How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want serious passive noise reduction that protects young ears in genuinely loud places, choose MelonArt Noise Cancelling Headphones; if you need a fun Bluetooth headphone for everyday listening with a safe volume cap, choose esonstyle Kids Headphones Cat.
• MelonArt's biggest strength: a rated 27dB SNR reduction, which is real ear-defender territory, plus a three-pack that covers several kids at once.
• MelonArt's biggest trade-off: it's a passive earmuff, so there's no Bluetooth, no music, no mic — it blocks sound, it doesn't play anything.
• esonstyle's biggest strength: Bluetooth 5.4 with a 20-hour battery, a built-in microphone and an 85dB child volume limit, so it's a genuine listening device.
• esonstyle's biggest trade-off: its noise control is passive cancellation only, with no reduction rating published, so it dampens sound rather than blocking it hard.
• For whom: MelonArt suits parents of kids aged roughly 3–16 heading into concerts, airports, fireworks or motorsport. esonstyle suits kids, teens and even adults who want wireless music, calls and a bit of fun styling.
MelonArt plays in a different category from most "kids headphones." It's an ear defender first. The headline figure is a 27dB SNR noise reduction rating, which is the number that actually matters when you're standing near a monster truck rally or under a fireworks display. That's not a gentle volume cap; that's hearing protection.
Physically, it's built for small heads and long wear. The cups are PU leather over cushioned padding, the shell is plastic (ABS), and the whole thing weighs 190g — light enough that a child won't spend the afternoon tugging it off. The headband is adjustable so it grows with the kid, and the age guidance runs from toddler through young adult, with the brand calling out ages 3 to 16. Materials are described as BPA-free and non-toxic, which is exactly what you want in something pressed against a child's ears for hours. The package includes three pairs in blue, pink and green, so siblings are covered in one go.
Who should buy it: parents of sensory-sensitive kids, families with loud outings on the calendar, anyone who needs protection that works instantly with no battery, no pairing and no charging cable. Who should skip it: a child who mainly wants to listen to music or take calls. This is an environmental noise cancellation earmuff — it has no wireless audio at all. If your kid wants to hear anything through it, this isn't the product.
The esonstyle S21 is the opposite approach: a proper wireless headphone with a playful shell. The design leans hard into fun — a space capsule silhouette, cat-ear styling, and RGB lighting that pulses while it plays. For a kid who treats headphones as an accessory, that matters more than any spec sheet.
Underneath the styling it's a competent everyday headphone. Bluetooth 5.4 gives you modern, stable wireless with a 15-meter range, and battery life is around 20 hours — enough for a week of school commutes or a couple of long car rides. There's a microphone for calls, and when the battery runs dry you can plug in the detachable 3.5mm cable and keep going wired. The 40mm dynamic drivers with a 20Hz–20kHz frequency range are standard full-range fare, and 32-ohm impedance means they're easy to drive from a phone or tablet. Latency is listed at 40 milliseconds, which is low enough that video audio stays roughly in sync.
The safety angle is the 85dB child volume limit, plus BPA- and heavy-metal-free materials. Comfort gets real attention too: a silent-stretch headband that adjusts without snagging hair, soft oval cushions, and multi-axis hinges that fold the whole thing down for a backpack.
Who should buy it: kids, teens and adults who want wireless music, audiobooks and calls with a volume ceiling and a fun look. Who should skip it: anyone buying for genuine noise protection. Its noise control is listed as passive cancellation, with no reduction rating published, so treat it as light isolation — fine for a bus, not for a shooting range.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for real hearing protection → MelonArt. A published 27dB SNR rating is the single most important number here.
• Best for loud events (concerts, fireworks, airports, motorsport) → MelonArt. That's precisely the use case its design targets.
• Best for a child who wants one pair for everything → esonstyle. Wired and wireless modes cover more situations.
• Best for multiple kids at once → MelonArt. Three pairs ship in one box.
• Best for travel packing → esonstyle. The folding hinges make it far easier to stow; MelonArt is a fixed over-head earmuff.
• Best for the youngest, most sound-sensitive kids → MelonArt. Lightweight, adjustable, and no charging routine to manage.
• Best for style-conscious tweens and teens → esonstyle. Cat ears and RGB lighting do the selling.
In my opinion, these two barely compete — they solve different problems, and the right answer depends entirely on what your child actually needs. If the goal is protecting young ears from genuinely loud environments, I'd buy the MelonArt Noise Cancelling Headphones without hesitation: a 27dB SNR rating, a 190g build and three pairs in the box make it the more purposeful purchase. If instead you want a fun, safe everyday headphone for music, videos and calls, I'd buy the esonstyle Kids Headphones Cat. For most families with a loud event on the calendar, MelonArt is the one I'd reach for first.
It means the headphone reduces noise through physical design rather than electronics — cushioned cups sealing around the ear and blocking sound before it reaches the eardrum. There's no battery, no circuitry and no active anti-noise processing involved.
How do passive noise cancelling headphones work?
They're best for continuous, loud environments — concerts, airports, fireworks and motorsport — where you want a hard reduction in volume. MelonArt is designed exactly for that; esonstyle's passive cancellation is lighter and better suited to everyday listening.
A passive model only blocks sound, while a Bluetooth model like the esonstyle S21 plays audio wirelessly and adds a mic and an 85dB volume limit. Some headphones, including the esonstyle, combine passive isolation with wireless playback. If you need both protection and music, weigh which matters more before deciding.
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See also: iClever Noise Cancelling Headphones vs AOC Headset, Lilian&Gema Noise Cancelling Headphones vs ProCase Extra, Perytong Sleep Headphones vs ELECDER i37: Noise Cancelling