eKids Pokemon Pi-B18PK

Pikachu on the case, disappointment in the ears. Great battery, rough sound, and calls are a mess.

Battery life is the one bright spot here, landing well above average at the 83rd percentile. You get up to 22 hours total playtime with the case adding 2.5x extra charge, which is genuinely useful for road trips and school days. But the sound quality sits at the 29th percentile, and calls are even worse at 21.1 out of 100. The mic is mediocre at best, so video calls with grandma will sound like she's talking through a tin can.

The Soundcore P31i and Anker Space A40 both crush these on sound quality and build, though they cost more and lack the Pokemon charm. The JLab JBuds Pods ANC are probably the closest real alternative if you want something kid-friendly with better audio. The Baseus Bass BP1 Pro is another budget option that trades the Pikachu graphics for noticeably better sound. If your kid cares more about how earbuds look than how they sound, these win. If you want them to actually enjoy music, look elsewhere.

Pricing is all over the place depending on where you live. In the US you're looking at $23 to $24, but European buyers get hit with a EUR 10 spread between EUR 39 and EUR 49 across Spanish, French, and Italian listings. If you're in Europe, shop around because that's a meaningful difference for what you're getting. At the low end of that range it's a fun gift, at the high end it's a tougher sell.

These are Pikachu-themed earbuds for kids, and that's pretty much the whole pitch. The eKids Pokemon Pi-B18PK nails the fun factor with a matching charging case and three ear cushion sizes, but the actual audio performance is rough. Our database puts sound quality near the bottom third of all earbuds we've tested, so don't expect these to impress anyone over the age of ten.

If you're buying earbuds for a teenager or adult who actually cares about music quality, skip these. The sound is weak, calls are bad, and there's no noise cancelling. Get the Soundcore P31i or Anker Space A40 instead and put a Pikachu sticker on the case.

Buy these for the Pikachu factor, not the audio. They're fine as a first pair of earbuds for a young kid who'll mostly use them for YouTube and casual games. But if you want decent sound or usable call quality, spend a bit more on something from Soundcore or JLab.