Review of BuddyPhones+ school headphones for online learning

BuddyPhones School+ are a budget solution for kids who do a lot of online schooling. Headphones are geared towards vocal clarity and come with a detachable boom microphone.

While BuddyPhones Explore+ focus on kids’ exploration and outdoor activities, the BuddyPhones School+ are headphones specifically designed for remote learning.

Unlike the Explore+ model, the School+ have comfier earpads for long online classes. The ear pads are also sweat-wicking, meaning they prevent ears from excessive sweating (though, they aren’t sweat-resistant).

Furthermore, the included detachable boom microphone helps pick up your child’s voice nice and clear, preventing any potential misunderstandings with a teacher. More on that later.

On the other hand, these are still below $30, so the build quality is on par with the price. Also, the audio primarily focuses on the vocal frequency range, leaving the rest a bit muted.

So, the question is:

Are BuddyPhones School+ the right headphones for your kid? Get to know all the pros and cons in the review below.

Sound

Star Rating 2.0 Adequate

Sound performance heavily focuses on vocals and midrange clarity. However, other regions are unrefined and mushy in comparison.

Since the School+ target online schooling, BuddyPhones tuned them for vocal clarity. However, they left other regions undefined, especially treble.

Bass

The bass is pretty flat, which is a good thing. It has enough presence to make the sound slightly warm, which is quite pleasant during long listening sessions.

However, it lacks definition and control. Also, you can’t expect a lot of punch or deep bass, which would add to the listening experience.

It seems like lower frequencies are pushed aside so they don’t bleed into the midrange.

Midrange

Speaking of mid frequencies, they’re definitely the most well-tuned on these headphones. Overall clarity is good, and vocals sound pretty natural.

However, that’s about it. Anything that isn’t human voice is pushed aside. For example, instruments would benefit from a bit more low-mid presence since they sound pretty thin.

Treble

Higher frequencies are seriously lacking in resolution and texture. They’re very balanced, like the bass. However, there’s no detail in them, and cymbals sound very splashy.

From a technical standpoint, BuddyPhones School+ don’t impress. Nevertheless, these aren’t meant for audio purists.

They’re great at what they’re designed for, providing good vocal clarity and basic listening needs.

Therefore, if your kid needs comfy headphones for school and occasionally listens to some music, the School+ are worth considering. Especially for such a low price.

Comfort & Fit

Star Rating 4.0 Great

Despite the on-ear fit, headphones manage to stay comfortable for a reasonable amount of time, even on my larger head. Thankfully, the stability doesn’t suffer much.

BuddyPhones (an Icelandic-originated audio company) managed to fine-tune the balance between comfort and stability on the School+.

Of course, the on-ear design still presses against the earlobes, which eventually start hurting, forcing you to take a break.

However, in the case of BuddyPhones School+, the latter happens much later. At least compared to similar on-ear headphones.

Padding inside the ear pads is plush enough to soften the clamping force, with a cushioned headband only adding to the overall comfort.

Furthermore, earpads use breathable fabric instead of leather. The material has anti-sweat-wicking properties, absorbing sweat and leaving your ears dry. This greatly contributes to comfort.

Moving to stability, headphones do a great job as well. Sure, they aren’t as secure as the Explore+ model. When shaking my head, they moved slightly but never fell off entirely.

Overall, BuddyPhones School+ offer a comfortable listening experience and a stable fit, even if your kid is extra hyperactive.

Durability

Star Rating 2.5 Average

The entire kids headphones feel very cheap and plasticky. However, as claimed, they indeed are flexible.

The build quality is on par with their price of under $30. Everything you touch is made of plastic, even the folding mechanism.

However, hinges are very tight and stiff. Consequently, they make no rattling noises when shaken. And when folded, they won’t accidentally unfold.

I’m sure they can survive a little bit of twisting or a couple of drops on the floor without cracking.

One thing that concerns me is the earpads. Since they have anti-sweat-wicking fabric, they suck in the sweat. Which means they can start stinking pretty fast.

Fortunately, earpads are removable, so you can clean them in the washer. Learn more about how to clean your earpads.

Another thing worth noting is the lack of an IP rating. Younger kids often aren’t careful with gadgets, so you can expect some liquid getting spilled over these kids headphones.

Nonetheless, BuddyPhones School+ are very affordable, and you can’t expect all the durability features for such a low price.

One thing I’ve noticed when taking pictures is that the white plastic quickly accumulates stains, even when gently placed on the grass. I managed to wipe the stains away with alcohol. Learn more on how to clean your headphones.

Features

Star Rating 4.0 Great

You get a good set of features for the price. A volume limiter, a cable with a built-in boom mic and inline controls, and an extra standard audio cable.

Despite their low price, BuddyPhones School+ aren’t skimping on great features.

Headphones support detachable cables. You get 2 pairs of cables in the box. One is just a regular one without a remote, whereas the second one has boom mic, inline control, and an audio splitter.

With the latter, headphones connect to multiple wired headphones. You can daisy chain a maximum of 4 headphones to the same device.

Furthermore, earcups fold for compact storage and come with a soft travel bag.

You can customize them.

You get 5 sets of stickers with BuddyPhones headphones. Four are school-themed, whereas the fifth set includes white alphabet and numbers.

Your kid can fully customize them with names, numbers, or something else. Kids love these kinds of things.

Noise Isolation

Star Rating 2.0 Adequate

On-ear fit and smaller than usual earpads don’t contribute to passive noise isolation. You can still hear most of the ambient noise.

On-ear design isn’t the most effective at providing a snug, tight seal. Meaning it passes through more of the ambient noise than traditional over-ear headphones.

BuddyPhones School+ also use fabric earpads, which are great for breathability but not for blocking surrounding noise.

As a result, you can still hear much of the ambient noise. Playing music helps overtake some of it, but I can’t recommend these to use on public transport.

However, this can also be positive since it ensures better awareness. If your kid plans to wear headphones on the way home from school, they should be aware of passing cars and other dangers around them.