Belkin SoundForm ANC review: Middle of the road can be perfectly fine

Tom's Guide Verdict Belkin SoundForm ANC are perfectly middle-of-the-road kids' headphones that won’t blow you away with sound quality. ANC and weight are potential problems, but there are a lot of connectivity options and decent comfort. Reasons to buy +Durable design +Tons of connectivity options +Decent sound Reasons to avoid -Poor ANC -Surprisingly heavy Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate. At this point, I’ve reviewed enough kids-specific headphones that a baseline of comfort and sound has been established. So I was intrigued when Belkin offered its new SoundForm ANC noise-cancelling headphones to test out.At $40, these headphones look more premium than others in that range and promise features that more expensive kids' cans typically come with.After a month of listening, the Belkin SoundForm ANC won’t dethrone iClever Q950 as my favorite kids' headphones, but at half the price, there’s some good here and one major flaw.Latest Videos FromTom's GuideRead my full Belkin SoundForm review to find out why.Belkin SoundForm ANC review: Specs Swipe to scroll horizontally Belkin SoundForm ANC Specs Price $39 Headphone style Over ear Drivers 40mm Safe volume limited 85dBA Battery life 60 hours (ANC off), 45 hours (ANC on) Durability IPX4 water resistant Connectivity Wired, 3.5mm cable or Bluetooth v6.0, USB-C charging port Weight 10.2 oz Colors Blue, White, Pink, Black Belkin SoundForm ANC review: Price & availability (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The Belkin SoundForm ANC cost $39 at Amazon, a good deal for over-ear headphones which usually cost at least $20 higher or more.I want to note that there are other Belkin SoundForm headphones. If you don't save the link here, I highly recommend using "Belkin SoundForm kids headphones" in your search; it can get confusing otherwise.Belkin’s offering competes with offerings like the iClever Auraa headphones ($39) and the Puro Sound Lab BT2200s ($99) or the extremely low-cost $20 JBL Junior 320s. The Puro Sound Lab options and iClever Q950 are the more premium options, but if you’re trying to save a buck, the Belkin SoundForm ANC serve as a nice middle ground.Tom's Guide: Direct to Your InboxGet instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.Belkin SoundForm ANC review: Design (Image credit: Tom's Guide)With muted colorways (blue, pink, black and white), the Belkin SoundForm ANC look more adult than most kid headphones, which tend to be brighter. The ANC headphones are an extension of Belkin’s SoundForm lineup of noise-cancelling headphones for both adults and kids.They have a matte finish and seem to have a fairly durable build. I performed some drop tests and twisted the headphones around a few times. It never felt like I was about to break them, though a particularly destructive kid would probably figure it out.These over-ear headphones have extendable earcups that can fold in. The fold is where you can feel the price a bit. It clicks and feels like a spot where the headphones could break.In the box, the ANCs come with a cheap cloth bag, which I immediately lost, plus a USB-A to USB-C charging cable and a 3.5mm headphone cable.Mostly comfortable (Image credit: Tom's Guide)Unlike some of the other kid headphones I’ve tested, the Belkin SoundForm ANC feels like they are meant for kids ears and not my adult elf ones. I was able to comfortably wear the headphones for a bit, but eventually the cups felt like they were squishing my ears.However, my son had no complaints and his ears appeared to fit comfortably with no complaints. Not that you’re buying these for yourself, but if you find yourself needing headphones and these are nearby, you’ll be okay for an hour or two.The headphones have a cushion in the middle of the headband that I noticed while wearing them, a personal discomfort when it comes to over-ear headphones.At 10.2 ounces (289 grams), these are the heaviest kid headphones I’ve tested, even more than the 9.9 iClever Q950, which I dinged for its weight. As an adult I didn’t notice, but its adds up for kids.Connectivity (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The Belkin SoundForm ANC features both wired and Bluetooth connectivity. I’m a fan of having 3.5mm wired connections when available. I found the sound pretty clean whether I used the 3.5mm wire or Bluetooth connection. The wire is plasticky but I can’t tell how it will hold up over the long run. For now, it’s fine.SoundForm ANC features Bluetooth version 5.4, not the most recent version but still compatible with most devices.Q950 features Bluetooth version 6.0; the most recent version which offers better connection stability and reduced power consumption. This is a huge get for headphones meant for kids. Not every headset has this version, including major releases from this year, like Apple’s AirPods Max 2, which still use version 5.3.Interestingly, these headphones are built for sharing. If you have two SoundForm ANC headphones, there’s a separate headphone port to connect the headphones for shared audio. You can also do it wireless using “RockStar Mode.” This works pretty well even if my son wasn’t interested in sharing.I was able to cleanly connect to an iPad mini and my Galaxy S26 Ultra with no noticeable dips or drops. That’s all you need, especially if you’re on a road trip and using movies on the tablet to distract.Belkin SoundForm ANC review: Sound quality (Image credit: Tom's Guide)With the caveat that most kid headphones aren’t providing you with the same sound quality as the best over ear headphones like the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 or the Sony WH-1000XM6, you’ll notice a huge difference.I would describe the sound as bright with a bit of an echo, whereas a higher-end set might give you warmth and a more compact quality. The difference is as if you walked from a big empty room into a smaller, pillow-laden bedroom.That said, the trebles and mids are understandable without losing depth. The bass vibrates the headphones but it’s pretty shallow. Maybe don’t try and drop some U.K. house music on these, though.Of course, unless your kid is already an audiophile, they’ll probably be fine with how these sound.Belkin SoundForm ANC review: ANC (Image credit: Tom's Guide)A lot of kid-friendly headphones feature active noise cancelling, and I’m not sure any of them have figured out how to properly utilize it.ANC is meant to keep kids from turning up the volume too loud by blocking out some outside noises. With the SoundForm ANC, I found that the ANC seemed to muffle the actual sound. I’m not sure it really muted sounds. I share an office and keyboard typing can get loud, but with ANC on or off, I didn’t notice a difference.Strangely, I thought the headphones sounded best when wired and just acting as a pass-through for the audio and the power off. There’s a muffled sound when the power is on, and it seems to be even more with ANC on.I’m not entirely sure how ANC is on these Belkin ones, but this is a common problem I’ve found with many ANC headphones for kids. When I use ANC on adult headphones like the JBL Tour One M3, it just deadens outside noise; it doesn’t fundamentally alter what I’m hearing.It’s not necessary to use ANC, but if you or your child is bothered by too much outside stimulation, this is a significant drawback to the SoundForm ANC.Belkin SoundForm ANC review: What the kids are saying? (Image credit: Tom's Guide)My son tried out the Belkin SoundForm ANC headphones over a couple of sessions with an iPad mini and while playing Pokémon on the Nintendo Switch 2.He never mentioned anything about the sound, which usually means that it's fine.However, he has a mop of hair and specifically mentioned that he thought the headband was uncomfortable especially after a longer go with the Switch 2. It wasn't enough to stop him from using them, but when kids call something out, it usually means it's a big flaw.Belkin SoundForm ANC review: Verdict (Image credit: Tom's Guide)The Belkin SoundForm ANC headphones aren’t the best I’ve tried, but they aren't terrible either.The headband is noticeable, and ANC is a big drawback. However, if your child doesn't use ANC and isn't bothered by the headband, these aren't bad.Audio quality won’t blow anyone away, but the ability to share and swap between Bluetooth or wired is great. Other kids' headphones don't really have that feature, so it makes the Belkins stand out.At $40, you could take a flyer on these and your kids should be pretty happy. Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. He also handles all the Connections coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game since it released.Something to share? Send secure tips on Signal: scyo1.55. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.