The best invisible hearing aids

Stigmas should be stigmatized. Whether we’re talking about mental health or wearing cargo pants, the world would benefit from less social shadowing. When it comes to hearing aids, these often bulky devices can age the wearer faster than gray hair or reference the deep cuts of Jefferson Airplane. But despite often being associated with older people, more than 9 million Americans Between the ages of 20 and 59, most people have some degree of hearing loss. Yet the stigma is enough to prevent most of these people from even considering a hearing aid, not to mention other factors such as high costs and a difficult market to tap.

But invisible hearing aids are, as their name suggests, difficult for other people to see when they are being worn. While completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids are the most “invisible,” they are not available over the counter and must be fitted by a professional audiologist. In this roundup, we’ll look at the best in-the-ear (ITE) devices, sometimes referred to as intra-canal (ITC). Because of their small size, they often have fewer technical features than some of the larger, less subtle behind-the-ear (BTE) options, but they can treat mild to moderate hearing loss, often quite well.

To assist me in my research, I enlisted the help of a licensed audiologist. Ruth Reismanwhich recommended devices based on analysis conducted in a scientific lab (the real one), ensuring that these hearing aids met performance standards set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). I also conducted hands-on testing with 22 products, evaluating quality and comfort in a wide variety of environments to ensure an accurate representation of the user experience. For more details on our process, check out our general hearing aid guide.

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Types of invisible hearing aids

There are several types of hearing aids you’ll come across when looking for the right one for you. While you’ll see a lot of acronyms, most of these styles fall into one of two main types of hearing aids: behind the ear (BTE) and In the ear (ITE)the latter being invisible or at least somewhat invisible. A subcategory of the ITE market is completely in the canal (CIC) devices that are out of sight but cannot be obtained without a prescription and must be inserted by a doctor.