- JBL Junior Free headphones launch for £69.99 (around $90 / AU$140)
- WHO recommended volume limit plus your own time and volume settings
- Open-ear design means they can still hear what’s around them
JBL has launched a new set of open-back headphones designed specifically for kids, the JBL Junior Free headphones. As you might expect, they’re designed for little ears – and they’re also designed to protect those ears from loud sounds.
The choice of open ears is deliberate: unlike over-ear headphones and in-ear headphones, JBL Junior Free headphones do not isolate the child from the world around them by blocking their ear canal. This aspect is a big part of why adults often choose the best open-back headphones for running, because being more aware of what’s going on around you helps you stay safer – and kids often need help being aware, even in the best of times.
And of course, that means they can enjoy their music, app soundtrack, or video while still hearing from you and responding to your requests.
The headphones also include features designed to ensure that their wearers do not accidentally damage their hearing.
JBL Junior Free headphones: main features and prices
As we’ve come to expect from headphones aimed at children, the JBL Junior Free comes with a volume limiter – JBL calls it Safe Sound – which ensures that the headphones don’t exceed the World Health Organization’s recommendation of 85 dB.
This is important because prolonged exposure to sounds above this level can cause irreversible hearing damage. The WHO says that at 80 dB, safe listening time can reach 40 hours a week – but at 90 dB, it drops to just four.
JBL takes this idea further in these headphones by also letting you set time limits for their use as well as your own custom volume limits, and get activity reports so you can see how long the headphones are worn and how loud they are.
The Junior Frees are lightweight with soft silicone materials, controls designed for little fingers, multi-point Bluetooth for two simultaneous device connections, and a flexible neck strap that keeps them in place and is flexible enough to grow as they do, so they don’t become useless after a growth spurt.
Battery life is 10 hours with a 10-minute quick charge providing three hours flat, and the earbuds are IPX4 rated for splash resistance. And for a nice touch, the packaging can be transformed into a phone stand and comes with decorative stickers to personalize the headphones.
The JBL Junior Free will be available in the UK and Europe from this November, in a choice of purple, teal or peach and with an RRP of £69.99 / €79.99 (around $90 / AU$140). Pricing and availability in the United States have not yet been announced.
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