"The Best Headphones For Kids, According To Pediatric Ear Experts"
Finding the right protective headphones for kids is the first line of defense against the permanent hearing loss that experts have been warning about since the dawn of the iPod. Kids should only be using over-the-ear headphones with a volume limiter that reduces exposure to excessively loud noises, even if there are “kid safe” earbuds that go inside the ear. Michael Rothschild, MD, the director of pediatric otolaryngology at The Mount Sinai Hospital, said an over-the-ear set is your best bet for a comfortable fit, a noise-canceling barrier, and less irritation to the ear canal. Stellar sound quality may not seem so important, but Joey Bernstein, MD, associate professor of otolaryngology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, noted that “the poorer the quality of the sound, the more likely it is for kids to crank up the volume to unsafe levels.”
- Michael A. Rothschild, MD, Clinical Professor, Otolaryngology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Pediatric Otolaryngology, The Mount Sinai Hospital
- Joseph M. Bernstein, MD, Associate Professor, Otolaryngology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai