Whether it’s for long car journeys, chill time at home or to keep the peace during meals out, tablets and games consoles are a way of life for most families, but if you don’t want to be driven up the wall by endless YouTube chatter or the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack on repeat, you need a pair of the best kids’ headphones to hand.
Kids’ headphones are designed specifically with children (and their sensitive ears) in mind, so the most important consideration when choosing a pair of headphones for your child is safety. Young ears need protecting, which is why the best headphones for kids typically have a volume limit of 85dB.
You’ll also want a pair of headphones that can withstand being chucked into bags or dropped by the side of the bed, unscathed. Designs that fold or come with travel cases are always a good choice, as are headphones with a decent battery life.
As a mum-of-two and a parenting writer, I’ve tried and tested many kids’ headphones over the years. Here, I’m bringing you reviews of models that are worth the spend, from wireless to wired and off-ear designs.
Read more: The best wireless earbuds, tried and tested
The best kids’ headphones for 2026 are:
- Best overall – MyFirst carebuds max: £34.90, Myfirst.tech
- Best budget buy – Groov-e kidz wireless headphones: £17.99, Groov-e.co.uk
- Best bone conduction pair – MyFirst headphones airwaves: £49, Myfirst.tech
- Best for younger kids – Fresh ‘N Rebel code junior: £24.99, Argos.co.uk
- Best for teenagers – Beats solo 4: £199, Amazon.co.uk
Read more: Best noise-cancelling headphones, tried and tested
MyFirst carebuds max
Rating: 5/5
Best: kids’ headphones overall
Type: Wireless and wired
Battery life: Up to 52 hours
Volume limit: 85dB and 94dB
Mic: Yes
Colourways: Cotton candy mix, blueberry pop, mist white
Why we love it
- Choice of ear pads
- Really comfortable
- Very fast charging
- Cute stickers for personalisation
- Smart transparency mode to keep kids aware of surroundings
Take note
- Can only be used wired with a type-C cable, not standard audio cable
These great value kids’ headphones were a clear favourite with my little testers, and they pack a lot of fantastic child-friendly features into the affordable price tag. They have all the essentials covered, like clear, crisp audio – which can be limited to either 85dB or 94dB (the latter for when you’re travelling and need to drown out loud background noise), and a very impressive battery life. They claim to offer up to 52 hours of playback; we’re up to around 40 and still haven’t had to recharge. I love that there’s a super-quick charging mode which provides around eight hours of playtime on a 10-minute charge – perfect for when you’re about to head off on a long car journey and realise the headphones are out of battery.
They’re easy to use, with chunky buttons my six-year-old tester had no problems navigating. She was a huge fan of the interchangeable ear cushions, with a choice of cooling, breathable covers for the summer and furry covers for the chillier months – although it’s the fluffy covers which are being used on repeat here, naturally. My little tester also loved the stickers that came with the headphones, and promptly set to work personalising them.
A lot of thought has gone into making these headphones the kind that will grow with your child. They are a good fit on both my six- and nine-year-old testers (even I can wear them comfortably), are lightweight, and fold up into a compact size, perfect for chucking in a bag for days out.
Buy now £34.9, Myfirst.tech
Groov-e kidz wireless headphones
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: budget kids’ headphones
Type: Wireless and wired
Battery life: Up to 20 hours
Volume limit: 85dB and 100dB
Mic: Yes
Colourways: Blue, pink
Why we love it
- Great value
- Padded headband
- Compact fold
- Removable audio cable included
Take note
- Sound level goes up to 100dB
For less than £20 I don’t think you can go wrong with these budget-friendly kids’ headphones. Offering both wireless and wired functionality, using the audio cable included, these Groov-e headphones are a versatile buy. They feature a built-in mic, perfect for catching up with friends or gaming, and fold up neatly for easy storage or carrying.
All of my testers gravitated to these headphones – I’ve been informed the padded headband and soft ear cushions are very comfy, and there were no complaints when my nine-year-old wore these for a long car journey. I really appreciate the volume limiter, so I could set these headphones to a max of 85dB, but it’s worth being aware these can go up to 100dB. Make sure you manually toggle the switch to set it at a suitable level for your child before you give them the headphones.
While the blue and pink colourways aren’t particularly exciting, the headphones perform really well, and I was pleasantly surprised at the clear audio at 85dB. They feel robust and durable, despite the low price tag, and I think they’re a great option for all ages.
Buy now £17.99, Groov-e.co.uk
Yoto wireless headphones
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: kids’ headphones for durability
Type: Wireless and wired
Battery life: Up to 20 hours
Volume limit: 75dB
Mic: No
Colourways: Orange
Why we love it
- Super comfy ear cushions
- Comes with travel bag
- ‘Daisy chain’ feature for sharing audio
Take note
- Only one choice of colour
Chosen as the top pick in IndyBest’s round-up of the best kids’ audio players, Yoto has screen-free entertainment sorted – and the brand’s own wireless headphones don’t disappoint. With a bright orange design, seriously squidgy ear cushions (my six- and nine-year-old testers love the feel of these) and offering a really flexible fit with a highly adjustable headband, they look and feel like a premium pair of headphones, while coming in at less than £35.
The volume is limited to 75dB, which is lower than most kids’ headphones, but this is no bad thing. The sound quality is great, and I didn’t hear any complaints from my testers about the volume level – although if you were using these on a plane or noisy train it may bother some children. If you’re using the headphones with a Yoto player, you can set headphone volume limits in the app, too.
Everything about these Yoto headphones feels high quality, from the braided audio cables to the cloth drawstring travel pouch. They’re the kinds of headphones that will be outgrown before you need to replace them. While the battery life isn’t as long as some others in our round-up, it still delivers a decent 20 hours on the wireless setting (the audio cable included is a perfect back-up in case the battery runs out). The audio cable can also be used to ‘daisy-chain’ two sets of headphones together, so siblings or friends can listen alongside each other.
Buy now £30.99, Yotoplay.com
Kibu wired headphones
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: sustainable headphones for kids
Type: Wired
Battery life: N/A
Volume limit: 85dB
Mic: No
Colourways: Forest green, midnight berry, butter popcorn, Arctic blue, desert peach, custom
Why we love it
- Encourages STEM skills
- Made from recycled and plant-based materials
- Replacement parts available
Take note
- Can’t fold down for travelling
This is such a cool concept – headphones your child can build themselves. Kibu kits include all the parts you need to make your own headphones, with a build time of around 10 minutes. These captured my nine-year-old’s imagination like nothing else – he loved following the video step-by-step instructions (which are so clear and well explained) and was able to build his headphones single-handedly in less than 10 minutes, apart from one tricky section where he needed my help to add the headband cushion. It’s such a clever idea and really does encourage STEM skills in the most fun and accessible way.
Parts are 3D printed from a recycled biomaterial that comes from plants such as corn, so no single-use plastic and no unnecessary waste. You can even buy replacement parts to fix your headphones rather than having to throw them away.
Volume is set at a kid-safe 85dB, and you can connect multiple devices together in a ‘daisy-chain’ to share audio. While the headphones are for wired use only, the crisp sound quality, cool, modular design, and the pride my mini tester felt in building them himself, made these Kibu designs one of our nine-year-old’s favourites. I love them too and think they would make an amazing gift for tricky-to-buy-for tweens.
Buy now £39, Kibu.family
Liewood Quinn wireless headphones
Rating: 4/5
Best: stylish kids’ headphones
Type: Wireless and wired
Battery life: Up to 12 hours
Volume limit: 85dB
Mic: Yes
Colourways: Peach/sea shell, peppermint mix
Why we love it
- Easy to use controls
- Includes audio cable
- Comfy, padded headband
Take note
- Shorter battery life than others tester
Trust Liewood to come up with a pair of kids’ headphones this beautiful. The Scandinavian kids’ brand is renowned for creating great looking products designed to last, and I think these Quinn headphones deliver on both accounts. My six-year-old was absolutely desperate to try these on from the moment we took them out of the box. Featuring a sweet peach design, these headphones really stand out in a sea of blue and pink models, but it was the plush padding that won me over instantly. Both the headband and ear cushions are generously padded, making these incredibly comfortable for extended wear.
I can’t fault the sound quality, which is clear despite being capped at 85dB to protect young ears. The large oval ear cups really hug the ears, blocking out a lot of ambient noise without feeling uncomfortable. The battery life isn’t the longest – offering around 12 hours playtime before needing to be recharged, but there is the option to use them with the audio cable if needed.
While the headband offers a decent range of adjustment, my youngest tester did find it a little stiff to extend at first. She really liked the controls though, which are built into the side of the ear cup and are very easy to navigate. The fact these fold up into a neat, compact size for portability gets my vote, too.
Buy now £43, Scandiborn.co.uk
MyFirst headphones airwaves
Rating: 3.5/5
Best: bone conduction kids’ headphones
Type: Wireless
Battery life: Up to 14 hours
Volume limit: 85dB
Mic: Yes
Colourways: Blue, pink
Why we love it
- Extremely lightweight and flexible
- Open-ear design helps kids stay aware of their surroundings
- Easy to use
Take note
- Fit isn’t adjustable
- You can sometimes hear what your child is listening to
Ever feel like you’ve lost your child the moment they turn on their screens? These bone conduction kids’ headphones are a great alternative to traditional closed ear headphones, so kids can hear the outside world as well as whatever else they’re listening to.
My nine-year-old had never tried anything like this before, but was immediately intrigued by the open ear design of these myFirst airwaves. They are super-bendy and flexible, while still feeling robust enough to deal with everyday manhandling by my tween. My main concern is that they are so small they could easily get lost, but so far so good.
These headphones were a breeze to set up, and with minimal buttons to contend with my tester had no problem figuring it all out himself. The volume is limited to 85dB and while he loved the clear audio, it was a little annoying that even at this low level I could still hear what he was listening too (manageable when it’s music, but unbearable when it’s constant YouTuber chatter). The plus side of all this is that children using these kinds of headphones maintain better awareness of their surroundings, which is ideal when walking to school.
While the headphones are flexible, the fit isn’t adjustable and I found these to be too big for my six-year-old, even though they are designed for small heads and children specifically. The battery life is relatively short (we got around nine hours), but the headphones were quick to fully charge – it took me around 90 minutes. I think they’re a good alternative for children who don’t like the feel of ear cushions or tend to overheat with them on.
Buy now £49, Myfirst.tech
Fresh ‘N Rebel code junior
Rating: 4/5
Best: headphones for younger kids
Type: Wireless and wired
Battery life: Up to 48 hours
Volume limit: 85dB
Mic: Yes
Colourways: Funny fox, cool candy, groovy galaxy
Why we love it
- Plush ear cushions
- Light-up lobster design on ear cups
- Chunky, easy to use controls
Take note
- Battery life significantly drops when in light-up mode
Sometimes on-ear headphones can swamp little kids, even when they’ve been designed for children specifically. If you’re shopping for a first pair of headphones for your child, I think the Fresh ‘N Rebel code junior headphones are a great pick. The soft vegan-leather ear cushions are the smallest out of all the headphones I tested, and they also feature a large R and L so your child will know the right way to put them on. Another big pull for little kids is the light-up lobster design on the ear cups – in fact, this was a hit with my older testers, too. The only downside of the cool flashing lobster is that using the headphones in light mode really did drain the battery almost twice as quickly. With the light function turned off, you can expect to get around 20 hours’ playtime.
Despite the small ear cups, we found the sound quality to be excellent and capped at 85dB. You can use these in wireless or wired modes, and there’s the option of linking with another pair of headphones via the ‘buddy beats’ cable.
My six-year-old tester loved the bright red and orange design (a nice change from pinks and blues), which could be folded up or rotated to wear comfortably around her neck. She also was a big fan of the sticker sheets included, for some added personalisation.
Buy now £24.99, Argos.co.uk
Beats solo 4
Rating: 5/5
Best: headphones for teenagers
Type: Wireless and wired
Battery life: Up to 50 hours
Volume limit: N/A
Mic: Yes
Colourways: Matt black, slate blue, cloud pink
Why we love it
- Quick charge gives up to five hours of playback
- Sleek design
- Excellent sound quality
- Includes carry case
Take note
- Expensive
- No volume limit
If you’re buying for a music-loving teen, typical kids’ headphones just aren’t going to cut it. These luxurious, high-spec Beats solo 4 headphones are a pricey but worthwhile investment if you want a pair of headphones that look cool, are built to last, and provide exceptional audio quality.
Everything from the unboxing experience to the lightweight, sleek design of the headphones is premium. I roped in a very willing 13-year-old tester to try these out and they cannot stop raving about them. He loved how simple it was to pair these with his iPhone (it’s equally straightforward with Android devices) and the matt black colourway really appealed.
The Beats solo 4 are a world away from the standard kids’ headphones – after all, these really are designed with adults in mind – even tracking head movements to give a truly immersive sound. There’s a crystal clear built-in microphone and my teen tester loved wearing these for gaming sessions online with his friends.
We were seriously impressed with the battery life – so far we’re at more than 40 hours playback with no recharging – and love that there’s a ‘fast fuel’ option, where a 10-minute charge can give you up to five hours of playback. This is a lifesaver for forgetful teens who need a super quick charge.
With a smooth sliding headband, it’s easy to get a secure fit even if your teen plans on wearing these for a workout. They also come with a stylish zip-up carry case, with pockets for your cables. Yes, the Beats solo 4 headphones are expensive, but these will see your child through the teenage years nicely. I can’t fault them.
Buy now £199, Amazon.co.uk
JLab Jbuddies studio
Rating: 3.5/5
Best: two-in-one kids’ headphones
Type: Wireless and wired
Battery life: Up to 24 hours
Volume limit: 85dB
Mic: Yes
Colourways: Grey/blue, grey/purple
Why we love it
- Pinch-free hinges
- Includes audio cable
- ‘Daisy chain’ feature for sharing audio
Take note
- Smaller ear cushions than some headphones
Working as both wireless and wired headphones, this great value pair of headphones from JLab are a good ‘all bases covered’ option, particularly if you don’t want to spend a lot of money.
With smaller ear cups and cushions than most of the others in our roundup – apart from the Fresh ‘N Rebel design – I think the JBuddies are better suited to younger children. While they fitted well on my six-year-old tester, I did feel that my nine-going-on-10-year-old tester had almost outgrown these. One thing they did agree on was the sound quality which got the thumbs up all round.
The smooth, sliding hinges are pinch-free, making them perfect for younger kids to adjust independently and the padded ear cushions were nice and squishy for comfort. I like that these can be used as wireless headphones or wired with the audio cable included, and that they have the option of linking with other headphones using the cable in share-mode.
Battery life is about average – we’re currently at around 22 hours of playback with no need to recharge as yet – but there’s always the option of using wired mode if needed. While these don’t look or feel quite as premium as some of the other, chunkier designs in our roundup, the sound quality is undeniable and the lightweight, foldable design is perfect for days out.
Buy now £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
Kidyears animal headphones
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: fun headphones for kids
Type: Wireless and wired
Battery life: 52 hours
Volume limit: 85mb
Mic: Yes
Colourways: Bear, lion, dino
Why we love it
- Fun detachable magnetic ears
- Clear audio
- Cool multicolour LED light-up ear pads
Take note
- Ears are attached by magnets so they may get lost
Kids’ headphones with detachable animal ears? What’s not to love? Unsurprisingly these were a favourite of my six-year-old, who loved the cute bear ears you can attach to the top of the headphones using the stitched-in magnetic strip. While my nine-year-old preferred to test these without the ears, he had to concede that the multicoloured LED lights in the ear cups were a pretty cool touch.
You’d be wrong to dismiss these as novelty headphones though. I was really impressed with the overall quality and the crisp audio throughout testing. The large oval ear cups were nicely cushioned and a great size for growing kids – in fact, I could see these lasting well into the teen years as the adjustable headband offers plenty of growing room too.
Battery life is stated at a lengthy 52 hours; we’re currently around 20 hours in with no issues, even though I was initially concerned the LED lights may drain the battery quickly like on the Fresh ‘N Rebel. They can be used in wireless or wired mode (with the audio cable included) and can be folded up for travelling. I feel that these headphones are robust enough to handle whatever kids throw their way – and they’re a great price too!
Buy now £31.99, Littleconcepts.co.uk
Your questions about kids’ headphones answered
What are the best kids’ headphones?
After hours of real-life testing, the myFirst carebuds max are my worthy winners. These kids’ headphones have an impressive battery life, are super comfy, offer great sound quality and are easy to use. My testers loved them.
If you’re on a budget, the Groov-e kidz wireless headphones are packed full of amazing features at a really affordable price. But, if money is no object and you’re buying for a teen, we can’t rate the Beats solo 4 headphones highly enough. Well worth the splurge for teenagers.
How I tested kids’ headphones
With the help of my mini testers aged six to 13, I put a range of kids’ headphones to the test over the course of a month. We tried a mix of wireless and wired headphones to listen to music and audiobooks, as well as for gaming and way too many hours on YouTube Kids, at home and during long car journeys, to work out which ones are really worth recommending. During testing we looked at the following criteria:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
The Independent’s dedicated shopping section, IndyBest is committed to providing unbiased reviews and expert advice. Our team of editors and writers have years of experience in testing products aimed at children and parents, trialling them in the same way as your family would use them in real life.
Sarah Dawson is a writer specialising in recommending the best parenting buys and products for kids, having tested everything from walkie talkies to kids’ bikes. To bring you her verdict on her top picks, Sarah recruits younger testers who put products through their paces during hands-on testing.
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