Kidz Gear headset: Headphones for kids

The concept of a headset is fairly basic and universal. Whether wired or wireless a headset consists of headphones and a microphone to enable two-way communication. The Kidz Gear headset, however, is uniquely designed with kids in mind.

Form

The Kidz Gear headset is for kids so it’s smaller than a standard headset. The headset harness comes in a variety of colors (my review units are pink and blue) and adjust to fit different size heads.

The actual headphones are also smaller than typical adult headphones. They are foam padded and designed to go over the ears. There is a boom mic on the left headphone. It can be swiveled into or out of position and it is flexible so you can bend it to position for clear communication.

Function

The function is pretty self-explanatory. You plug the Kidz Gear headset into an audio jack. Sound comes out of the headphones and your voice or vocal commands go in through the boom mic.

One thing that makes the Kidz Gear headphones unique—and particularly beneficial for kids—is the inclusion of a volume-limiting cable. The cable is about six inches long and connects in-line with the headset—you plug the volume-limiting cable into the audio jack and the headset into the volume-limiting cable. When attached, the volume-limiting cable ensures that the audio going to the headphones is maintained at a safe volume that will not damage your child’s ears.

My Experience

The sound quality of the headphones is pretty good. It actually was a little heavy on the bass, but I like my music that way so it wasn’t an issue really. These aren’t high-end headphones like Sennheiser or Bose so you shouldn’t expect premium quality sound.

Overall the volume was good. At max volume it was as loud or maybe slightly louder than my Skullcandy headphones. That may just be a reflection of the low end range. Overall I like the clarity and range of the Skullcandy sound better, though.

At max volume it is enough to damage hearing over a period of time. I installed the volume-limiting cable and it worked as advertised. The volume was attenuated to a reasonable level without stifling the sound or reducing the overall sound quality.

I made a vocal recording to test out the boom mic and I was impressed. The sound was clean and clear when I played back the recording.

The Verdict

I said it already but these are not premium headphones. If you’re looking for high quality sound you should be looking at things like Bose, Sennheiser, Logitech UE (Ultimate Ears), or others.

For the money, though, the Kidz Gear headset is great for its intended audience—children. The sound quality of the headphones and the mic are impressive for a device that costs only $30. Kids will appreciate being able to choose from a rainbow of colors, and parents will appreciate the volume-limiting cable.

As a side note or added bonus you can use the volume-limiting cable with any headset or headphones. If your child replaces or outgrows the Kidz Gear headset you can still employ the volume-limiting cable with other headphones as well.