The Benefits of Custom-Fit Hearing Aids

Hearing aids give you the ability to hear again. They can help compensate for hearing loss and enhance your listening experience with crisp, clear sound. However, with so many options, it can be difficult to know which type of hearing aid is right for you. To find the best option for you, ask yourself some key questions about your lifestyle, needs, and budget. Consider these benefits if you’re interested in custom-fit hearing aids rather than an off-the-shelf solution. Keep reading to learn more about why.

Custom-Fit Hearing Aids Are More Comfortable

When you get hearing aids custom-fitting to your ears and the size and shape of your head, they are more likely to feel comfortable. This is because they are made with the same measurements as your ears, cushioned with soft material, and placed inside your head. Custom-fit hearing aids offer enhanced comfort when custom-molded to your head using padding, an inflatable mold, or a combination of both. This can be particularly helpful for patients with thin or flat facial features. It can also be made more comfortable by adding incorporated features, such as a light that you can control or a vibration feature. Because of the large variety of options available, you can also have your Signia hearing aids made to feel like your own ears by customizing their color and size.

Custom-Fit Hearing Aids Are Better Sounding

Custom-fit hearing aids tend to sound better than off-the-shelf hearing aids, designed for the average person. Off-the-rack hearing aids may sound as good, but they are likely to be less comfortable and have more potential for noise distortion. Another reason custom-fit hearing aids are more likely to sound better is that the doctor of audiology or an audiologist can adjust the size and shape of the device according to the measurements of your ears. This means the hearing aid is less likely to fall out of your ear if you bend over or twist your head. It is also less likely to break if caught on something, as it won’t have a strong tendency to slip out of your ear.

Custom-Fit Hearing Aid Offer More Benefits

Custom-fit hearing aids are also typically more flexible. For example, they may allow you to adjust the volume of the sound you hear, the frequency, or the amount of background noise. This flexibility can be helpful if you want to hear better while listening to music, watching movies, or hearing other sounds, like a television or radio in the background. Some hearing aids allow you to program music or desired sounds. For example, you can have them play the sounds of birds outside or a river flowing. These features can make daily tasks like eating or talking with others easier if you have hearing loss.

Custom-Fit Hearing Aid Installers Have More Expertise

Custom-fit hearing aids usually cost more because they are tailored to your ears. This can mean that the audiologist who fits your hearing aids is likely to be more experienced in fitting hearing aids than the hearing aid dispensing audiologist. As well as being able to fit a hearing aid more accurately, an audiologist will likely have access to more sophisticated hearing aid technology. For example, custom-fit hearing aids are more likely to use digital technology, which allows the audiologist to adjust the hearing aid settings more precisely than older analog technology allows.

Off-The-Rack Hearable Devices Can Be Expensive

Off-the-rack hearing aids are typically less expensive than custom-fit hearing aids. This occurs because they may contain cost-saving off-the-shelf components or repurposed components like a toothbrush. However, off-the-rack hearing aids are also less likely to be custom-fit and are less likely to have noise-canceling technology. 

Off-the-rack hearing aids are typically less expensive because the company doesn’t spend as much on research and development. Since they don’t have to spend as much on research, they can profit by cutting costs on design and development.

That’s Not All, But It Should Help You Decide 

Custom-fit hearing aids can benefit your hearing by improving the clarity of sound, making them more comfortable and flexible, and allowing you to better hear the sounds around you in addition to using custom-fit technology. However, they are also more expensive than off-the-rack hearing aids and may be less effective than off-the-rack hearing aids. So, what should you do? Before you make a decision, think about these benefits. They can help you decide if custom-fit hearing aids are right for you.