Toddler Headphones

CozyPhones solve one of the most persistent problems with headphones for small kids: keeping them on. Instead of a rigid plastic headband and padded ear cups, these tuck a pair of thin speakers inside a soft, stretchy fleece headband. The band stays put remarkably well, even when a child is moving around, leaning against a car seat, or trying to sleep on a plane.

Our kids have worn them comfortably through full days of travel, including cross-country flights. The flat speakers do not press against their ears or get pushed forward by a seat’s headrest, and the animal-themed headbands are ridiculously cute.

Bluetooth pairing is refreshingly straightforward. Hold down the center button until the indicator flashes blue and red, then select the headphones from the device’s Bluetooth menu. More important, they reconnect reliably. That becomes especially useful when a tablet dies during dinner and you need to switch to a parent’s phone without too much fuss.

CozyPhones also include a 3.5mm auxiliary cable, so they can be used when Bluetooth is unavailable or the battery is dead, and they recharge through USB-C. We haven't tested a formal battery rundown, but a charge has consistently lasted through day-long car and airplane trips with power remaining.

The fleece headband can be hand- or machine-washed after the speakers and control unit are removed, although in over a year of use we haven't actually done that with the two pair we have.

The speakers are limited to 90 dB, but that should not be treated as permission for unlimited listening at full volume. Parents should still keep the connected device below its maximum setting and give kids regular listening breaks.

The flat speakers also do not seal around the ears or block outside noise. Our kids could use them on cross-country flights, but places with loud ambient noise can make the audio harder to hear than it would be through well-sealed over-ear headphones.

Fit will depend on the child. The Amazon listing markets them for ages 2 and up, while CozyPhones currently describes the headband as fitting ages 3 to 10. The speakers can be repositioned inside the band, but the headband itself does not have a size adjustment.