A therapy-informed review of CozyPhones
As an occupational therapist, parents often seek out my professional advice for finding solutions to parenting woes. With sensory kiddos, it’s not uncommon for these problems to arise from common, everyday tasks. Haircuts, nail trims, bathing, eating, getting dressed, and going out in the community pose new challenges when little bodies and brains are not processing sensory information appropriately.
I’ve written countless blog posts on sensory processing dysfunction and impactful sensory tools to help sensory kiddos through these challenging moments. One of the consistent recommendations is to include headphones or ear buds as part of your sensory tool kit, but what’s a parent to do when your sensory child is resistant to how those feel or just flat-out refuses to wear them?
Enter CozyPhones.
I came across this company on social media and through a friend whose child loved wearing CozyPhones on long car trips. Their website was very informative and included some reviews from SPD parents and therapists. CozyPhones was generous enough to send me four styles to try out and experience for myself: two for kids, and two for adults.
CozyPhones for Kids
The kids’ styles are adorable. There are 8+ to choose from: unicorn, fox, monster, cat, bunny, panda, purple frog, green frog. The fleece material is super soft and the cord is a braided material that is flexible and long enough to accommodate kids on the move. I appreciated that the speakers were moveable AND removable – washability is key!
Because the speakers are removable and the fleece material is winter-friendly, I can see these as being awesome winter headgear options for reluctant hat-wearers. Many sensory kids like to stick with what is familiar, comfortable, and routine so if an article of clothing has multiple functions, it benefits those kids who tend to be rigid about what they wear. By removing the speakers, you can still wear the headphones as a winter ear warmer to ease those dreaded seasonal clothing transitions!
My only somewhat negative comment about the kids’ headbands is that they seem to run on the small side. I say this with hesitation because the snug fit may be a benefit to some sensory kiddos who enjoy the deep pressure input that comes with tight-fitting clothing and head gear. For those with larger melons, thick hair, or who prefer loose-fitting clothes, you may want to size up to the adult style that, although the same in design, unfortunately doesn’t come in the cute animal styles that appeal to kids. My only feedback to CozyPhones would be to offer two or three kids-sizes (S,M,L) and keep with the characters that appeal to kids.
For older kids, teens, and adults with sensory needs, CozyPhones has a couple of adult styles. I tried the lycra sport-style and the Cozy Contour which is a fleece and cool mesh material combination. Both were tag-less (inside), lightweight, and breathable, which made them comfortable in the summer. Since I live in New England, most of our months are cooler and these will offer some seasonal flexibility from fall and winter into the “warmer” months. My only complaint about the lycra headband is that the logo is placed directly on the forehead, as opposed to on the side where the others are. This was noticeable immediately and may be off-putting to users who prefer not to see themselves branded across the forehead! The same stay-put comfort and convenience was true for these adult styles.
Teens and adults with sensory-related sleep issues may find the Cozy Contour as a good eye-mask and headphones solution along with your weighted blanket! The material is soft enough to wear over your eyes and the speakers are more comfortable for side sleepers than hard headphones. Again, the longer cord makes it possible to toss and turn a bit and still stay plugged in.
Therapeutic Considerations for CozyPhones
Include CozyPhones as part of your sensory deprivation area for quiet listening to audiobooks, soft music, or just to muffle out distractions
For car trips, and restaurant dining when it’s necessary for your child to tune out the environment and tune into something preferred
Consider adding CozyPhones to your portable sensory tool box for community outings to help with regulation and overstimulation
Combine CozyPhones with your child’s favorite sleep CD for calmer bedtimes
Explore using CozyPhones during a sensory break – swinging, jumping, brushing – the headphones stay in place during movement
For parenting sanity to tune out those repetitive, stimmy YouTube videos!
Thank you to CozyPhones for letting us see for ourselves the sensory-minded design that will benefit children and adults alike!
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