I've always been baffled that headphones for in-car entertainment systems are sized for adults rather than the kids these systems are designed for. How does that make any sense?
The headphones that come in cars are simply too big to fit most kids properly. My girls are constantly fussing with them, trying to get them to stay propped up on their heads. This causes my daughters to inadvertently press the power button, turning off the headphones. As the driver, this causes a distraction for me as I try to figure out why the girls can't hear their movie and then try to talk them through the process of getting their headphones working again.
My family and I have given up on factory-installed rear entertainment systems in part because of this problem, opting instead for the simplicity of having the kids use their own in-car entertainment.
The subsequent issue is that earbuds don't fit inside kids' ears. It's also difficult to find over-the-ear headphones sized for kids of a higher quality that cut out background noise and also limit the volume to protect their delicate eardrums.
I've been searching for a solution to this common family problem for years and finally found it in Kidz Gear headphones.
Kidz Gear wired headphones cost $29.95 and are for use with an iPad, iPhone or iPod. They fit my 9- and 11-year-old daughters perfectly, have a volume-limiting feature so they can't blast their music and also have a built-in in-line microphone, which is awesome since they love chatting away on my phone and catching up with Grandma while we're driving.
While the Kidz Gear headphones solve a problem I've been dealing with for years, they won't last my kids' entire childhoods - the headphones are made out of plastic after all. However, at their affordable price point, I can restock every few years.
-Kristin Varela, Cars.com
