The world of kids' audio has come a long way since the days of sitting on the floor with a Fisher-Price record player. Today it's hard to find such easy entertainment that kids can use independently and securely, while also giving them a break from their screens.
Enter kids' music players and kids' audio players. In recent years we've been flooded with options for these screen-free entertainment options. From Toniebox to Yoto Player-all seem to have their strengths, making for a daunting choice when you're trying to pick the best one for your kid. That's why we decided to dig deep and heavily test all of the top-selling kids' music players and audio players to determine which one is truly best and why.
It was a hard choice. Almost all of the players we tried had their own strengths but, the robust book library and dynamic usability of the Yoto Player (available at Yoto) made it our favorite choice and won it the Best Overall slot.
This is a rare list, however, where there is something for everyone. Depending on your child, you may find one of our other recommendations that may better suit their needs. Read on for what we liked-and didn't like-about each.
Best Overall
YOTO X PAW PATRO
Yoto
Size: 4.3 x 4.3 x 4 inches
Battery life: Up to 10 hours
Weight: 2.44 lbs
Best for ages: 3 to 12
Editor's Note: We previously tested the first generation of the Yoto Player, and are currently working on testing the current, third generation of the Yoto Player. We will update the full review and this roundup as soon as testing has been completed.
Our absolute favorite kids' audio player, the Yoto Player is a multi-tasking kid's music player, podcast player, mini-radio, and storybook reader that is bursting with kid-friendly features. It-and the Yoto Player Mini-also stood out as being the two best grow-with-them options for audio players that kids would truly use from ages 3 to 12.
This futuristic-looking audio player was up against some seriously stiff competition. What set it apart as our must-have choice, however, was that it seems to do everything-and it does it well-and that it has the best selection of content of all the audio players we tested.
Designed for kids ages 3 to 12, the Yoto Player works with preloaded content cards that you can purchase separately. Once you play the cards while connected to Wi-Fi they are forever loaded into your Yoto, so you can access them even when you are far from the internet. If you lose the cards, never fear! They are also loaded onto your Yoto app, so you can play them via Bluetooth.
The Yoto Player also delivers a lot of usefulness beyond its content card-reading function. When connected to Wi-Fi you can access a curated list of popular kid-friendly podcasts, many of which your child may already be a fan of. There are also Yoto-only offerings, like the Yoto Daily Podcast, evening meditations, and Yoto Radio. Also available through the app is a monthly rotation of free stories that you can download to blank Yoto cards, load onto your device, and own forever.
We also loved that the Yoto Player functions as a Bluetooth speaker that you can connect to your phone to play any kid-friendly content you may have on it. What's more, the Yoto Player also has a nightlight function, as well as a big, bold digital clock face that transforms into a pixel display screen that displays images while stories play, which elevates it from a static speaker to a mini entertainment system for kids.
Our one complaint with the Yoto Player and the Yoto Player Mini are confusing controls. They aren't marked in any way, so they take a dip into the online directions and a bit of trial and error. I found them to be annoying the first month of owning the Yoto, but six months in I'm feeling like a pro.
Read the full Yoto Player review.
Pros
Cool night light feature
Doubles as a clock
Excellent exclusive content
Inexpensive blank content cards
Cons
Confusing controls
JOOKI
Best for Audiophiles
Jooki
Size: 7.5 x 5 x 2 inches
Battery life: Up to 8 hours
Weight: 15.7 ounces
Best for ages: 3 to 11
If you're missing the days of the mixtape and want to expose your kid to that kind of magic, you're going to like the Jooki. It was our favorite choice for listening to music and for budding audiophiles.
Primarily a kids' music player, this device is a sturdy little beast and truly feels indestructible. Unlike all of the other kids' music players and kids' audio players tested, the Jooki does not have any pre-loaded content. Instead, it allows you to create and upload either Spotify or MP3 playlists to "tokens" or figurines. The figurines are geared towards little kids, while the tokens are great for older kids. We like that the tokens are compact and portable and resemble keychain tiles.
The only real issue we had with the Jooki is we missed having some options for pre-loaded content, but the ease of being able to create and load playlists so easily was fun for our testers and made it great for older kids who want to take a bit of ownership in creating the content they listen to.
Pros
Spotify partnership makes for excellent music content
Easy-to-customize
Well-priced blank content tokens
Cons
No preloaded content
Story POD Set
Best for Early Readers
Storypod
Size: 8.62 x 6.69 x 6.54 inches
Battery life: Up to 7 hours
Weight: 2.07 lbs
Best for ages: 3 to 8
The snuggliest of all the speakers we tried, Storypod is a soft, pillow of a speaker, with rounded and cushiony edges. It plays stories, games, trivia, and more by way of cuddly "Crafties," which are knit figurines that include a preprogrammed content chip. Like the Yoto, once content is loaded onto Storypod it can be played again without WiFi, so this is another great choice for long car rides and is a perfect foil for the "are we there yet" whines. Unlike with the Yoto, however, if a Crafty gets lost its content can't be replayed or reloaded-so keep track of those toys. The only way to access that content again is by purchasing a new Crafty.
What sets this speaker apart is not only the cuddly, perfect-for-bedtime feel and aesthetic, but the highly interactive content Storypod offers. There are certainly plenty of options for passive listeners, but for kids who want to dive in and be a more engaged part of the listening process, there are loads of knowledge-building Crafties with interactive quizzes and games. For kids who might not have the attention span to listen to long passages from books, this speaker will keep them engaged and entertained.
This is also a terrific audio player for early readers. Their quiz card sets and read-a-long books are reminiscent of the read-along book and record sets we had in the 80s and would be a great way to help establish pre-reading skills and encourage reluctant readers.
Pros
Interactive content
Cuddly design
Good range of content
Encourages learning
Cons
Bulky
Lost Craftie results in lost content
Tonie box with Disney IPs
Best for Tactile Learners
Toniebox
Size: 4.7 x 4.7 x 4.7 inches
Battery life: Up to 7 hours
Weight: 21 ounces
Best for ages: 3 to 8
Colorful, cute, and easy to use, the Toniebox is a great choice for kids who love a tactile experience. A vibrant, squeezable, cloth-covered cube, Toniebox is fun to hold and fun to control for smaller kids. Volume is lowered or raised by squeezing rubbery ears on the top of the unit while tapping the sides of the Toniebox allows listeners to rewind or skip ahead.
We have very few complaints about the Toniebox, but the large charging port was not only bulky, it has a peg sticking out that made it tougher to pack for travel than most. The other thing that we didn't love is-like the Storypod's Crafties-if you lose one of the Tonies, you've lost the content of that Tonie until you repurchase it.
Because the Tonies are so beautifully crafted and attractive to kids, we experienced little testers taking them for outings around the playroom. We can see this being a problem: It's hard to keep your hands off of them, so we recommend storing them on a high shelf.
Read our full Toniebox review.
Pros
Fun tactile design
Intuitive controls
Adorable Tonies
Excellent content selection
Cons
Large charging port
Inability to access content if Tonies are lost
Other Audio Players for Kids We Tested
LUNII from France
Lunii
Size: 6.5 x 1.5 x 3.5 inches
Battery life: Up to 6 hours
Weight: 11.7 ounces
Best for ages: 3 to 10
The Lunii is an interactive, choose-your-own-adventure device, dressed up to look like a retro radio. The Lunii is the only device we tried that has contained content, meaning there are no content cards, figurines, or pieces to lose-everything is either online waiting to be downloaded on the device or already stored within it. Given that the Lunii is super lightweight and portable, this is a great option for road trips and long flights.
We appreciated that this audio player was the only one we tested that was ready to go with zero setup required. The Lunii doesn't require Wi-Fi to work and the chunky yellow buttons and dials were easy to figure out in seconds. All it took was a quick charge before our son was on the couch with a huge smile on his face as he experimented with being the co-creator of different storylines.
Unfortunately, an outdated USB-style attachment made us scramble for an old laptop to try to download fresh stories. We also found the desktop app a bit slow and glitchy. Neither of those are dealbreakers for us, but they are things to be aware of.
Pros
Lightweight
Cute retro design
Interactive story-telling model
Lots of bilingual content
Easy controls
Cons
Outdated USB attachment
Glitchy app
XDT RFID player
Best for Screen-Free Independent Play & Offline On-the-Go Use
XINDITAI RFID Kids Audio Storyteller
Size: 7.09 x 5.51 x 5.51 inches
Battery life: Up to 8 hours in story mode
Weight: 1.7 lbs
Best for ages: 0 to 6
Of all the screen-free kids audio players we tested, this RFID storyteller is the most intuitive and low-fuss pick for younger kids and busy parents who want zero setup hassle. Built with a smooth, rounded spherical design made from food-grade, drop-resistant ABS plastic, it has zero sharp edges and a perfectly grippable shape for tiny hands-sturdy enough to stand up to toddler tumbles, and easy to wipe clean after snack-time messes, a huge upgrade over fabric-covered or cushioned models that trap crumbs and stains.
Its core magic lies in its dead-simple, RFID-powered interaction: each adorable matching figurine has a passive 13.56MHz RFID tag built into its base. Set the figurine on top of the player, and playback starts in under a second; lift it off, and it pauses instantly. There's no app to download, no WiFi required for day-to-day use, and no complicated touchscreens or button sequences for little ones to learn. Even 18-month-old testers were able to pick and play their favorite stories completely independently, a win for both kid confidence and parent peace of mind.
What sets this player apart from every other model on the market is its unbeatable flexibility and permanent content access. All audio is stored locally on a removable TF card (available in 256MB to 8GB sizes), with content paired to each figurine's unique ID via simple, clearly named folders. Unlike Toniebox's Tonies or Storypod's Crafties, if a figurine gets lost or damaged, you never lose access to your purchased or custom content-simply reassign the audio files to a new figurine's ID folder, no repurchase required. Updating or adding new content takes less than 5 minutes via a computer, no special software or account needed, making it effortless for grandparents to load up personalized stories, or for parents to add new songs and tales for a road trip.
It's also packed with thoughtful, multi-use features that make it a true all-in-one companion. Volume and power are controlled with easy-twist side knobs, with a kid-safe 85dB volume limit to protect little ears. It has a standard 3.5mm headphone jack for quiet listening in the car or on planes, a one-touch voice recording button for custom parent-child messages, a flicker-free soft night light for bedtime, and a Bluetooth mode that doubles as a standard portable speaker for any audio. For long car rides, camping trips, or visits to homes with no WiFi, it's completely unstoppable-no more "are we there yet?" meltdowns, and no stress about spotty internet connections.
While it doesn't have the licensed Disney or major studio IP library of premium models, its unlimited custom content capability means you can load any audio your child loves, making it far more adaptable to your family's unique needs than closed, brand-locked systems.
Pros
Ultra-intuitive, zero-app, 100% offline operation perfect for toddlers
No lost content if figurines go missing, no forced repurchases
Effortless custom content updates, no technical skills required
All-in-one design: story player, Bluetooth speaker, night light, and voice recorder
Lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean build made for toddler use
Longer battery life than most competing models
Built-in headphone jack for on-the-go quiet play
Cons
No pre-loaded major studio licensed IP content
No soft fabric or cushioned exterior for extra snuggles at bedtime
No built-in screen for visual cues, unlike the Yoto Player
Related article recommendations:
Magnet Figures Story Player
RFID Story Player
Differences in technical routes between RFID and NFC.
