Doctors Reveal the Safest Headphone Options for Both Adults and Children

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You don’t need to be a music expert to choose headphones that protect your hearing. Whether you use them for work or workouts, selecting the right style and managing volume is crucial, says Sandra Honeycutt, a board-certified physician assistant at BergerHenry ENT in Philadelphia. (“ENT” stands for Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist, for clarity.)

To help you choose your next pair, the experts shared their top recommendations and tips.

For adults:

For kids:

If you’re still browsing, explore some of Amazon’s top-rated noise-canceling over-ear headphones, curated by former writer Kristen Adaway:

You don’t need to be a music expert to choose headphones that protect your hearing. Whether you use them for work or workouts, selecting the right style and managing volume is crucial, says Sandra Honeycutt, a board-certified physician assistant at BergerHenry ENT in Philadelphia. (“ENT” stands for Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist, for clarity.)

Top picks include Sony noise-canceling Bluetooth headphones, JLab JBuddies, and Sennheiser Momentum 4 wireless headphones

Amazon

“Research shows that prolonged exposure to loud noises damages the inner ear’s hair cells, which are essential for hearing,” Honeycutt explained. “Once these cells are damaged, they cannot regenerate, leading to permanent hearing loss.”

While medical associations don’t endorse specific brands, Honeycutt notes that over-ear and on-ear headphones are ideal because they seal the ear better, reducing ambient noise. This lowers the risk of hearing damage since the volume doesn’t have to compete with background sounds.

In-ear headphones or earbuds, however, sit closer to the eardrum and are less effective at blocking external noise, often leading to higher volume levels.

Honeycutt advises following the “60/60 rule”: limit headphone use to 60 minutes at a time and keep the volume below 60% of the maximum.

“Take a 10-minute break after each hour to let your ears recover,” she said. “For iPhone users, enabling Hearing Notifications can alert you if your audio exposure is too loud or prolonged.”

Dr. Guy Talmor, MD, an ENT specialist at Allergy Associates in West Nyack, NY, suggests considering Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines for sound exposure. These rules emphasize that the louder the sound, the shorter the exposure should be.

“Keeping headphones at 85 decibels or lower and avoiding extended use can significantly reduce the risk of noise-induced hearing loss,” he said. “For context, a normal conversation is around 55-60dB, while 85dB is similar to heavy traffic or a loud blender.”