A new study from the Toxic Free for All project tested around 81 models across different brands. Out of these, 58 models were from top brands such as Apple, Sennheiser, JBL, Sony, and others. The products were sourced from Central Europe as well as online marketplaces like Temu and Shein.
In the findings, it was revealed that 100% of the tested products contained hazardous substances, including bisphenols, phthalates, and flame retardants. Among these, Bisphenol A (BPA) and Bisphenol B (BPB), which is the substitute of the latter, are chemicals that can mimic oestrogen in the body and long-term exposure can cause fertility issues in both men and women, type 2 diabetes, risk of heart disease and affect brain development. The Bisphenol A (BPA) was found in 177 of the 180 total samples taken from the 81 devices across all brands, while Bisphenol B (BPB) was found in 137.
In a statement given to The Guardian, one of the representatives said, “Although there is no immediate health risk, the long-term exposures – especially for vulnerable groups like teenagers – is of great concern. There is no ‘safe’ level for endocrine disruptors that mimic our natural hormones.”
Further adding to this, Karolína Brabcová, a chemical expert at Arnika and part of the ToxFree LIFE for All project — a partnership of Central European civil society groups that carried out the research — said, “These chemicals are not just additives; they may be migrating from the headphones into our body.” She also added, “Daily use – especially during exercise when heat and sweat are present – accelerates this migration directly to the skin.”
The report further states that given the prolonged skin contact associated with headphone use, dermal exposure represents a relevant pathway. It adds that it is reasonable to assume similar migration of BPA and its substitutes may occur from headphone components directly to the user’s skin.
Below is the table showing the list of earphones tested across multiple brands. According to the report, products marked in red shows high concern (non-compliant with legal limits or containing multiple hazardous substances), yellow indicates moderate concern (legally compliant but exceeding stricter voluntary limits), and green indicates the lowest risk (meeting the most protective standards).
| Manufacturer | Model | Product Type | Parts Touching Skin | Parts NOT Touching Skin | Total Evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LifeBee | Digital Pro 40 | in-ear wireless | green | yellow | green |
| Picun | B8 Wireless Over Ear | over ear adult | green | green | green |
| Enjoy Music | M6pop cat ear | over ear child | yellow | red | red |
| JMMO | Kabelose Ohrhörer | in-ear wireless | green | none | green |
| DONG QUAN | Kinder Kabel Kopfhörer | over ear child | green | yellow | green |
| Dongguan Yuanze | KZ EDX Pro | in-ear with wires | green | yellow | green |
| Shenzhen Weige | Cool Black Type-C | in-ear with wires | yellow | yellow | yellow |
| Niceboy | Hive Prodigy 4 | over ear adult | green | red | red |
| Marshall | Major V | over ear adult | green | green | green |
| AirPods | Max 2024 | over ear adult | green | yellow | green |
| Sony | WH-1000XM5 | over ear adult | green | green | green |
| JBL | Tune 720BT | over ear adult | green | green | green |
| Sony | Ult Wear | over ear adult | yellow | yellow | yellow |
| Beats | Solo 4 | over ear adult | green | red | red |
| Sony | WH-CH720N | over ear adult | green | green | green |
| JLab | Jbuds Lux ANC | over ear adult | green | red | red |
| Sennheiser | Momentum Wireless 4 | over ear adult | red | green | red |
| Apple | AirPods Pro 2 USB-C | in-ear wireless | green | green | green |
| Samsung | Galaxy Buds3 Pro | in-ear wireless | yellow | red | red |
| JBL | Tour Pro 3 | in-ear wireless | green | yellow | green |
| Sony | WF-1000XM5 | in-ear wireless | yellow | red | red |
| Sennheiser | Accentum True Wireless | in-ear wireless | green | red | red |
| Sony | LinkBuds Fit | in-ear wireless | green | yellow | green |
| JBL | Wave Beam | in-ear wireless | green | red | red |
| Silvercrest | True Wireless Bluetooth | in-ear wireless | yellow | red | red |
| Xiaomi | Redmi Buds 5 Pro | in-ear wireless | green | red | red |
| JLab | Jbuds Mini | in-ear wireless | green | red | red |
| Sony | WF-C510 | in-ear wireless | green | yellow | green |
| Jabra | Elite 10 Gen 2 | in-ear wireless | green | red | red |
| Marshall | Motif II ANC | in-ear wireless | green | red | red |
| Tonies | Lauscher 2.gen | over ear child | yellow | green | yellow |
| Tigermedia | tigerbuddies | over ear child | yellow | green | yellow |
| JBL | JR310BT | over ear child | green | red | red |
| JLab | Jbuddies Studio | over ear child | green | yellow | green |
| ISY | IHP-1001 Kinder | over ear child | green | green | green |
| Hama | 184112 Kinder | over ear child | green | yellow | green |
| JVC | HA-KD7 | over ear child | green | yellow | green |
| Skullcandy | Grom Kids | over ear child | green | red | red |
| Fesh’n rebel | Clam Junior | over ear child | green | red | red |
| My first care | Care Buds blue | in-ear wireless | green | red | red |
| Bose | QuietComfort Headphones | over ear adult | red | green | red |
| Sennheiser | Accentum Wireless | in-ear wireless | green | red | red |
| Bose | QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds | in-ear wireless | green | yellow | green |
| Beats | Solo Buds | in-ear wireless | green | red | red |
| Lisciani | Barbie fashion headphones | over ear child | yellow | green | yellow |
| Buddyphones | Connect Foldbar wired | over ear child | yellow | green | yellow |
| Lexibook | Kids headphones Squads | in-ear wireless | green | none | green |
| Gjy | Forever Wireless kids CA028 | over ear child | green | green | green |
| Lexibook | Foldable wireless Harry Potter | over ear child | green | green | green |
| Huawei | Free Buds Pro 3/4 | in-ear wireless | green | green | green |
| Philips | TAK4206 | over ear child | green | green | green |
| Philips | SHD8850 | over ear adult | green | red | red |
| Panasonic | RB-HX220B | over ear adult | yellow | red | red |
| Logitech | G733 Lightspeed | gaming wireless | red | green | red |
| SteelSeries | Arctis Nova 5 | gaming wireless | red | green | red |
| Haylou | S35 ANC | over ear adult | green | red | red |
| Hama | Freedom Lit | over ear child | green | green | green |
| Maxell | HP-BT350 | over ear child | yellow | green | yellow |
| Nextly | NEXTLY wireless | over ear child | yellow | red | red |
| Onikuma | B90 Cat Ears Pink | over ear child | green | green | green |
| Xinu | Wireless stereo | over ear child | green | green | green |
| Qilive | 136030 Bluetooth black | over ear adult | green | red | red |
| Qilive | Kids 600160601 pink | over ear child | yellow | green | yellow |
| Qilive | 600181408 gaming | gaming with wires | red | yellow | red |
| Corsair | HS80 RGB USB | gaming with wires | green | green | green |
| HyperX | Cloud III | gaming with wires | red | red | red |
| Onikuma | X26 gaming | gaming with wires | yellow | yellow | yellow |
| Razer | Kraken V3 | gaming with wires | red | red | red |
| Smyths Toys | Disney Frozen | over ear child | green | green | green |
| Smyths Toys | Marvel Spider-Man | over ear child | green | green | green |
| Claire’s | Earbuds winder | in-ear with wires | green | green | green |
| Action / OTL | Super Mario earphones | in-ear with wires | red | yellow | red |
| Action / OTL | Pokémon Kids Headphones | over ear child | green | green | green |
| Stealth | C6 100 Light up | gaming with wires | yellow | green | yellow |
| Kodak | Wireless Headphones Max 400+ | over ear adult | yellow | green | yellow |
| Kekz | Blue headphones for audiobooks | over ear child | green | yellow | green |
| Oceania Trading | Paw Patrol kids | over ear child | red | green | red |
| Hema | My first noise cancelling | over ear adult | green | red | red |
| Guess | Wireless headphones | over ear adult | green | red | red |
| Pepco Dasounds | Kids headphones basic | over ear child | green | green | green |
| GoGen | MAXISLECHY white/blue | over ear child | green | red | red |
