Kid Proof School Headphones

[saudus]

Dear All,

 

for years we have spent thousands on different types of headphones for the school,

and once again we are looking for more replacements.

 

We have never managed to find a kid proof pair of headphones, any suggestions?

 

We are willing to pay a extra for headphones with cables that are strong enough

the stand up to being plugged in and out, wrapped up and transported multiply times a day,

without detachable earphone pads that don't last a week.

 

3.5 Plug, No Built in Microphone, Not USB, No Noise cancelling, No Volume control, No visible left to right over the top cable,

strong and tough.

 

Ideally they would be made in horrible colours that no one would want to steal.

 

I am asking too much? Any suggestions/links very welcome.

 

(Yes, we have tried idea of kids of buying their own cheap headphones and that didn't work at all)

 

Thanks

Edited July 12, 2017 by saudus

[synaesthesia]

Hills Components.

Robust Headphones

Best in the business by a long way.

[saudus]

Thanks for the suggestion, but have microphones and detachable ear pads so no go.

[Simcfc73]

I bought these

 

Buy Easi-Headphones® | TTS

[elsiegee40]

I think the best you can hope for is kid resistant. Nothing is kid proof. What sort of lifespan are you hoping for?

[timbo343]

Hills Components.

Robust Headphones

Best in the business by a long way.

We need some that are tougher than these. We equiped all our IT suites with them and cabled tied them to the machines.

 

Over time, we started to find..

1. They were all missing the red squidgy plastic rings.

2. They then took the black plastic clip out that holds the red squidgy in place.

3. The foam coverings inside for the ears were pulled off.

4. The little leads to the microphones were snapped.

5. They managed to break the braided cover that protects the cables.

6. Only one side of the earphone works due to damage.

[southhamster]

I wonder if there are any ex miltary ones that might do?

For that cold war tank commander vibe.

[synaesthesia]

There's only so much you can do. The replaceable ear pads are great, however classroom control should dictate the longevity of them, not the devices themselves.

[Max_Power]

Tried the Hills Components ones and also some Sanako ones (Headsets - Sanako).

 

Both have the ear pad issue unfortunately, but that's the only "vandalism" or "wear and tear" we came across with the sanako ones - they are however close to £100 a piece.

[synaesthesia]

£7 a piece for the Hills or £100 for those? Easy to buy more than you need, buy spare ear pads and clips and you'll still be quids in!

[mikeprice]

we use the TTS ones - they do have removeable padded ear thingies though

 

best part is that they have standard 3.5 - 3.5 cables so they can be replaced

 

but that would also make then impossible to cable tie in place

 

I would just go for the cheapest option and replace them every year

[Jawloms]

I know you said about mics etc., but we bought 64 of the Hills Components ones 18 months ago and have had none break yet!

 

Robust Headphone + Mic KS3+

Robust Headphone + Mic KS1-Adult

 

We paid £4.25 each.

 

Stuart

[NB9457]

We bought a few cheapo sets, then gave them to the departments and notified them they will be billed for any damage. When it comes out of their budget, it's amazing how much better looked after the equipment becomes...

[JATSO]

Dear All,

 

for years we have spent thousands on different types of headphones for the school,

and once again we are looking for more replacements.

 

We have never managed to find a kid proof pair of headphones, any suggestions?

 

We are willing to pay a extra for headphones with cables that are strong enough

the stand up to being plugged in and out, wrapped up and transported multiply times a day,

without detachable earphone pads that don't last a week.

 

3.5 Plug, No Built in Microphone, Not USB, No Noise cancelling, No Volume control, No visible left to right over the top cable,

strong and tough.

 

Ideally they would be made in horrible colours that no one would want to steal.

 

I am asking too much? Any suggestions/links very welcome.

 

(Yes, we have tried idea of kids of buying their own cheap headphones and that didn't work at all)

 

Thanks

 

Is there such a product ???

We have bought from Hills and other vendors and none of them have been able to stand up against children, chewing cables, pulling the ear cups off, split ear cups, cables fraying the speakers in the ear socket being pulled out. Although Hills headphones did last the longest but they are not childproof.

Edited July 13, 2017 by JATSO

[XiJ]

We gave up. Just got the cheapest reasonable ones and treat them as consumables.

[psydii]

Teaching departments supply their own.

[localzuk]

We have decided to make headphones part of students' basic equipment starting September. We will have some cheap in-ear ones, in a case for sale in our offices across the Trust. Just sourcing them at the moment. Looks like I'll be able to get them for about £2 a set I think!

[jthompson]

We bought some batches of Hama HK-5618 earlier in the year. Don't know yet how well they've lasted, but they have a decent chunkiness to them and were only a fiver each.

 

Whatever you get, invest is some poly bags to store each pair in if you're not securing them in place. In my experience a lot of damage can result just from box-of-headphones-spaghetti.

[LeMarchand]

We have decided to make headphones part of students' basic equipment starting September. We will have some cheap in-ear ones, in a case for sale in our offices across the Trust. Just sourcing them at the moment. Looks like I'll be able to get them for about £2 a set I think!

 

If you want cheap, most Poundland/worlds carry headphones. Even cheaper on Aliexpress.

[JATSO]

We have decided to make headphones part of students' basic equipment starting September. We will have some cheap in-ear ones, in a case for sale in our offices across the Trust. Just sourcing them at the moment. Looks like I'll be able to get them for about £2 a set I think!

 

Sounds great, but I wonder how that will go down with parents having to fork out an extra £2 for headphones they keep breaking or losing.

[localzuk]

If you want cheap, most Poundland/worlds carry headphones. Even cheaper on Aliexpress.

In cases? I can get plain headphones for 89p. Problem is, the CEO wants them in cases which can be labelled.

[LeMarchand]

In cases? I can get plain headphones for 89p. Problem is, the CEO wants them in cases which can be labelled.

 

You didn't say they had to have cases! How good do the cases have to be? Ziplock or similar bags are cheap: https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Home-Garden/Grip-Seal-Bags-Inch-Strong-Reusable-Lock/B0026BVGSG If you buy enough, it would probably be less than £1.11/bag to get a load of ziploks custom printed with the school's logo.

[ashleylewisms92]

I've never yet found anything that's completely robust, but I would say that the Microsoft Lifechat headsets are well made.

[strawberry]

Sounds great, but I wonder how that will go down with parents having to fork out an extra £2 for headphones they keep breaking or losing.

Hopefully like a lead balloon and the little monsters will start to look after their equipment!.

[Sheridan]

We have tried everything over the years from quality made ones to utter cheap rubbish and they all ended up the same way, picked apart and broken. Now we only provide the audio socket and the kids use their own headphones. They all have mobile phones on them so they will all have headphones in their pockets as well!

 

Having said that, they have vandalised a lot of the headphone sockets as well, the joys of working in a prison, sorry, school environment!