Looking for the best hearing aids for an active lifestyle? When there are so many models and types of hearing aids available from different brands, it can be pretty overwhelming to make the right choice.
In this article, you will find our top recommendations for the best rechargeable, best wireless, and best type of hearing aids suited for specific activities.
Hearing aids need to be a good fit, so you don’t lose them or feel uncomfortable while you’re active. This is why completely-in-canal (CIC), in-the-canal (ITC), in-the-ear (ITE), or invisible-in-canal (IIC) are best for an active lifestyle. You will also want to choose hearing aids with a long battery life and warranty. Water, dust, and moisture resistance are among some other essential qualities.
Interested to learn more? Let's dive in!
5 Best Hearing Aids for an Active Lifestyle
Now that we’ve discussed what features the hearing aids of an active person should have, let's see which hearing aids best offer those features.
1. Most Comfortable Hearing Aid: NANO CIC
The NANO hearing aids brand was established in 2017, and has already become popular for their extreme affordability, comfort, and for providing excellent quality at a low price. They currently offer four models of hearing aids.
NANO CIC hearing aid is a rechargeable hearing aid. Once you fully charge them, they will last for up to 16+ hours. The hearing aids are small and discreet and won’t interfere with your activity gear (such as helmets, goggles, etc.). These aids offer feedback cancellation and noise reduction technology. In addition, they also have digital sound processing, directional microphone, and adaptive technology to guarantee that you’ll have a top-notch hearing experience.
Key features:
- Rechargeable battery
- Feedback cancellation and noise reduction technology
- Digital Sound processing and adaptive technology
- Directional microphones
- Very affordable
2. Best for Speech Recognition: Signia Silk Primax
The Signia Silk Primax is another great completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aid. It fits perfectly in your ear canal as if it’s invisible. The Silk Primax is one of the world's smallest CIC hearing aids, which is also breathable and comfortable at the same time. You can enjoy excellent speech recognition with directional microphones and Silk’s ‘SpeechMaster’ feature.
Another essential feature that the Silk Primax offers is Signia’s trademark EchoShield feature. EchoShield balances sound no matter the environment, even if you’re on the move and it’s windy. Additionally, the Signia Silk Primax is rechargeable.
Key features:
- Extremely small and discreet
- ‘SpeechMaster’ feature ensures excellent speech recognition
- ‘EchoShield’ features ensures balanced sound
3. Water-Resistant Hearing Aid: Phonak Lyric
The Phonak Lyric is one of Phonak’s best and most loved hearing aids. It’s a completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aid. It's completely discreet and invisible since it’s placed inside your ear canal.
This hearing aid needs to be fit into your canal by a hearing care professional. Once you have it fit, you can wear it around the clock for up to 18-24 months. You don’t need to worry about running out of charge or losing it during your activities. The Lyric hearing aids process sound in an analog way. It uses the natural anatomy of your ears to localize and amplify sounds for a more precise, natural hearing experience.
The hearing aid is also water-resistant but not waterproof. You can wear it while surfing, snowboarding, etc., but you can’t use it while swimming underwater, deep diving, snorkeling, etc. Additionally, The Phonak Lyric can help with tinnitus.
Key Features:
- Analog, no charging hassles
- Water-resistant
- Helps with tinnitus
Also Read: Many people suffer from hearing loss and are unaware that it may be a disability. Continue reading to learn about symptoms, and prevention methods.
4. Best Noise Cancelling Hearing Aid: Widex
Widex hearing aids offer in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids that are best equipped against wind noises and whistles. Widex’s suppressant technology ensures you have the best hearing experience by canceling these sounds out.
Widex also has unique background noise cancellation technology and amplifies sound intuitively. With this automation and wind noise cancellation tech, you are sure to have a good hearing experience during your activities. The Widex ITE hearing aids work well whether you’re cycling, hiking, or jogging.
The custom fit and small size ensure that your hearing aid stays in place even when you’re on the move. If you need to wear gear like a helmet or goggles, you won’t have any issues. If you want more discretion, their completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aids are also a good choice. Both the models are fully automatic, so you don’t need to stop to manually adjust to a comfortable level of hearing experience during your activities.
Key features:
- Wind noise cancellation
- Small and discreet fit
- Fully Automatic
5. Best Lightweight Hearing Aid: Siemens Aquaris/Signia Aquaris
Siemens hearing aid was sold to Sivantos in 2015, who later rebranded it as Signia but kept some of the original products. One such hearing aid product is Siemens Aquaris, now known as Signia Aquaris.
When we talk about the Signia Aquaris hearing aids, we must first mention that this is the only completely waterproof, shockproof, and dust proof hearing aid. Even though the Aquaris is a behind-the-ear (BTE) style hearing aid, it is the best choice if you’re into water-related activities such as swimming and snorkeling. Signia Aquaris hearing aids remain waterproof under three feet up to 30 minutes. The company suggests you wear a sports clip to help keep the aids stable for strenuous activities.
The Aquarius hearing aid offers a custom-made soft earmold for swimming, ensuring comfort. It goes without saying that the aids are also sweat-resistant and moisture resistant. The hearing aid offers wireless technology, allowing you to stream music whether you’re on dry land or underwater.
These hearing aids are also lightweight and small while providing a good hearing experience. There are no volume or settings control knobs or buttons, as they are entirely digital and automated. With a Siemens Aquaris hearing aid, you can enjoy your water-based activities without any worry.
Key features:
- Completely waterproof (to 3-feet underwater, up to 30 minutes)
- Shock-proof, dust-proof
- Moisture and sweat-resistant
- Fully automated
- Allows wireless app control
Also Read: Did you know vertigo is a common symptom of hearing loss? Find out if hearing aids can be a potential solution.
Features You Should Seek Before Buying
The average hearing aid may not suit you if you're an active person. It's important to carefully choose a hearing aid that fits your budget but also meets specific criteria. Here are a few features to keep in mind when choosing a hearing aid for your active lifestyle.
Model, Fit, Size
Be sure to choose hearing aids that you can comfortably wear while active. The model/type, fit, and size of the hearing aids are essential.
Since being active requires movement, not all models or types of hearing aids are suitable. For example, behind the ear (BTE), receiver-in-ear (RIC) types are not typically ideal. There is a greater risk of losing them, and they allow wind noise while running, cycling, etc. Overall, most people do not find it comfortable and suitable to have a BTE or RIC fit if they lead an active lifestyle.
Ensure that your hearing aid is the correct fit and size for you. If it’s not the right fit, you’ll risk losing it, whether it’s during an activity or during a simple stroll. Because many activities require you to wear accessories such as helmets and goggles, if your hearing aid is not small and discreet in size, it may (and most likely will) interfere with your gear.
Battery Health
As an active person, you may be on the go or on the move more than the average person. You need to ensure your hearing aid has a long battery life with good quality batteries. This will help to avoid the hassle of changing or charging batteries frequently.
Warranty
You have a higher than average chance of losing or damaging your hearing aids when you're active. This is why having a hearing aid with a good warranty or an extended warranty will benefit you tremendously.
Adverse Environment Resistance
Your choice of an active lifestyle may include swimming, surfing, snorkelling, skiing, etc. Many activities include being near water or snow, so it is best to get a hearing aid that is water-resistant. A dust-resistant hearing aid is best suited for cycling, hiking, running, etc. When you are active, it is a given that you’ll be sweating, so having a moisture-resistant hearing aid is a must.
Automatic Environmental Audio Setting
Activities like running, cycling, and skating means you’ll face wind resistance, wind noises and whistling sounds. Hearing aids with multiple environmental settings allow you to switch settings to make your hearing experience more comfortable.
Since you’ll be on the move, it won’t always be possible for you to adjust the settings. A hearing aid that's advanced enough to learn and recognize your surroundings and switch settings to adjust to your comfort level is a bonus.
Connectivity
While connectivity is more of an option, it can be a beneficial feature. If your hearing aid is Bluetooth-enabled, you can connect it with your phone. So, you will know if you’re getting calls when you’re active or on the move. Many people also like to listen to music or podcasts while they’re active, indoors or outdoors.
Purchasing a hearing aid online is not easy; there are some important factors to consider before buying one. Learn everything there is to know about them by reading our comprehensive guide on buying hearing aids online.
Bottom Line
With so many types of hearing aids on the market, finding the one most suitable one for you can be confusing. We hope this article has helped to narrow down the choices by listing the 5 best hearing aids for an active lifestyle.
Have any more questions? Let us know!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Can you play sports wearing hearing aids?
A: Yes, of course, you can play sports wearing hearing aids. You need to find a comfortable hearing aid that fits you perfectly and doesn’t interfere with wearing any gear (if needed). Practice with your hearing aids to get used to playing sports while wearing them
Q: Which hearing aids are most comfortable?
A: Behind-the-ear (BTE) and receiver-in-canal (RIC) are the most comfortable models/types of hearing aids to wear regularly. However, if you’re an active person, they are not the most suitable or comfortable, as they interfere with gear (helmets, goggles etc.) and can be lost easily.
Q: Do hearing aids affect airport security?
A: No, hearing aids do not affect airport security. They don’t set off the security alarms, and you don’t need to take them off. Putting the hearing aids through an x-ray won’t harm your aids either.
