The 4 Best Kids' Headphones

Our Picks of Kid's Headphones

Best Overall Headphones for Kids

EarFun K2 Kids

Volume Limiting	Yes
Connectivity	Bluetooth
Style	Over-ear
Foldable	Yes

The EarFun K2 Kids headphones don't leave much to complain about. They are Bluetooth-capable, pair easily, come in ten colors, and include cords for charging and listening. These headphones adjust easily, have the right amount of tension to sit comfortably without shifting, and still avoid causing headaches or discomfort. The muffs are nicely padded and sit over the ears, which minimizes any potential for pressure points during long wear. Our kid testers said, “I think they are the most comfortable and easiest to use.” We definitely noticed they stayed in place better on wiggly kids than some of the competition, and the lack of cord meant no snagging and dropping headphones while playing or walking. When turned on, a pleasant voice tells the user that the headphones are on, and when they are connected via Bluetooth, which they do automatically after the first pairing. These kids' headphones also do a decent job at blocking ambient noise, which means little ones can hear the sound better at lower volumes, potentially protecting their hearing. Lastly, we really appreciated the two-volume limit options — 84dB for study, and 95dB for travel, so that no matter where you are, your child's ears are protected.

This pair is very affordable, but most of the negative reviews were related to them breaking easily. We didn't have any issues with functionality or breaking during our testing, but if you have a younger child or one who is hard on gear, it may be worth considering a higher-priced, more durable choice. Our twelve-year-old tester mentioned, “It seems like they could break where they fold if you stepped on them — you can see the wires.” If you don't need Bluetooth and want a basic and budget-friendly pair, the Sony ZX Series is a good choice with better sound than many competitors. Overall, we believe the EarFun K2s are the best in the group, hands down. They are the pair we'd recommend to a friend.

Best Budget Headphones

Sony ZX Series

Volume Limiting	No
Connectivity	Wired
Style	On-ear
Foldable	Yes

The Sony ZX Series is a surprisingly inexpensive, high-quality headphone with the features and sound most kids want. We like the padded earmuffs, the tilting earpieces for comfort, and the foldable design for compact travel in a backpack. This pair is easy to use, straightforward, and offers impressive sound. Our kid testers liked the plug-and-go simplicity, and parents appreciated the brand name recognition for quality and durability. One kid tester reported, “I feel like this pair just feels better, like it isn't going to break.”

These are not kid-centric headphones and, as such, lack the features some children want, like lights, bright colors, or other fun design details. Since they aren't specifically designed for kids, they also don't have volume limitations, so as a parent, you'll need to monitor this yourself. If you are looking for an affordable option that has volume limitation, we recommend the EarFun K2 Kids, which are only a few dollars more and connect via Bluetooth. Overall, we think parents will love the quality for the price of the Sony headphones, and kids will enjoy the comfortable fit and true and clear sound.

Best For Sound Quality

JBL JR 460NC

Volume Limiting	Yes
Connectivity	Bluetooth
Style	Over-ear
Foldable	Yes, earphones swivel in to lay flat and fold into headband

The JBL JR 460NC headphones are unparalleled in their sound quality. In typical JBL fashion, the bass does not disappoint. Somehow, they've managed to limit the volume to 85dB while maintaining crystal clear sound at both high and low levels and providing a surround sound experience. When the ANC button is pushed (a cute smiley face button), the sound seems to get a bit louder, and even better, if possible. As our young tester said, “I really like the JBLs for music. You can really hear the bass.” We also like the overall design. Although they don't come in a multitude of colors, they are gender neutral with cute features like musical notes for size indicators. The muffs are also nicely padded and rotate for a custom fit. These headphones are definitely one of the pricier options, but the sound quality is on par with the price. We bent, folded, and otherwise manhandled these headphones, and they took the abuse like a champ.

Although these headphones feel very durable, the fabric covering the ear muffs feels thin and potentially easy to rip. It's not something we encountered during testing, but it has potential. The muffs also aren't quite as snug as we would have liked. On larger heads, the ear muff spread creates more flatness at the top of the headphones, making them slightly less comfortable than some other options. “I feel like these are pressing a bit at the top of my head,” mentioned one of our older testers. If you're slightly less concerned about overall sound quality, the Altec Lansing MZX4500, JLab JBuddies Pro Wireless, and EarFun K2 headphones all have above-average sound and exceptional comfort. Overall, however, the JBL headphones weren't uncomfortable, and if sound quality is your primary concern, these can't be beat.

Best Travel-Friendly Headphones

JLab JBuddies Pro Wireless

Volume Limiting	Yes
Connectivity	Bluetooth
Style	Over-ear
Foldable	Yes

The JLab JBuddies Pro Wireless headphones were in a tight race with the Altec Lansing MZX4500 for Best for Travel, but they ultimately won out for a couple of reasons. We really loved that there's a secret button for parents to adjust the volume limit from 85dB to 95dB during airplane travel. Sometimes, volume limitations on headphones mean that they're not loud enough to be heard over the hum of an airplane's engines, but this button allows parents to adjust volume and do so without kids knowing. These headphones also come with a 'shareport' option, which is a fun idea that allows two kids to hear the same content and is potentially a great option for sitting on an airplane or during a car ride. They fold relatively small and have user-friendly buttons. When turned on and paired, you hear a soothing, female voice telling you when you're connected and your battery level. Although the sound quality isn't as high as some competitors, they do provide a good tonal range. We appreciated the unique, ear-shaped earmuffs, which were very comfortable and snug. One tween tester commented, “Wow, these are comfortable,” immediately after putting them on. The snug ear shape keeps sound contained instead of allowing everyone in the car to listen in.

Although comfortable, the JLab JBuddies' snugness means they could feel a bit tight for older users or those with larger heads. A couple of testers largely avoided them because they weren't drawn to their 'look.' "These are actually really comfortable," one tester mentioned, “I just don't like the color.” If your child isn't into the color of the JLab headphones, the Altec Lansing option comes in 11 different colors. Finally, the sound quality is good, but not the best, and your five-year-old probably won't notice the difference. There wasn't a lot of differentiation in quality between the bass and treble sounds, but the sound was clear and never abrasive or blown out.

How We Tested

We considered over 30 potential headphones for kids before choosing 10 for testing. While we appreciate the desire for excellent sound and even noise cancellation for adult headphones, our expectations were somewhat lower for a product that may be lost, broken, or even stolen in a child's busy world. We picked options that keep prices lower and offer features that benefit children, like volume limitations. We considered quality, sound, comfort, durability, and features when testing headphones. Our kid testers wore every pair for multiple days and with different gadgets, listening to school, music, games, and shows. We received feedback on comfort, sound, and features, and you can trust kids to tell the truth when the stakes are getting better gear.

Why Trust GearLab

Our kids' headphones review is led by Senior Review Editor, Wendy Schmitz. Wendy is a mother of two boys and has been testing gear for babies and children at BabygearLab since 2014. Wendy selected the top headphone contenders for this review. Her children and their friends helped test the products and provided feedback that influenced the award-winner selection and product ranking. We rigorously studied each product hands-on to give you the details you need to find the right pair of headphones for your child and your goals. Wendy and her family continued to use many of the products in this review for up to 3 years or longer to provide ongoing information in updates of this review. Katie Brown contributed to the most recent update of headphones. Her daughter, friends, nephew, and niece all tested and provided feedback on headphones. As a mother, she uses her eclectic and diverse life experience to test various products with GearLab.

Analysis and Test Results

We purchased and tested kids' headphones to find the best of the best and the most appealing to kids. We conducted side-by-side testing with children of different ages to determine which pairs offer the best sound, quality, features, and comfort.

What's the Best Value?

Price and performance are two key factors when making any purchase, and this is especially true for a product like headphones. Good-quality sound that isn't going to damage your child's sensitive ears is of the utmost importance. The junction where this quality meets cost is a key component for deciding what to buy.

The EarFun K2 Kids, JLab JBuddies Pro, and Altec Lansing MZX4500 headphones are high-quality options with volume-limiting and exceptional sound, all at an affordable price. If you're on a budget and can get away with a wired headphone, the Sony ZX Series also performed well.

Sound Quality

Listening to headphones can be a joy or a practice of patience, depending on the quality of the speakers' sound and volume capabilities.

While most adults might revel in a great pair of headphones with excellent soundstage and a perfect blend of highs, mids, and lows, most children just want to hear their favorite tunes without buzz, static, hum, or vocals so quiet you can't understand them. It is unlikely that most children need (or would appreciate) the world's best headphones (especially those prone to losing, forgetting, or mishandling things). While children may not be able to quantify sound quality, they can definitely tell you when headphones sound funny, robotic, scratchy, fuzzy, or quiet, as our young testers did.

The best headphones for sound, hands down, are the JBL JR 460NC. The JBL speakers offer clear, crisp sound and a variety of volumes with no static or robotic blips. The bass is strong and clear, while higher tones avoid being piercing or blown out. The headphones give the listener a surround-sound feel, making it easy to become absorbed by the music. Our kid testers gave high praise for using this pair while listening to music, movies, and even gaming.

Runners up include the EarFun K2 headphones. The sound was equally good for multiple listening uses, from podcasts to game time. The headphones automatically connected via Bluetooth and stayed connected several rooms and a flight of stairs away, making them great for music while on the move. The Altec Lansing MZX4500 also offers good sound quality. They had an even range of tones, strong differentiation between bass and mid-range tones, and a nice stereo sound, especially when the ANC was turned on. The JLab JBuddies have less tonal range, but sound good enough at all volume levels with no fuzz or static at higher volumes.

The worst of the group were the Noot Kids Headphones. They lacked tonal quality and “break up” or become fuzzy at higher volumes. The Belkin SoundForm Minis were also unimpressive and emitted a piercing noise when turned on, off, or during pairing that made nearly every child pull them immediately off.

The Puro Sound Labs had good sound quality, but the bass wasn't very pronounced, leaving those who prefer thumpy bass wishing for more. We think little eardrums can benefit from the Puro's quieter overall sound, but it could be frustrating in loud spaces to miss movie dialogue or a favorite track, as background noise can override the speakers.

The Importance of Volume Limitation

There are several reasons why volume-limited headphones are important for little ones. Often, loud machinery or huge concerts come to mind when we think of hearing loss, but the truth is, day-to-day exposure to loud noises can lead to hearing loss sooner in life than we think. Children aren't thinking about how loud a movie is; they're just happy it drowns out an annoying sibling sitting next to them, chewing loudly. As parents, knowing that the device dictates sound levels, and not your child, gives peace of mind and eliminates the need to constantly nag about turning the volume down. It is widely recognized that 85dB is the maximum level of sound to prevent hearing damage, and even then, this should be limited in length.

Comfort

Kids aren't shy about giving their opinions, especially if they are negative and have anything to do with comfort. Much like the dreaded seatbelt or even the scratchy tag in a t-shirt, our testers were more than happy to relay which headphones they would wear for hours (and some for years) and which they'd never wear again.

Some of the headphones were okay at first, but grew more uncomfortable over time. Some were immediately banned for discomfort, and others made the cut immediately and seemed to meld into the tester's heads, never to be parted except for regular bathing. In general, over-ear headphones are more comfortable than on-ear headphones, as these tend to cause pressure points on sensitive young ears over extended hours. The headphones that were classified as over-ear were the Puro, Skullcandy, JBL, JLab, EarFun, and Altec Lansing headphones.

Many testers felt the EarFun K2 headphones were the most comfortable as the ear padding is significant, the space is large enough to hold the entire ear, and the headphones are adjustable for head size. This option has a good shape that adjusts well for different-sized heads. The JLab JBuddies were also very comfortable, with their unique ear-shaped ear muffs and lightweight design that adjusts without any clicking noises, like some competitors. Our younger testers also enjoyed the Altec Lansing MZX4500, although older testers thought they were slightly less comfortable. Although listed as over-ear, the muffs are smaller than other options, which can feel more like on-ear for older kids.

All of these options did a great job of gripping the head without pressure and staying on even when running or tilting the head upside down. The lack of a cord also makes them even more comfortable to use and a great choice for kids who have trouble sitting still. Some testers felt the comfort level diminished around the 5-hour mark for most of the headphones, but there is an argument that 5 hours of headphone time is probably a bad idea for kids. The basic Sony set is comfortable and keeps even persnickety children happy, but it does have a cord that limits movement. It doesn't squeeze the head, offers just enough adjustment for various head sizes, and has ear muffs that rotate to fit your head instead of putting undue pressure on the ears.

Headphones lacking in the comfort department include the Belkin SoundForm Minis, which were too tight for our testers, creating a vise-like experience no one found cozy. Since they were also on-ear, the tight fit led to significant pressure points and discomfort. The Noot headphones were average initially, but proved to be uncomfortable for longer wear, again due to their on-ear design. The Skullcandy Grom headphones also got no love for comfort. The adjustable, Velcro headband tended to get caught in hair, and the swiveling ear muffs were too loose, meaning that a quick movement or an arm brushing by the ear could easily knock them off a squirmy kid's head. Corded versions were also deemed less comfortable, requiring significantly more management to keep them organized and untangled from little bodies.

Ease of Use

Ease of use is an important consideration when purchasing a pair of headphones for your child. Kids love to do things by themselves, so being able to understand the headphones and all the buttons is an important factor. We definitely found some headphones to be more intuitive than others.

Obviously, corded headphones are some of the easiest to use, since you simply plug them into your device. Most don't have any buttons; instead, everything is controlled via the device. These included the Sony ZX and Noot. The Skullcandy Grom, although corded, did have a volume dial on the headphones themselves. The dial was at first intriguing, but we found it to have the pesky issue of somehow activating Siri on an iPod or iPhone when the dial was turned. Our testers found the dial, in general, not to work well and avoided these headphones for the most part.

On the Bluetooth side, some were easier for kids to navigate independently than others. Modern kids are so accustomed to technology that even our younger testers (5-6 years old) seemed to know they needed to pair the headphones. The EarFun and JLab headphones scored high in this department. It was also helpful that after the power button was pushed, a speaking voice told users that the headphones were on, the power level, and if they were currently pairing. These options also paired automatically, and the play/pause/skip buttons were easy for kiddos to figure out. The Puro headphones were another that scored high in the ease of use category. Personally, we liked that the on/off was a switch rather than a press-and-hold button. It made it easy to tell if the headphones were on or off, since sometimes determining how long to hold a press-and-hold button can be tricky. The Puro headphones also had a speaking voice once turned on.

At the bottom of the ease-of-use barrel were the Belkin Soundform Minis. These don't seem to automatically pair, so they have to be manually paired each time they are turned on. In addition, when the power is turned on or when they are pairing, they emit a piercing, high-pitched noise every time. Everyone preferred the soothing speaking voices of the other options.

How to Pick the Best Pair of Kids' Headphones

Unlike headphones for adults, we think you can be a little more forgiving when it comes to kids' headphones. This means worrying less about sound quality and more about comfort, durability, and a design your child will like.

Features

Features matter when it comes to products for kids, and headphones are no exception. We think some considerations should be volume limitations to protect your child's hearing. Longer cords or Bluetooth might be important because kids are on the move and often benefit from these features. Comfort padding or an adjustable headband can ensure longer use instead of the on/off repetition that occurs when discomfort occurs. Consider your child and their needs when determining which features are most important.

Budget

We don't think you should spend a lot on kids' headphones. Even children who are careful with their things will become complacent with their headphones. They will accidentally be dropped, tossed, stepped on, sat on, slept on, and shoved under a heavy book in a backpack. So, while you want a durable, higher-quality option, you don't want to break the bank on headphones that might only last a year.

Conclusion

Many parents and caregivers appreciate that a good pair of kids' headphones can bring a little peace to their home or car, even if only motivated to avoid hearing “Baby Shark” again (aren't we all tired of this?). Headphones are great for long car trips, homeschooling, or online gaming. Fortunately, finding a great pair doesn't need to be a guessing game or surpass your budget. In our tests of the top headphones, we found great products in all price ranges to please even the pickiest little one. Depending on your goals, we believe there is a great pair for you and your child in this review.