Finding a good pair of headphones for kids involves more than looking for decent sound and Bluetooth connectivity. Parents also need to consider volume levels, comfort, durability, battery life, and, increasingly, active noise cancellation.
The iClever Q950 Kids ANC Headphones attempt to address all of these concerns in one over-ear design. Priced at $69.99, the Q950 combines an 80dBA volume limit with 35dB hybrid active noise cancellation (ANC), Transparency Mode, up to 60 hours of battery life, Bluetooth 6.0, ear-detection technology, and a reinforced design intended to withstand everyday use by kids.
My grandson tested the iClever Q950 for several weeks this summer, giving us a chance to see how these headphones perform outside of a controlled testing environment. We used them at home, while traveling, and at the beach—including one unexpectedly loud encounter with the Blue Angels.
Based on our experience, the Q950's combination of hearing protection, ANC, comfort, and battery life makes these headphones especially compelling for families who travel frequently or have children who are sensitive to loud environments.
iClever Q950 Kids ANC Headphones. unboxedGearBrain
The Q950 are wireless over-ear headphones designed specifically for children. They incorporate iClever's SafeSound Tech 3.0, which limits maximum volume to 80dBA, along with hybrid active noise cancellation rated to reduce outside noise by up to 35dB.
iClever says the headphones feature TÜV-certified hearing care and an audiologist-recommended design. They also include a Transparency Mode that allows more outside sound through when children need greater awareness of their surroundings.
Unlike inexpensive children's headphones that primarily focus on limiting volume, the Q950 includes several features normally associated with more premium adult headphones, including ANC, automatic ear detection, quick charging, 40mm drivers, and a carrying case.
The Q950 currently sells for $69.99 through iClever and Amazon.
The Q950's key features include:
Hearing protection is the most important featureGearBrain
One of the biggest reasons parents buy headphones designed specifically for children is hearing protection.
The Q950 limits audio output to 80dBA using iClever's SafeSound Tech 3.0. That's a more conservative limit than the 85dB ceiling found on a number of competing children's headphones.
But volume limiting is only part of the story.
The Q950's hybrid ANC can reduce external noise by up to 35dB. This can be particularly useful because children don't have to compensate for loud background environments by increasing the volume of whatever they're watching or listening to.
And during our testing, we discovered another benefit.
My grandson doesn't like loud noises. During one of our trips to the beach this summer, the Blue Angels happened to be flying low overhead.
As you might imagine, it got extremely loud.
My grandson became afraid of the noise, so we put the Q950 headphones on him and turned on the active noise cancellation.
The difference was immediate.
The ANC significantly reduced the outside noise and helped make the situation much more manageable for him. This wasn't the type of test we had planned, but it turned out to be one of the most useful demonstrations of what these headphones can do.
Parents with children who are sensitive to loud environments may find the Q950 useful beyond simply watching movies or listening to music.
The headphones aren't hearing-protection earmuffs and shouldn't be treated as specialized protective equipment. But the ANC can make noisy environments noticeably more comfortable.
Comfortable enough for extended useGearBrain
Comfort is another important consideration with children's headphones because even the best technology won't matter if a child refuses to wear them.
Our experience here was good.
The Q950 was easy for my grandson to put on and take off by himself. The earcups fit comfortably around his ears, and he wore the headphones for extended periods without complaining about discomfort.
At 238 grams, they're reasonably lightweight for an over-ear ANC headphone.
The over-ear design also helps provide passive isolation from surrounding sounds before ANC is even activated.
I also liked the materials iClever used.
The headphones feel strong enough to withstand the kind of treatment you should expect from children—including occasionally being tossed onto the ground—but they're still soft and comfortable where they make contact with the head and ears.
iClever uses what it calls a high-strength Poketone headband along with reinforced metal hinges.
According to iClever, the Q950 is SGS certified for durability and has been tested through 3,000 twisting cycles.
That's an important distinction for children's headphones. A pair of headphones might have excellent audio quality, but that doesn't matter much if a hinge breaks after being thrown into a backpack a few dozen times.
Battery life was another highlight during our testing.
The Q950 offers:
60 hours with ANC turned off
35 hours with ANC turned on
That's enough battery life to cover multiple days of normal use or a long family vacation without constantly worrying about finding a charger.
The Q950 also supports quick charging. Plugging it in for just five minutes can provide approximately three additional hours of playback.
We actually found this useful while at the beach. When we needed just a little extra battery life to finish watching a movie, a short charge gave us enough additional listening time.
For families traveling with children, that's a feature you'll appreciate when you need it.
Smart Ear Detection is surprisingly usefulGearBrain
One of my favorite Q950 features is Smart Ear Detection.
When your child removes the headphones, playback automatically pauses. Put them back on and listening can resume.
This means children are less likely to lose their place in a movie, YouTube Kids video, audiobook, or other content simply because they took their headphones off for a few minutes.
It's a small feature, but after using the headphones for several weeks, it's one we came to appreciate.
The Q950 uses 40mm titanium diaphragm drivers with a rated frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz.
Kids probably aren't going to critique soundstage or frequency response, but audio during our testing was more than adequate for the content children are most likely to consume, including movies, YouTube videos, games, and music.
More importantly, the combination of ANC and the 80dBA limit means children can hear their content clearly without needing excessively high volume to overcome background noise.
ANC and Transparency ModeGearBrain
The Q950 gives children two listening options.
ANC Mode reduces external sounds and is best suited for airplanes, cars, beaches, crowded spaces, or other noisy environments.
Transparency Mode lets more environmental sound through, which is useful when parents want children to remain aware of what's happening around them.
Having both options makes the Q950 more versatile than headphones that simply provide passive isolation.
Another feature I liked was the included carrying case.
We used it regularly while traveling between home and the beach. Once we arrived, the headphones went back into the case when they weren't being used, which helped keep sand off the earcups and headband.
The case is lightweight and compact enough to put inside my grandson's backpack.
For children's headphones, I would consider a case almost essential. It helps protect the headphones while also giving kids a specific place to put them when they're finished.
And because iClever includes one in the $69.99 price, you don't have to buy it separately.
There was one feature I was surprised not to find: an app.
The Q950's built-in 80dBA limit provides hearing protection without requiring parents to configure anything. That's good.
However, a companion app could give parents more visibility into how their children actually use the headphones.
For example, I would like to see information showing average listening volume and how much time a child spends listening each day or week. An app could potentially allow parents to establish additional listening limits as well.
This is an area where JBL currently has an advantage. Its Junior 470NC works with the JBL Headphones app, allowing parents to customize maximum volume and daily listening time while viewing usage and volume reports.
The Q950's hardware-based approach is simpler, but parents looking for detailed monitoring and controls may miss having an app.
How does the iClever Q950 compare with other kids' headphones?GearBrain
At $69.99, the Q950 sits in an interesting part of the kids' headphone market.
There are less expensive children's headphones available from brands such as Belkin and Skullcandy, while premium children's headphones can cost $100 or more.
The more appropriate comparison, however, is with headphones that combine safe-volume technology with ANC and good battery life.
For instance, JBL's Junior 470NC offers ANC, an 85dB volume limit, parental controls through its app, and up to 50 hours of battery life with ANC turned off.
Puro's PuroQuiet-PLUS costs considerably more and combines an 85dB limit with ANC and up to 35 hours of non-ANC battery life.
That makes the Q950 competitive at $69.99, particularly considering its 80dBA limit, 35dB hybrid ANC, 60-hour maximum battery life, ear detection, quick charging, 40mm drivers, and included carrying case.
The lack of an app is the biggest compromise.
Form factor: Over-ear
Connection: Bluetooth 6.0
Safe volume limit: 80dBA
Active Noise Cancellation: Up to 35dB Hybrid ANC
Listening modes: ANC and Transparency
Battery capacity: 500mAh
Battery life with ANC off: Up to 60 hours
Battery life with ANC on: Up to 35 hours
Quick charging: 5 minutes provides up to 3 hours
Charging port: USB-C
Wired connection: 3.5mm headphone jack
Driver: 40mm titanium diaphragm
Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz
Material: Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
Weight: 238g
Ear detection: Yes
Audio Sharing: Yes
The iClever Q950 package includes:
The Q950 makes the most sense for families who travel frequently or whose children regularly use a smartphone or tablet for movies, games, YouTube Kids, music, or other entertainment.
They're particularly appealing if your child doesn't like loud noises.
Our experience with the Blue Angels demonstrated that ANC isn't just about making movies easier to hear on an airplane. For some children, reducing overwhelming environmental noise can make a major difference in how comfortable they feel in a loud setting.
The combination of an 80dBA volume limit and ANC also addresses two different aspects of children's listening: controlling the sound coming from the headphones while reducing the environmental noise coming from outside.
After several weeks of real-world testing, the iClever Q950 proved to be a well-rounded pair of children's headphones.
My grandson found them comfortable and easy to use. I liked their durability, excellent battery life, quick charging, carrying case, and Smart Ear Detection. But the standout feature for us was the active noise cancellation, especially after seeing how effectively it helped him cope with the extremely loud noise from aircraft flying overhead.
The biggest feature we'd like iClever to add is a parental-control app that provides listening-time and volume-level information.
At $69.99, however, the Q950 delivers an impressive combination of features for the price. The 80dBA volume limit, hybrid ANC, 60-hour maximum battery life, durable construction, ear detection, Bluetooth 6.0, wired listening option, and included carrying case make it a strong value in the kids' ANC headphone category.
If you travel frequently with children who watch movies or play games on smartphones and tablets, the Q950 should be on your shortlist. And if your child is particularly sensitive to loud environments, the active noise cancellation adds another reason to consider them.
Pros
Cons
GearBrain Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Price: $69.99
Available from: iClever and Amazon
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