Where to buy cheap noise-canceling headphones for your kid

It goes without saying that the upcoming semester is going to be an adjustment.

Whether kids will physically be back in their classroom or not (or a three-days-on, two-days-off hybrid of the two), the transition from summer play to school may not be so smooth, and it might take something extra to get kids in the mindset to buckle down.

Active noise cancellation (ANC) drowns out the expected disturbances like voices and unsuspecting distractors like a foot tapping, the clock ticking, or someone breathing loudly through their mask. Some people work better with background noise: Hit the ANC button then let binaural lo-fi beats or a study playlist full of alpha waves flow for a constructive stimulation while studying.

If a $349 pair from Bose or Beats isn’t in the cards, we found the best noise-canceling headphones under $100 that Best Buy and Amazon have to offer:

A step up from the wireless earbuds they might be used to, JLab’s Epic Active Noise Canceling headphones are totally wireless (aside from the neck strap that’ll be a lifesaver if one earbud falls out). Three levels of ANC — high, low, and Be Aware Audio — intercept waveforms outside the ear cup to eliminate outside sounds while delivering crisp 12mm sound.

The brand that brings the party to summer with badass waterproof speakers now brings you one of the best wallet-friendly pairs of noise-canceling on-ear headphones. A worthy alternative to high-end competitors from Bose and Beats, the JBL Tune 600BTNC headphones offer rich, concise sound without any ambient noise. (One Best Buy reviewer even says he’d choose these over his pair from Bose.) The pale pink and navy blue color options are a bonus, too.

Anker is one of the Amazon community’s favorite budget brands. Judging by the 4,000-plus five-star reviews on these Soundcore Life headphones, these $59.99 (now on sale for $39.99) are a steal. Eliminate extraneous buzzing by up to 90% and get up to 40 hours of battery life even when ANC is on.