For the 5% of the world’s population experiencing hearing loss, hearing aids offer the potential of not only improving your hearing but your overall quality of life. There are several types of hearing aid and a popular option for people preferring a more discreet hearing device is the in the canal (ITC) hearing aid.

What makes ITC hearing aids different?

• Custom fit.  The ITC hearing aid fits in the ear canal. Custom made from impressions taken of your ear canal and the surrounding section of the external ear.
• Discreet. A little larger than invisible hearing aids, ITC hearing aids are available in several different flesh-toned colors, making them more discreet than an in the ear (ITE) hearing aid.
• Powerful yet easy to use. The best ITC hearing aids are surprisingly powerful and recommended for people with a mild to severe hearing loss. They are also a good choice for anyone with reduced vision or limited dexterity.
• Sound quality. With the placement of the ITC hearing aids in the ear and the hearing aid’s surface area, the sound quality should be above average. They are also less likely to work themselves loose when you chew or talk.

Here are five of the best ITC hearing aids available today:

1. Nera2 by Oticon

The Nera2 is an in the ear hearing aid that offers six frequency bands to ensure you always get good listening quality. The Soft Speech Booster adapts to the environment to clarify and amplify speech. You can also create three different listening profiles to ensure your hearing is personalized the way you want for when you are working, playing sport or socializing.

Key features

• Uses BrainHearing Technology to give you maximum clarity and a more natural sound
• Speech Omni mode provides your brain with more audibility and listening comfort in low-noise environments
• Removes distortion and maintains the right volume level ensuring soft voices are audible and loud voices are comfortable to hear
• Binaural Synchronisation uses wireless connectivity to enable both hearing aids to communicate with each other

The Phonak Viro B ITC hearing aids boast to being the world’s first hearing aids that use Biometric Calibration. This technology has been developed to take your ear anatomy and hearing needs into account. It enables the hearing aids to be able to sense where the sound is coming from more reliably and give you a better hearing performance as a result.

Key features

• The device can identify more than 1,600 biometric data points and these calibration settings are calculated for each ITC hearing aid
• Available in six models
• Recommended for people with mild to severe hearing loss
• Uses WhistleBlock, NoiseBlock, Speech in Noise and SoundRecover2 technology

The ReSound Enya provides good sound quality and speech understanding in durable, discreet and wireless ITC hearing aids. Being wireless, you can stream sounds directly to your ITC hearing aids with 2.4GHz wireless accessories and by using the ReSound Control app.

Key features

• WindGuard feature helps to reduce wind noise outside
• Using ear to ear communication you can change the program or volume of both hearing aids by only adjusting one of them
• ReSound Relief app enables you to stream soothing sounds to help relieve symptoms of tinnitus
• iSolate nanotech coating protects the device from earwax, dust, and water, making them one of the best ITC hearing aids for durability

The Signia Insio ITC hearing aids allow you to stream audio from your TV, phone calls and music using wireless Bluetooth connectivity. Directional microphones improve speech understanding in noisy environments.

Key features

• Hearing aids automatically charge when placed in the wireless lithium-ion charging station
• Automatically adjusts to correct settings when you change environments
• Push-button allows you to easily change hearing programs and volume
• Compatible with several apps and programs such as the myControl App, StreamLine Mic, StreamLineTV and the myHearing App.

Available in four different technology levels, the Widex UNIQUE is designed to suit your specific hearing needs, budget, and lifestyle. The UNIQUE440 is aimed at people who love being outdoors. For those who enjoy socializing in small groups, the UNIQUE330 is probably the best ITC hearing aid for them. For anyone who prefers things a little quieter, then the UNIQUE 110 and UNIQUE220 will enhance your hearing ability in smaller settings.

Key features

• Reduces wind noise and enables you to hear conversations clearly in windy environments
• Automatically adapts to your environment
• Enables you to stream music, podcasts and phone calls directly to your hearing aids

Hearing aids have come along way in recent years. While they were once big, uncomfortable and cumbersome, they are now small and discreet and packed full of features. The best ITC hearing aids offer state of the art technology to enhance your listening experience that is also camouflaged to match your skin tone to give you discreet wearing.