You might think that the main benefit to buying headphones for your children is so that you don’t have to hear what they’re listening to, but there’s actually a more important reason. Your child’s ears are super sensitive while they’re developing and it’s possible to damage them by hearing sounds over 85 decibels. Adult headphones just aren’t the best idea for them to use. At least not unless you can convince them to lower the volume, which is pretty unlikely.
Instead, you’re best off purchasing a pair of headphones designed specifically for children. They tend to fit better on little heads and all of the best headphones for kids contain a volume limiter so the sound can’t get too high. Here’s everything you need to know about purchasing headphones for your child.
Should I get wired or wireless headphones for my kid?
Some of that decision is dependent on how much money you want to spend and whether you want to worry about needing to recharge headphones on a regular basis. Many of the headphones listed here have decent battery life, but they are typically more expensive than a wired solution.
However, if your child is particularly young, wired headphones can be a strangling risk, so always supervise them while they’re using their headphones, especially if there are younger kiddos in the house.
What’s the maximum recommended noise level for children?
Generally, many auditory health organizations recommend that the ideal noise level for a child is about 70 decibels, and then volumes should never exceed 85 decibels. (Anything above 85 decibels is deemed dangerous.) Most adult headphones peak at about 115 decibels, which is why it’s important to use a dedicated solution for your child. The limit is a limit too, not a guide, so always aim to play music a little quieter if you can.
Can a child use earphones?
In-ear buds are great for adults, but they’re not recommended for children. That’s because developing ears are more sensitive to noise damage because their nerve fivers are still growing. Also, due to having smaller external auditory canals, the eardrum is always closer to the sound source, so you don’t want that to be exacerbated by earbuds. Ears are too delicate to risk their safety.
How long should my child use the headphones for?
Similar to limiting screen time, it’s sensible to restrict your child’s use of headphones to a maximum of two hours a day. Any longer than that can damage your child’s ears, even if they’re using a volume limiter.
- Colors: Tiger Shaped
- Battery life: N/A
- Volume Limitations: 85dB
All kids love cute things and the Kidrox Tiger-Ear Kids Headphones are a very cute thing indeed. The ear cups are softly cushioned and have a tiger face on their exterior so they look super playful and charming. Your child will enjoy wearing them, feeling like they get to show off their tiger loving self. In terms of features, they have a built-in volume restrictor of 85 decibels — the absolute maximum noise level recommended by authorities for children. The only downside is that the connective cable is a little short, so your kiddo will need to be close to their music-playing device.
- Colors: Blue
- Battery life: N/A
- Volume Limitation`: 90dB
The Maxell Children Headphones won’t win prizes for looks or style. However, they’re super lightweight, which your kids will appreciate. They also sound pretty good thanks to a 30mm driver, and they contain a volume limiter so things can’t get too loud for your child. Granted, the limiter is set to 90 dB, which is less than ideal, but it’s a promising start for very inexpensive headphones. If you want to keep costs down or your child is likely to break them easily so you want something easily replaceable, these are the best option to pursue.
- Colors: Black, Blue, Gray, Pink, Purple, Red, Teal
- Battery life: 18 hours
- Volume Limitation: 85dB
The Puro Sound Labs BT2200 Headphones look like something that you might wear, so your older child will love them. They sound great too, providing some of the best audio quality out of any set of headphones for kids. There’s an 85 dB limiter tied into them, so your kids won’t have to risk their hearing being damaged while they listen. With an 18-hour battery life, they’re not quite as great as you might like, but that’s more than respectable enough. Ambient noise isolation makes up for their lack of active noise cancellation, too.
- Colors: Blue, Green, Orange, Pink, Purple, White
- Battery life: N/A
- Volume Limitations: 90dB
The Kidz Gear Wired Headphones are simple, yes, but ideal if you have a fast-growing child or you simply want to plan ahead. With a highly expandable headband, they can grow to accommodate ages 2 to 12 with ease. There have even been reports of them fitting on adult heads when needed, so you could even use them yourself in a pinch. They’re not spectacular to look at, but they do the job well, limiting sound to recommended levels. Just be aware that the sound limiter module is actually a separate component that the headphone jack plugs into, so make sure it never gets lost.
- Colors: Blue, Grey, Pink
- Battery life: 22 hours with ANC switched on, 16 hours without
- Volume Limitations: 85dB
If your kid is desperate to look cool, but you want to keep them and their hearing safe, then look to the Puro Sound Labs PuroQuiet headphones. These on-ear wireless headphones look almost as fashionable as adult headphones, but they include useful technology to keep your child’s hearing safe. They have a limited volume of 85 dB, which can be further reduced by up to 22 dB courtesy of the active noise cancellation that’s built into these headphones. A steady battery life of 22 hours means you won’t have to recharge them often, but you can always switch them over to the wired mode if need be.
- Colors: Black
- Battery life: N/A
- Volume Limitations: 85 dB
For those with children who adore gaming, the PuroGamer Gaming Headset is a great option. There’s a microphone for easy communication with their buddies online while they go nuts on Minecraft, and they can hear every sound possible through the volume limited ear cups. Sound is limited to 85 dB but it won’t get in the way of hearing what’s going on. It’ll just protect your child’s ears. You can hook them up via 3.5mm or USB, which is perfect for different gaming systems — from PCs to consoles to tablets.
- Colors: Blue, Green, Purple, White, Donatello, Lion, Michelangelo, Multicolor, Mystic Unicorn, Paw Patrol, Pink Bunny, Pink Kitty, Pink Unicorn, Pirate, Purple Unicorn, Whatif Monster, White Bunny, White Unicorn
- Battery life: N/A
- Volume Limitation: 90dB
If your child hates wearing conventional headphones, no matter how cute the ear cups may look, then the CozyPhones Kids Headphone Headband is for them. It works like a regular headband but it contains ultra thin speakers for listening to music. Soft and stretchy, it’s easy for your child to wear and just as easy for them to store safely afterwards. It’s even washable. The only real downside here is that the volume limiter is set to a maximum of 90 dB, which is a little high for our liking. Other than that, it’s a good solution to a common issue.
