Can You Use Hearing Aids with Headphones?

Are you a hearing aid user looking for tips and tricks on using headphones with your hearing aids? Whether you want to improve your audio experience for gaming, music, movies, or explore options for integrating headphones with your hearing aids, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we explain how to find the best headphones for your listening needs based on your style of hearing aids and share some expert insights along the way.

Why Use Headphones with Hearing Aids

Most modern hearing aids are Bluetooth^®-enabled, which allows you to stream audio directly from other Bluetooth devices, such as your smartphone, laptop, or smart TV to your hearing aids, eliminating the need for headphones entirely.

However, if your hearing aids don’t have Bluetooth or you are on the hunt for something specific, like an immersive gaming experience or noise-canceling features, there’s a headphone solution out there. It just might take a little trial and error to find a setup that works for you.

Types of Headphones

First, let’s consider the various headphone styles.

• Over-ear: Fully enclose the ear with cushioned ear cups, and are larger than on-ear headphones, providing better isolation from external noise.
• On-ear: Rest on the outer part of the ear. Since they do not cover the whole outer ear, they generally let in more ambient noise compared to over-ear headphones.
• In-ear: Inserted into the ear like earbuds. They generally obstruct the ear canal, making them almost impossible to use with most hearing aids.
• Bone-conduction: Sit in front of your ears, usually with a band around the back of your head to keep them in place. They transmit sound through vibrations directly to your cochlea, bypassing the ear canal. This means your hearing aids won’t amplify the audio you're listening to, but you'll be able to stay aware of your surroundings. Keep in mind, though, that the sound quality is generally lower.

Since bone-conduction headphones don’t actually sit in the ear canal or around the ears, they are generally compatible with most hearing aids; however, some adjustment might be needed for comfort. Earbuds that occlude the ear canal are not an option with most hearing aids. Therefore, our discussion will focus on the more popular on-ear and over-ear headphones, which have specific considerations for hearing aid users.

Finding the Right Headphones for Your Hearing Aid Style

Comfort and sound quality are two important considerations when looking for headphones to wear with hearing aids, according to hearing health advocate and author Shari Eberts (pictured above with her husband at a Taylor Swift concert in Wembley Stadium). “A critical factor is getting an earmuff style and size that works with your particular devices,” explains Eberts.

Here's how different styles of hearing aids can guide your decision-making:

In-the-Ear Hearing Aids

Consider these headphone styles: On-ear and over-ear

In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids come in various styles, including in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), completely-in-canal (CIC), and invisible-in-canal (IIC) models.

Since these devices fit snugly in your ear or ear canal and don’t have a component covering the back of the ear, it's generally easier to find a well-fitting pair of headphones than for the larger hearing aid styles. Additionally, feedback—the annoying “whistling” that occurs when sound from the hearing aid’s speaker is picked up by its microphone—is less likely with these smaller hearing aid styles.

“With ITE and ITC hearing aids, either on-ear or over-ear headphones can be used because in either case because the hearing aid mics are down in the ear canal and therefore away from the headphone’s pads,” explains Andrew Bellavia, founder of the independent hearing consultancy AuraFuturity.

Eberts uses over-ear Bose noise-canceling headphones with her in-ear hearing aids. She commented on her experience with her headphones and said, “I love them! I have not had any feedback, but that may be because my hearing aids are worn deep in my ear.”

Behind-The-Ear Hearing Aids

Consider this headphone style: Over-ear

Behind-the-ear models come in two main types: traditional behind-the-ear (BTE) and receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aids. These types of devices range in size and include components that sit behind the ear, including the hearing aid microphones.

Finding headphones that work well with BTE-style hearing aids can be tricky, as you need to balance comfort and feedback avoidance.

“The most important thing is to keep the headphone's ear pads from touching the hearing aid, pressing the ear into the hearing aid, or being too close to their microphones. Otherwise, feedback can be a problem,” Bellavia advises. “The headphones should be large enough in diameter so that the ear pads give a little space around RIC or BTE hearing aids while still providing a good seal.”

Achieving a good fit depends on how well your ears and hearing aids align with the size of the headphones. It's a good idea to test out a few models or adjust the headphone positioning to find the most comfortable option.

Cochlear Implants

Consider this headphone style: Over-ear

Similar to BTE hearing aids, the external processor of a cochlear implant (CI) and its processor sit behind the ear.

When choosing headphones to wear with a CI, make sure they fit comfortably over or around the external processor without interfering with its placement.

Sami R shares her experience as a CI user on Instagram. She uses her CI for single-sided deafness while having normal hearing in her other ear. She enjoys using headphones with her CI to listen to music on walks, during exercise, and for podcasts and streaming TV shows on her iPad or phone while traveling. She notes that "the size of the headphone earpiece is critical, as it needs to be big enough to sit comfortably over the top of the user's whole ear, including the CI microphone."

Five Tips for Using Headphones with Hearing Aids

Finding the best solution for your listening needs may involve some trial and error, but you may find the following tips helpful along the way:

1) Buy in-store if possible

Since finding a pair of headphones that fits comfortably and doesn’t cause feedback often requires trying on various brands and styles, it's usually better to shop in-store rather than online. Sami R agrees: “Definitely don’t buy online!” she advises. “The earpieces vary so much from brand to brand. They may look big enough but then squash the edge of your ear or the device's microphone. Go in-store and try on various pairs until you find the ones that offer the most comfort.” She also stresses, “Comfort is key, so lots of nice soft padding is essential too.” If you do decide to shop online, be sure to read the return policy closely in case the headphones are not a good fit.

2) Reduce the volume of your hearing aids; consider changing domes

If you're still experiencing feedback after testing different headphone types and adjusting their position, try lowering the volume on your hearing aids. “Since the music playback device has independent volume control, overall music volume can be set to a pleasing level,” explains Bellavia. “If using open domes, changing to closed domes can help. Since this will affect the overall listening experience, one should discuss it with their hearing care professional first.”

3) Choose Active Noise Cancellation (ANC)

Even if you use hearing aids, your hearing loss can still progress or worsen with exposure to loud noise. Without noise reduction, you may need to raise the volume of your headphones in noisy environments, putting your hearing at risk. To protect your hearing, use noise-cancelling headphones, keep the volume low, and take regular breaks. This applies to all audio streaming, including e-gaming. Bellavia advises making sure the sound level is not too loud to avoid further hearing damage: “As a general rule of thumb, keep your volume control at 60% or below. Some headphones have a 'safe listening' mode which can also be used.”

“Noise-cancelling headphones are great!” adds Eberts. “They block out background noise so that understanding speech and enjoying music is easier at lower volume levels. They can also help suppress tinnitus triggers. For example, the incessant plane noise can sometimes kick my tinnitus into overdrive, but when I block the sound with the noise-canceling headphones, I can often avoid it.”

For additional guidelines and strategies on safe listening, refer to the WHO Make Listening Safe initiative.

4) Try a Music Program setting

Most hearing aids have music settings, typically accessible through their mobile app, making it easier to enjoy music. “This minimizes sound processing meant for speech, which can adversely affect music quality,” explains Bellavia. These settings improve the sound quality when listening to music by adjusting the amplification to create more balance in the audio. “If the app does not have a music program out of the box, a hearing care professional can create one,” advises Bellavia.

5) Use an equalizer

An equalizer is a tool or feature that allows you to adjust low, mid, and high frequencies. This helps you customize how music or other audio is amplified to suit your hearing needs or fit different types of music or audio content and can help reduce distortion. You can find equalizers in many modern headphones through their companion apps or settings menus, and some hearing aids also offer built-in equalizers for streamed audio. Speak with your hearing care provider to explore your options.

Do You Really Need to Wear Hearing Aids for Music and Streamed Audio?

What if you could remove your hearing aids entirely and use headphones that could play audio adjusted to your unique listening needs? Well, this could be an option for you, particularly if you have mild-to-moderate hearing loss.

According to Bellavia, this approach is particularly beneficial for music lovers. “Hearing aids do not cover the full music spectrum,” he explains. “Consider purchasing headphones that allow for sound personalization and using them without hearing aids. One uses the headphone app to take a hearing test. Then, the headphones are automatically set to compensate for one's hearing loss. While severe losses will not be fully compensated, the overall music-listening experience will often still be better.”

Audiologist Marshall Chasin, AuD, director of research at Musicians' Clinics of Canada, notes that, although hearing aid users are always encouraged to use their devices in as many environments as possible, listening to music may be one exception. "I’m always amazed by how little amplification is required for listening to music,” writes Chasin. “My typical suggestion is that most people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss should simply remove their hearing aids as they provide little or no [amplification] for the more intense components of music.”

Multiple headphone brands offer personalization features, allowing you to use any type of headphones, including earphones. For example, iPhone and iPad users can customize headphone audio levels using Headphone Accommodations, available in iOS and iPadOS 14 and later. By uploading your audiogram, you can personalize your audio settings to match your hearing profile. This feature enhances the sound quality and accuracy of compatible headphones, including AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and certain Beats models.

CROS hearing aid wearers

If you have unilateral (one-sided) hearing loss and wear a CROS hearing aid, Yuni headphones could be a good option if you want to use headphones without your hearing aid. These headphones are designed for people with single-sided deafness (SSD) and have dual speakers on one side—one above and one below the ear opening. This setup lets you hear both audio channels and enjoy stereo effects, like separation and panning, in your better-hearing ear, giving you a richer, more immersive listening experience.

Ask Your Hearing Care Provider

Choosing the right headphones for your hearing aids involves finding a balance between comfort and functionality, and finding a good fit can take some effort. If you're having difficulty finding headphones that work well with your hearing aids or are unsure which program to use or how to switch between them, consult your hearing healthcare professional for guidance.