Best headphones for kids

Sometimes it's nice to let your child watch a video or play a game for a little while. Kids headphones are perfect for that. But which pair should you buy? We had the same question. We test kids headphones for safety, ease of use, and durability. You'll find our conclusions in this article.

Two types of kids headphones

You can buy wireless or wired kids headphones. Both types have their pros and cons. 

The best wireless kids headphones

These are the best wireless headphones for kids. We tested them for safety, controls, sound, and durability. We bought almost all the headphones ourselves. In some cases, we contact the manufacturer to ask for a pair to review. That makes no difference to our verdict. We always take a critical look and try to share our findings with you in a clear, engaging way.

Number 2 (wireless) 
JBL JR310BT

2 colors (red & pink) | 85bd maximum volume: safe | disappointing buttons

• Price: 44.95

The JBL Junior 310 Bluetooth (JBL JR310BT) headphones are most comparable to the POGS, but the overall experience falls slightly short. Sound and Bluetooth connectivity are about the same. 

The stickers are a lot of fun, though. Your child can cover the headphones in all sorts of stickers, making them easy to recognize. Handy if you're buying two pairs for siblings!

The buttons are a little disappointing. They should be designed for parents too, but they aren't. Sometimes you just want to pause the audio. Instead, you have to hunt for the pause button right when you need it. At that point, taking the headphones off is often easier.

All in all, a good pair of kids headphones!

Buy JBL JR310BT kids headphones

Number 3 (wireless)
Flash Kids Headphone

Fun design | available in 3 colors | handy sharing system | safe | good battery life

• Price: €59

• The POGS Headphones for kids are very safe because they have a volume limit.
• A handy sharing system lets several children use a connecting cable to listen to the same song or watch the same video.
• A really fun design!
• Good battery life: 12 hours of use

Here are the final ratings from our in-depth POGS headphones review. 

• See the full review

Buy POGS headphones

The best wired kids headphones

These are the best wired headphones for kids. We tested them for safety, controls, sound, and durability. Wired headphones are much cheaper. 

Number 1 (wired)
POGS kids headphones

Available in 2 colors | fun stickers | safe | comfortable

• Price: €24

• 85db volume limit.
• Well priced!
• A fun extra: stickers included.
• Red for a boy and pink for a girl

The JBL Jr310 are good kids headphones at a very attractive price. And you still get headphones from a leading brand. JBL adds to the fun by including stickers, so your child can really personalize their headphones. How fun is that? A good idea can be that simple.   

Buy JBL kids headphones

Number 2 (wired) 
POGS Headphones for kids

• Price: 38.95

 Fun design | good sound | sturdy build

• Fun design
• Safe (85db maximum)
• A little pricier, but also a little sturdier

• See the full review

Buy POGS headphones

Number 3 (wired)
JVC HA-KD7

Fun design | various colors | safe | fun stickers

• Price: 19.99

The JVC HA-KD7 are a nice, affordable wired option. These kids headphones are available in several colors. 

The sides of the headphones are flat, giving you space to stick on the included stickers. Kids love being allowed to cover their headphones in stickers, unlike most grown-up things.

Here are some of the stickers included with the JVC:

Buy JVC HA-KD7

What to look for in kids headphones

When buying kids headphones, you look for very different features than you would when buying headphones for adults.

First of all, safety is essential. Loud music can damage a child's hearing. That's the last thing you want when buying headphones. Quite the opposite: you want your child to use these headphones instead of yours, so you can be sure the music or audio isn't too loud. 

Kids headphones also need to take a few knocks. Their materials and design need to stand up to rough handling. You might tell a child petting a dog, "Gently. Be nice to the dog." But you don't want to keep saying, "Gently. Be nice to the headphones." Kids headphones should be an everyday item that doesn't break easily. 

Manufacturers need to put some thought into the controls too. Will your child control the earbuds? Or would it also help if you, as a parent, could easily find the controls? This point made its way into our review after we tested several pairs of kids headphones. A little spoiler alert: it really helps if you can easily find the controls (buttons) on your child's headphones. More on that later. 

Of course, sound quality needs to be good. Children tend to be less picky about sound quality and probably won't complain about missing midrange frequencies in their headphones' sound. Still, here at Eardopes, we think you should get decent sound for the price you usually pay. 

Oh, and we almost forgot the last requirement. These aren't just any headphones. They're headphones for kids! So they need to look fun and appealing to children. We'll definitely judge them on that too. Can you buy extra accessories for the headphones? That's a plus in our book. Are they available in nice colors? That's another plus. 

In short, we look at everything. By the end of this article, you'll know exactly which headphones to buy for your child. 

View kids headphones

View kids headphones at Coolblue

Others also viewed:

• Browse all our articles about wireless earbuds
• These are the best earbuds under €50
• These are the earbuds with the best microphone
  
• Also check out our article about alternatives to AirPods
• See the top 3 earbuds for running