A remote microphone can be used in many hard to hear situations to help send the speaker’s voice directly to the hearing device that you use. The goal of the remote microphone is to hone in on the sound you want to hear to make listening easier. Examples of typical hearing devices include: traditional hearing aids, bone anchored hearing aids, and cochlear implants. However, you can even use your phone as a remote microphone and earbuds as the hearing device to receive the sound. There are also apps that can connect a remote microphone to earbuds.

When I received my first bone anchored hearing aid back in 2015, I did not receive a remote microphone. I am not sure if they did not have one for the Ponto devices or if perhaps my audiologist didn’t mention them. There is also a chance that it was an option with an extra cost, and I just didn’t realize what a remote microphone could be used for.

When I attended the Hearing Loss Association of America convention in 2024, I heard so many people talking about remote microphones. Suddenly, I was seeing and hearing specific examples of how remote microphones can be useful when you have hearing loss. This experience made me realize that I definitely wanted a remote microphone to connect to my hearing aid. So, when I went to upgrade my device at the end of last year, I asked about getting a remote microphone. Fortunately, at the time of my upgrade, a remote microphone was a standard accessory for the Ponto from Oticon.

I actually ended up getting two remote microphones, both an EduMic and a ConnectClip. The EduMic I needed so I could connect my hearing aid directly to the sound system in large venues via a hearing loop. The ConnectClip I needed to have the ability to stream my phone to my hearing device so I could take calls on my device or listen to music and audiobooks. Both devices are also remote microphones in addition to the other functions I described. I tested both and found the EduMic to be the crisper, clearer sound as well as to have a longer range. So, I use the EduMic primarily.

Once I got the technology, I needed to figure out when to use it. I think it can be easy to dismiss something like a remote microphone and think that you don’t need it in your life since you aren’t a child in school. Or that the microphone wouldn’t make much difference in day to day hearing. But I knew it could improve my life, so I spent some time thinking about places it could be useful. It has been an ongoing process since I received it last December, and I honestly keep finding more and more situations where it comes in handy.

• My favorite, and the most obvious use, is having my husband wear it when we are out at a restaurant. I typically struggle a lot with the background noise in restaurants. Using the remote microphone helps my brain prioritize the sound I care about, my husband’s conversation.
• When I am biking with someone, I love to have them wear the microphone. It makes it so much simpler to converse, and I don’t have to stress about keeping them on my hearing side.
• Similarly, I find it helpful to have a hiking buddy wear my remote microphone to ease chatting while walking.
• Car rides are another useful place to have your conversational partner wear the microphone, especially if they are on your deaf side.
• I also love having my yoga instructor wear my microphone. Often, in the course of a yoga class, the instructor ends up facing away or upside down, and it can make it hard to follow all the minute instructions. There is always background music as well. I have really noticed a reduction in fatigue since I asked her to use it. I was worried it would frustrate her to wear it, but she says she doesn’t notice it all. She loves that I use it as she worries about needing to project her voice for my hearing loss when I don’t use it.
• I use it in a class or convention setting, especially where they won’t use the provided microphone or if there is not a sound system. It is important in these situations to get there a little early to ask the presenter to wear it.
• Recently, my husband and I were accomplishing a task at a distance from each other where he needed to give me instructions. He wore my remote microphone and essentially used it as a one way walkie talkie. It was excellent.

There are so many times and places where a remote microphone can make hearing a little bit simpler. I honestly carry mine in my purse so I can grab it whenever I might need it. It has been a great tool to add to my hearing loss arsenal, and I am so very thankful to have one. I definitely would recommend looking into one. If you have a hearing aid, certain brands connect to certain microphones. You can’t necessarily just get any microphone. Make sure to let your audiologist know you are interested in a remote microphone. Also, always make sure to help the person remember that they have a microphone on before they walk off to a place where privacy is expected, like the restroom, with the microphone still on. 😆