Best kids' headphones: Our pick of the best wired and wireless headphones for mini music fans (2024)

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.

The quick list

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 else makes a great pair of kid's headphones?

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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