Behind-the-Ear Hearing Aids With Glasses: How to Wear Both Comfortably

A behind-the-ear hearing aid hooks over the top of the ear, with its case resting in the groove between the ear and the head and a tube or wire carrying sound into the ear canal. A glasses arm (the temple) runs along exactly the same groove. When both are there, people notice:

• Pressure or soreness behind the ear by the end of the day
• The hearing aid sitting at an angle or lifting away from the head
• Whistling, because the aid has been pushed out of position
• The hearing aid flipping off when glasses (or a face mask) come off
• The aid’s microphones covered by a thick frame arm, so sound is muffled

All of these have fixes, and most cost nothing.

Hearing-care providers give the same basic routine (Miracle-Ear’s guide is one example). Practise in front of a mirror for the first few days.

1. 1

   Glasses first

   Put your glasses on and settle them as you normally would.

2. 2

   Slide the hearing aid in behind the glasses arm

   Lift the case of the hearing aid over the ear so it sits between the glasses arm and your ear, closer to the head, then place the dome or earpiece in the ear canal.

3. 3

   Check the fit

   The aid should sit snugly against the head, not hanging away from the ear. Run a finger along the groove: you should feel the aid and the arm side by side, without the arm pressing on the aid’s microphones.

4. 4

   Take glasses off straight forward

   Use both hands and lift the glasses straight forward, without tilting them up or to one side. Tilting is what knocks a hearing aid loose.

5. 5

   Check both ears afterwards

   Especially when you are out. A small aid that falls onto a carpet or into a coat pocket is easily lost.

• Thin wire temples leave the most room behind the ear. Wide plastic (acetate) arms are the most likely to crowd a BTE aid
• Lightweight frames put less pressure on the top of the ear
• Adjustable temple tips: an optician can bend metal arms to curve around the hearing aid or sit a little higher or lower
• Take your hearing aids to the optician when choosing and fitting new frames, so the fit is checked with both in place
• Sports or retention straps are a poor idea with BTE aids, because they pull on the same spot

If your parent also has low vision, see our hearing and vision support guide for setting up the home for both.

If behind-the-ear aids still feel crowded, the style matters more than the brand:

• Whistling (feedback): usually the earpiece has been pulled partly out of the ear, or the glasses arm is pushing the aid. Re-seat the dome, check the aid sits flat, and ask about a different dome size
• Soreness behind the ear: try thinner or reshaped temples, and check the aid isn’t sitting on top of the arm. Persistent pain, redness or a sore that won’t heal needs a doctor or audiologist
• Muffled sound: the arm may be covering the microphones. Move the aid slightly forward or ask the optician to adjust the arm
• Aid falls off with glasses or a mask: take glasses off straight forward, remove masks with ear loops slowly, and consider a retention clip
• Sweat or skin irritation: wipe the aid and glasses arms daily and let the skin breathe at night

If hearing seems worse than before, rather than just uncomfortable, see signs hearing loss is getting worse.

For people who already wear glasses all day, there is now another option. EssilorLuxottica’s Nuance Audio frames have microphones and small open-ear speakers built into the temples. They received FDA clearance in January 2025 as over-the-counter hearing software for adults with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss, launched in the US at about $1,100, and take prescription lenses (HearingTracker). A second-generation model, Nuance Audio 2.0 Plus, was reported in September 2026 from $829, with about 10 hours of battery (Glance).

Things to weigh:

• Nothing sits in or behind the ear, so there is no clash, and nothing small to lose
• They are only for mild-to-moderate loss; more severe loss needs a prescription aid
• They help only while the glasses are on, and they need charging every day
• They are sold through optical stores, so you can try them on and have lenses fitted at the same time

Since October 2022, adults 18 and over with perceived mild-to-moderate hearing loss can buy over-the-counter hearing aids without an exam or prescription (FDA). The FDA says to see a doctor first if there has been fluid, blood or pus from the ear, a sudden change in hearing, ear pain, severe dizziness, ringing in only one ear, or hearing that is much worse in one ear.

An audiologist can also solve fit problems that self-fitting can’t, such as custom earmolds, reshaped tubing or a different style. Original Medicare doesn’t pay for hearing aids or fitting exams, though some Medicare Advantage plans include a hearing benefit (Medicare.gov). For the difference between hearing aids and cheaper sound amplifiers, see hearing aid vs. amplifier.

All three come from our research-based hearing aid reviews; we haven’t tested them on a range of frames ourselves, so use the return window to try them with your own glasses:

• MDHearing VOLT 4 if your parent wants a classic behind-the-ear aid with physical buttons and no app. It is the easiest of our picks to handle, and MDHearing offers a 45-day trial
• Sennheiser All-Day Clear if a smaller case behind the ear matters most. It is a small receiver-in-canal aid with a strong independent lab grade for speech in quiet, Bluetooth calls and a 30-day trial
• ELEHEAR Beyond Pro if speech in noisy rooms is the main problem. It is our top-rated OTC aid in independent tests, but its case is larger than many receiver-in-canal aids, so try it with your glasses during its 45-day trial