hearing aids can contain many features. You may not need all of them.

Directional microphones for hearing in background noise

Directional microphones make the hearing aid more sensitive to sound coming from particular directions and can help improve the relationship between speech and surrounding noise.

They are particularly relevant in difficult environments such as restaurants, meetings and social gatherings.

They can help, but they cannot eliminate all difficulties hearing speech in background noise.

Digital noise reduction

Noise-reduction processing identifies some types of background noise and reduces the amount of amplification applied to them.

Its main benefits may include making listening more comfortable and reducing listening effort. It should not be presented as technology that simply removes background noise or guarantees better speech understanding.

Automatic and manual listening hearing aid programs

Many hearing aids can automatically adjust their processing according to the listening environment.

Some also allow the wearer to select programs designed for situations such as:

• conversation
• noise
• music
• television
• outdoor listening.

Rechargeable hearing aids and battery life

Rechargeable hearing aids are widely available and remove the need to regularly replace very small disposable batteries.

They may be particularly useful for people who have difficulty handling small batteries.

Ask about:

• expected battery life
• charging time
• what happens if you are away from a charger
• whether the internal rechargeable battery can eventually be replaced

Bluetooth hearing aids and smartphone connectivity

Many hearing aids can connect wirelessly to compatible devices.

Depending on the hearing aid and phone, this can allow:

• phone calls
• music and podcasts
• television audio
• app control
• other streamed audio

Compatibility varies significantly between hearing aids, phones and operating systems.

Ask the provider to demonstrate the hearing aids with your own phone before you buy.

Telecoil hearing aids and hearing loops

A telecoil is a small receiver built into many hearing aids and cochlear implant processors.

It can receive sound directly from an induction hearing loop, reducing much of the competing background noise between the sound source and the listener.

Hearing loops can be found in some:

• theatres
• meeting spaces
• places of worship
• service counters
• auditoriums
• airports and other public venues

Not every hearing aid has a telecoil, particularly some smaller devices.

If you use hearing loops, ask specifically whether the hearing aid has an active telecoil and have the provider demonstrate how to use it.

Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast hearing aids

Bluetooth LE Audio is the newer generation of Bluetooth audio technology.

One of its capabilities is Auracast broadcast audio, which enables a compatible audio source to broadcast sound to multiple compatible receivers, potentially including hearing aids, earbuds and headphones.

Potential uses include public audio in places such as:

• airports
• theatres
• conference venues
• lecture spaces
• waiting areas
• televisions

Auracast availability is growing, but it is not yet universal.

If you expect to keep your hearing aids for several years, it is reasonable to ask:

Does this hearing aid support Bluetooth LE Audio and Auracast?

Do not assume an existing model will gain Auracast later through a software update. Confirm compatibility with the manufacturer or provider.

Hearing loops also remain important. Auracast is an emerging additional access technology rather than a reason to assume existing loop systems are no longer useful.

Remote microphones for hearing aids

A remote microphone is positioned close to the person you want to hear and transmits their voice directly to a compatible hearing aid or receiver.

They can be particularly useful where distance and noise make communication difficult, including:

• meetings
• classrooms
• restaurants
• group activities
• travelling in cars

Assistive listening technology can play an important role alongside hearing aids, particularly where distance or poor acoustics are the main problem.

Hearing aid smartphone apps

Depending on the hearing aid, an app may allow you to:

• adjust volume
• change programs
• monitor battery levels
• change some sound settings
• access remote support
• locate compatible hearing aids

If you do not want to rely on a smartphone, ask whether the essential controls can also be operated directly from the hearing aids.

Feedback management

Modern hearing aids commonly include processing designed to manage acoustic feedback, the whistling or squealing that can occur when amplified sound is picked up again by the hearing aid microphone.

Feedback management is recognised as a standard hearing-aid processing feature.

Frequency-lowering technology

Some hearing aids include frequency-lowering technology.

It is designed to make some high-frequency information available in a lower-frequency region where a particular wearer may have better residual hearing.

It is a specialised feature rather than something everybody needs and should be appropriately fitted and verified.

Hearing aids and tinnitus

Some hearing aids include sound-generation or tinnitus-management programs.

For people who have both hearing loss and tinnitus, hearing aids themselves can also make tinnitus less noticeable by increasing access to environmental sound.

They are not a cure for tinnitus, and tinnitus that is new, sudden, one-sided or associated with sudden hearing loss, dizziness or pain should be medically assessed.

Wind and sudden-noise management

Some hearing aids include processing intended to reduce wind noise, transient sounds or sudden loud sounds.

These can improve listening comfort in certain environments. ASHA identifies background, transient and wind-noise suppression among contemporary hearing-aid processing features.

AI and machine-learning in hearing aids

Some manufacturers now use terms such as artificial intelligence, machine learning or neural networks when describing how their hearing aids classify environments or process sound.

These terms alone do not tell you whether one device will work better for you.

A more useful question is:

“What practical difference will this feature make in the situations where I have difficulty hearing?”

Which type of hearing aid might suit me?

If this is important to you	Ask about
Conversations in restaurants	Directional microphones, noise-management settings, remote microphones
Easy handling	Larger RIC/RITE, BTE or ITE devices, rechargeability and physical controls
Discreet appearance	RIC/RITE, ITC or CIC/IIC styles
More severe hearing loss	Appropriately powered BTE or RIC/RITE options
Public hearing loops	Telecoil
Phone calls and media	Bluetooth compatibility
Emerging public broadcast audio	Bluetooth LE Audio/Auracast compatibility
Meetings and lectures	Remote microphones and assistive listening systems
Television	TV streamer, Bluetooth or another compatible listening system
Limited dexterity	Larger devices, rechargeable batteries and easier controls
Outdoor use	Wind-noise management and suitable moisture resistance
Tinnitus plus hearing loss	Appropriate hearing aids and tinnitus-management options
Little or no usable hearing in one ear	CROS/BiCROS, bone-conduction options or specialist assessment as appropriate

Are more expensive hearing aids better?

Hearing aids are often sold at different technology levels.

More expensive models may include additional or more sophisticated processing, but price alone does not determine whether a hearing aid is appropriate.

What matters is whether the device:

• suits your hearing loss
• addresses the situations where you want to communicate better
• includes the accessibility and connectivity features you actually need
• is comfortable and manageable
• is appropriately fitted and verified
• comes with suitable rehabilitation, follow-up and support

Person-centred hearing care should consider both audiological characteristics and the person’s individual needs, abilities and preferences.

5 questions to ask before choosing hearing aids

Here are five questions worth asking your audiologist or hearing care professional.

Don’t forget to download the full My Hearing Appointment Checklist [https://bhabrisbane.org.au/so-you-have-an-audiology-appointment/] before attending an audiology appointment.

1 Why are you recommending this particular hearing aid?

Ask how the recommendation relates to both your hearing test and your everyday communication needs.

2 What would I actually gain from the more expensive option?

Ask for examples that relate specifically to situations that matter to you.

3 What accessibility and connectivity features does it include?

Depending on your needs, ask about:

• telecoil
• Bluetooth
• remote microphone compatibility
• TV connectivity
• Bluetooth LE Audio
• Auracast

4 How will you check that the hearing aids are fitted properly?

One important method is real-ear measurement, also called probe-microphone measurement.

A tiny measurement tube is placed in the ear canal so the clinician can objectively measure the sound the hearing aid produces in your individual ear.

ASHA describes real-ear measurements as the gold standard for hearing-aid fitting verification.

5 What happens if they don’t work well for me?

Ask about:

• trial or return arrangements
• follow-up appointments
• adjustment and fine-tuning
• fees
• warranty
• repairs
• ongoing support

What else can help alongside hearing aids?

Even well-fitted hearing aids cannot completely overcome distance, heavy background noise or poor room acoustics.

Other strategies and technologies can also help, including:

• facing the person speaking
• reducing background noise
• improving lighting
• moving closer to the speaker
• captions
• speechreading
• remote microphones
• hearing loops
• other assistive listening systems
• Auracast where compatible systems are available

The World Health Organisation (WHO) describes hearing rehabilitation broadly, including hearing aids, assistive listening technology, captioning, speechreading, counselling, training and support.

BHA runs the University of Queensland-developed ACE Your Hearing skills training programs to help you communicate to the best of your ability with hearing loss.

BHA’s tip

Start with where you want to hear and communicate better, not with a hearing-aid brand or model.

Before your appointment, use our My Hearing Appointment Checklist and write down the three situations that cause you the most difficulty.

Then ask:

“How will this hearing aid, and the features you’re recommending, help me in each of these situations?”

And if a particular feature matters to you, ask to have it demonstrated before you buy.

Need independent information?

Better Hearing Australia can help you understand hearing technology, prepare for an audiology appointment and consider the practical options that may help with everyday communication.

This resource provides general information and is not a substitute for individual audiological or medical advice. Sudden hearing loss requires urgent medical assessment. Healthdirect advises people experiencing sudden hearing loss to attend their local emergency department.

*We use the term hearing care professional to encompass either an audiologist or an audiometrist. In Australia, either profession (diploma-level audiometrists) can fit hearing aids but there are differences between their education and skillsets. If you would like to know more read, our article on what the differences are between an audiologist and an audiometrist and when you should see one over another.

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