Discover the best kids headphones that offer the perfect combination of Bluetooth wireless technology and Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). These headphones provide a seamless and immersive audio experience while effectively reducing external distractions, making them ideal for children’s music, videos, gaming, and more.
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Headphones are a common gadget nowadays. From listening to music and podcasts to playing games and voice chatting with your friends and families, headphones provide an easy and efficient way for kids and teens to enjoy their music while traveling or trying to escape boredom.
Before buying a headphone for your kid, parents need to understand certain things and choose a headset according to their children’s needs. Headphones differ in usage; some headphones are excellent for listening to music, such as Puro Sound Labs BT2200 and Beats Solo3 – and some headphones are better for traveling, such as PuroQuiet, due to their Active noise canceling technology.
For gaming and general use, we recommend JLab JBuddies Play and Belkin SoundForm for kids and teens, which are expensive headphones with great and volume-limiting features.
Volume limiting is a crucial feature to consider when buying headphones for your kids and tweens. Giving unregulated loudness headphones to your kids can lead to permanent hearing damage after prolonged use. That’s why we don’t recommend parents give their children access to old headphones, which can result in hearing loss. Kids can use these unregulated loud-level headphones for short, supervised usage, but parents must carefully watch their young children so they don’t use them for long hours at a higher volume.
To remove this uncertainty and ambiguity, we recommend parents buy a decent pair of volume-limiting headphones for their kids from the below recommended list – which was thoroughly tested by our Tech head Editor Parvinder Singh and Parental Daily Tech members.
Parvinder singh advises parents to buy ANC headphones such as PuroQuiet, which is Our top pick in this article. He says that ANC plays a crucial role in suppressing external disturbances like engine noise, plane noise, or subway hum, providing children with a more immersive and focused audio experience.
ANC eliminates the need to increase the audio volume when you can’t hear the music during external disturbances, thus keeping your children’s ears safe without compromising the sound quality.
With proper testing, guidelines, and looking at children’s needs, the Six best headphones for kids, Tweens, and Teens in 2023 are below. You should also read best iPhone for Kids, see the best apple watch for kids, recommended phone for kids, top kids cameras for photography, or consider one of these best smartwatches for kids.
- Best Kids Headphones for Music and Videos: Puro Sound Labs BT2200
- Best noise-cancelling kids headphones for travel: Puro Sound Labs PuroQuiet
- Best Kids Headphones For Teens: Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones
- Best Ear Protection Headphones For Kids: Vanderfields Kids Ear Protection Earmuffs
- Best kids headphones for gaming: JLab JBuddies Play
- Best Kids Headphones For School: Belkin SoundForm Mini Kids Wireless Headphones
1. Best Kids Headphones for Music and Videos
Puro Sound Labs BT2200
The BT2200s from Puro offers studio grade audio quality so that your kids can listen to music with a clear and crisp vocals and full dynamic bass. These wireles provide 30ft bluetooth range, 20 hours of battery life and also offer volume limiter to protect young children eardrums from higher volumes.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $99.
Why Do We Recommend It?
Our best pick is Puro Sound Labs BT2200, especially for kids who love listening to music, videos, or podcasts. Our head tech Editor Parvinder singh, highly rates this Bluetooth wireless headphone from Puro due to its exceptional sound quality and volume-limiting feature, which protects young children’s ears from loud sound, also called noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).
A significant concern for most parents is the prolonged effect of high-volume music coming from headphones or speakers, which could cause a temporary or permanent impact on a kid’s hearing. Puro Sound Labs headphones come within a range of noise levels between 85dB and 95dB max volume for children and adults. You can choose the 85dB limit headphones for your children’s safety; listening. This limit is also the maximum safe limit recommended by WHO, OSHA, etc.
Recommended Age
The Puro Sound Labs BT2200 is suitable for children aged 2 and above. Its adjustable headband and comfortable ear cups make it adaptable to different head sizes, providing a secure and snug fit for young children as they grow.
Features
- Volume Limiting: The BT2200 headphones incorporate volume-limiting technology, preventing the volume from exceeding 85dB. This ensures that children can enjoy their favorite music or videos without risking damage to their hearing.
- Bluetooth Wireless and Wired Modes: The headphones offer both Bluetooth wireless connectivity and a wired option, providing flexibility for different situations. Kids can easily connect to their devices wirelessly or use the included audio cable when Bluetooth is not available.
- Ambient Noise Isolation: The Puro Sound Labs BT2200 features advanced ambient noise isolation, which reduces background noise, allowing kids to focus on their audio content without distractions.
- Durability and Comfort: These headphones are constructed with high-quality materials, making them durable enough to withstand the rough handling of children. The soft and plush ear cups ensure comfort, even during extended listening sessions.
Pricing
The Puro Sound Labs BT2200 headphones are priced competitively in the market, considering their outstanding features and commitment to hearing safety. They are available at a reasonable price range, making them an excellent investment for parents who prioritize their children’s audio experience and health.
What We Don’t Like?
While the Puro Sound Labs BT2200 offers numerous benefits, it’s essential to consider a few drawbacks. One aspect some users may find limiting is the absence of active noise cancellation. Although the ambient noise isolation feature is effective, it does not provide complete noise cancellation in loud environments. Sound and Noise Testing by Team Members and Tech Head Journalist – Parvinder Singh:
To ensure the accuracy of our recommendation, our team members conducted extensive sound and noise testing on the Puro Sound Labs BT2200 headphones. We evaluated the sound quality, clarity, and bass response to ensure an immersive audio experience for children. The headphones delivered well-balanced sound across various music genres, providing an enjoyable listening experience.
Additionally, we tested the noise isolation capabilities of the headphones in different environments. The ambient noise isolation feature effectively blocked background noise, allowing kids to focus on their audio content without disruptions.
Parvinder Singh, a renowned tech head journalist, also tested the Puro Sound Labs BT2200 headphones independently. His analysis aligned with our findings, further reinforcing our recommendation.
2. Best Noise-Cancelling Kids Headphones for Travel
Puro Sound Labs PuroQuiet
This headphone is an excellent choice for travel and extended trips, whether on a short train ride home on a long international family trip. The noise cancellation feature and excellent build quality fit any child’s needs perfectly.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $139.
Why Do We Recommend It?
We have tested a dozen headphone pairs for children to find out which headphones provide the best noise cancellation at an affordable price- balancing sound quality and decent battery life while enabling noise cancellation feature.
We wanted to ensure that the quality of the d, mid, and lows, and battery life are not affected when using noise cancellation, as is the case with most budget headphones.
We are happy to recommend you this headphone to kids as the audio quality. And battery life is decent enough for long listening hours – sure, the noise cancellation is not as good as industry premium headphones like Bose QuietComfort or Sony’s WH-1000. Still, PuroQuiet’s does a decent job at the mere price of $139.
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PuroQuiet is quite similar in the sense with its counterpart BT2200 and shares many of its features, including excellent Audio quality, durable material, access to controls, and syncing music with multiple Puro headphones so that multiple children can share their music at the same time.
We have 3 Puro headphones; Two BT2200s and One is PuroQuiet. We have tested their pairing feature and found that it works like a charm.
From easy controls to Active noise cancellation to 22 hours of battery backup with ANC and a one-year warranty, PuroQuiet headphones are our top choice for noise-canceling headphones for kids. Another main difference between BT2200s and PuroQuiet is that the latter comes with Active noise cancellation, adding $40 to the price markup.
We recommend parents buy a good ANC headphone like PuroQuiet for their kids, especially when they travel on planes where noise levels can reach 105 dB, higher than the recommended 85dB limit, and where basic headphones cannot sustain the outside disturbance. Headphones without ANC cannot cope with external disturbances like engine noise, plane noise or subway hum. Therefore children have to increase the volume of the headphones so that they can hear their music or videos, which may cause hear damage at higher volumes after regular usage.
To eradicate this problem of environmental disturbances, we recommend PuroQuiet ANC headphones for kids when they travel on a plane or in subways for long trips to remain unhindered from any outside nuisances.
Recommended Age
The PuroQuiet headphones are suitable for children aged four and above. The adjustable headband and soft ear cushions ensure a comfortable fit for different head sizes, allowing kids to enjoy their travel experience without discomfort.
Features
- Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): The PuroQuiet headphones feature active noise cancellation technology, which uses built-in microphones to detect and neutralize external sounds. This enables children to enjoy their audio content without being disturbed by background noise, making them ideal for travel environments.
- Volume Limiting: Just like other Puro Sound Labs headphones, the PuroQuiet model includes volume-limiting technology to protect children’s hearing. The maximum volume is set at 85dB, ensuring a safe listening experience even in noisy environments.
- Bluetooth Wireless and Wired Modes: The PuroQuiet headphones offer both Bluetooth wireless connectivity and a wired option, providing flexibility for various travel situations. Kids can connect wirelessly to their devices or use the included audio cable when Bluetooth is not available.
- Long Battery Life: The headphones boast an impressive battery life of up to 22 hours with ANC activated, ensuring uninterrupted entertainment during long journeys. The headphones can be easily recharged via USB.
Pricing
The Puro Sound Labs PuroQuiet headphones are competitively priced considering the advanced noise-canceling technology and child-friendly features. While they may be slightly higher in price than regular kids headphones, the added noise-cancellation feature and overall quality make them worth the investment for travel purposes.
Advantages for Travel
The PuroQuiet headphones offer several benefits for travel:
- Noise Isolation: The active noise cancellation technology significantly reduces background noise, making them perfect for airplane cabins, trains, or other noisy environments encountered during travel.
- Peaceful Experience: By blocking out external sounds, the PuroQuiet headphones create a calm and peaceful audio environment for children, allowing them to relax and enjoy their favorite music, movies, or audiobooks during travel.
- Comfort and Portability: With their lightweight and foldable design, the PuroQuiet headphones are easy to carry and store in a backpack or travel bag. The soft ear cushions ensure comfort, even during extended periods of use.
- Hearing Protection: The volume-limiting feature and adherence to safe listening levels protect children’s hearing, even when exposed to loud ambient noise during travel.
3. Best Kids Headphones for Teens
Why Do We Recommend It?
Beats headphones have always been a trend for school or college-goers. When I was in college studying Computer science, my friends and I always wanted to own a pair of beats solo or beatBeat’s classic headphones due to their popularity and premium bass-rich sound, Says Parvinder Singh.
Our tech reviewing editor, Parvinder Singh, and team members choose Solo3 wireless headphones as the best for teens due to their impressive audio quality, stylish design, and long battery life. Beats Solo3 are known for their heavy bass sound, primarily targeted towards teenagers who like to listen to energetic music genres like Rap, Rock, and Pop.
Features
- Impressive Battery Life: With a battery life of up to 40 hours, the Beats Solo3 headphones offer extended listening sessions without frequent recharging. This feature is handy for teenagers who engage in long commutes, study sessions, or travel.
- Quick Charge: With Fast Fuel, 5 minutes of charging gives you 3 hours of playback when the battery is low.
- On-Ear Controls and Built-in Microphone: The headphones feature convenient on-ear controls that allow teens to adjust volume, change tracks, and take calls without reaching for their devices. The built-in microphone enables clear voice communication during phone calls or virtual meetings.
- Stylish Design: The Beats Solo3 headphones boast a sleek and modern design that appeals to the teenage demographic. Available in various colors, they allow teens to express their style while enjoying high-quality audio.
4. Best kids headphones for gaming
Why Do We Recommend It?
JLab JBuddies Play features an intelligent retractable mic that is necessary for kids who like to play games or chat with their friends. We really like the build quality of this headset, made of durable material and its color combination, which looks smooth and classy. Kids can retract their mic when they want to talk to their friends, which really helps with voice quality and reduces and background distortion.
The sound quality of this headset cannot be compared to Puro BT2200, but it is still decent, especially since it costs $49, half of the price of Puro’s headphones. We also tested and measured its volume limiting feature by playing pink noise (to test the phase and polarity of headphones ); it did return ranges between 83dB and 84dB, which are safer recommended ranges for hearing.
Moreover, 22 hours of battery life is impressive and is more than enough for 4-5 days if you have created some house rules for teenagers or using screen time limits to limit your kid’s screen time so that they can focus on learning new things including reading books, riding electric scooters or hoverboards, playing outside with toys and friends or doing another fun art activity.
Features
- Hearing Protection: We have tested the volume-limiting feature of this headphone. It ensures that kids’ hearing is safeguarded (Below 85dB is considered to be a safe range by WHO) during gaming sessions. This feature is highly recommended in any headset which is used by kids and tweens, preventing potential long-term damage caused by prolonged exposure to high volumes.
- Immersive Sound Experience: The JBuddies Play headphones provide clear and balanced sound, allowing kids to fully immerse themselves in the gaming world and enjoy the audio details of their favorite games.
- Wired Connection for Minimal Latency: The wired connectivity of the headphones eliminates potential audio lag or synchronization issues, providing a seamless and responsive audio experience crucial in gaming.
5. Best Kids Headphones For School
Belkin SoundForm Mini Kids Wireless Headphones
With a max listening volume of 85dB, built-in microphone, 10m Bluetooth range, -30-hour battery life, and simple touch controls for volume – this headphone are our top pick for online and in-classroom learning.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $35.
We really like the build quality and finish of this headphone. From a decent built-in microphone and safe listening volume to the 30-hour battery backup and soft adjustable headband, this headphone is great for long kids who want to listen to podcasts or want to access their study material online.
The adjustable headband and soft padding on ear caps are comfortable enough that your child can wear them for at least a couple of hours of regular usage. Our review team recommends it for general use, like surfing on the web, watching or streaming Netflix or youtube videos, or listening to podcasts – but not recommended for music lovers, as it lacks sound quality, highs, lows, and mids, which are crucial for music when compared to other headphones on this list.
Overall an excellent headphone for general listening, browsing, and school work.
How we tested Headphones with GRAS 43AG and GRAS 45CC, Ear and Cheek Simulators
All the aforementioned headphones were tested and reviewed by our Tech head, Parvinder Singh in conjunction with the other Parentaldaily tech authors. We used professional equipment to accurately measure frequency response, distortion, isolation, and leakage.
In our testing, we’ve used top-of-the-line multipurpose ear and cheek simulators, including GRAS 43AG and GRAS 45CC, which can thoroughly test frequency response, distortion, isolation, and leakage. These tools can be used to test both circumaural and supra-aural headphones.
GRAS 43AG and GRAS 45CC are highly trusted cheek and ear simulators in the music industry and are highly recommended by sound engineers for testing headphones, earphones, and speakers. They also come in handy for active-noise-cancellation testing and frequency response measurements.
To ensure precise calibration, we used the Reed SC-05 calibrator to calibrate the level of the GRAS 43AG. This step is essential for accurate and consistent measurements across different headphones.
For the A-weighted pink noise and Leq (equivalent continuous sound level) measurements, we connected the GRAS 43AG to an M-Audio Mobile Pre USB interface and a laptop computer running Room EQ Wizard software. This software, known for its use in acoustic measurements and analysis, allowed us to apply a diffuse-field calibration curve to account for the simulated earlobe and ear canal characteristics in the GRAS 43AG.
The decision to use this testing equipment and methodology was driven by the need to ensure that our measurements were comparable to the 85 dBA free-air measurement used by hearing researchers to determine safe environmental sound levels. Sound reaching the eardrum and the measurement microphone in the GRAS 43AG is influenced by the earlobe and ear canal, both in real ears and in the simulated setup. By simulating these elements accurately, we aimed to obtain measurements that reflect real-world listening scenarios.
Our team members conducted various measurements and tests using this equipment and methodology to evaluate different aspects of the headphones’ performance, including frequency response, sound quality, noise cancellation, and other relevant parameters.
By employing professional testing equipment and following standardized calibration procedures, we aimed to provide comprehensive and trustworthy information about the performance of the headphones mentioned in the article.
Parvinder singh, technology head, conducted independent testing on the headphones mentioned in the article. He used the same testing equipment and methodology described earlier to evaluate the headphones’ performance in terms of sound quality, comfort, durability, and other relevant factors.
Parvinder Singh’s extensive experience and expertise in the field of technology and audio equipment testing provided valuable insights into the performance of the headphones. His independent evaluation adds credibility and reinforces the accuracy of our recommendations.
Parvinder Singh assessed the headphones’ sound reproduction, frequency response, noise cancellation, connectivity, and overall user experience throughout the testing process. His analysis aligned with our findings, further reinforcing our recommendation of the headphones for their specific target audience.
By incorporating the expertise of Parvinder Singh, we aimed to provide a well-rounded and unbiased assessment of the headphones’ performance. This collaboration ensured that our article offers reliable information to readers seeking the best options for kids’ headphones in various categories, including gaming, travel, and more.
Parvinder Singh is a seasoned IT developer and network engineer with over 5 years of experience. He is also a skilled tech columnist, offering insights on the latest trends and developments in the tech industry.