As you age, you are more likely to expertise some listening to loss both due to fast bursts of loud sound or sustained publicity to audio at excessive volumes. It ought to come as no shock that headphones and earphones are sometimes accountable. As of late, children begin utilizing headphones at an early age, and the danger of listening to harm additionally applies to them. In order for you your children to maintain their listening to pristine for so long as attainable, it’s good to be sure that they pay attention at cheap volumes. PCMag’s audio analysts have independently tested dozens of youngsters’ headphones, so you may belief that we all know what to search for: primarily, quantity limiting. Our present Editors’ Selection, the EarFun K2 Children, affords that characteristic at an inexpensive worth. Take a look at all our high picks beneath—every earns its spot for good purpose. And be sure you scroll previous the listing for some useful steering.
Deeper Dive: Our High Examined Picks
- Reasonably priced
- Spectacular bass
- Snug earpads and headband
- The 94dB listening mode is simply too loud and too simple to entry
- Weak mic sign
The EarFun K2 Children headphones look slightly extra grown-up than most others we take a look at on this class and sound higher too due to their commendable bass response. They provide two quantity limiting modes (85dB and 94dB), sport an over-ear design that helps passively scale back surrounding noise, last as long as 40 hours per cost, and use up-to-date Bluetooth requirements. Better of all, they value lower than $30.
For youths who care about sound high quality, the K2 Children headphones affords the AAC codec for better-than-basic streaming constancy on Apple units. Dad and mom on a strict finances must also just like the inexpensive worth.
Sort
Circumaural (over-ear)
Connection Sort
Bluetooth, Stereo 3.5mm, USB-C
Be taught Extra
- Reasonably priced
- High quality audio efficiency with wealthy bass depth
- Can be utilized with out or with out wires
- Stable battery life
- Quantity limiter change makes it attainable to lift ranges
- Construct high quality feels a bit low-cost
The JLab JBuddies Professional Wi-fi get 35 hours of battery life and ship a surprisingly wealthy bass response at secure volumes. In addition they disguise their quantity limiter change behind the material of the correct earcup, a slight deterrent to your child rising the amount restrict from 85 to 95dB. Construct high quality is not top-notch, however they nonetheless really feel comfy.
These are an excellent worth for youths preferring an over-ear design and oldsters who don’t desire to spend so much. They’re simple to journey with too, due to their collapsible, exceptionally light-weight design.
Sort
Circumaural (over-ear)
Connection Sort
Bluetooth, Stereo 3.5mm, USB-C
Be taught Extra
- Comparatively inexpensive
- Customizable with stickers
- Included audio cable permits for wired playback
- 94dB quantity mode is simply too loud for youths
- Helps simply the SBC Bluetooth codec
The Onanoff BuddyPhone Pop Enjoyable do not compete with different fashions on sound high quality, however they earn a spot on this listing due to their customizable design. They ship with color-matched stickers your child can apply to the earcups and you’ll preview which of them include every colour variation before you purchase. As for quantity limiting, they provide 85db and 94dB listening modes.
These budget-friendly headphones ought to enchantment to children who need to change how their headphones look each occasionally; it is attainable to take away the stickers with out leaving a lot residue no less than as soon as.
Sort
Supra-aural (on-ear)
Connection Sort
Bluetooth, Stereo 3.5mm, USB-C
Be taught Extra
- Reasonably priced
- Deep bass and sculpted highs
- 85dB max quantity in regular use
- Cool design
- Adjustable headband strap
- Quantity limiter is straightforward to bypass
The Skullcandy Grom Wi-fi headphones look loads cooler than most youngsters’ headphones we have examined and have an adjustable interior canvas headband strap that accommodates quite a lot of head configurations and dimensions. The on-ear controls work reliably, too, and we just like the neat audio sharing characteristic that works by way of the correct earcup’s 3.5mm enter. Lastly, they match surprisingly deep bass with sculpted highs for a principally balanced audio response.
In case your child is delicate to how headphones match or look, this set from Skullcandy ought to resolve each points. They again up their slick design with high quality audio and as much as 45 hours of battery life.
Sort
Circumaural (over-ear)
Connection Sort
Stereo 3.5mm, Bluetooth, USB-C
Be taught Extra
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The Greatest Children’ Headphones for 2025
Examine Specs
Shopping for Information: The Greatest Children’ Headphones for 2025
Why Are Wi-fi Headphones Higher for Children?
First, keep away from headphones that do not provide quantity limiting, it doesn’t matter what colourful patterns or widespread characters are on the scarf. This can be a requirement to make our listing because of the listening to issues that steady loud listening could cause.
Onanoff BuddyPhone Pop Enjoyable (Credit score: Tim Gideon)
Not each mannequin limits quantity in the identical manner, however our most easy recommendation is to go along with Bluetooth headphones. They provide extra management, whereas wired headphones partially depend on the interior amplifier of the related laptop, cellphone, or pill. Within the latter case, the marketed quantity restrict is extra seemingly a objective quite than a very correct specification. Some primarily wi-fi fashions ship with audio cables for wired listening that may unlock larger quantity ranges, however you do not have to make use of them.
After all, you may at all times institute a quantity restrict immediately in your kid’s cell gadget. Usually, you may even password-protect these settings so your little one cannot change them again. We extremely suggest this step for the wired fashions. Remember that most volume-monitoring apps, just like the Well being app on iOS units, merely measure the cellphone’s quantity output, not the output of the headphones themselves. In different phrases, you may max out the amount on an iPhone and get warnings that the degrees are too loud regardless of the headphones limiting the degrees on their finish. Since there are a number of variables at play right here, we nonetheless suggest conserving the cellphone’s quantity shy of the utmost ranges.
4 methods you are utilizing your headphones completely mistaken — Clarification Please
In any other case, Bluetooth headphones are simpler to take round than wired fashions as a result of they do not require a cable. And practically all of the units your child makes use of have some kind of Bluetooth help, that means you do not have to fret a lot about compatibility. Some headphones help newer variations of Bluetooth or provide higher-quality codecs than others.
The one benefit wired fashions have is that you do not have to fret about charging them. That mentioned, most up-to-date headphones we have examined can final upward of 20 hours per cost. To make charging simpler, be sure that to get a product with a USB-C port.
A lot of the child-friendly fashions we take a look at have an on-ear or over-ear design since in-ear fashions aren’t widespread with children. We wish to see some earphones on this house finally, as completely different listeners have completely different consolation preferences. For reference, over-ear fashions (circumaural) have a tendency to suit extra securely and passively block out extra surrounding noise than their on-ear counterparts (supra-aural).
Why Ought to Quantity Max Out at 85dB for Children’ Headphones?
A quantity stage of 85dB is an efficient benchmark as a result of it is secure to take heed to audio at that stage for so long as eight hours repeatedly, per The Nationwide Institute for Occupational Security and Well being (NIOSH).
Ostensibly, children can take heed to headphones at louder ranges for shorter intervals. Many fashions embody a 94dB mode, for instance, that may compensate for airplane cabin rumble or freeway noise on a automobile journey. Make sure your child takes a break after about an hour since that is the NIOSH-recommended cutoff. Though we are able to perceive why these high-volume modes exist, we do not like how simple some are to activate (normally, they’re only a simultaneous button press or dial flip away). Why go away their discovery as much as likelihood or create alternatives for youths to determine the best way to pay attention at larger volumes? They won’t but totally perceive the results of extended publicity to loud sound, in spite of everything.
Really helpful by Our Editors
Skullcandy Grom Wi-fi (Credit score: Tim Gideon)
How A lot Ought to You Spend on Children’ Headphones?
Lastly, worth is one other main issue to contemplate. Most dad and mom seemingly do not need to drop $100 on headphones for themselves, a lot much less their children, usually in concern that these headphones will not final lengthy. Your child may shortly outgrow a mannequin with infantile stickers or animal ears, for instance, or out of the blue want one thing with a greater mic array for digital lessons. The excellent news is that there are many choices for below $50.
It is value noting that some headphones and earphones for adults use apps that can help you institute quantity limits, too. These choices are solely acceptable for older, extra accountable children since they value extra and won’t get up as properly to tough dealing with. Most children’ headphones lack an app and thus do not can help you regulate the sound with an EQ or in any other case customise the expertise.
When you select the correct children’ headphones, take a look at our recommendations on taking care of them and using them the right way.