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What are custom hearing aids?

Custom-made hearing aids, measured to match your ears and made just for you.

There are many types of hearing aids available, but custom hearing aids are simply unique. As the name suggests, custom hearing aids are custom-made to your individual hearing needs, ear shape, size, and structure. The smallest custom hearing aids are super discreet and almost invisible in the ear. 

Personalisation and diversity

In today’s world, personalisation has become an important part of any experience. Being able to customise different aspects – style, fit, function, colour, features – makes everything feel truly personal. This level of personalisation is now also possible with hearing aids, especially with custom hearing aids.

The beauty of a custom hearing aid is that it is custom-crafted to match the uniqueness of you, your hearing and your lifestyle, while bringing you the variety of life’s sounds. 

Advantages of custom hearing aids
All the benefits of other modern hearing aids in a smaller package
Size and discretion
Custom-made hearing aids are available in a wide range of styles and skin tone colours. The choice of style is a personal one; it depends on your lifestyle and degree of hearing loss.
Natural wind noise reduction
The outer part of your ear – the pinna – acts as a type of windbreaker, helping to shield your ears from wind noise. Custom-made hearing aids sit inside the ears, so they benefit from this natural protective element.
Part of a complete custom hearing solution
Custom hearing aids form the center of a complete hearing solution, which you can shape and steer with ReSound apps and accessories. The ReSound Smart 3D™ app is a good option if you want to easily and discreetly control ReSound hearing aids.
Explore ReSound hearing aid apps
Usability, comfort, and custom fit
Custom hearing aids are custom-made to fit discreetly in your ears for all-day comfort. As they are a lightweight and ergonomic one-piece design, they are easy to insert, wear, and remove. This type of hearing aid is ideal for active people and it does not  interfere with glasses. Each hearing aid will be personalised just for you.
Natural and personalised sound
Since custom hearing aids sit directly in the ear, they are able to use the ear anatomy to collect sounds the way nature intended. Some custom hearing aids, such as ReSound hearing aids, feature superior sound quality and offer a truly individual listening experience. For instance, it’s possible for your hearing aids to monitor your sound environment and automatically switch to the most natural settings for different sounds. This means that you can focus on a specific sound while still being aware of the other sounds around you – a 360° soundscape.
Connectivity with devices and Bluetooth
Many custom hearing aids offer connectivity and streaming of calls and other audio due to their compatibility with popular everyday devices and Bluetooth wireless connections. Thanks to the innovative wireless technology, you can stream calls, music, and more directly from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or compatible AndroidTM smartphone to your ReSound custom hearing aids.
Custom hearing aid earmolds

Unique models of your ears for creating your custom hearing aids

The first step in creating custom hearing aids is creating the earmolds (also known as custom hearing aid molds). A hearing care professional does this at a clinic. 

  • Some hearing aid companies, such as ReSound, enable hearing care professionals to offer 3D scans of the ears, for extra precision when creating earmolds. 
  • The other widely used method involves taking a manual impression of the ear. In this case, silicone is placed in and around the opening of the ear. This may feel a bit odd, but it is not painful. When the silicone is removed it reveals a unique impression of the ear anatomy. 
  • Then, the custom hearing aid earmolds – either the 3D scan or the ear impression – are emailed or delivered respectively to the specific hearing aid company’s manufacturing facilities. 
  • Here, the custom hearing aid earmolds are replicated and turned into the ‘shells’ of the hearing aids using 3D printing. Then all the vital technical elements are carefully placed inside.
Types of custom hearing aids
Explore the different kinds of custom hearing aids available and find a style for you. 
Invisible-in-Canal (IIC)
The IIC style of hearing aid is the smallest style. It sits discreetly inside the ear canal, so it appears almost invisible to the eye. If you’re looking for a super-discreet hearing aid and have a mild to moderate hearing loss, this could be a perfect solution for you.
Completely-in-Canal (CIC)
CIC style custom-made hearing aids are also small, yet slightly larger than the IIC model. This is to make room for the functionalities that give you options to customise sound, such as volume control and changing programs to suit different sound environments. Therefore, CIC custom hearing aids will suit you if you have a mild to moderate hearing loss and want a little more control over your hearing aids.
In-the-Canal (ITC)
The ITC custom hearing aid is the most popular style within custom-made hearing aids. It comes with even more options, including a dual mic, to hear the sound you want to focus on as well as be aware of sounds around you. ITC hearing aids also have wireless functionality, so they can connect with smartphones and stream phone calls and music directly to your ears.  
In-the-Ear (ITE)
An ITE custom hearing aid is the largest style, and it covers all types of hearing loss, even severe hearing loss. Therefore, it has the most advanced features, such as ear-to-ear communication (right and left hearing aids connect with each other via a wireless signal). You can also enjoy wireless connectivity, so you can stream sound and calls from different iOS® and Android™ devices to the hearing aids.   
Mic-in-Helix (MIH)
The MIH custom hearing aid is a unique solution for all types of hearing loss, which only ReSound offers. The largest part and computerised ‘brain’ of the MIH design sits in the ear, and the microphone lies discreetly under the small rim of your ear (known as the helix), connected by an invisible tube. The ReSound MIH hearing aid provides natural sound quality and extra benefits because the microphone is taken out of the hearing aid. The design is small, and the overall hearing aid is a perfect solution to reduce wind noise and annoying whistling, known as feedback.  
Online hearing test
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ReSound custom hearing aids
ReSound Key custom hearing aids offer great hearing
ReSound Key
Welcome to great hearing with our essential custom hearing aids, including a wireless Completely-in-Canal (CIC-W) model with direct streaming.
Explore ReSound Key
ReSound LiNX Quattro
The ReSound LiNX Quattro™ CIC model offers best-in-class Bluetooth streaming, directly from smartphones and devices.
Explore ReSound LiNX Quattro
The ReSound difference
With ReSound custom hearing aids you get exactly that – hearing aids that are made to fit your specific ears. We use advanced digital technology combined with skilled craftsmanship to create hearing aids that are discreet, easy to use, and tailored to your hearing loss and ear anatomy.
Where to buy custom hearing aids
It is not possible to buy custom made hearing aids off the shelf. If you are considering a custom made hearing aid, then seeing a hearing care professional is the next step. They will be able to determine your level of hearing loss, find the style that suits your needs, and create your custom hearing aid earmold. Naturally, there is a different hearing aid price for different hearing aids depending on the style, functionality, and your hearing loss. Having expert guidance is great for navigating all these elements and finding your perfect hearing aid.