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When you have kids, sooner or later they are going to ask you to purchase them headphones to use with their music players, computers, and gaming systems. And there are reasons for this, because headphones can enhance the experience of these multimedia, but there are certain characteristics you should look for when you shop.

Good fit is definitely the first thing to look for.Children’s heads are smaller, so headphones intended for adults will not fit them properly, and might not provide the complete range of sound to them. Kids might also wind up damaging headphones that are too big for their heads by repeatedly repositioning or adjusting them. Many kid’s headphones come with flexible headbands that make the initial fitting easier, and which permit refitting as the child grows.

The most crucial feature you should look for, however, is that the headphones include some type of Sound Limiting Technology. Kids are kids, and are going to want to play games and music at the highest volume levels possible; however, this may cause ear damage and hearing loss. As a result, it is best to limit your choices for kids’ headphones to those that do not allow loud volume levels, and that come with preset limits that guarantee they are never louder than 80 to 85 decibels. This advice is more important if you are buying “ear buds” that aren’t worn over the ears but in the outer ear canal.

A different thing take into consideration is durability and sturdiness, because kids are hard on fragile things, and some headphones can be quite fragileindeed. Parenting magazines or consumer guides that provide product comparisons are a great place to learn more about headphone durability. At times you will need to give up a small amount of durability to get a lighter weight product. Certain headphones are simply too heavy for children’s heads no matter how many additional wonderful features they have.

Whichever make of children’s headphones you decide upon, do them a favor and set limits as to how often they can use them. Keep in mind that noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is triggered by both the volume and length of the sound contact. Despite having the Sound Limiting Technology, too many hours wearing headphones may cause ear damage.