January 01, 2024

For those who are in the process of purchasing a hearing aid, small hearing aids are a serious consideration. While larger, traditional behind-the-ear models are the most popular, there are still many who want a smaller, more discreet option. You are in luck! Let’s take a look at what small hearing aid options you have available.  

The Benefits of a Small Hearing Aids

The most important and obvious benefit of a small hearing aid is discreteness. There are many reasons why one would wish to hide the fact they were hearing aids; for those individuals, smaller is better. 

Some smaller models also offer functional advantages as well! Smaller models tend to be easier to use with phones, glasses, and masks. 

They also tend to handle wind sounds better – larger models like behind-the-ear pick up wind much more easily due to their location. Smaller hearing aids rest inside the ear, where they are more naturally protected from the wind. 

Since they also fit in your ear and use less power, the sound they produce tends to be more natural as well. Sound naturally travels farther into your ear before being picked up by the microphone, creating a more natural recreation of the hearing process!  

The Drawbacks of a Small Hearing Aids

Compared to larger styles like behind-the-ear hearing aids, their small size means less power & features – for those with more severe hearing loss or who want many advanced features, this is definitely worth considering. 

The smaller size also translates to lower battery life in most cases. You’ll be needing to charge or replace the batteries more often compared to a larger model!

The small size also means those with dexterity issues may have trouble handling, inserting, and removing them. They can also be more fragile and likely to be crushed, misplaced, or lost. 

Available Options

ITE Hearing Aids

In-the-ear (ITE) are one of the two basic types, the other being the previously mentioned behind-the-ear. This type of hearing aid sits inside of your ear, making it the more discreet option. There are also several different models of varying sizes among ITE types. 

In the canal (ITC) hearing aids. ITC are lightweight single-piece that rest partly in the ear canal. They are a bit smaller than ITE, as they just fill the opening of the ear and not the entire area.

Invisible in canal (IIC) hearing aids. IIC are the smallest type available. These rest completely inside your ear canal and are almost undetectable.