In a World of Electronics

Beyond Sound Quality: The Most Important Qualities to Look For in Classroom Headphones

If you are a teacher, you should know that there are a lot of differences between choosing good headphones for classroom use and for personal use. While guides to good headphones you can find online may have some useful information—what the sound quality is like for a specific brand, for instance—there are a lot of things that are specific to the classroom that you'll have to consider as well.

Durability

Most people take pretty good care of their personal headphones—after all, they paid for them. But classroom headphones are a whole different matter, especially in classrooms with younger children. Even the most attentive students may twist or pull headphone cords as they listen, and chewing isn't unheard of for younger kids. Unplugging headphones by pulling on the cord is also a common cause of failure in consumer-level headphones with less sturdy cords, and kids are likely to do this.

Headphones that are designed for classroom use, on the other hand, should have features like thick cords and perforated covers over the earpieces themselves. One good way to see whether a type of headphone will stand up to classroom use is to look at the warranty; consumer headphones will have warranties that are only valid for personal use, so if they are damaged in the classroom, you'll be out of luck. Instead, look for brands and companies that offer educational warranties for classroom use.

Ear Pads and Allergies

The padded section that rests around students' ears is key to comfort. But keep in mind that you may have students with latex allergies, either now or in the future, so stay away from latex-based ear pads. Look for foam covered in vinyl or artificial leather instead.

Individual Volume Control

When you're dealing with a lot of students, some of whom may like different volume levels, it can be very useful to have headphones with adjustable volume controls. This makes it easier for students to adjust the volume because they won't need to go into a program or operating system's volume control to do it.

On the other hand, if very young children will be using the headphones, you may wish to get headphones specifically without this volume control. Young learners may have difficulty adjusting the volume without help and are also more likely to play around with the volume control unnecessarily.

Adjustability

The amount of adjustability you need depends on the ages of the students. If you're buying headphones that will be used for all ages, you'll need headphones that can adjust from child to adult sizes. If your headphones will be used mainly for a single grade level or a narrow range, you may be able to get ones that are adjustable within only child or adult size. However, it's always good to err on the side of "too adjustable" because children grow at different rates and you're likely to see an even greater range of head sizes and shapes than you think.

To find education headphones that best fit your classroom needs, look for ones that meet the criteria above.


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