The iClever BTH20 headphones check a lot boxes for a top kids headphone: They feature a comfortable, sturdy design (the headband is quite bendable and the ear pads are nicely cushioned), decent enough sound (it lacks a bit of clarity, but it’s not bad), cost less than $40 (for Amazon Prime members), have active noise canceling (there are two levels to choose from, as well as off), a volume limiter, simple controls and good battery life (35 hours with ANC on). Also, along with Bluetooth 5.4, they come with a cable for wired listening, so your child can use them on a plane. And last but no least, they come with a very basic carrying pouch that’s eco-friendly. Designed for younger kids with small to medium-sized heads, I can’t guarantee they’ll fit youngsters with bigger heads, but most kids shouldn’t have a problem getting a good fit.

1More is a value audio brand that tends to deliver a good bang for your buck, and its new 1More HQ20 SonoFlow Mini Kids on-ear headphones check that box. In terms of styling, they aren’t so different from the Soundcore by Anker H30i headphones, but they do feature feature nicely padded ear cups and good padding on the top of the headband, so they should fit most kids’ heads comfortably. (They don’t have active noise canceling but the ear pads passively seal out a good amount of ambient sound.) With 40mm drivers, they’re capable of outputting pretty big sound — they offer decent bass and clarity — but the key «kids feature» is a volume limiter that has three settings in the 1More companion app for iOS and Android. (Be sure to install the 1More app, not 1More Music.) No carry pouch is included nor is there a wired option, but the headphones are easy to operate and are rated for up to an impressive 65 hours of battery life.

The Soundcore H30i are inexpensive on-ear wireless headphones that compete with the Sony CH-520 and JBL Tube 510BT (the Tune 520BT is its new-for-2024 successor). There’s no active noise-canceling and the headphones are pretty no frills, but they do feature decent sound quality with ample bass for their low price, and you can pair them to two devices simultaneously (multipoint Bluetooth). I’m slightly more partial to the Sony CH-520, which are slightly more comfortable and sound slightly better (they have a tad more clarity). That said, the H30i have a folding design, and while they don’t come with a carrying pouch, they do include a headphone cord for wired listening (the Sonys are wireless only).

Battery life is impressive — the H30i are rated for up to 70 hours of listening at moderate volume levels. And while you shouldn’t expect great voice-calling performance, it is acceptable in quieter environments. I also appreciated that you can tweak the sound profile in the companion Soundcore app for iOS and Android.

Skullcandy’s Grom Wireless over-ear headphones are being targeted at kids, and they’re a good choice for the 12-and-under set. They have basically everything you’d want in a kids’ headphone, including a comfortable fit, decent enough sound, a volume limiter, a shared headphone port and a wired option in case you need it for an in-flight entertainment system. Battery life is rated at 45 hours, which is also good.

Note that this headphone also comes in a wired-only version for around $25 in white and blue.

Sony released its new entry-level CH-720N noise-canceling headphones in 2023. They’re quite good, but if you can’t afford them (they list for $150), the company’s new budget on-ear CH-520 headphones are an intriguing option for only around $50.

They lack noise canceling and are pretty no-frills, but they feature good sound for their price, are lightweight, and pretty comfortable for on-ear headphones, and also have excellent battery life (they’re rated for up to 50 hours at moderate volume levels). Additionally, they have multipoint Bluetooth pairing, so you can pair them with two devices simultaneously, such as a smartphone and computer, and switch audio. Voice-calling performance is decent, though not up to the level of what you get with the CH-720N. 

Note that there’s no wired option — this is a wireless Bluetooth-only headphone. The CH-520 offers overall balanced sound with decent clarity. The bass has some punch to it but doesn’t pack a wallop, and you’re not going to get quite as wide a soundstage as you get from Sony’s more expensive over-ear headphones. But these definitely sound better than Sony’s previous entry-level on-ear headphones and sound better than I thought they would. I tried the white color, but they also come in blue and black.

JLab is known for its value headphones, and the JLab Studio ANC is one of the few on-ear inexpensive on-ear headphones to have active noise-canceling. The ANC is fairly middle-of-the-road, and while these aren’t the greatest sounding headphones, they sound better than you’d expect pretty decent given their low price. Note that only the black model has ANC; the other colors don’t (they cost $30 instead of $33). Also, these are wireless-only headphones, so they won’t plug into an in-flight entertainment system.

While the JVC Flats may not be terribly durable, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better sounding set of wired on-ear headphones for their low price. They’re available in multiple color options, all of which cost around $13. If you’re just looking for a compact set of kids’ headphones for plugging into an in-flight entertainment system, these are easy to recommend.

I was a fan of Creative’s original Sound Blaster Jam headphones that came out in 2015 and had a decidedly retro look and feel, with good sound for the money. Now they’re available in a 2.0 version that has some key upgrades, including Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C charging, improved call quality and multipoint Bluetooth pairing that allows you to pair it to two devices simultaneously. Battery life is rated at up to 22 hours.

I was able to pair this wireless headphone set with a Mac Mini and an iPhone 12 Pro and then switch audio between them. Often when pairing Bluetooth headphones with Mac and Windows PCs, one can encounter some issues, but once I got the headphones paired with both my PC and phone, they made a good pair of work-from-home headphones. Also, the price is right for parents looking for a decent set of kids’ headphones for remote learning and everyday use.

Comfortable for on-ear headphones, the Jam V2s are lightweight and have nicely balanced sound with good detail and bass that’s ample but not overpowering. Call quality was good in my tests with callers saying they could hear me well even on the noisy streets of New York. No carry pouch is included, but you do get an extra set of foam ear pads, which is good, because they will wear out over time.

The headphones have physical buttons for controlling volume and playback, and there’s aptX support for devices that support the wireless streaming codec.