"Head Size" refers to actual head size, not size of band itself. For correct sizing measure your child's head just beyond the hairline where the elastic is expected to sit.

Most of my solid and print elastic bands are soft and stretchy. I sew a few centimeters smaller than the actual size of the wearer's head depending on the expected stretch. The glitter and velvet elastics have the most strength and least amount of "give." Buying a gift? These are typical sizes by age:

Birth to 3 months: 38-39cm
3 months to 6 months: 40-41cm
6 months to 1 year: 42-43cm
1 year to 18 months: 44-45cm
18 months to 2 years: 46-47cm
2 years to 3 years: 48-49cm

Small children should not be left unattended with these products and adult supervision is always recommended since they may become loose. Elastics could cause strangulation if misused or if the child is left unattended. Please remove headband when putting your child down to sleep.

Headbands for Sophia is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cochlear or any other cochlear implant manufacturer. By purchasing headbands from this store, the buyer assumes all responsibility for its use and agrees that Headbands for Sophia is not liable for any damages of any kind related to use of its products.

The processor shown in most of the demo pictures is Cochlear's N5. The shape of Cochlear processors are similar to Advanced Bionics's; these would benefit from 2 loops, one above and one below the coil. The MED-EL's processor may be fine with just one loop below the coil. You can try the headband both ways with your processors to see what fits your needs best and cut off any unnecessary loops.

For extra strength in my elastic headbands, I use my sewing machine to sew the seams and sew the loops. I heat-seal the edges of any cut elastic to prevent fraying. No glue is used except to make interchangeable headbands.

Any headband can be finished with an interchangeable loop (also called fixed bow loop) upon request at no extra charge. Just add this to your note.

In my shop, glitter headbands are always made interchangeable to ensure the wearer's comfort. An interchangeable headband allows you to add clip-on accessories, such as flowers and bows that are secured on an alligator clip.

All headbands are processed and mailed in the order received, within 2 business days after purchase. Larger orders may take an extra 1-2 days to process. Headbands are shipped using USPS First Class Package Services which includes tracking number and delivery confirmation. Delivery may take 2-5 days after I mail your order. You have the option to purchase a rush processing upgrade to USPS Priority Mail or UPS Ground during checkout but this does not always guarantee a faster delivery time.

IMPORTANT: Your shipping address must be in English to be accepted by the USPS. Orders are shipped in a large padded envelope or small box via ASENDIA USA and should arrive within 1-3 weeks.

UPDATE: AS OF APRIL 2022 NO LONGER SHIPPING TO SOME EU COUNTRIES (IE. GERMANY, FRANCE, SPAIN, PORTUGAL, ETC.) DUE TO HIGH COST OF PACKAGING/RECYLING COMPLIANCE LAWS.

Items are simply marked as "headband for deaf" on the customs labels. If VAT has been pre-paid to Etsy, I will include the taxing reference number when printing the shipping label. Customers will be responsible for paying any additional taxes/VAT/duty fees that are imposed by their country of origin.

Lots of customers purchase these for hearing aids, but usually only one loop is necessary for each aid since they are much smaller than a cochlear implant processor. Just enter a note to the seller upon checkout stating you want "one loop for each side for hearing aid use" or "right ear - cochlear, left ear - hearing aid". If you forget, you will be able to cut off any extra loops yourself, as they are not fixed onto the headband.

Unfortunately I am not able to ship to Germany and a few EU countries at this time. There is a recycling packaging law called Verpackungsgesetz (Packaging Act) where I must register and pay a yearly fee to allow my orders to be accepted and delivered in Germany. Many countries in EU now have a similar policy and I must pay to register in each country, like in France and Spain. I am not compliant at this time. Hopefully, new policies will be enacted soon to make it easy for small businesses like me to keep making my products available to more international customers.