One thing you can look forward to if you have children is that at some point they are going to ask you to buy them some headphones to use with their computers, games and music players. No big shock there. After all, headphones commonly offer a better experience when used with assorted entertainment and learning media. Because the request is unavoidable, here are some tips for moms and dads about what to consider when you shop.
Proper fit is definitely the first thing to take into consideration.Headphones that are made for adults are made for their full-sized heads, and will not only not fit correctly on children, they will not provide a complete spectrum of sound to them. Don’t rationalize buying a larger size by believing that the child will eventually grow into them. In reality, the constant repositioning and adjusting will most likely result in a shorter useful life due to breakage. To assist with this, a number of headphones created for children come with flexible head straps, which makes it simpler to get a good initial fit, and to change that fit as children grow up.
Sound Limiting Technology is the most important feature to shop for. By nature, kids will use the highest volume settings to completely immerse themselves in the music. As adults, we recognize that this is a really terrible idea which could contribute to future hearing loss. Shopping for headphones which have a volume limits built in – in the range of 80 to 85 decibels – is the most effective way to counteract this tendency. This suggestion is more crucial if you are buying “ear buds” which are worn not over the ears but rather inserted into the ears.
Durability is the next consideration in choosing headphones for kids. Kids, especially those on the younger side, can be rough on delicate products, so you should not buy headphones that can’t take a little unintended mistreatment. Parenting magazines or consumer guides that provide product comparisons are a good place to find information about headphone durability. Sometimes you will need to give up a small amount of durability to find a lighter weight product. Some headphones are simply too heavy for kids’ heads regardless of how many other good qualities they have.
No matter which model of children’s headphones you decide upon, do them a favor and set limits as to how frequently they are able to use them. Keep in mind noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is triggered by both the volume and duration of the exposure. Despite having the Sound Limiting Technology, too many hours wearing headphones may cause hearing damage.