The Best Headphones for Kids

Top 10 Best Kids Headphones

Buying Guide

When you buy a product without knowing anything about it, you might be taking a risk. You could end up wasting your money on something that doesn’t work. We’re giving you some advice on what to consider when buying headphones for your child.

Volume limiter

Many kid’s headphones come with a volume limiter. It is a feature that keeps the volume below 85 decibels no matter what. For reference, 85 decibels is the maximum amount of time you can listen to sound at that level before it becomes dangerous.

However, not all headphones are safe for little ears. Some headphones can get as loud as 120 decibels, which is harmful to little ears.

Design

You should think about the design of the kid’s headphones. It means that they need a flexible headband and cushion ear pads.

Flexible headband: This part of the headphones will fit all head sizes, so your child can share them with friends and siblings of different ages.

Cushion ear pads cover your kid’s ears and give them great comfort. But if the cushion is too thin, the ear cups inside may cause some discomfort for your child, which will ruin their listening experience.

Safety

When choosing headphones for your child, it is essential to consider their safety first. Children’s ears are much more sensitive than adults, so the headphones mustn’t damage their hearing ability.

Wired or wireless

Kids gear wired headphones are headphones that have a cord. The cord can get messy, but using tangle-free headphones can save you from the frustration of untangling them.

Wireless headphones don’t have any cords or cables. This type of headphones is preferred because children won’t have trouble with the tangled cord. However, the audio quality may not be excellent when leaving the audio device too far from the headphones.

How to Choose the Best Headphones for Children

One of the first queries that come to mind is probably along the lines of, “What exactly differentiates standard headphones from children’s headphones?” Children’s headphones, which are functionally comparable to adult headphones, offer additional safety features that reduce the dangers of:

• Loss of hearing in its early stages
• Toxic material
• Finger Injury

However, choosing the appropriate headphones for your children involves more than simply thinking about the headphones’ safety features. Children of varying ages have various requirements, and each individual child also has a set of personalized preferences.

As a result, the following are some of the essential qualities that a thoughtful parent should prioritize:

Volume-limiting Capability

Your primary concern should be safeguarding your child’s hearing about the various safety elements. Therefore, it is essential to have headphones that have a volume-limiting capacity. These headphones have a unique feature that limits the loudness to 85 dB and may be adjusted as needed.

You could wonder why the level was set at 85 dB. This is because the World Health Organization has mandated that 85 dB is the utmost permissible exposure level that one can listen to for a maximum of 8 hours without risking their health.

As a point of reference, the volume on most headphones designed for adults can reach up to 120 dB or even higher. The vast majority of headphone manufacturers advertise that their products come equipped with a volume-limiting feature. It has a toggle switch that can be used to enable it, or it can be the default mode.

Be sure to check reviews as well, particularly those that confirm the volume-limiting function is not merely a marketing gimmick but serves a purpose in its own right.

Non-Hazardous Components

A wide variety of potentially harmful substances are used in producing headphones, which could risk your children’s health.

Toddlers are passionate about chewing on anything they can get their hands on, even if they are unaware of it. Some headphones also have openings and hinges that might pinch their delicate fingers.

Because of this, it is essential to select headphones that do not include anything that could potentially be harmful to them.

• Non-toxic Materials

Children have a habit of putting virtually everything they encounter into their mouths. These little rascals will bite, chew, and even swallow random objects as if doing so helps lessen their stress levels or dispels boredom. This behavior is not limited to teething toddlers.

Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to ensure that the headphones or wires your child are inadvertently chewing on are constructed out of non-toxic and food-grade materials.

• Pinch-free Hinges

There are headphone options available for children that have a more compact form. To accomplish this, the producers have incorporated hinges that allow the product to be folded up neatly and easily transported.

These hinges risk your child’s skin being pinched or their hair tangled. Their headphones need hinges that won’t lift their ears, as this will prevent potentially painful scenarios like the ones described above.

• Noise-Cancellation

Background noises can potentially detract from the quality of the listening experience if enough noise cancellation is not utilized. This, in turn, will lead to children desiring to put the volume up even higher, which will increase the likelihood that their hearing may be damaged.

There are two primary categories of noise-canceling technologies:

• Passive Cancellation: Noise-isolation, also known as “passive cancellation,” refers to the capability of your headphones to prevent any type of ambient noise from entering by creating a physical barrier. This idea functions in the same way as if you were to cover your ears with your hands to block ambient sounds. But headphones rely on the design and materials of the ear cups (also known as ear pads) and their overall fit to the ear to achieve the best possible sound quality.

• Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): The Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) system eliminates background noise by preventing microphones from picking up low-frequency sound. Be aware, however, that active noise-canceling headphones require batteries even when the headphone connection is being utilized.

In the end, neither variety of headphones is superior to the other. Some ANC headphones’ active noise canceling feature can be turned off, allowing outside sounds to enter the ear canal. However, this layout is frequently called very sophisticated engineering, resulting in a large cost increase. Even wired kinds of headphones need batteries to function properly. ANC headphones are no exception.

Durability

Most children treat their possessions, especially their headphones, with roughness and irresponsibility.

Suppose you buy a set of cheap headphones manufactured from a sheet of plastic that is only a few millimeters thick. In that case, you will likely need to buy another pair by the end of the week.

To prevent you from throwing away your money on headphones that don’t last very long while your children use them. below are numerous aspects that frequently affect the longevity of headphones:

• Materials: Common headphones made of plastic frequently shatter and split when subjected to even the mildest of impacts. The most long-lasting headphones typically have bodies made of polycarbonate and headbands made of metal. However, these headphones tend to be a little on the heavier side for children, especially when it comes to wireless models. The Connect+ PRO headphones are manufactured from high-quality polycarbonate, making them an excellent choice if you’re looking for a happy medium between durability and comfort for your children.

• Warranty: You should also consider purchasing headphones with a robust warranty just to be on the safe side. Because you never know what your children will get into with their headphones. A longer warranty not only demonstrates the brand’s trust in the lifespan and durability of its goods, but it also demonstrates that confidence.

• Texture: It is also a good idea to steer clear of anything with a rubbery texture for your children to use, including headphones. The vulcanized rubber included in new items will, as a result of a phenomenon known as the sticky rubber syndrome, become increasingly unusable over time. This decaying rubber could pose a health risk to your children if they come into contact with it.

Audio Sharing

One of the many frustrations that parents have to deal with daily is the fact that their children will fight with one another over their toys.

No single parent will choose to deal with it if it is possible to escape this annoyance. Suppose your children constantly fight over who gets to listen to films or music. In that case, you should look into purchasing headphones that allow you to share audio without the need for an additional audio splitter.

A few manufacturers of headphones have included an additional audio connection or a headphone slot on their products, making it possible for a second child to quickly join in on the fun.

These features are helpful in various public settings, such as when you’re traveling, when you’re visiting a hospital, when you’re waiting to be served at a restaurant, etc.

Sound Quality

Sound quality is an additional aspect of a set of headphones for children that should not be ignored when shopping.

Many parents believe that young children are not sensitive to acoustics and getting a pair of headphones. It is not worth their time or money with excellent sound quality since it will not benefit their child.

Even while it does not have to be audiophile-grade, the listening experience must still be pleasurable. Otherwise, it is unlikely that your child will continue to use the headphones you purchased, especially them.

If students take lessons online, their headphones must also have decent sound quality. This should be one of their top priorities. Students can increase their overall class performance and comprehension of what the teachers say if they can hear the lessons and their classmates.

Look for a set with a sonic characteristic that may be neutral. This indicates that the bass, the midrange, and the trebles are neither unduly accentuated, recessed, or brilliant, respectively. The headphones are ideal for listening to music, audiobooks, or even classes conducted via zoom. For further information, please read our article on the audio frequency spectrum.

Battery Life

When shopping for a set of wireless headphones or headphones equipped with active noise cancellation for your children. Long-lasting battery life should be one of the most important features you search for. You should get at least four to six hours of use out of a single charge for headphones with good battery life.

If the battery life is shorter than that, you should seek headphones that provide you the option of adding a cable so that you may make up for this deficiency.

Comfort

The fundamental characteristics that one should look for while assessing regular headphones also apply to those designed for children, namely the following:

• Comfortable headband: It should feature plush padding so that listening for extended periods does not result in any pressure or pain.

• Adjustable headband: Because of the headphones’ adjustable headband, children’s headphones may fit various head sizes. Because of this, your child can continue using the headphones as they age. And they will also be able to share them with siblings and other children of varying ages.

• Plush ear pads: Your child’s ears will be covered by earpads, but if the cushions used to make the earpads are too thin. Your children will be more likely to feel the pressure exerted by the ear cups and even give them migraines.

• Reasonable clamping force: While the headphones are worn, they should fit securely, but the clamping force shouldn’t be excessive. If you use this for longer than ten minutes, you could get a headache.

• Weight: A heavy headset can cause additional strain, which will reduce the amount of time that may be effectively used. Aim to purchase a set of headphones for your child weighing less than 200 grams.

Aesthetics

Children frequently need to differentiate themselves from the other children in their class and like displaying unique-looking items to their peers and friends. Therefore, the visual appeal of the headphones is a very important consideration for them.

Thankfully, the manufacturers are aware that the primary worry of children is not how the headphones will sound but how great the headphones will appear. Thanks to the myriad of different patterns and colors available, you have many options to pick from. Make sure you collect their feedback to find out what kinds of looks are popular to be noticed.

It is not a good idea to get headphones with a cutesy design if you intend for multiple children of different ages. Use them simultaneously (unless all of your children agree on the preferred method!).

You should go for a more neutral or understated look so that your older children, particularly those in the tween group (which spans the ages of 9 to 12 years old). Would not object when they are required to share the headphones with their younger siblings.

Frequently Asked Questions About Best Headphones for Kids