Here is a breakdown of how I approach the K-5 headphone question...
Things to consider:
Price
- don't want to spend a lot, the headphones are most likely getting heavy, less than gentle, use and they're living in the classroom, not a quiet spot at home
- don't want to spend too little, cheap headphones are exactly that, cheap. Liable to break more easily, requiring additional purchases, poor sound quality, bad fit, etc
- Spending too much is a waste waiting to happen, and spending too little is throwing good money after bad
- I think $20 is the maximum that should be spent on a pair of headphones that live at school. Int he $15-20 range there are quite a few high quality headphones that will be a much better investment that 5 pair of $5 ones.
- over-the-ear are the best, especially in K-3. And they're not a bad idea in 4th and 5th
- by 5th grade I feel a student can make their own headphone choice however, I would keep it to the same $20 limit or the traditional ear buds (the original Apple ones, not the Air Pods)
- in-ear/ear bud style aren't generally sized for children meaning they are a poor fit and don't always stay in place
- an in-line mic is an excellent option to have, it adds functionality and in school a mic is something we use quite frequently. Having it on the headphones makes everything more efficient and sound better
- a boom mic is not recommended as they are more susceptible to breaking
- headphones designed for kids can be simply small and colorful, or, more importantly, they can have a much more valuable feature; a decibel limiter
- a set of headphones with a decibel limiter means no matter how high the volume on the device is set, the headphones peak at a safe level to limit potentially ear damaging volume
- JLab JBuddies Studio
- review on Wirecutter
- JLab site
- microphone and decibel limiting
- LilGadgets Connect +
- $19.95
- review on NY Mag
- Amazon link
- microphone and decibel limiting
- JLab Audio J Buddies
- review on NY Mag
- Amazon link
- no microphone
- JLab Audio Neon
- $15.95
- Amazon Link
- microphone but no decibel limiting
- Ausdom
- $14.99 - $16.99 depending on color
- Amazon link
- Amazon Choice item
- microphone but no decibel limiting
I think I'll be also purchasing a pair of the JLab JBuddies Studio or LilGadgets Connect+ for home use as a way to test a variety of options.
So, there are 5 options to choose from. $20 isn't a small investment, however I do believe that an investment in one of those 5 will prove to be a more reliable and durable purchase than a pair or $5 headphones. Jumping from $5 to $20 gives more functionality, reliability and durability. And the ones that are decibel limiting and have a microphone on them are the most bang for the buck.
I hope that assists in your search for a pair of headphones for your child.
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