Stigmas should be stigmatized. Whether we’re talking about mental health or wearing cargo pants, the world would benefit from less societal shade. When it comes to hearing aids, these often-bulky devices can age a wearer faster than gray hair or referencing Jefferson Airplane deep cuts. But despite often being associated with seniors, more than 9 million Americans between the ages of 20 and 59 have some degree of hearing loss. Still, the stigma is enough to keep most of these people from even considering an assistive listening device, not to mention other factors like high costs and a difficult-to-navigate market.
But invisible hearing aids are, as the name suggests, difficult to see by others when they’re worn. While completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aids are the most “invisible,” they’re not available over the counter and need to be inserted by a professional audiologist. In this roundup, we’ll take a look at the best in-the-ear (ITE) devices, sometimes referred to as in-the-canal (ITC). Because of their small stature, 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 aid in my research, I recruited the help of licensed audiologist Ruth Reisman, who recommended devices based on analysis conducted in a scientific lab (the real deal), ensuring these aids met the 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 array of settings to ensure an accurate representation of the user experience. For more details about our process, refer to our general hearing aids guide.
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Types of Invisible Hearing Aids
There are several types of hearing aids you’ll come across as you research the right one for you. While you’ll see many acronyms, most of these styles fall under one of the 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-canal (CIC) devices, which are out of sight but are not available over the counter and they must be inserted by a doctor.
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