BuddyPhones Wave Review – Wireless & Waterproof Kids Headphones

If you need waterproof headphones for kids, the BuddyPhones Wave are your only option.

This is the newest model—at the time of writing—from BuddyPhones (a known brand specializing in headphones for kids) that comes with a couple of new features.

For the first time, water protection was incorporated into kids headphones.

It’s quite common for kids to get clumsy and mishandle things and sometimes water is included in the whole ordeal. When that happens, BuddyPhones Wave have you covered.

With the waterproof design, for example, you don’t have to worry about spilled tea damaging the headphones.

There are a couple of other features, including a steep price (are they even worth it?), but more on that below.

Generally, these are headphones that are most suited for children who tend to spill a lot of liquids (which, honestly, is all of them) and youngsters who aren’t the best at keeping their headphones charged and ready.

You can check the newest BuddyPhones with the link below.

Compare prices:

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BuddyPhones Wave Wireless Bluetooth® Headphones – Bee Yellow

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BuddyPhones WAVE

BuddyPhones WAVE

$69.99

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BuddyPhones Wave, Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Volume-Limiting Kids Headphones, 18-Hour Battery…

BuddyPhones Wave, Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Volume-Limiting Kids Headphones, 18-Hour Battery…

out of stock

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Amazon.com

BuddyPhones Wave are one of the best:

• Kids headphones
• Toddler headphones

What’s in the Box?

• BuddyPhones Wave wireless kids headphones
• 5mm flat cable (with Buddyshare adapter)
• MicroUSB charging cable
• A fabric carrying bag
• 2 stickers (to write your name on)
• User guide

Comfort & Fit

3.5 Almost Great

The headphones are very lightweight and don’t offer a lot of clamping force. They made the headband flexible so it doesn’t push on a kid’s head.

The on-ear pads are soft with foam filling and an anti-allergic cover. You can replace them if need be.

Moreover, the headband is extendable, so it can almost fit an adult’s head. You can give them to a toddler or a young teenager. And, while the cushion on the headband isn’t substantial, it doesn’t matter because the headphones are so light.

Find more headphones for toddlers.

Also, considering these have an on-ear design, some might experience sweaty ears after prolonged use. Overall, they’re quite comfortable, but we find the BuddyPhones Play to be equally comfy or even slightly better (because of the earpad design and earcup slant).

The right and left ear cups are marked on the inside of the headband, but most kids probably don’t care about that.

Noise Isolation

2.5 Average

So, when it comes to passive noise isolation Wave headphones aren’t very effective.

This is probably a good thing for when you want your kids to hear you but takes away from audio quality and noise reduction in loud public places, like an airport.

Situational awareness is crucial for little kids, so having amazing noise isolation in headphones isn’t important for them, but some of it, in our opinion, is good.

When the background noise is too loud, people want to increase the volume. The kids are the same way, except you don’t really want them to crank up the volume (because it can damage their hearing).

If you’re looking for bigger headphones with isolation, check the best noise isolating headphones.

Bluetooth

4.0 Great

Wireless headphones for kids have become quite popular nowadays, and the Wave are no different. They have Bluetooth 4.2, have 3.5mm cord support—the cord comes in the package—and have the usual built-in mic and control buttons.

Connecting is simple; pressing and holding the power button when turned off will make the light blink, and this is when you can search for the headphones on your device.

You get the standard 33ft (10m) range, give or take.

It’s a solid Bluetooth performance we’re used from BuddyPhones.

Battery

4.0 Great

We put them to the test, set Kids mode (max 85 dB) at max volume, and let them play music.

In our test of BuddyPhones Wave, we got 19 hours and 23 minutes from 100% battery to 0%.

BuddyPhones Wave battery comparison

This is plenty of juice even for the most forgetful kids (or parents), so you won’t have to charge them often.

The charging cable is the usual Micro-USB cable that you can plug into any PC, laptop, or suitable USB charger. It’s quite fast, and you should get to a full charge in about 2 hours.

In case the battery dies, you can plug in the cable and listen to them as wired headphones.

The only annoying thing is the voice prompt saying “Low battery, please charge it” every 27 seconds or so, even when it shows it at 20%. This makes it hard to enjoy music when the battery is low.

In the end, it’s solid battery life compared to similar headphones for kids at the moment. So, if your little one tends to forget a lot, these are a great choice.

Durability

4.5 Almost Perfect

Of course, one of the most important questions for any product meant for children. How well are they built? Will they survive my kids?

It’s a legitimate question, especially since these are quite pricey.

So, the initial impression of the headphones is pretty good. They’re entirely plastic but flexible. When extending the headband or folding it (you can fold them for better portability), you won’t hear any cracking sounds—that are common for many headphones.

It seems the material is some kind of rubbery plastic which is ideal for a pair of kids headphones since they tend to be expert destroyers of many things.

Furthermore, the addition of IPX7 water protection makes them fully waterproof. So, you can wash them under tap water if needed after they accidentally end up in a plate of food.

Find other best waterproof Bluetooth headphones.

Also, the cables you get in the package are flat and rubbery which is great for durability. The weak points like the 3.5mm plugs are additionally reinforced with rubber. And, the in-line module also feels well built.

Overall, these are sturdy and durable headphones for kids with fantastic water protection. There’s not much to complain about.

Note: Most durable earbuds

Features

4.0 Great

The most important feature of Wave headphones is the volume limiter.

It’s standard for all BuddyPhones models, and it’s quite effective.

You can choose from 4 different settings:

• Toddler Mode: volume limited to 75dB
• Kids Mode: volume limited to 85dB
• Travel Mode: volume limited to 94dB
• Study Mode: limited to 94dB and increased voice and speech clarity

You can change the settings by pressing the volume “up” and “down” buttons at the same time. You can see the light indicator changing depending on the mode.

Keep in mind, the limiter works only in Bluetooth mode. Though they can’t get very loud wired either because of the relatively high impedance of 32 ohms.

Moreover, the built-in buttons are okay to use. Not the easiest but they work fine. It’s probably for the better, so the youngsters don’t learn how to change the volume limiter too quickly themselves.

The built-in microphone works well for when you need to talk to them over a phone, but that’s probably not a core feature you’re looking for. It’s there when needed nonetheless.

Accessories

3.5 Almost Great

The BuddyPhones Wave Bluetooth headphones don’t come with a pack of stickers like the Play model.

• You only get the detachable AUX cable with the Buddyshare option. It’s basically an adapter that goes from one 3.5mm to two so another kid can connect to the same music device.
• You get a soft, fabric carrying bag in the same color as the headphones.
• And 2 stickers with an empty name-tag on it so you can tag them.

Sound

2.5 Average

Compared to adult headphones they don’t sound very good because they can’t get loud, and even if we compare them to BuddyPhones PLAY, they seem a bit lackluster.

The reason is the lack of bass which makes these tiny and a bit boring. Some bass is always a good thing.

Probably due to on-ear design and below-average noise isolation, the bass doesn’t come out the way you’d want.

Of course, all of this is just our personal experience, and the younger kids won’t really mind the audio quality. As long as the headphones fit their head and are of beautiful color with their name tag on it, they’ll probably be happy.

Why Buy BuddyPhones Wave?

Now, considering the price, which is quite a bit higher than comparable headphones for kids, the question of, “are they worth it?” arises.

It’s a fair question.

Sure, these are the latest and most durable kid’s headphones BuddyPhones have ever made, but the addition of water protection (no competition) and massively improved battery life alone won’t be enough to justify the higher price for many people.

If you’re looking for the best value overall, then BuddyPhones Play might be a better option.

On the other hand, if protection against liquids and long battery life are vital for you, then the BuddyPhones Wave are the best choice for you right now.

All in all, if they lower the price a bit after a while, these will become much more attractive for every parent that wants a pair of durable and safe kids headphones.

Compare prices:

Phone Buddy Auditory Feedback Reading Phone, Speech Therapy, 4 Pack

Phone Buddy Auditory Feedback Reading Phone, Speech Therapy, 4 Pack

$18.99

in stock

Buy now

Walmart.com

BuddyPhones Wave Wireless Bluetooth® Headphones – Bee Yellow

BuddyPhones Wave Wireless Bluetooth® Headphones – Bee Yellow

$39.99

in stock

Buy now

eBay

BuddyPhones WAVE

BuddyPhones WAVE

$69.99

in stock

Buy now

Buddyphones.com

BuddyPhones Wave, Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Volume-Limiting Kids Headphones, 18-Hour Battery…

BuddyPhones Wave, Waterproof Wireless Bluetooth Volume-Limiting Kids Headphones, 18-Hour Battery…

out of stock

Buy now

Amazon.com

BuddyPhones Wave Alternatives

BuddyPhones Cosmos+

Premium headphones for kids with bigger, over-ear cups, a detachable boom microphone, and active noise cancellation. However, you have to pay more for extra features and they’re not waterproof.

BuddyPhones Cosmos+ review

Puro Sound Labs BT2200

Puro Sound Labs BT2200 Plus are similar on-ear headphones with volume limiting. These fix the max volume to 85 dB without the option to change it. They’re not waterproof, but still sturdy and look more like adult headphones.

Puro Sound Labs BT2200 review

For more options, see:

• Best headphones for kids
• Best toddler headphones

Specifications

Matija Ferjan

Matija Ferjan is a seasoned audio enthusiast reviewing headphones since 2015. He has personally tested hundreds of headphones and earbuds. He’s an active member of the Headphone Audio community and a true nitpicker, always looking for the “best-value-for-money” headphones.