Review: iHearSafe Earbuds and Headphones

Written on Jan 19, 2009 by Brian and filed under Reviews

We’ve seen a few headphones that are designed for kids, but really, there are very few on the market that are both designed to fit well and protect kids from hearing loss at the same time. iHearSafe has a unique approach to solve the safety issue, they simply lock the maximum volume the headphones can output. And they’ve not forgotten about style either, the iHearSafe product line comes in three form factors and multiple colors to appeal to both younger and older kids. 

Hearing loss in children is becoming a more serious issue by the day really. As more kids use electronic devices the risk of irreversible hearing damage is on the rise. Consider that an average MP3 player can output 120 decibels or more. The maximum safe level is 85 decibels according to the NIOSH (National Institute of Health and Safety) and CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). 

To be fair, most kids aren’t going to jam their MP3 player to maximum, but they often listen to music or the sounds from a portable video game system at levels that are too loud. There’s also the risk of accidentally turning the sound up; even in short bursts excessive sound levels can cause damage. iHearSafe’s solution is seemingly obvious and elegant at the same time. They simply insert a regulator in the headphone cord that limits the maximum output to 85 decibels. 

iHearSafe is pretty smart in that they offer three different varieties of their product, earbuds, headphones and earclips. The buds and clips also come in multiple colors, appealing to older children who typically prefer this form factor.

This is sounds good, but we wondered – really how loud is 85 decibels and is it enough sound? I put the headphones on and turned the volume up to maximum on an iPod to test the concept and yes, 85 decibels is plenty. Thankfully I found it a little too loud for my taste, which hopefully means my hearing isn’t that bad. But even at the full 85, kids won’t damage their ears. 

For younger kids the headphones are great as they’re adjustable and stay on well. We also tested the earbuds which are the most popular with kids that listen to a lot of music. The earbuds are a little louder sounding, probably because of the inherent design difference that puts the sound drivers in the ear canal instead of outside the ear like the headphones. The only complaint we have with the earbuds is they’re not labeled for left and right ears, something which kids won’t notice I’m sure.

Bottom Line

As a parent you really need to make sure your kids are careful about what they’re subjecting their ears to. iHearSafe has a great product line to help you accomplish this and with prices of $20 for the earbuds and $25 for the earclips and headphones, you can’t go wrong. We really like the approach…parents don’t have to do anything, just plug in the headphones and you can know that your kids won’t damage their hearing. 

iHearSafe products are available for purchase direct from the company’s website.

5 out of 5 stars – Editor’s Choice

Have a comment about this article? Leave a comment in the KidsTechReview.com forums.