Last Updated on 3 February 2020

How To Choose The Right Hearing Aid For You

This is what you need to know to choose the best hearing aid for you.

Choosing a hearing aid is just as personal as choosing your glasses, and thanks to modern technology it’s just as easy to find a style that suits your needs as well as your personality. The best hearing aid for you will depend on your budget, condition, personal style and the features you’d like.

With HearingAidFinder.com.au you can connect with a local audiologist who can demonstrate models, explain the available subsidies and rebates and asses your hearing, all for free. It’s never been easier for time-poor Australians to access affordable hearing aids.

Modern hearing aids are so much more than a medical device, but most people still don’t know that hearing aids can ‘repair’ your hearing to make it better than it ever was before. Read on for our guide to choosing the right hearing aid.

Here’s How You Do It:

Step 1: Select your state below.
Step 2: After answering a few questions, you will have the opportunity to book a free hearing test near you and could be eligible for significant savings on hearing aids.

Everyone is different, and now in 2018 there are hearing aids that are invisible, distinguish speech from background noise, and even ones that connect wirelessly to digital devices letting you take calls or listen to music. This is our guide to the most common hearing aids.

Completely in the canal (CIC) – Invisible Hearing Aid

Appearance: CIC hearing aids fit entirely inside your ear canal, leading to them being commonly referred to as invisible.
Condition: They are appropriate for mild to severe hearing loss.
Features: CIC hearing aids may have limited features due to their size, but have the bonus of being less susceptible to interference wind noise by design.
Budget: Due to their designation as a premium item and micro-circuitry these are often the most expensive devices.

In the canal (ITC)/In the ear (ITE)

Appearance: ITC devices are custom moulded to sit partly in your ear canal, being somewhat more visible than a CIC hearing aid. ITE devices sit in the bowl-shaped area of the outer ear.
Condition: These hearing aids are appropriate for mild to moderately severe hearing loss.
Features: ITC and ITE hearing aids typically have more available features than CIC devices due to their increased size.
Budget: As with the other categories, the price of these hearing aids sits somewhere between CIC and more visible hearing aids.

Behind the ear (BTE)

Appearance: BTE devices are what most people think of when they imagine a hearing aid – a small gadget that sits behind your ear with a tube that connects to an earpiece. Modern BTE devices however have changed significantly from the ones your grandparents used to wear. They even come in clear and neutral colours, with small tubes and there’s even a mini version that further reduces visibility.
Condition: Due to the variation in size these hearing aids are suitable for everything from mild to severe hearing loss.
Features: BTE hearing aids have the advantage of having more room for features due to their increased size. You can expect better noise amplification and sound clarity features that can distinguish background noise from speech.
Budget: Due to the variation in design, BTE devices can either be the most affordable style, or one of the most expensive depending on the features you would like.

Receiver in canal (RIC)

Appearance: RIC devices can be considered an upgrade on the BTE devices. Their appearance is largely the same, except instead of having a tube connect the earpiece to the device a tiny wire is used.
Condition: RIC devices are suitable for mild to severe hearing loss.
Features: A balance between cosmetic appearance and function, RIC devices can be the most powerful hearing aids available. Due to a miniature speaker in the ear canal they deliver the most natural sound quality of any device. They also can allow you to stream music, the sound from your TV and take calls.
Budget: Similar to BTE devices, the cost of RIC devices depends heavily on the level of features you would like.

Contralateral Routing of Signals (CROS)

Appearance: CROS devices are used to treat single-sided deafness, taking the sound that is directed at the ear with poorer hearing and transmitting it to the ear with better hearing.
Condition: As their function implies, CROS devices are suitable for single-sided hearing loss.
Features: CROS hearing aids have the same capabilities as BTE and RIC devices.
Budget: CROS hearing aids are often cheaper than other types of devices

As you can see, choosing a hearing aid can be an overwhelming exercise. This list is intended as an introduction to the range of devices that exists – for a free comprehensive and personalised assessment you can visit HearingAidFinder.com.au.

Our site was designed to take the stress out of choosing the perfect device at the best price. Not only can you determine the most appropriate hearing aid for your condition, you can also discover all the full range of significant subsidies and rebates that are available to you with the help of a professional audiologist.

Schedule your free appointment today and join the thousands of Australians who have already found affordable hearing aids with our service.

This article is opinion only and should not be taken as medical or financial advice. Check with a financial professional before making any decisions.