Headphones for competitions?
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I can't answer your question.
But "fit well on the head" is extremely personal. E.g., my head is too thin for most headphones to stay on. It's a problem with helmets too, though I don't use one for skating - anything narrow enough to stay on well doesn't protect my forehead.
For me, I have found some of the ones where the band goes behind the head fit better and stay on better than the ones where the band is above the head.
Also, for me, with my narrow ear canals, earbuds never stay in, even if I use expensive ones made of silicone that completely mold to the ear shape. But a lot of people find them very convenient and non-obtrusive.
But that could be completely different for your daughter.
I hope it doesn't sound extreme to say that she should go to a store where she can try them on. In some ways they are almost as hard to fit right as skate boots. Though many people make do with generic ones. One can force slightly large fittings ones to stay on using a headband. Anything on the body, including the head, can affect your weight distribution to the point that spins might feel slightly different. Maybe not a huge effect, but it might be noticeable by a few people.
And then there is the question of whether to pick a Bluetooth model, or one with a wire to the device she is using. I don't know how high quality headphones she needs (lightness may be more important if she will skate with them), but a good rule of thumb for HiFi is that Bluetooth headphones will be about $150 -$200 more expensive than similar quality wired headphones - and for the most part all the best headphones (which she probably doesn't need for this) are wired. (Possible exception: Apple AirPods Max, about $550 new. Only compatible with a few Apple devices. And a bit bulky.) But I think wired headphones, while performing a program, could be pretty awkward, because she has to be careful not to brush them off. And unless wired headphones have replaceable wires (and only a few expensive ones do), wires frequently fail, because you accidentally tug on them.
And not all headphones sound equally good. If she is listening to instructions from a coach, or reviewing her skating program, dialog needs to come through very clear. If possible, she should bring the smartphone or other device with her program music and/or program instructions, to try with headphones - though that isn't possible in many stores. She also needs to make sure the headphones are compatible with the source device. That applies both to wired and Bluetooth devices. E.g., Apple devices are often incompatible with non-Apple devices. So if you can, bring to the store the device she
One thing that might not be obvious: You might want ones that don't annoy other people, because they can hear them while she wears them. E.g., bone conduction headphones can be very comfortable to me, but are often like that. "Closed back" headphones tend to be less audible by others than open back headphones, but there are no hard and fast rules, and many people don't like the feel of closed back headphones.
BTW, some ice rinks don't allow headphones or earbuds while on the ice. I guess they think they are unsafe?? And the rules could even be different for public sessions, Freestyle or Dance sessions, and club sessions.
I don't bring headphones to ice rinks any more. When I did, I brought cheap lightweight ones that I didn't mind getting broken, or stolen if I leave them in a bag by the rink, and maybe held them on with a headband. Sometimes dollar store variety. Sometimes $5 Bluetooth ones from places like Five Below. At home, I use Audio Technica ATH-M50x, which happen to sound very good to me, are adjustable enough to fit me, and are only about $160 new - but are wired (with repleaceable wires) and are much too bulky to skate with. If I took them to the rink, and tried to spin fast, they might well fly off my head.
I especially like the fact that I can wear them for hours while watching TV or Internet, or listen to music, without irritation. But that's because they happen to fit my head and ears well, and without a huge amount of pressure. And it probably isn't a requirement for figure skating.
There are a few other potential issues. Some (including all the Bluetooth ones) have rechargeable batteries - and they need to hold a charge long enough for your daughter's purposes.
But I'm going back to what I said before. Go to the store and try them, both for fit, and for sound. And make sure it is OK with your rink.
EDIT: If they are expensive, you might want a "sports" pair that is fairly waterproof. Also, I've never tried headphones with built in flash drive, but maybe that would be a more reliable connection than a wire or Bluetooth connection to your Smartphone? I don't know.
If she skates noisy sessions, I wonder if noise cancellation would help. Of course, that might impact safety.
But "fit well on the head" is extremely personal. E.g., my head is too thin for most headphones to stay on. It's a problem with helmets too, though I don't use one for skating - anything narrow enough to stay on well doesn't protect my forehead.
For me, I have found some of the ones where the band goes behind the head fit better and stay on better than the ones where the band is above the head.
Also, for me, with my narrow ear canals, earbuds never stay in, even if I use expensive ones made of silicone that completely mold to the ear shape. But a lot of people find them very convenient and non-obtrusive.
But that could be completely different for your daughter.
I hope it doesn't sound extreme to say that she should go to a store where she can try them on. In some ways they are almost as hard to fit right as skate boots. Though many people make do with generic ones. One can force slightly large fittings ones to stay on using a headband. Anything on the body, including the head, can affect your weight distribution to the point that spins might feel slightly different. Maybe not a huge effect, but it might be noticeable by a few people.
And then there is the question of whether to pick a Bluetooth model, or one with a wire to the device she is using. I don't know how high quality headphones she needs (lightness may be more important if she will skate with them), but a good rule of thumb for HiFi is that Bluetooth headphones will be about $150 -$200 more expensive than similar quality wired headphones - and for the most part all the best headphones (which she probably doesn't need for this) are wired. (Possible exception: Apple AirPods Max, about $550 new. Only compatible with a few Apple devices. And a bit bulky.) But I think wired headphones, while performing a program, could be pretty awkward, because she has to be careful not to brush them off. And unless wired headphones have replaceable wires (and only a few expensive ones do), wires frequently fail, because you accidentally tug on them.
And not all headphones sound equally good. If she is listening to instructions from a coach, or reviewing her skating program, dialog needs to come through very clear. If possible, she should bring the smartphone or other device with her program music and/or program instructions, to try with headphones - though that isn't possible in many stores. She also needs to make sure the headphones are compatible with the source device. That applies both to wired and Bluetooth devices. E.g., Apple devices are often incompatible with non-Apple devices. So if you can, bring to the store the device she
One thing that might not be obvious: You might want ones that don't annoy other people, because they can hear them while she wears them. E.g., bone conduction headphones can be very comfortable to me, but are often like that. "Closed back" headphones tend to be less audible by others than open back headphones, but there are no hard and fast rules, and many people don't like the feel of closed back headphones.
BTW, some ice rinks don't allow headphones or earbuds while on the ice. I guess they think they are unsafe?? And the rules could even be different for public sessions, Freestyle or Dance sessions, and club sessions.
I don't bring headphones to ice rinks any more. When I did, I brought cheap lightweight ones that I didn't mind getting broken, or stolen if I leave them in a bag by the rink, and maybe held them on with a headband. Sometimes dollar store variety. Sometimes $5 Bluetooth ones from places like Five Below. At home, I use Audio Technica ATH-M50x, which happen to sound very good to me, are adjustable enough to fit me, and are only about $160 new - but are wired (with repleaceable wires) and are much too bulky to skate with. If I took them to the rink, and tried to spin fast, they might well fly off my head.
I especially like the fact that I can wear them for hours while watching TV or Internet, or listen to music, without irritation. But that's because they happen to fit my head and ears well, and without a huge amount of pressure. And it probably isn't a requirement for figure skating.
There are a few other potential issues. Some (including all the Bluetooth ones) have rechargeable batteries - and they need to hold a charge long enough for your daughter's purposes.
But I'm going back to what I said before. Go to the store and try them, both for fit, and for sound. And make sure it is OK with your rink.
EDIT: If they are expensive, you might want a "sports" pair that is fairly waterproof. Also, I've never tried headphones with built in flash drive, but maybe that would be a more reliable connection than a wire or Bluetooth connection to your Smartphone? I don't know.
If she skates noisy sessions, I wonder if noise cancellation would help. Of course, that might impact safety.
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Thanks for the in-depth answer. She won't use them on the ice. She will use them to warm up on floor when she is competing because she gets nervous and needs to "shut out the world". But I find that many models fall off to easily while doing jumps on the floor.
>Wireless in-ear, bluetooth capable, waterproof would be good for sweating.
Is that a common problem with headphones? Since I mostly use headphones at home, while sitting, and I don't sweat much at ice rinks, that isn't an issue for me. Maybe "closed back" headphones would be the worst. And behind-the-ear bone conduction models would be the best?
If she chooses earbuds, and they tend to fall out because of her ear shapes, some earbuds have a curved piece that fits behind the ear, and helps a little to hold them in. You can maybe try to check whether ear buds will stay in her ears securely by trying a cheap pair at the dollar store. To stay in well, the ear canals have to be substantially wider next to the eardrums than at the outside, and unusually narrow ear canals don't work with most earbuds regardless.
Even if she won't use them on ice (and maybe she will eventually want to hear her program music while skating), rink air is usually quite humid. A lot of electronics doesn't cope well with that. So water resistance is good. Maybe it would be good for sweat too.
I think of it a compact lightweight headphones or earbuds that includes its own flashdrive to hold recordings without connecting to another device would be better. I haven't tried any of those devices, but it makes sense. Because the separate SmartPhone or similar device can sometimes be awkward to attach to the body, and might fall off or affect balance if she practices rotating jumps with them, even off-ice. BUT I admit there is a "cool factor" to high end iPhones, that is more important to some kids (and adults) than all practical considerations. And they are multi-purpose devices - e.g., they can video skating. But it sometimes scares me when people hold distracted phone conversations while skating.
I trust you know that high volume listening can damage hearing over the long run. Some kids (and oddly enough, some adult high end audio buffs) love doing that. It may or may not help to point out how my elderly people need hearing aids - and still have trouble understanding speech. But peer pressure might be more effective than rational explanations from parents, as you may have learned.
I wonder if it is healthier to stay away from "bass boosting" models, unless she has low frequency hearing loss that requires it? I think that encourages high volume listening, and loud bass makes understanding words more difficult. (For English - maybe there are languages where low frequencies help understanding words?)
Is that a common problem with headphones? Since I mostly use headphones at home, while sitting, and I don't sweat much at ice rinks, that isn't an issue for me. Maybe "closed back" headphones would be the worst. And behind-the-ear bone conduction models would be the best?
If she chooses earbuds, and they tend to fall out because of her ear shapes, some earbuds have a curved piece that fits behind the ear, and helps a little to hold them in. You can maybe try to check whether ear buds will stay in her ears securely by trying a cheap pair at the dollar store. To stay in well, the ear canals have to be substantially wider next to the eardrums than at the outside, and unusually narrow ear canals don't work with most earbuds regardless.
Even if she won't use them on ice (and maybe she will eventually want to hear her program music while skating), rink air is usually quite humid. A lot of electronics doesn't cope well with that. So water resistance is good. Maybe it would be good for sweat too.
I think of it a compact lightweight headphones or earbuds that includes its own flashdrive to hold recordings without connecting to another device would be better. I haven't tried any of those devices, but it makes sense. Because the separate SmartPhone or similar device can sometimes be awkward to attach to the body, and might fall off or affect balance if she practices rotating jumps with them, even off-ice. BUT I admit there is a "cool factor" to high end iPhones, that is more important to some kids (and adults) than all practical considerations. And they are multi-purpose devices - e.g., they can video skating. But it sometimes scares me when people hold distracted phone conversations while skating.
I trust you know that high volume listening can damage hearing over the long run. Some kids (and oddly enough, some adult high end audio buffs) love doing that. It may or may not help to point out how my elderly people need hearing aids - and still have trouble understanding speech. But peer pressure might be more effective than rational explanations from parents, as you may have learned.
I wonder if it is healthier to stay away from "bass boosting" models, unless she has low frequency hearing loss that requires it? I think that encourages high volume listening, and loud bass makes understanding words more difficult. (For English - maybe there are languages where low frequencies help understanding words?)
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- Jan 9, 2017
The more advanced brands of in ear would be fine, and trying out some "dollar store model" isn't going to give the same fit experience etc.
And if she is competitive and warming up before a competition, that is why I said waterproof among other reasons. YES she's warming up and will get WARM and SWEAT.
I've done this myself for many years. Hence my suggestions.
I use basic wired Apple Earpods with the wire running down the inside of my shirt to a phone in my pocket, and then a headband to keep them from flying out during spins. I did try Airpods years ago, but searching for a small white object across the vast white ice surface is not my definition of a good time.
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