Whether to listen to music, videos or audio books; When using the tablet, mobile or television, special headphones for children are a better option to borrow from you, or to use those provided by airplanes or trains.
And this is mainly for two reasons: first, they are designed for small heads, so they will not fall or slide out of place, and second (and most importantly), adult headphones have a higher volume than children’s.
In fact, adult headphones output 115 dB, and experts warn that children could experience hearing loss as a result of listening to music at this volume for just 15 minutes a day.
By contrast, headphones designed for children feature a volume reducer up to a maximum of 85 decibels, the maximum noise level recommended by hearing health organizations. What’s more, even children’s headphones that don’t have this restriction don’t sound as loud as those of adults.
That said, if you choose a pair that does not have this restriction, you must warn the child not to turn the device on at maximum volume for their own good.
Advantages of children having their own headphones
Why is it important that children have headphones for them? It is mainly a matter of comfort for parents. If we do not want to have to listen to the music you are listening to, or the video you are watching, it is best to put on headphones.
No adult wants to have to listen to SpongeBob for more than 10 minutes, or to the action games that teens love. And in the meantime, we can do other tasks without interruption.
If you are in the living room watching television, but your child wants to be by your side watching a video or playing with the portable console, the most practical thing is to put on headphones so as not to disturb anyone.
This also applies when you leave home. There are many places where you cannot be listening to music or videos without using headphones, such as public transport, the doctor, the library, the city hall, etc.
Another good reason to invest in children’s headphones is for long-distance travel. Whether it is by car, by plane or train, if the child is watching a movie with her headphones, it will be a great rest for all the travelers around.
Yes, free headphones are provided for all travelers on the plane and on the train, but the problem with these devices is that they are not designed for the heads or ears of children, and they easily fall and fall, especially in children who are not usually still.
With the specific headphones for children you will be sure that they will not move or disturb the little one.
How to choose good headphones for your children?
When choosing a good pair of headphones for our little ones, we must take into account several essential characteristics that should not be missing.
The comfort is essential in these devices (both for children and for adults). They do not have to squeeze their heads, but to fit firmly but without bothering them. Ideally, you should have a headband that can be adjusted to fit your circumference, which will certainly change over time.
The Comfort also has to be seen in the ear, whether they are a headset over, around or inside the ear. If they are button type, it would be nice if they had hooks so that they do not fall out of the ear, and if they are over the ear, the filling has to be breathable and soft, so that the ear is not cooked.
This is also influenced by the weight of the device. If it’s too heavy, they won’t want to put it on. Wireless headphones usually weigh more than wired headphones, since they have more technology and more parts incorporated.
As in any product, design is also important, since helmets for a 4-year-old are not the same as for a 12 year old.
You also have to consider the length of the cable or if you want cable or a wireless option. In the case that a wireless model is preferred, you must choose which transmission system is preferred (Bluetooth, RF, etc.).
As we have already seen, headphones are going to save us from having to listen to what the child is seeing or hearing, so it would be a good idea to buy headphones with external noise cancellation, so that neither noise comes from outside, nor the sound go out.
And of course, the sound quality must be at least decent. A child will not be as demanding with the bass and treble, but he will know how to differentiate whether he hears well or badly.
The most interesting feature in children’s helmets is, as we have said, the volume regulation. We start from the advantage that the maximum volume is less than that of adults, even so, it may be too much for some children.
This can be arranged if you have volume control, or if you can set a maximum volume that the child cannot change at will.
Other additional features, such as the microphone, are not essential, since the child will not receive any calls, nor will they have to speak to anyone.
You also have to take into account the budget. Luckily, most of the special models for children have a very good price. For € 20 or less you can find very good devices. There is always the option of more expensive helmets, but it is not necessary to spend too much, as they will be used occasionally.
Whichever headset you buy, remember that the maximum usage time should be limited to two hours a day.
Dangers of using headphones
Compared to DJ headsets and hifi speakers, the earbuds seem harmless. But what really matters are if the sound makes the eardrum vibrate, since it can break it.
In fact, most headphones can produce sound that is well above accepted safety limits.
The headphones do not sound at as loud a volume as the speakers, even when the sound level at the ear drum is the same. This is because the brain is deluded into thinking that the sound from the loudspeaker is external, and that of the inner earpiece.
Unlike speakers, children can be listening to very high volumes with headphones without anyone noticing. This is a danger, because they can expose their ears to excessive sound without even realizing it themselves.
For example, an iPod Nano at maximum volume, using standard headphones, produces a sound level of 96 dB with popular music, a much higher figure than is allowed in the workplace.
So should we limit the use of children’s headphones? Noise-induced hearing loss can be caused by two types of noise:
- Sudden, like the noise of firearms and fireworks.
- Continuous exposure to loud noises, which can damage the ears over time. Continuous loud noise can be motorized recreational vehicles, extreme sporting events, power tools, and amplified music.
Although the maximum volume limit can be adjusted on many headphones and MP3 players, the feature may be disabled by your child.
Listening to music with headphones at 60% of its volume for an hour is safe at a specific time, but continued noise exposure, as well as its duration, can lead to an onset of hearing loss.
Hence the concern of using headphones in children, since they are used frequently and the sound goes directly to the ear. But choosing a suitable earphone, with the features we mentioned above, can prevent this hearing damage.
Teach children to care for their headphones
Here, having children have their own accessories can be a good way to teach them to take care of their things. This makes them more responsible and they learn to see the consequences of misuse.
If you have left the device in a place that is not yours, and someone sits on it and breaks it, it can serve as a lesson for the next time, and to take care of all your things.
In teaching children to take care of their things, the most important thing is the example we give them. If they see us take care of things, they will do it alone.
It is best to have a place to put the headphones, so they always know where to put them and where to find them the next time they want to use them. You also have to keep them clean.
They can be cleaned by wiping them with a dry cloth, and if they have a lot of dirt, they can be moistened with a non-aggressive multipurpose cleaner so that they do not fade or damage the material.
