When it comes to choosing the right hearing aid, there are many different options to consider. Oticon Own™ is a discreet family of custom, in-the-ear hearing aids and in this blog post we’re looking at why choosing a custom hearing aid could be the right decision for you.
But what are custom hearing aids?
Custom hearing aids, also known as in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids are personalised hearing solutions that are tailored to your individual ear shape and degree of hearing loss. To create a custom hearing aid, a hearing care professional will take an impression of your ear shape, and this will be used to craft a mold that fits perfectly for you. Custom hearing aids are mostly quite small , discreet, and available in a wide variety of styles and colours.
See how an impression is made
What are the benefits of choosing a custom hearing aid?
- More comfort
- Custom hearing aids fit more easily and comfortably because they are customised to your individual ear shape. Also, they don’t fall out when you’re taking off your glasses, clothes, or facemask
- More discreet
- Because of their size and the multiple colour options, custom hearing aids are very discreet. In fact, the Oticon Own IIC is invisible in 9 out of 10 ears*
- Natural sound
- With custom styles, the hearing aid can take advantage of the ear’s pinna – the external part of the ear which collects sound around you. This can result in a more natural sound experience.
- Less wind noise
- Custom hearing aids can be more protected from wind noise because they are inserted inside the ear and the pinna acts as a natural shield
- Easy to wear
- They are easy to insert and take out because only one piece needs to be placed correctly instead of two
- Connect with your iPhone or Android™ devices
- Despite their size, some custom hearing aid styles can feature Bluetooth® connectivity for direct steaming, hands-free calls, and more**
What are some of the drawbacks of custom hearing aids?
- Reduced performance in smaller custom styles
- In the Invisible-in-the-canal, and Completely-in-the-canal devices, to keep the size as discreet as possible, only one microphone is present. So although the sound quality is high, it won’t be the same experience as devices with two microphones. Also, because of their small size, none of the Oticon Own hearing aid styles have rechargeable batteries
- Smaller custom styles can be challenging for people with dexterity issues
- Because of their small size, the buttons on the surface of the Completely-in-the-canal and In-the-canal hearing aids can be difficult to control, and the batteries on all custom styles can be difficult to replace for people with dexterity issues. However, volume, listening programs, and more can be controlled easily and discreetly with the Oticon ON app.
- In contrast, Half-shell and Full-shell custom styles are easier to put in the ear in comparison to behind-the-ear styles, so these are more suitable for people with dexterity issues
What are the different custom hearing aid styles?
Custom hearing aids come in a variety of different styles. Despite their small size, they hold an incredible amount of powerful technology. The decision you make should be a collaboration between you and your hearing care professional. For example, your hearing care professional will assess the size of your ear canal, your hearing loss severity, your ability to handle smaller items, and your desire to have wireless connectivity to your smart phone and other devices.
- Invisible-in-the-canal (IIC), for mild-to-moderately severe hearing loss
- These hearing aids sit completely in the ear canal and are inserted and removed with a discreet wire or tube. They are the smallest hearing aid available and provide superior sound quality in a tiny package
- Completely-in-the-canal (CIC), for mild-to-moderately severe hearing loss
- Just slightly larger than IIC hearing aids, CICs sit in the ear canal
- In-the-canal (ITC), for mild-to-severe hearing loss
- A custom fit for the ear, ITC models are still discreet, but large enough for volume buttons and other controls. Oticon Own ITC hearing aids are large enough to offer wireless connectivity to devices
- Half shell (HS), for mild-to-severe hearing loss
- HS hearing aids fill half of the ear, and they are also large enough to add features like directional microphones – yet they remain discreet. HS hearing aids offer wireless connectivity to devices
- Full shell (FS), for mild-to-severe hearing loss
- Easier to handle than most custom hearing devices, a FS hearing aid also has more features than the smaller IIC and CIC hearing aids due to its larger size. However, FS devices still sit securely in the ear. A FS hearing aid also provides wireless connectivity to devices
See all our available hearing aids for every kind of hearing loss.
Why should you choose an Oticon Own hearing aid?
Oticon Own is a family of discreet, custom hearing aids that feature our latest advancements in technology, so we can help support the natural way your brain works.*** By supporting your brain, and not just your ears, Oticon Own can provide you with a superiour listening experience – with less effort*.
Oticon Own has been trained with 12 million real-life sound scenes, enabling the hearing aids to handle and recognise virtually all sounds with precision. Oticon Own also gives you better access to the full sound scene around you, while creating clear contrast and balance between speech and background noise – so you’re able to follow conversation even better.***
Discover more about Oticon Own™ here
Is Oticon Own the right choice for you?
When considering whether custom hearing aids are right for you, it’s important to remember that your hearing care professional will be your best source of advice. However, if you’re looking for a remarkably discreet solution, you have an active lifestyle, and you demand best-in-class audiology, then we recommend that you speak with your hearing care professional about Oticon Own today.
Find your local hearing clinic
* Rumley et al. (2022). Oticon Own Evidence. Oticon Whitepaper
** Only available in styles with 2.4 GHz. See which hearing aids and devices are compatible here: oticon.global/compatibility. Hands-free communication is available with iPhone 11 or later running iOS 15.2 or later, and iPad running iPadOS 15.2 or later
*** Benefit may vary depending on style chosen