9 best baby ear defenders of 2025 – Tried and tested for tiny ears

We love how the Alpine Muffy Baby Ear Defenders are thoughtfully designed to avoid putting pressure on the sensitive parts of your little one's head. The easily adjustable Velcro strap ensures a snug, comfortable fit while keeping the ear cups securely in place. Our senior writer, Samantha, tested these and appreciated the overall design, noting they aren’t too chunky or uncomfortable on her daughter's head. While she found the ear cups a bit tricky to adjust, she found it reassuring to know they wouldn’t shift or fall out of place on the headband.

The ear defenders are made without any metal or hard parts, so they're soft and comfortable. Samantha loved the soft shells in particular, describing how they cupped her daughter's ear without squishing or hurting them. Samantha said: "My daughter is 18 months old and doesn't like anything on her head, but surprisingly, she actually keeps these on". Samantha took the ear defenders with them when travelling in noisy cities because she noticed her daughter was previously covering her ears, and found she was a lot happier when wearing them. She even wore them to the Formula One and wasn't bothered about the noises in the slightest. Samantha said, "She actually loved wearing them too."

Samantha discovered that at first, the band rubbed her daughter's hair underneath and irritated her. But they were able to solve this easily by ensuring her hair was pushed back and tucked out of the way. After finding what worked, their daughter was more than happy to wear the ear defenders again.

We like that the product comes with a handy spare headband and matching carry bag to keep them safe and clean while storing or travelling. We also love that these ear defenders are useful for use during scans, as they don't contain metal.

Read our full Alpine Muffy Baby Ear Protection review

We love these colourful Snug Kids ear defenders and found them to be perfect for any noisy environment, from shopping to vacuuming. They'll keep your little one's ears protected, and they won't mind wearing them either – with so many cool and colourful designs that feed into your child's passions, they'll wear them eagerly! The headband is fully adjustable, fitting all head sizes from 6 months up, and the lightweight design won't put them off either.

Our Senior Writer, Samantha, took these for her six-year-old son when they went to watch the Formula One. She found them easy to fold and store away, although her son did struggle to open them up himself. She found that he was happy to wear them and didn't complain about the noise once he had them on

We like that they only weigh 180g and that the slim shell means they fold away neatly to take on the go or tuck away when storing and not in use. Despite the slim, foldable design, the pieces are strong and well-constructed, making this a durable product that should last a long time while your little one grows.

Read our full Snug Kids Ear Defender review

Described as the 'original baby ear defenders,' these will provide support and protection—they're even newborn-safe. The Ems For Kids includes two ear defender cups and an interchangeable and easy-to-wash headband. They're also nice and compact to carry around.

Designed to relieve pressure, one tester thought these were a great fit for her six-week-old baby, who wore them on bonfire night and slept happily through the entire display. While these ear defenders are targeted at young babies, this reviewer thought they also looked big enough to fit their little one for a few years to come.

Whether you're attending a family party with fireworks or taking your mini-me to their first festival, the Banz Bubzee ear defenders are essential for keeping loud noises at a manageable level. Our favourite thing about them is that they look cool! In fact, lots of parents in their reviews say their child has received compliments when wearing them, so they're the perfect trendy accessory to wear at loud social events, like firework displays.

They are also robust - in fact, they're said to be virtually indestructible! One reviewer said the ear defenders look like they will last a long time, and that although the product is suitable for up to three years, they believe they'll last quite a bit longer as they nearly fit over their own adult ears!

The ear defenders offer a comfortable, snug and pressure-free fit, made from soft plush foam, with the cushioned cups protecting the child's ears nicely. The soft headband is also fully adjustable so that you can achieve the best fit for your child's head to keep the ear muffs in place. 

One reviewer who thought these were well worth it said that they've used them since their baby was just four weeks old for several weddings, tube trips and aeroplane journeys. Their little one falls asleep with ease when wearing them, and they've received plenty of compliments, too.

The 3M Peltor ear defenders are durable and well-made, with low-profile, slim ear cups and no protruding parts. While the bare wires aren't ideal, they are comfortable to wear with soft inserts to reduce pressure on ears, according to our parent tester, and are designed to be worn for longer time periods in busy places, making them perfect for neurodivergent children who may need to keep them on for longer.

Our parent tester found these to be good value for money and said they worked well to reduce sounds, including noises such as drilling and power tools when being used around the house for a renovation or at loud outdoor events. We like that they come in two high-vis colours, making it easier for you to spot your child in a crowd.

The ear muffs are thin so that they don't feel too heavy on little ears. We particularly like that you can replace the cushions and inserts of the ear muffs, so if they become dirty or worn, you can keep them refreshed – this is healthier for your child's ears. The cups are also designed to have large spaces to help reduce moisture and heat build-up.

If you're looking for the best ear defenders for kids, these could be for you. Reducing sound by up to 45 decibels, these ear protectors are great for loud events or neurodiverse children. Best suitable for 12-24 months, the stretchy headband evenly distributes pressure for a comfy fit. One reviewer who bought these for their five-month-old twins noticed that sometimes the ear muffs had slipped down to the child's eye level, so they felt they had to watch out. The Velcro should allow you to adjust the headband so that it doesn't slip through.

They said, once their babies got used to them, they found they were really good, and a month later, when they were at a wedding, they slept well, which allowed the parents to stay for longer. They recommended practising with babies at home first, though, so they can get used to wearing them without trying to take them off. Another good thing is that the Reer Baby Capsule defenders are compact and can also be neatly folded, perfect for whipping out at a moment's notice.

Adjustable and with comfortable padding on the headband, these should provide a comfy fit for little ones. The BBTKCare Kids ear cups have thick oval sponges to dampen sound whilst still being breathable. They're soft as well to reduce pressure on the ears, and are built to support the younger age range with maximum comfort and sealing.

One reviewer bought these for their five-month-old to wear at a truck race, which was quite noisy. They said the ear muffs did a good job and that their little one actually slept through the races despite them being quite close to the track at some points. They definitely recommended them, saying they are easy to adjust to, with plenty of room for growth.

Another reviewer bought the product for their four-month-old baby and used it at weddings to help them sleep through loud DJ music. "They aren't noise-cancelling, but they do help," they said, and they would recommend the product.

Our parent tester, Hannah Mellin, was really impressed by the Dooky Baby Ear Protection and thought it was a great way to introduce her 8-month-old son to earmuffs. While most ear defenders can be bulky, these are small, compact and super soft and comfy – the perfect size. In fact, they are designed specially for babies aged 0-3 years, so if your family is always out and about at festivals and busy events, these are a great option for getting your little one used to wearing them.

Our tester found them to be great value, and whilst they didn't block out noise completely, they said that they did help soothe their son when they were at an air show, as he didn't seem phased by the loud noises. We love that they're easy to adjust, and that the earmuff itself is lovely and squishy, meaning it's not too hard on baby's head. On hot days, Hannah found that the band could make their forehead or hair a little sweaty, but said this wasn't a major issue.

Available in seven colourful designs, these are one of the best children's ear defenders on the market. The flexible headband of these Zohan Kids ear defenders suits different head sizes. With no exposed metal parts, they are safe to wear for as small as 6-month-old babies, and fit all the way up to almost adult head sizes. This makes them perfect as long-lasting ear defenders for toddlers, kids, and even teens. They're perfect for wearing in public spaces too, as older kids find them trendy, attractive and comfortable. Plus, they come with a storage bag, so they're easy to carry around when not being worn.

Our parent tester loved the different designs and mentioned that both her kids were more than happy to wear the Zohan Defenders because of the funky pattern. Lightweight and comfortable to wear, our tester's daughter was happy keeping these on her head. While they're not designed to block out noise completely, they will reduce it, and when wearing them during house construction, the daughter seemed unfazed by the banging. The tester's son was also happy to keep the ear defenders on while at a busy event.

These ear defenders are great value for money. The only downside is that if you take the ear cups off, they are extremely difficult to get back on again.