Expert's Rating
Pros
- Educational
- Quality build and materials
- Decent sounding headphones
Cons
- Tad expensive
- Activities and games provide limited replay value
Our Verdict
An educational kit that teaches the science of sound.
Seeing the BoseBuild Headphones at Maker Faire this past summer was instantly intriguing. Only a handful of large established companies have made the foray into the STEM educational market and I’m curious how they are able to leverage their expertise and brands. It’s no shock that Bose created a kit focused on sound.
The BoseBuild Headphones kit is targeted at children ages 8 and up and is comprised of 10 pieces that snap together to build fully functional wireless bluetooth headphones.
Before, during, and after assembly, there are various lessons and activities on the BoseBuild’s iOS app that teach about the physics of sound and how the brain processes it. One critical lesson teaches about proper listening volume, there’s even a simulation that shows what damaged hearing sounds like. The kit also has simple games that utilize some of the learnings.
Overall, the BoseBuild Headphones is a decent educational project and the end result is a pair of working headphones. Though the headphones are of an average quality, they’re plenty good enough for any child.
Ultimately, the value out of this $150 kit is that there’s a initial phase where science is explored and a payoff where a child has the accomplishment of building their own headphones that they can use.