ConsFirst / Kids' headphones

Belkin

Belkin SoundForm Mini Kids Headphones: the downsides first

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#3 of 8
$$BluetoothScore 3.5/5
11%
of Amazon ratings are 1–2 stars
(checked 2026-10-10)Small sample: 779 ratings, shared across color variants. Best Sellers Rank #247 in Electronics and #4 in On-Ear Headphones on 2026-10-10.

WIRED's best kids' headphones overall, and the best-selling model here on Amazon, with 30-hour battery life and water resistance. WIRED's testers found it stiffer and less comfortable than other picks, and Amazon owners disagree on durability and fit. No test we read measured its 85 dB limit; Wirecutter found a cable-port risk on the newer Mini 2.

Top complaints

  • Mixed durability

    Amazon's summary says reliability and durability draw mixed feedback: some pairs last up to two years, while others broke within a week. Some owners say the battery wouldn't charge at all.

    Source: Amazon.com product page (Customers say)
  • Stiff, and small for some kids

    WIRED says it is noticeably stiffer and less comfortable than some of its other picks. Amazon's summary says fit is disputed, with some owners finding it too small for 5-year-olds.

    Source: WIRED best kids headphones, Amazon.com product page (Customers say)
  • Value is debated

    Amazon's summary says some owners call it worth every penny while others say it isn't worth the cost.

    Source: Amazon.com product page (Customers say)

What owners love

Good for
  • A sturdy, affordable everyday pair
  • Long battery between charges
  • Kids 2 and up (per WIRED)

Scores (tap for why)

What experts say

  • WIRED: Best kids' headphones overall (updated November 2025), listed at $33 on Amazon. Sturdy, padded, 30-hour battery, water-resistant, volume-limited to 85 dB, but stiffer and less comfortable than some picks.
  • Wirecutter (NYT): Wirecutter tested the newer SoundForm Mini 2, not this model, and dismissed it. It stays within safer limits over Bluetooth, but plugging the device into the wrong one of its two cable ports produced potentially dangerous volume.
Check price on AmazonWe don't list prices — they change daily. Paid link.

If that catch is a deal-breaker

Highly ranked kids' headphones whose biggest complaint is something else.

#1 in kids' headphonesPuro Sound Labs BT2200-Plus

Wirecutter's top pick for music and videos, and the best-sounding kids' pair both Wirecutter and WIRED have tested. It's expensive, though, and 16% of Amazon ratings are 1 or 2 stars, with owners reporting sound from only one side, Bluetooth dropouts and units that stop working after a few months.

Its catch: stops working, or plays from one side only#2 in kids' headphonesiClever BTH20

PCMag's Editors' Choice for kids' headphones: active noise cancelling, a long rated battery, and an 80 dB limit (iClever's figure; PCMag published no measurement) that PCMag says can't be bypassed. Just 6% of Amazon ratings are 1 or 2 stars. The catches are hollow-sounding mids, no water-resistance rating, and WIRED's 10-year-olds found it a bit small.

Its catch: hollow mids and boomy bass#4 in kids' headphonesSkullcandy Grom Wireless

WIRED's runner-up and a PCMag pick: it looks grown-up, has an adjustable strap fit and long battery life. But the 85 dB limit is easy to override. Pushing the volume dial past a click stop raises the cap to 95 dB, according to PCMag, and both PCMag and WIRED worry kids will do it.

Its catch: volume limit is easy to defeat

Head-to-head

See all 8 kids' headphones ranked →