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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-30 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• PROHEAR 032 biggest strength: Genuine, standards-based hearing protection — an NRR of 25dB and compliance with ANSI S3.19-1974 and CE EN 352-1. There is no audio driver here, and that is the point.
• PROHEAR 032 biggest trade-off: It cannot play music or take a call. If you want your child to hear a lesson or a movie, this is the wrong tool.
• ELECDER i37 biggest strength: Plug-and-play wired audio over a gold-plated 3.5mm jack with a long 4.9 ft tangle-free cord, a foldable adjustable headband and cushioned on-ear pads.
• ELECDER i37 biggest trade-off: Its noise control is sound isolation from the cushion seal, not a certified reduction rating — so it quiets chatter, it does not protect hearing at a monster truck show.
• Who each is for: PROHEAR 032 for loud-environment safety (ages 3–12). ELECDER i37 for schoolwork, devices and travel listening (kids and teens).
The PROHEAR 032 is, first and last, an ear defender. The spec that matters most is the one number you rarely see on a pair of kids' headphones: an NRR of 25dB. That rating comes with compliance to ANSI S3.19-1974 and CE EN 352-1, which tells you this is a product built and tested as protective equipment rather than as a toy with a speaker inside.
That framing changes how you should read every other feature. The 360° rotatable cups and fully padded headband exist to seal around a small head and stay comfortable for the length of a loud event. The ultra-soft, skin-friendly cushions fully encompass the ears, which is what actually creates the reduction. And the stated goal is deliberately partial: it lowers harmful noise while still letting your child hear important sounds around them. In a crowd, that awareness is a safety feature, not a compromise.
The physical build supports that job. There is a durable ABS shell, an ultra-lightweight construction, and the whole thing folds down via the adjustable headband and rotating cups into a compact shape — a travel drawstring bag is included for exactly that reason. It fits children aged 3 to 12, and the high-visibility, fade-resistant colorway is meant to keep a kid noticeable in busy, noisy places.
Who should buy it: parents of a child who gets overwhelmed or genuinely needs ear protection at monster truck shows, sports events, concerts, airplane rides, or who is on the autism spectrum and needs a physical way to turn the world down. Who should skip it: anyone whose child wants to listen to a video, follow along with a class, or take a call. There is no audio path here at all — the noise control is listed as cancellation for voice calls, and that is a reduction function, not a speaker. Buy it as safety gear and it makes complete sense. Buy it expecting headphones and you will be disappointed.
The ELECDER i37 is the opposite kind of product, and it is honest about it. This is a wired on-ear headphone for kids and teens, built around a gold-plated 3.5mm jack and an L-shaped stereo plug that connects to Chromebooks, tablets, laptops, smartphones, DVD players and Kindles. No pairing, no charging, no app. You plug it in and it works.
The design details read like they were chosen by someone who has watched a kid use headphones at a school desk. The 4.9 ft tangle-free cord is long enough to move during a car ride or a plane seat swap but still manageable in a backpack. The headband folds and adjusts, so it stores flat in a suitcase or school bag. The cushioned on-ear pads are made with lead-free and BPA-free materials, and the cups are shaped to help kids learn left/right placement without being told twice. Fabric and foam enclosure materials and dynamic drivers at 32 ohm impedance round out a fairly conventional, easy-to-drive audio design.
On the noise question — the reason these two products get compared — the i37 takes a passive approach. The on-ear cushion design reduces ambient noise like classroom chatter, and it deliberately leaves the wearer aware of their surroundings. That is the right call for a child in a public space, and it is a real benefit. But it is isolation from a physical seal, not a certified reduction rating, and there is no active cancellation circuitry described anywhere in the specs. If you need to knock down genuinely dangerous volume, this is not that product.
Who should buy it: a student who needs a reliable wired set for school-issued devices, a kid who wants their own headphones for tablets and travel, or a small adult who wants a compact on-ear pair. Who should skip it: anyone buying for a child who is sensitive to loud environments and needs actual protection. For that job, the i37 is simply the wrong category of product.
• Best for certified hearing protection → PROHEAR 032. An NRR of 25dB with ANSI S3.19-1974 and CE EN 352-1 compliance is the whole reason to buy it.
• Best for listening to devices → ELECDER i37. The 3.5mm wired connection covers Chromebooks, tablets, laptops and phones.
• Best for loud events and sensory overload → PROHEAR 032. Monster truck shows, concerts, sports events and airplane rides are named use cases, and the partial sound reduction keeps a child aware.
• Best for schoolwork and classroom use → ELECDER i37. Cushioned pads reduce chatter while preserving awareness, and the foldable frame survives a backpack.
• Best for the youngest users → PROHEAR 032. It is sized for ages 3 to 12, with a fully padded headband and 360° rotatable cups.
• Best for kids and teens who want their own audio → ELECDER i37. The listed age range is kid and teen, and the on-ear fit suits petite adults too.
• Best for travel packing → either, for different reasons. PROHEAR folds compact with a drawstring bag; the i37 folds flat into a suitcase or school bag.
• Best for peace of mind on materials → ELECDER i37. Lead-free and BPA-free construction, plus a stated 1-year warranty with 24/7 email support. PROHEAR counters with 15+ years focused on hearing protection and 24/7 support of its own.
• Best if your child needs to hear and be heard → PROHEAR 032. It reduces harmful noise without shutting the world out.
If I were buying for a child who needs to be in a loud place — a show, a stadium, a flight, or a day when everything is too much — I would buy the PROHEAR 032. In my opinion, the certified 25dB reduction and the safety-first design are worth more than any audio feature, because that is the job you are actually hiring it to do. If instead the goal is schoolwork, devices and travel listening, I would buy the ELECDER i37, which does the wired-audio job simply and folds up small. My honest advice: decide which problem you have first, because these two only look like competitors. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, and match the product to the job.
FAQ
how to replace ear pads on bose noise cancelling headphones
what is the best noise cancelling over ear headphones
"Best" depends entirely on what you mean by noise cancelling. If you mean certified hearing protection for a child, the PROHEAR 032 is the stronger pick here, with an NRR of 25dB and ANSI S3.19-1974 and CE EN 352-1 compliance. If you mean quieting a room while listening to a device, the ELECDER i37's on-ear cushion isolation is the relevant feature — it reduces chatter while keeping the wearer aware.
what are the best noise cancelling over ear headphones
Same answer, different framing. These two are not active noise cancelling headphones in the usual sense. The PROHEAR 032 reduces noise as protective equipment and does not play audio. The ELECDER i37 is a wired on-ear headphone whose cushions passively reduce ambient sound. Pick based on whether you need protection or playback.
what are the best noise cancelling in ear headphones
Neither of these is an in-ear model. The ELECDER i37 sits on ear with over-ear shaped earpieces over fabric and foam cushions, and the PROHEAR 032 is a folding earmuff that fully encompasses the ear. If you specifically want in-ear, you are looking at a different category than either of these.
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