Children’s headphones have small-sized ear cups, tailored to children’s smaller ears. Most are colorful, with the cheerful appearance appealing to children. But there is something else important for parents: the headphones must protect your child’s hearing. That is why children’s headphones are limited to a maximum of 85 decibels according to European rules, to prevent hearing damage. Which brands can you choose from? These are our recommendations for children up to about 8 years old.
Which children’s headphones?
When choosing headphones for children, you can pay attention to the following:
- Volume limiter: All children’s headphones have a volume limiter of a maximum of 85 decibels, so you don’t have to pay attention to that. This reduces the risk of hearing damage for your child.
- Wireless or cable: Wireless headphones provide more freedom of movement, but are often also slightly more expensive. If the child sits quietly in the back seat, a cable is fine.
- Connection: If you choose headphones with a 3.5mm audio jack, recent iPhones and iPads are usually not suitable for this. You are better off with a USB-C connection, but there are not that many available yet.
- Bluetooth multipoint: If you choose wireless headphones, it is useful to choose a model with multipoint support, so that your headphones or earbuds can be connected to more than one device at the same time.
- Ambient noise: Choose noise-canceling headphones if you want your child to be able to completely isolate themselves and focus on homework. The disadvantage is that you can no longer communicate well with your child and the child may feel isolated. Headphones without noise cancellation are a better idea and are also a lot cheaper.
- Ear cushion type: Choose on-ear or over-ear. With the first type, the cushions sit on the ear cup and you stay more in touch with your surroundings. With over-ear, the ears are completely shielded, but this can also cause sweating more quickly.
In fact, all earplugs and headphones are of course suitable for children, including the Beats Flex with neck cord (so less chance of losing). However, they do not have the mandatory volume limit for children and may be a bit too big and heavy. And heavy AirPods Max on a toddler’s head won’t be very comfortable.
The last iPhone with a headphone jack was the iPhone 6s from 2015. For the iPads, this is the iPad 2021. All MacBooks still have a headphone jack. The only exception is the 12-inch MacBook which was discontinued in 2019.
Belkin SoundForm Mini
Connection: Bluetooth + cable
Belkin has been selling the SoundForm Mini, intended for children, for a long time. You can choose from the traditional colors pink and blue, but those who prefer to remain gender neutral can also choose black or white. It also looks a lot more mature. The headphones are available with USB-C or micro-USB and have a battery life of 28 to 30 hours with non-stop use.
To protect children’s hearing, the audio is limited to 85 decibels. You also get a 3.5mm AUX cable for a wired connection and a microphone for video calls, for example. To make it even more fun, you will receive stickers to personalize. These headphones are also sold under the name Rockstar, which is why you see this name in the price comparator below.
JBL Junior 320BT children’s headphones (and predecessor)
Connection: Bluetooth or cable
The latest, cheap children’s headphones from JBL are the Junior 320 in blue or purple. These headphones have a built-in volume limiter that reduces the risk of hearing damage. Connect the headphones to a tablet and let your child make video calls with friends and family thanks to the built-in microphone. You can fold these headphones compactly, making them easy to carry. Furthermore, these headphones have extra large buttons, which are easy to use even for small hands.
There are two variants, including a wireless model with Bluetooth that lasts 50 hours. There is also a cheaper version with cable. The Bluetooth model is the only one that allows you to set all kinds of extra things. With the JBL Headphones app, parents can set the maximum volume and daily listening time and receive a daily or weekly overview of the child’s listening habits.
The predecessor JR310 in cheerful blue with red dates from 2020 and is also for sale, in both a wired and a Bluetooth version.
JBL Junior 470NC children’s headphones (and predecessor)
JBL also recently announced the Junior 470NC. It has all kinds of functions so that children can enjoy music and other audio without endangering their hearing. The volume limit of 85 dB is also present here, in combination with large buttons and bright colors. The biggest difference is that this model is equipped with noise canceling, so that children can completely block out the sound of a humming car, bus or airplane engine.
Parents can arrange even more via the JBL Safe Sound app. For example, you can set a maximum volume and a time limit, which provides you with a personal notification that the time is up. In the app you can also see how long the child has listened per day or week. Based on this you can set a new listening limit. The Junior 470NC is equipped with active noise cancellation and lasts 50 hours on a full battery. Thanks to multipoint support, you can connect to multiple devices at the same time. You can optionally connect a cable (included) for times when the battery is empty and you want to connect via the cable. The Junior 470NC has a suggested retail price of 79.99 euros.
JVC Tinyphones
The Japanese brand JVC offers two models, with the colors pink and blue also predominant. The packaging says ‘Tinyphones’, which also makes it clear that the size of the earcups are a lot smaller than those for adults.
The JVC HA-KD7 with cable is an on-ear headphone and is available in four colors, including pink, blue, yellow and red. They obviously have a limited volume, but there are no buttons to control the music. As usual, the headphones come with stickers so you can decorate the earcups nicely.
Another option is the JVC HA-KD10W with Bluetooth, which only comes in pink. This can be used wirelessly, so there is no cable in the way. You can also make hands-free calls with it, thanks to the built-in microphone. These headphones last 16 hours on a full battery charge, so that’s not really long. Here too you will receive stickers to decorate. You have to arrange a charger yourself, because JVC does not supply one.
Philips children’s headphones
If you are looking for something from Philips, you could consider the Philips SHK2000 with cable, available in pink/purple or blue. These wired headphones have 32mm neodymium drivers and an ergonomic design. The adjustable headband makes it comfortable to wear, even as the child’s head grows. The narrow headband is lightweight and the soft ear cushions provide good sound insulation. You can get one for less than twenty euros.
Another option is the Philips TAK4206PK with Bluetooth. This is a wireless headset, specially designed for children. It is equipped with cheerfully colored lighting on the eartips: red, green, blue or a combination of the three colors. The headphones are easy to operate via the buttons and can also be set by parents in the special Philips Headphones app. Here you determine the volume limitations yourself, automatically lower the volume and provide a warning when your child has reached a time limit. The maximum volume of the headphones is 85 dB.
Cheap children’s headphones
There are countless cheaper children’s headphones from lesser-known brands:
- View at Amazon: including EarFun, iClever and (un)known brands
- View at Bol.com: including Philips Sound, PowerLocus, WISEQ and unbranded
- View at Coolblue: including JBL and JVC
If you’re looking for headphones for adults, check out these roundups:
- The best noise canceling headphones for quiet work, without distractions
- Wireless headphones for your iPhone and iPad
- Beats headphones and earphones
- AirPods Max alternatives: are you better off with Bose or Sony?
See also
