In these troubled times, having a headset for your kid, while they are attending school or playing online while you work, can be a godsend. Enter My First Headphones that use bone conduction technology in a wireless headset so you and your child can be in the same room without disturbing each other, at least not with the sound of your individual devices.
My First Headphones easily connect to any Bluetooth enabled device. Connection was very easy with my iPhone XR, but any Bluetooth phone, tablet, or computer should work just as easily. The sound quality was good, just as good as my husband’s grownup bone conduction headphones. These simple, gray headphones are lightweight and go around the back of the head. They also come in powder blue. They fit a variety of head sizes even though they are for children, and because they aren’t in-ear type headphones, they don’t have the issue fitting the ear canal. They are rechargeable with a provided cord that connects to a standard USB compatible plug. Setup couldn’t be simpler.
Let’s talk a bit about bone conduction technology. The ear pieces don’t go inside the ear. That’s good for a variety of reasons, one of which is, it’s less pressure on the eardrum, and theoretically, less likely to cause hearing loss over time. Instead, the sound is conducted through the skull. My First Headphones even include a pair of earplugs, so you can prove to yourself that the soundwaves are being conducted through your skull. Science! The headphones still shouldn’t be turned up extra loud though.
The other nice thing is that, as long as you don’t have them up too loud, you can hear ambient noises around you which makes them safer to wear while walking around. You still shouldn’t wear them while driving though. Luckily, My First Headphones are for kids, so that’s not an issue. Basically, in addition to headphones for a little peace and quiet, My First Headphones provide a teachable STEM moment for how soundwaves work. Fun and Educational!
One caveat for a very small portion of the population: if you’ve ever had brain surgery or a skull fracture or brain trauma, bone conduction technology can cause nystagmus of the eyes and that can cause dizziness. If your child has had brain trauma, maybe avoid these, or try someone else’s pair first to see if the bone conduction bothers your child. Other than that, they are fantastic and work really well.
If you grab a pair off of the company’s website (they are not yet available through Amazon or other major retailers that we checked with) let us know what you or your children think about My First Headset in the comments below.