5 of the Best Headphones for Kids

Updated 19 Feb 2019

Buying your child a pair of wired or wireless headphones can be a fantastic investment, especially for a long plane or car rides where you don’t want to have to hear what your kids are watching. Getting wireless headphones can be particularly useful for kids because it means that you don’t have to worry about wires getting tangled or becoming a safety hazard. It is best to buy headphones that are specifically designed for children because they come in kid-friendly color options, they have volume limiting controls to help prevent hearing loss, and are built to be durable so they will last. Each of our choices is perfect for kids to enjoy their devices while giving parents a little bit of peace.

Why buy headphones designed for children?

There are some excellent reasons to go for headphones that are designed especially for children rather than using models made for an adult:

• The smaller fit makes them much more comfortable for kids to wear, particularly for long periods of time, like while watching a movie on a flight or long car rides. The smaller size also means that they won’t always fall off, which is what usually happens when children wear adult sizes.
• They have a volume limiting feature, so you don’t have to worry as much about endangering their hearing.
• A wireless option is essential if you are buying for a tiny child, as there is some chance that corded/wired headphones could pose a strangulation risk. (It is recommended that kids under age three not wear wired earphones unsupervised).
• They are also great if you have a child who is prone to get wires tangled and caught in various things.

Type

While wireless models are great for many situations, there are a few reasons that you may want to consider going for wired earphones instead:

• Budget– Wireless headphones generally cost more than their wired equivalent.
• If you don’t like having to recharge batteries– Wireless models require regular battery charging using a USB connector.
• The wireless option may not work with your device. In order to use the wireless function, the device will need to be able to connect via a Bluetooth connection. All of the wireless models that we recommend also come with an auxiliary cable that you can use for a direct link to your devices.
• If you have multiple children who will be using the same device- If you have two children with wireless headphones who want to watch the same device, it becomes a little bit more complicated to make that work. Lilgadgets has a workaround that connects the two sets allowing two children to watch/listen to one device, but with the other headphones on our list, this becomes more difficult to set up.
• You may run into problems if you want to sync the headphones with more than one device at a time. Each new device that you add to use the earphones will require a re-sync. Although, after you have done it once, the devices should sync automatically.

Features to look for:

Before buying any headphones for children, there are a couple of things to keep in mind while you are shopping. To find the best product for your needs, you will want to consider things like fit, sound quality, ease of use, as well as the following features:

Noise Limiting Volume

For any headphones you are considering letting children use, one of the most essential elements to look for is a noise limiting volume. Most experts recommend that the highest noise level the set should go to is 85 decibel (dB). The Lilgadgets model goes a little higher than that to 93dB, but most of the other brands stick to the 85dB limit. Adult models tend to go to around 115 dBs. It is important to note that experts warn that children should not listen to earphones for more than 2 hours a day, even if the volume is limited to 85dB, using for more than 2 hours may damage your child’s hearing. Some experts also warn against children using headphones entirely, since their ears are more sensitive to noise damage.

Size

If you have ever tried putting adult sized headphones on a child, you will know that they don’t tend to work all that well, they usually fall off and don’t generally fit the ears. The models that are designed for children are just like adult models but on a smaller scale. Often they have flexible bands so they can adjust to fit growing head sizes, making them useful as your child grows. The ear pads are smaller and have more of a snug fit so that they can block out more of the background noise.

Comfort

To ensure you get a comfortable fit, look for designs with the right amount of padding on the ear cups since that plays a massive part in comfort level. Adjustable headbands are also crucial to allow the earphones to grow with your child as they age. The weight of the product can also play a significant role in just how comfortable the headphones are, generally lighter is better for kids.

Durability

Whenever you are looking for any gadgets for children, you will want to make sure they are durable enough to take whatever treatment your kids will put them through. Lightweight aluminum or heavy-duty plastic are suitable materials for durability.

Precautions

To help prevent any hearing loss related to headphone use, please keep the following in mind:

• Don’t use the bud style of headphones; they can potentially damage children ears more than the over the ear style.
• Don’t let them listen to any device too loud — Montior the volume level to avoid any damage to your child’s hearing.
• Don’t let them listen to anything longer than 1 hour without taking a break.

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Marie Davis

Website reviewer and traveler. Would rather be shopping.

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