9 of the Best Headphones for Kids and Teens Who Love Music

With the technology that kids are using on a daily basis, at home and in school, a good pair of headphones is an absolute must have. Headphones allow children to use their computers or tablets without disturbing those around them. In a classroom setting, they can listen to their lessons and work on projects individually, with no distractions. The larger, more expensive headphones that adults use are not the best choice for children. The best headphones for kids and teens are durable, fit specifically for children, and offer good quality sound and value for the price.

For fit and overall durability, over-the-ear headphones last longer, fit better, and are more comfortable than earbuds. Volume limiting capability is certainly a consideration to avoid damage to young ears and is available in many over-the-ear headphones. And of course, colors, fun styles, and “cool factor” can’t be discounted when choosing headphones for your child.

Best Headphones for Kids

LilGadgets Premium Children’s Wireless Headphones
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CozyPhones Kids Headphones
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NRGized Headphones with Microphone
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Snug Plug n Play Kids Headphones
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Puro Sound Labs PuroQuiet On-Ear Headphones
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Kidrox Wired Kids Headphones
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1. LilGadgets Volume Limited Headphones for Children

LilGadgets Connect+ Volume Limited Wired Headphones for Children

Designed for younger children (2-8 years old), LilGadgets Connect+ Volume Limited Wired Headphones have cool features such as a shareport to connect another pair of headphones, volume limiting capability, and and in-line mic to answer smartphone calls. They are foldable for easy portability and are lightweight making them perfect for packing in and out of school bags. The headphones have a clean and modern design and come in a variety of bright colors.

Colors: Black, Blue, Green, Pink, Purple

Ages: 2+

2. LilGadgets Premium Children’s Wireless Headphones

LilGadgets Untangled Pro Premium Children's Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

Just as durable and feature-rich as the wired version above (with shareport and volume limitation), the LilGadgets Wireless Bluetooth Headphones remove the need for wires that tangle and get caught up. Without wires to carry signal, the headphones use wireless Bluetooth technology to deliver high quality sound to these comfortable child-friendly headphones. With a 12 hour battery life and 180 hour standby the specs are quite impressive, but do make sure your child’s music player or phone has Bluetooth capabilities.

Colors: Black, Blue, Green, Pink, Purple, White

Ages: 4+

3. Mpow CH1 Kids Headphone

Image of Mpow CH1 Kids Headphone in blue and green

If your children want to share the music, then daisy chain the Mpow CH1 Kids Headphones using its sharing interface. Headset volume is restricted to 85dB to protect the children’s ears.

The sharing interface is a standard 3.5 AUX output on the right side of the earmuff. Connect as many headphones as necessary for all the children to hear and enjoy the same music or movie. Older children may want to share with friends or watch the same movie while traveling.

Mpow kids’ headphones are made from food-grade material with durability in mind. Your baby shouldn’t be harmed if they put the cables into their mouths, and the tangle-resistant cables are sturdy enough to endure such treatment.

The earmuffs are cushioned with no sharp edges for a soft textured experience against the ears. The Panda patterned earpads rotate for a snug fit. The adjustable headband is designed to fit over your baby and toddler’s head and adjust as they grow.

A standard 3.5mm audio jack is compatible with most smartphones, tablets, and computers.

Colors: Blue, Blue-Green, Pink

Ages: 2+

4. iClever BoostCare Kids Headphones

Image Of Pink iClever Boostcare Kids Headphone With Catlike Ears

If you want your toddler to tween to squeal, give her a pair of iClever Kids Headphones with cat-inspired ears that light up. Your concern when buy headphones are how you may protect her ears, but she is going to be thrilled with the kitty ears on the headphones and not so much concerned about volume.

The headphones have built-in volume-controlled circuitry. The volume control technology ensures the sound levels are within the recommended safety limits for children’s eardrums and inner ear at 85dB.

Who doesn’t want headphones with catlike ears with lights! The button situated on one of the ears transforms the cat ears from ordinary cute ears to adorable ears that light up. One-click and the LED backlight on the ears light up, the lights blink with two clicks, and strobe with three. The headphones are children-friendly and may withstand twisting, stretching, or bending.

It’s simply adorable, soft to touch, and made with food-grade material. No tangling of cords; the cords are designed to be tangle-free. The cushioned ear muffs swivel for the best fit. The headband stretches and adjusts as your child grows.

The headphone fits on the ear and is compatible with most smartphones and tablets.

Colors: Pink, Blue

Age: 3+

5. Sony MDR/222KD Children’s Headphones

Sony MDR/222KD Headphones for Kids

Simple and inexpensive headphones for kids with volume limiting capabilities made by Sony, a brand reknowned for high quality headphones. The Sony MDR/222KD Children’s Headphones are designed with children in mind, they are lightweight and made to fit smaller heads and ears.

Colors: Black, Pink

Ages: 8+

6. CozyPhones Kids Headphones

CozyPhones Kids Headphones

A very different but very fun way to listen to music! CozyPhones Kids Headphones are an awesome option if you are looking for something a little different that still delivers great sound and function. With a lightweight, comfortable and washable velcro headband and adjustable, removable speakers CozyPhones provide the perfect ‘cozy’ fit. The design is also a great alternative for kids who dislike earbuds or have sensory issues.

Styles: Blue unicorn, Green frog, Green Monster, Ivory Panda, Purple frog, Yellow smile

Ages: 3+

7. NRGized Headphones with Microphone

NRGized Headphones with Microphone

NRGized Headphones are the perfect combination of colorful style, quality components and great value for money. Built to take all the punishment kids can throw at them, these headphones are constructed for durability and comfort. With built-in mic for hands free talk and voice recording, these colorful headphones for kids will suit younger children all the way up to teens who want that bit of extra functionality.

Colors: Blue, Orange, Purple, Green

Ages: 5+

8. Snug Plug n Play Kids Headphones

Snug Plug n Play Kids Headphones

Fun colors, comfort, and good sound quality help to make Snug Plug n Play Kids Headphones an excellent value set of headphones for the price. With a sharing port and volume limitation features, these Snug headphones are perfect for younger children. And, boasting a heavy-duty cable and the ability to fold down for additional portability, this set is also great for travel.

Colors: Aqua, Blue, Green, Grey, Pink, Purple, Red

Ages: 3+

9. Puro Sound Labs PuroQuiet On-Ear Headphones

Image Of Puro Sound Labs Puroquiet On Ear Headphones

Place the world on mute with the Puro Sound Labs PuroQuiet noise-canceling headphones. Help your kids improve their concentration by decreasing daily background sounds up to 22 dB complemented by 82% noise isolation. Now your children can hear without distractions or need to turn the volume up.

Their hearing is further protected with the restricted 85dB sound level, which is the safe listening level. When the founder’s daughter was diagnosed with noise-induced hearing loss, it became Puro Sound Labs’ mission to protect young ears. The created stylish headphones with quality audio that are safe for young children to use.

Some children can’t study with background noise; it distracts them and hinders their concentration. The ANC (active noise cancellation) button may block out noise with the headphones powered off. It helps with noise cancellation during long flights. The noise-canceling mode works with the Bluetooth and the cable connection.

The wireless headphones pair with most tablets and smartphones with the one-touch Bluetooth connection. Wireless pairing eliminates the frustration of audio cable entanglement. A volume-limiting 3-feet long audio cable is included in the package for those who prefer a wired connection to their iPhone, Android, and other devices. The long-lasting lithium-ion battery is charged with the same USB cable. devices with a cable

For convenience, each earpad of the on-ear headphones is distinctly marked with an R or L, indicating which ear it covers. A dual microphone design ensures clarity when talking, and the other microphone filters the noise and sounds. Control the volume, music, ANC, and phone with the button situated on the ear pads.

The headphones fold flat into the casing for easy portability and safekeeping. With a pink or blue metallic luster, the durable AL6063 aluminum is strong enough to endure and withstand rough play and handling from toddlers and children.

Rest assured, the battery will last during a 16-hour flight with the active noise canceling enabled and up to 22 hours without the ANC. On standby, the battery may last 200 hours before it requires recharging.

If the Puro Sounds Lab PuroQuiet headphones are too pricey and active noise cancellation isn’t a priority to you, then the BT2200 is an alternative.

Colors: Blue, Grey, Pink

Age: 2 ½+

BONUS ITEM 1! Kidrox Wired Kids Headphones

 

Image Of Purple Kidrox Wired Kids Headphones

If you’re looking for a set of headphones that young children won’t destroy, then the Kidrox Wired Kids Headphones is the solution. The ingenuity is captured in the simplicity of the design. The headphones are safe, non-toxic, and durable.

Soft, bendable EVA foam that is non-toxic and BPA free is the secret of these headphones. The headphone wiring is covered in foam. Yes foam, that is scratch-resistant, bendable, and folds easily for storage. The padded ear cups are removable. An extension pad is included in the package for smaller heads.

These almost indestructible headphones have limited sound volume up to 85dB to protect children’s ears. The universal socket fits most tablets and smartphones.

Color: Purple

Age: 3+

BONUS ITEM 2! Onanoff BuddyPhones Kids Headphones

Image Of Onanoff Buddyphones Kids Headphones

If you want an award-winning pair of headphones for your toddler for an affordable price, then the Onanoff BuddyPhones Kids Headphones are an excellent pick. It’s not always that easy to find good headphones for tiny heads. You don’t want to pay a lot of money, but you need a pair of headphones that may withstand a toddler’s rough play.

BuddyPhones headphones for kids proudly claim the most awards for innovative design and features. BuddyPhones was awarded the Bronze A’Design Award in the Baby, Kids’ and Children’s Products category, globally, the most significant design competition.

The headphones are made from certified safe materials that are hypoallergenic. A built-in reliable audio control protects children’s hearing; the volume limit is at the recommended 85dB. The audio cable safely detaches to avoid injuries with entanglement.

The colorful headphones are designed to fit young heads comfortably. Included in the package is a set of six stickers to customize the headphones. The BuddyCable system connects four headphones into one device with the stackable audio jack. Siblings or friends can watch a movie together or listen to the same music.

Also included in the purchase is the travel case to store the foldable headphones keeping it safe during transport.

Color: Red, Orange, Blue, Pink

Age:  2-4

Guide To The Best Kids Headphones For Top-Notch Children

Build Quality Is Top Priority When Kids Are Involved

Children break stuff; they smash, throw, bite, and bend their toys. The best kids headphones all have one thing in common; their headphones are made from a material that can withstand the abuse from babies, toddlers, and children.

Parents often start buying kids headphones for their children as young as two-years-old. Babies and toddlers put stuff in their mouths. They won’t think twice to suck and chew on the audio cable. It may not be the best use for the audio cable, but the material and design need to handle the mouth inspection if the headphones are going to be used by a baby or toddler.

Volume Limiter Is Very Important

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the safe volume level is a maximum of 85dB. Listening to loud music, watching TV, movie soundtracks, or any other loud noises over 85 decibels for an extended period may cause noise-induced hearing loss in children and adults. The hearing of children develops until in their teen years, which makes children more sensitive to hearing damage.

Parents want to protect their children’s hearing, which may be a challenge because children tend to make the best use of sound by raising the volume whenever they have the opportunity. When they increase the TV volume, you can hear it and ask them to lower it, but with headphones, you don’t always know how loud the child has turned up the sound. The best-used headphones on the market are the ones that have built-in volume reduction. Some headphones have audio cables that limit the volume. Manufacturers are aware of the danger of loud volumes, and most headphones do restrict the volume within the acceptable 85dB.

The best headphones for kids have volume restriction and active noise canceling features. The Puro Labe PuroQuiet headphones are an excellent example. Active noise cancellation (ANC) features to block out background noise to a certain degree. ANC is best used to help children concentrate better without unnecessary distractions and is an excellent option for little children during long flights. Excessive loud music and high-intensity sounds may cause noise-induced hearing loss in children.

Earphones vs. Headphones – in-ear, on-ear, or over-ear?

In-ear headphones or earphones are worn inside the ear. The earphones are compact and portable, which is ideal when traveling. In-ear earphones, however, are small devices that may cause choking hazards or cord entanglement when worn by younger children. The small-sized earphones could break easier when dropped by the tiny hands of a toddler. In-ear earphones are best used for older children who are more responsible and won’t accidentally drop or sit on the earphones.

On-ear headphones are made from lightweight material and are best used for more natural hearing because it doesn’t block out external sounds. Some models include the active noise canceling features if a person wants to block out the background noise. One-ear headphones are possibly the most comfortable to wear of the three types and are best used for extended listening periods.

Over-ear headphones cover the ears and thereby exclude outside sounds. These headphones often include noise-cancellation features, but extended wear may irritate the ears. Over-ear headphones are best used for canceling out noise but for shorter periods.

On-ear and over-ear headphones are the best-used for babies and toddlers. Older kids may benefit from the smaller in-ear earphones provided it doesn’t irritate their inner ear.

Price of kids headphones

How much you want to pay for kids headphones often depends on how capable the child is to look after the headphones. The younger the children, the higher the risk of damage. You can pay as little as $20 or over $100 for kids headphones. Headphones with active noise canceling features are the most expensive are often priced over $100.

If you’re buying the best kid’s headphones for a two-year-old, you don’t want to spend a lot of money if the child is going to smash it against the wall. The headphones may be durable, but the same set of headphones that fits a toddler’s head isn’t necessarily going to be comfortable for a teen. You don’t want to spend $100 on headphones that the child is going to outgrow within a year or two.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Kids Headphones

Explain volume-limiting in headphones

Noise-induced hearing loss contributes to hearing damage and can be limited or avoided. Most adults in their thirties and older suffer from a degree of hearing loss due to consistent exposure to high-level noise and sounds. Wearing earphones or headphones while listening to loud music is common in households. Growing up, headphones were best used to listen to music as loudly as possible.

Children in today’s technology world start wearing headphones from an early age, even as young as 20 months old. They grow up with tablets and smartphones as the source of music, games, and movies. Protecting your children’s hearing while growing up may avoid noise-induced hearing loss.

Volume-limiting headphones are best used to help protect children’s hearing. With a maximum limit of 85db, the children’s ears aren’t exposed to excessive volumes that may damage their hearing.

Is there a way to limit volume in the device?

Although headphones are best used to hear the sound better and preferable at unhealthy volumes, most headphones today have a maximum volume of 85dB. Your children will still crank up the volume, but their hearing is protected with the restricted volume.

Most of the headphones have a built-in volume restriction. Other headphones use volume restricted audio cables. Should you need to replace the cable, make sure, you are replacing it with a limited-volume cable to limit the volume to 85dB.

The WHO recommends 60% volume for 60 minutes listening with headphones as a guideline.

Setting volume limits on Apple and Android Devices

How to set volume limits for Apple devices

  • Go to settings on the iPhone or iPad
  • Scroll down and click on Music
  • Click on Volume Limit
  • Slide the slider to the left to decrease the volume
  • Return to the Settings menu by clicking on the back arrows.

To avoid your children overriding the volume settings, password-protect the parental control setting:

  • In Settings click on Screen Time
  • Scroll to the bottom and click Turn On Screen Time
  • Click on Content & Privacy Restrictions
  • Enter and re-enter a four-digit passcode
  • Scroll down and click on Volume Limit

In older Apple devices

  • Click on General in the Settings Menu
  • Tap Enable Restrictions
  • Choose a four-digit passcode
  • Scroll to the bottom and click on Volume Limit
  • Then click Don’t Allow Changes

How to limit the volume on Android devices

Unlike Apple devices, most Android devices do not have volume limit control settings. Some Samsung phones, for example, do have built-in controls, but other Android devices require an app to limit the volume.

Limit volume using Samsung controls (menu names may differ):

  • On the App, screen open the Settings icon
  • Click on Sound and Vibration
  • Then click on Volume
  • To lock the sound levels click on the More options
  • Select Media Volume Limiter
  • Secure the volume with a PIN code

The right pair of headphones can provide your child with safe and comfortable listening experience, whether at school or at home. Do you have the perfect pair of headphones for kids? Share them in the comments below!

 

Feature image adapted from image courtesy of Flickr, ArdalShah.

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