Skip to main content

Puro Sound Labs BT2200 review

Puro's BT2200 wireless headphones let your kid rock, yet keep eardrums intact

There will come a day when your precious offspring will ask for a swank set of headphones just like mom and dad have. Fortunately, Puro Sound Labs has the perfect solution in the BT2200 wireless headphones for kids.

Parenting is often an ongoing mix of compromises, but it seems especially so when it comes to tech for kids, such as headphones. At some point, your precious little ones are going to outgrow those tinny, $10 plastic Hello Kitty headphones they just had to have at age 5 and demand … er, ask politely for an upgrade to something a bit more swank, like those high-dollar wireless cans they see their parents enjoying. Typically, this request comes at about the same time they seem to realize that your smartphone would also work quite well as their smartphone. Funny how that happens.

That was the position this high-tech dad found himself in when his tech-savvy 10-year-old got mom’s beat up old iPhone, slipped off the little-kid headphones he’d used for years, and was finally allowed to put on a pair of $350 do-all-be-all wireless cans. As the ocean of sonic bliss that is Beck’s Wow washed over him and his eyes widened at the aural beauty of it all, I knew it was time. My boy deserved some real headphones.

Recommended Videos

You get a lot of features – and fortunately a bit less “bang” – for your $99.

But a headphone upgrade for young ones raises some legitimate parenting concerns. Cost is one, of course, but so is hearing. Kids aren’t very good at regulating volume, as more always seems to be better to them. No wonder they can never hear you telling them to do the dishes! But in all seriousness, hearing damage from earbuds and headphones is a real problem, with the potential to adversely affect a person throughout life.

Designed with kids in mind, Puro Sound’s BT2200 wireless headphones are an elegant solution. At $99 from most retailers, they’re not cheap, but they’re not Beats expensive, either. Best of all, they’re loaded with features, while also offering a bit less “bang” than traditional headphones for your Ben Franklin.

Puro Sound Labs BT2200 review
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends
Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

Available in black, blue, purple and Frozen-worthy white, Puro’s kid cans offer a feature you should never, ever tell your kids about — a built-in volume limitation. And it’s not something you can turn off, either. The BT2200 are permanently capped at a relatively safe output of 85dB, which is still plenty loud. So, yes, junior or little miss can safely rock out for hours, and when you finally pry them off their heads, they’ll still be able to hear you remind them about their homework or taking out the trash.

Upgrading kids’ headphones raises some legitimate parenting concerns.

Perhaps best of all, these headphones sound great. The BT2200’s sonic qualities across a broad spectrum of musical genres are genuinely impressive. Bass in hip-hop tracks is tight and deep without being overpowering, while instruments in rock and folk tunes are offered with definition and clarity typical of adult-sized cans. According to the author’s son, they sound “so awesome” (spoken like a true critic) and fit “perfectly,” barely leaving his head on a typical weekend, and garnering zero complaints.

The rounded headband is actually a big tube of soft material, and it keeps the design of the headphones simple yet comfortable. And judging by my son’s inability to hear me telling him it was time to rake the leaves (yet again), the passive sound isolation of the earcups works quite well. The headphones do not feature any active noise cancellation technology.

The on-board controls include volume adjustment, Bluetooth pairing, and a power switch, all on the left ear cup. There’s also a built-in mic for phone calls (or Minecraft group play, etc). All of the no-look controls are easy to use; other headphone makers could take a design clue or two from these. The battery is claimed to last 18 hours (we never ran it out despite all-day use) and the BT2200 also work fine as traditional wired headphones. They recharge with a typical USB micro connection.

Befitting the price, the BT2200 feature aluminum construction throughout, which should help in their longevity, although my son was so enamored with them he carefully stowed them in their included hard case while not using them. As one might guess, he was thoroughly dismayed when he had to hand back the headphones at the end of the review period. For now, he’s making do with an old beater pair of dad’s cans that don’t fit well, aren’t wireless and aren’t cool at all. Poor kid.

DT Editors' Rating: 4.5/5

Bill Roberson
Former Digital Trends Contributor
I focus on producing Digital Trends' 'DT Daily' video news program along with photographing items we get in for review. I…
This TCL HD projector has a killer deal today
TCL Projector A1.

Owning a portable projector is one of the best ways to enjoy movies, shows, and video games on the go. And if you’ve been thinking about investing in one of these lens-equipped bad boys, allow us to direct your attention to the incredible TCL A1, an HD powerhouse that happens to be on sale:

For a limited time, when you purchase the TCL A1 Google TV Projector through Amazon or Walmart, you’ll only pay $380. The full MSRP on this model is $500. It’s one of the best projector deals we’ve seen in a while, so take advantage of the offer while you still can!

Read more
Surround sound smackdown: Sonos Arc Ultra System vs. Sony Bravia Theater Quad
Sonos Arc Ultra and Sub vs Bravia Theater Quad

Are you looking for a top-tier Dolby Atmos surround sound system that gets as close as possible to a full-on receiver and speakers? I have two favorites. Let’s pit them against each other. 

First, on the Sonos side, there is the Arc Ultra with its enhanced bass performance, the new Sonos Sub 4, and two Dolby Atmos-capable Era 300 speakers. On the Sony side it’s the Bravia Theater Quad system matched up to Sony’s best subwoofer, the SW5. 

Read more
This Samsung 83-inch OLED TV has a $1,000 discount today
Samsung S85D 4K OLED TV.

Samsung produces a ton of TVs, so it’s no surprise to us that some of the best TV deals are on Samsung products (because there are so many!). Fortunately, Samsung is one of the best TV brands in the business, especially when it comes to 4K OLED TVs. As luck would have it, we came across a major discount on a monstrous Samsung: 

For a limited time, when you purchase the Samsung 83-inch S85D Series OLED through Best Buy or Walmart, you’ll only pay $2,500. The full MSRP on this model is $3,500. 

Read more