I like them because they’re cheap and they combine external noise cancelling with parent-controlled stereo sound for listening to soothing sounds.
In my search, I also found some other noise cancelling headphones that are good quality for both adults and children with autism. All 7 are reviewed below.
The best noise cancelling headphones for autism are:
- Mpow CH6 Kids Headphones (Affordable Choice for Kids)
- FMLOVES Active Noise Cancelling Headphones (Top Pick for Adults)
- ZOHAN EM030 Hearing Protection Earmuffs (Kids)
- ONTA Kids Headphones with Glowing Cat Ears (Girls)
- Monodeal Kids On Ear Headsets (Top Quality)
- HearTek Protective Earmuffs (Kids)
- ProCase Noise Reduction Ear Muffs (Adults)
| Best Value (for Kids) | Top Quality (for Kids) |
|---|---|
|
Mpow CH6 Kids Headphones |
Monodeal Kids On Ear Headsets
on Amazon. |
| Quick Review Headphones that combine noise cancelling and stereo hookup. Cancel out outside noises while listening to and watch calming videos and music. |
Quick Review Active noise cancelling technology – not just padding! This pair operate by creating sound waves that mirror and neutralize outside noises. |
Best Noise Cancelling Headphones for Autism
1. Mpow CH6 Kids Headphones (Affordable Choice for Kids)
Quick Review: These headphones are your value-for-money pick. I also like that they combine noise cancelling and stereo hookup. They allow your child to cancel out outside noises and listen to and watch calming videos and music.
Check the price on Amazon.
Benefits for Children with Autism:
Hassle Free: Parents want hassle-free, safe, and child friendly noise cancelling headphones to help with their children’s over-sensitization. These ones will do the trick – and they’re at a low price, too!
Choose your Color: Is your child very picky about their colors? No worries. Pick between 7 different colors including typical “girl” and “boy” colors.
Safety: The headphones were designed to be safe for children. They have pinch-free hinges so your child’s hands won’t get pinched.
Comfortable: These headphones also have large, soft, circular cups to sit comfortably over your child’s ears. The headband is also well padded while still being adjustable for your child’s head.
Volume Control: You can control the volume using a clip that can cap volume at 85db so your child’s ears are protected.
Stereo Sound: You may want to also use the headphones for your child to listen to music or television. These ones have a regular 3.5mm headphone jack to plug into any device. Consider introducing your child to relaxing meditation music to help them to relax, block out outside sounds or thoughts, and refocus their minds
Sharing Functionality: You can connect these headphones to other similar headphones so several children can listen to the same music or television show for once without the need for buying a headphone splitter.
Known for their Customer Support: Mpow has developed a good reputation for quality customer support if you’re not satisfied. This makes it so much easier to pull the trigger and make this purchasing decision.
2. Monodeal Kids On Ear Headsets (Top Quality for Kids)
Quick Review: My pick for best quality.
These headsets for kids have active noise cancelling technology – not just padding!
They operate by creating sound waves that mirror and neutralize outside noises.
Check the price on Amazon.
Benefits for Children with Autism:
Active Noise Control: The headphones emit noise cancelling soundwaves that effectively neutralize sounds. Turn the noise control function on and off with a simple flick of a switch.
Play on iPad, MP3, etc. with simple 3.5mm Jack: These headphones are compatible with just about any device that plays music. 3.5mm jacks are stock standard on most devices. There is also a two-pin adaptor included specifically for airplane connectivity.
Carry Bag: Not all headphones and earmuffs come with a quality carry bag like this one. You can also fold-in the earmuffs to make the headphones very compact for carrying around in your day bag – to be prepared for any moments of sensory overload!
Adjustability: The headphones are very flexible for comfort for all ages.
Long Warranty: The 18-month warranty is a very generous warranty, giving lots of confidence that they back their product.
Long Battery Life: Active noise control requires batteries. These headphones have a built-in rechargeable Lithium battery that stays charged for up to 20 hours.
3. FMLOVES Active Noise Cancelling Headphones (Top Pick for Adults)
Quick Review: Best for adults. These headphones block 85% of ambient noise through their active noise-cancelling technology. They also come with quality stereo sound for plugging into TV or music.
Check the price on Amazon.
Benefits for Adults with Autism:
Escape from Over Sensitization: Put these headphones onto older adolescents or adults when struggling with noises around them. The headphones will help them retreat into their own quiet space to reset and recover. FMLOVES claims the cups block out 85% of background noise.
Turn Noise Cancelling on and Off: The noise cancelling function creates its own sound waves that counter and neutralize ambient noises. It requires electricity to run, but comes with a powerful 20-hour rechargeable battery.
Comfortable: Nice big circular cups that cover the whole ear. The headband is adjustable and has soft padding so they’re comfortable at all times. The headphones have also been designed to be very lightweight.
Warranty: The 1-year warranty gives me confidence that FMLOVES backs their product quality even after you’ve made your purchase.
4. ZOHAN EM030 Hearing Protection Earmuffs (Kids)
Quick Review: If you just want noise cancelling earmuffs without technology integration, ZOHAN EM030 earmuffs are your pick. This pair are very versatile, fitting anyone from toddlers up to young teens.
Check the price on Amazon.
Benefits for Children with Autism:
Affordable: As there are no stereo sound speakers integrated into this set of earmuffs, you’ll be saving money.
Fit for many Ages: Several earmuffs on the market are only suitable for ages 5+. Not these ones. ZOHAN have made them to be very flexible for many age groups. Simply adjust the headband equally on both sides for a comfortable fit.
Noise Reduction Rating: These earmuffs have a noise reduction rating of 22db. This means that they reduce external noises by 22 decibels to dull outside sounds.
Over-Ear Cup: As a basic standard, you’ll need cups that go right over the ears to create a full seal from the outside. The ZOHANs do just that.
Choose a Design: The earmuffs come in three designs. I love the graffiti look for boys and the awesome unicorn design for girls.
1 Year Warranty: Purchase with confidence, because ZOHAN have a full 1-year warranty on their earmuffs.
Downsides:
If you want tech integration, these ones aren’t for you.
5. ONTA Kids Headphones with Glowing Cat Ears (Girls)
Quick Review: Perfect for your daughter who is fashion conscious! The glowing cat ears make wearing noise-cancelling headphones a whole lot of fun.
Check the price on Amazon.
Benefits for Children with Autism:
Fun Factor: When it’s hard to get a kid into a pair of headphones, sometimes you need a little bit of ‘fun factor’. These glowing cat ears will be great for enticing your daughter to put the headphones on for 20 minutes of downtime.
Simple Plug-and-Play Device: The 3.5mm headphone jack is a simple, no-fuss plug-and-play way of connecting to iPads, tablets, computers and televisions for watching a relaxing show or listening to meditation music.
Packable: The earmuffs are collapsible so you can pack these headphones away. When they are in their packed position, they really take up no space at all!
Refund Policy: Buy risk-free
Downsides:
The ear cup is smaller than others, so these may not be great comfort for bigger kids. That said, larger ear cups can be annoying for younger kids … so, I’d say these might be a good choice for younger ages.
6. HearTek Protective Earmuffs (All Ages)
Quick Review: A high quality set of earmuffs with a high 27dB noise reduction rating. No tech integration here, just quality ear protection for moments of sensory overload.
Check the price on Amazon.
Benefits for Children with Autism:
High Noise Reduction Rating: The noise reduction rating of these earmuffs is 27dB. That means you’ll reduce the sound of external noises by 27dB when wearing them.
Great Padding: I like how thick the padding is on these earmuffs, which both reduces sounds and creates a great deal of comfort for the wearer.
Pick your Color: Does the child with autism in your life have a very particular color choice? Choose between 9 different colors to please your child (and make getting those earmuffs on easier!).
Very Flexible: You can adjust these earmuffs a wide range so kids and adults can all wear them.
Packable: Fold in the earmuffs and pack them into the provided carry case. Carry them around in your day bag to be prepared for any moment of sensory overload.
5 Year Warranty: This huge, long warranty is an amazing offer. It gives great confidence that these will be the only earmuffs you need to buy for several years to come!
Downsides:
If your little one has a tiny head or struggles with large earmuffs, these might not be the best for you. The ear cup is quite large.
7. ProCase Noise Reduction Ear Muffs (Adults)
Quick Review: Adults might prefer these earmuffs which are specifically designed for adult heads! No tech integration, but a super affordable price.
Check the price on Amazon.
Benefits for Adults with Autism:
Specifically for Adults: These earmuffs are specifically for adults – if you (or someone you love) has sensory overload as an adult, go for this simple but well designed pair of earmuffs.
High Noise Reduction Rating: The 28dB noise reduction rating is the highest on this list – for quality dulling of outside noises.
Packable: Pack them down and carry them around in the provided carry bag.
What to Look for in Noise Cancelling Headphones for People with Autism
Full Ear Cup vs. Earbuds
When looking for noise cancelling headphones, you need a pair that has a full cup that causes a seal around the ear. This seal will mean your ears live in their own fully-padded area and keep a lot of noise out.
Don’t get earbuds for noise cancelling. Earbuds will not be noise cancelling and could cause damage to the ears if used too much over time.
Active Noise Control (ANC) Technology vs. Padding
Padding is the traditional way of protecting ears from outside noises The earmuffs in this list without Active Noise Control technology use this traditional method. They usually measure their own effectiveness through their Noise Reduction Rating (NRR).
The NRR is a measure of how much the earmuffs reduce outside noises. An NRR of 27 means you will reduce outside noises by 27 decibels. So, if outside noises are 85dB, with a 27 NRR, the earmuffs will reduce the noises to 58dB.
Active Noise Control is an advanced technology which generates its own neutralizing sound waves. These sound wave mirror outside sound waves. When these two sounds match one another, they are effectively neutralized to create enhanced silence. ANC requires batteries to work.
Stereo Sound
You can choose to either have earmuffs with no stereo connection, or headphones that are both noise reducing and have plug-and-play connectivity.
You may want earmuffs if your main goal is to have your child dull outside noises and move into peace and quiet.
Headphones might be preferred if you want to have both the ability to neutralize outside noises and the ability to play soothing sounds or watch shows on the iPad to calm down.
A good idea might be to get your child to listen to meditation sounds to help them relax.
If you go with stereo sound, consider noise capping headphones that allow you to max out the volume to 85dB. This might be a good option for protecting your child’s ears in the long term.
Warranty
A warranty can help you make a purchase with confidence. A 1 year warranty is good, but the 5 year warranty of the HearTek Protective Earmuffs (option #6 above) can’t be beat!
When to use Noise Cancelling Headphones
Children with autism often have sensory overload. The sounds and movements around them can cause episodes where the child can no longer handle the situation.
This often occurs in situations like:
- Fireworks and Thunderstorms
- On the airplane
- At the shops
- During noisy lessons in class.
During an episode, headphones or earmuffs are a great strategy to try to help your child with autism to calm down in a safe, quiet space.
Final Thoughts
Don’t forget that supervision is always required for a child who is wearing headphones. Ensure the headphones are not playing music that is far too loud. This could be damaging to the child’s ears.
It’s also important to make sure the headphones are not worn too long. 15-20 minute check-ins are a good option. Allow the child to wear the headphones to calm down after they have experienced sensory overload.
You might need to talk with your child about why they are having sensory overload outbursts. One great resource that I’d like to leave you with is this amazing book on how to talk with your child about their sensory overload:
Recommended Book: Liam’s Life with Autism Sensory Overload
Check the price on Amazon
I hope this list of the best noise cancelling headphones for autism has been beneficial for you and your family during your purchasing decision.
Related Article: 7 Best Toys for Children with Nonverbal Autism
Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]