1. The quick list
2. Our top pick
3. Best for travel
4. Best for fun
5. Best unique design
6. Best for comfort
7. Best colour choice
8. Most durable
9. Best budget option
10. Best for toddlers
11. Buying advice
he best kids' headphones will not only make your little ones happy – enabling them to play Baby Shark and all those other naff tunes in privacy – they'll make your life a lot quieter too. But what are the best headphones for children today? In this article, I've picked out a selection of wired and wireless headphones that should be on your shortlist.
All of the headphones in this list caught my attention for one reason or another, whether it was their great sound quality, their ability to protect little ears from damage or their extensive battery life. What's more, all of these headphones look cool as a cucumber – and, let's face it, that's what the kids really want.
So let's take a look at the best children's headphones available today. Your kids' musical journey starts right here.
Steve is a home entertainment technology specialist who contributes to a variety of UK websites and mags, including Louder, Yahoo UK, Trusted Reviews, T3, The Luxe Review and Home Cinema Choice. Steve began his career as a music journo, writing for legendary rock weekly Sounds, under the nom de plume Steve Keaton. His coverage of post-punk music was cited in the 2015 British Library exhibition Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination, as a seminal influence on the Goth music scene.
The quick list
Our top pick goes to these Bluetooth headphones from JBL. Like all the headphones in our list, they have a volume cap (85dB) and sound the business. They're easy for little rockers to use, are lightweight and have a 30-hour battery life.
With two volume cap levels and available in a variety of colour variations, the Gorsun Premium A66 wired headphones come highly recommended. They fold away, are lightweight and comfortable too - and they feature audio sharing.
While these eye-catching headphones have awesome LED light strips on each earcup, don't dismiss them as nothing more than a gimmick. They have 40mm drivers for top sound, three volume limit settings and excellent battery life.
I'm pretty sure your little rockers will love POGS. Not only do these colourful wired headphones have SafeSound enabled, they sound cracking and are robust. Best of all, they can be customised with a range of POGS Doodas to make them unique.
For comfort, sound and a brilliant price, you can't go far wrong with this set of kids' headphones from Philips. They have a volume limiter, snazzy design and somehow manage to feature noise-cancelling ear cushions!
The Snug Play+ headphones have been made for 3-8 year-olds, with each pair featuring a sharing port so several Snug Plays can be connected together. They come in a wide range of colours and designs, are foldable, and have 40mm drivers.
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The BuddyPhones Play headphones are a robust bit of kit that can stand up to everyday wear and tear. They can be customised, have three volume control levels and there's a built-in mic for family chat. Battery life clocks in at 14-hours.
The JBuddies Studio headphones are a steal at this price, and while they're not wireless, we really can't complain. They have an audio limit of 85dB, are padded, fold away and are lightweight. A great option if you're on a budget.
Here's a nice option for kids aged between 2-7 years old from the team at Kidrox. Their headphones sound decent for the price and a perfect for using with a tablet. There are three colour designs, each with their own cartoon tiger motif.
Our top headphone pick
These great looking Bluetooth over-ear headphones come with a serious Hi-Fi pedigree, but still manage to look child-friendly in their bold range of colour combinations. Comfort is the name of the game here, with padded ear cups and a soft headband.
Reassuringly, there’s a volume cap of 85dB, so even if the little one is just beginning their hard rock education with AC/DC, Kiss, or Metallica, there’s zero fear of sonic overload.
The cups have chunky, easy to use control buttons, while inside lurk 32mm dynamic drivers. The JR310BT are light (115g) and foldable, so can easily pop into a school bag, and have a generous 30 hours of battery life.
There's also a built-in volume control for the built-in microphone – and for a touch of individuality, the JBL Jr310BT come with reusable stickers.
Best for travel
The Gorsun Premium A66 are a cracking pair of headphones for young music fans - and perfect for holidays as they’re robust, comfortable, lightweight and fold away easily. There’s no need to worry about a jumble of wires either when they’re removed from a messy bag, as they feature a tangle-free nylon cord.
Sound quality from these headphones is great and the volume cap has two settings: 85dB and 94dB which gives parents a bit of flexibility when it comes to listening levels. The Gorsun Premium A66 also have sharing functionality so two headphones can be joined through a port on the headphones - no splitter required.
The icing on the cake is the fact that these headphones also come in a wide range of colour variations - and they're incredibly budget friendly.
Best for fun
These budget kids headphones don’t just have an indefatigable battery, they come with LED lights on each ear cup. These lights flash, pump and strobe but only when the headphones are being used in wired mode – that’s to prevent a drain on the battery during Bluetooth operation.
Unusually, they feature large 40mm drivers, better for bass, and volume sensitivity is variable. It can be set between 74dB, 85dB and 94dB. The levels are set via a key combination to prevent accidental adjustment.
The ear pads are nicely cushioned, while the adjustable headband should ensure long term comfort.
The iClever boasts a class leading 40 hour playtime, with a fast recharge. Bluetooth is the highly efficient v5.0 flavour, which goes some way to explaining this longevity. 10 minutes will get you four hours in the bank, just the thing when you’re in a mad rush. There’s also a built-in microphone for online education and chit chatting.
Best unique design
POGS have a good name when it comes to their audio gear and children will love these colourful wired headphones. They come with a one-metre QuickSafe cable and are SafeSound enabled which limits audio output to a maximum of 85 db. They can be bended, twisted and thrown about thanks to their robust design and it’s also possible to connect multiple POGS together with the included POGLink cable - perfect for kids to enjoy music together. The come in four different colours: blue, green, pink and yellow - and POGS Doodas can be added to customise their look.
Best for comfort
We’re all aware of the Philips name when it comes to electronics, so it’s great to see the Dutch firm tuning their attention to the children’s headphones market with the neat SHK2000.
The first thing you’ll notice about these wired headphones is the price which is an absolute bargain when it comes to grabbing one of the best kids’ headphones around. Like most headphones designed for little ones, the Philips SHK2000 have a volume limiter, with sound capped at 85 dB. These headphones are also very comfortable for wee rockers to wear and are ergonomically adjustable. Not only that, but the Philips SHK2000 have noise-cancelling ear cushions and the sound doesn’t disappoint.
Best colour choice
The Snug Play+ headphones deserve a place in our list to the best kids’ headphones thanks to their top price, performance and range of design variations. Volume limits are present and correct while every pair features a sharing port, so multiple Snug Play+ can be connected so music or audio books can be shared. They’re designed for the 3-8-year-old age range and are soft and comfortable, foldable, and boast 40mm drivers for a sweet audio performance. As mentioned, the Snug Play+ come in a huge variety of colours and designs: from sci-fi and beach designs to cartoon animals, robots and monster trucks.
Most durable headphones
Available in pink, blue or green, the BuddyPhones Play are Bluetooth wireless on-ears for the youngest of rockers. They are volume limited and use hypoallergenic materials as part of their durable design. They also come with a bunch of decals, so kids can customise them for fun.
There’s a choice of four volume modes: 75dB Toddler Mode, 85dB Kid Mode, 94dB Travel Mode and StudyMode. The latter isn’t for music, it uses DSP to enhance the clarity of spoken audio content, which could help with online lessons.
A BuddyCable system allows children to listen together, and there’s a built-in mic for family chat or homeschooling. Battery Life isn't quite as good as BuddyPhones' competitors though, and comes in at 14 hours fully charged.
Best budget option
The JBuddies Studio headphones are the cheapest headphones in our roundup, because they’re wired rather than wireless – although there are wireless versions available. They feature an inline control for easy control of tracks or calls, and adopt the 85dB limit for safe listening.
Design is pretty good. Available in blue or violet, the ear cups and headband are nicely padded for comfortable listening, and weigh just 200g; they also fold down for easy stowing.
If wireless isn’t a prerequisite, or you simply need a pair of inexpensive headphones to plug into a tablet, they’re more than up to the job.
Best for toddlers
The on-ear, wired Kidrox toddler headphones are aimed specifically at children ages between 2-7 year old and come in three colour combinations: Black, turquoise and orange, with each featuring their own cartoon tiger face design. They’re really a no-frills headphone option which we’re fine with considering their low price. Like all our options, the Kidrox headphones have a volume limiter of 85dB and the flat-wire design means there’s no annoying tangles. Sure, the sound isn’t out of this world, but if you’re looking for a pair of headphones for safe use on a tablet with a headphone jack, these are a decent option.
Buying advice
What is volume limiting?
When it comes to spec, the first thing to check when buying kids headphones is that they have a volume limiter. The World Health Organization’ recommends an 85dB-limited volume range for young listeners, advice echoed by both the Hearing Health foundation and the US OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administrator).
While most of our featured kid’s headphones brick wall at an ear-friendly 85dB, a few have higher 94dB limiters. This louder mode is effectively for use when travelling, when the headphones need to compete with a higher level of ambient noise (trains, planes and automobiles).
These volume restrictions are there for a good reason, to prevent damage to young lugholes, so pay them heed.
What else makes a great pair of kid's headphones?
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But that doesn’t mean pre-school headphones are dumbed down. Bluetooth is standard on all but the cheapest children’s headphones, and in many cases battery life matches or even exceeds what you’ll find on grown-up cans (as Active Noise Cancelling isn’t a thing in the classroom).
If your infant has an appetite for destruction, it might be best to swerve the more expensive Bluetooth models for now, and go for something cheaper and wired. We’ve got you covered there too.
And if you have two kids, look for headphones that offer a buddy pairing mode, so the sprats can listen to Spongebob together.
If your child does any form of video homeschooling, spends time FaceTiming friends or relatives or is an avid gamer, you’ll want headphones with a built-in microphone too.
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