Like many parents of preschoolers, I found myself desperate for a way to keep my 3.5-year-old son entertained without defaulting to a screen. I wanted something that offered a little independence, a little magic and, let’s be honest, a little peace and quiet for me. With a 3.5-year-old, a 1-year-old and a baby due in November, I was desperately searching for activities this summer to keep us entertained.
After hearing rave reviews in playground conversations and some of my mom group chats, two products kept coming up: the Toniebox and the Yoto Player. So, I tried them both to see if they were worth the hype.
How I tested
Testing was pretty simple. I handed my son each device for two weeks at a time and let him figure them out with minimal guidance. I observed how easily he could use each one independently, how long it held his attention and how often he came back to it on his own. We used both the Toniebox and Yoto Player in a variety of settings (home, car, park, grandparents’ house) and tested content across stories, music, podcasts, bedtime sounds and custom recordings.
I also factored in parental experience, since I am not tech-savvy: how easy it was to set up, how much the content costs and whether I could control or customize anything in the background. Here’s what I learned, what my son loved and which one he is using almost every single day.
Toniebox: Adorable, easy and instantly kid-approved
The Toniebox is a soft, cube-shaped speaker designed specifically for young kids. It plays audio stories, music and recordings when you place a small character figurine (called a “Tonie”) on top. It’s plush, squeezable and doesn’t have any screens or complicated buttons. Kids can control it by pressing the ears to change volume and tapping the sides to skip forward or back.
Why we loved it
From the moment of unboxing, my son was excited by the concept. Within minutes, he figured out how to place a Tonie on top and control his song choices. That sense of independence and instant reward is where the Toniebox really shines. It’s built for toddlers and preschoolers to use with no help from adults. The characters themselves are charming little toys (think Ms. Rachel, Paw Patrol or Curious George), which means he could engage with them as toys, even when the box wasn’t playing.
The audio quality is clear. The battery lasts for seven hours, but can die quicker depending on how much your child plays with the device. It is very sturdy and has survived more than one fall off the windowsill.
Setup and content
Setting up the Toniebox is straightforward. You just connect it to Wi-Fi using the app or online, create a free Tonies account and sync each figurine to the box. Once that’s done, most content is available offline, which makes it great for travel. I did have to do some research and enlist my husband to help me with this step.
Additionally, there are two types of Tonies:
- Content Tonies with pre-loaded stories or music (Disney, PBS Kids and the classics)
- Creative Tonies that you can load with your own recordings using the app
Uploading your own content is doable, but the app is clunky and slow. I managed to add a few bedtime stories from PBS, recorded by my husband, but it took longer than expected. Setup was also a bit trickier for me, and I had to enlist my husband to get it online. I would also recommend a quiet room to record content, as the recording can pick up background noise.
What we didn’t love
The biggest downside of the Tonie is the cost. The Tonie starter set starts at $99.99 and comes with a Tonie figurine based on your purchase. Each Tonie figurine costs around $15 to $20, and they’re small enough to get lost under the couch or in a toy bin. My daughter loves to grab them and use them as teethers. Our Tonie arrived with the Playtime Puppy, which has over 34 songs. My son quickly started requesting new characters, which adds up fast if you’re not careful.
There’s also no parental dashboard to manage screen time or control playback. You’re mostly handing over the reins and your sanity to listen to the same songs over and over. The Toniebox also requires you to switch songs by hitting the sides, which can cause the Tonies to fall down and pause the content.
Best use cases
- Independent play while cooking, cleaning or just in need a break
- Quiet time after camp or school
- In the car (does not count as screen time but helps for 45 minutes)
- Grandparents’ house (super easy for others to help him use)
Yoto Player: Flexible, smart and built to grow with your child
My son also tested the Yoto Player (not to be confused with the smaller Yoto Mini), which is also a screen-free audio device that plays content through physical cards. It has a pixel-style screen that displays minimal visuals (a sun at wake-up time, a moon at bedtime), a dinosaur — which is a hit in our house and big kid-friendly buttons to control it. The device also functions as a clock, nightlight, Bluetooth speaker and even an alarm.
Why we loved it
What really stood out about the Yoto Player was its versatility and longevity. It plays audiobooks, music, podcasts, soundscapes and even family-recorded stories. He loves starting the day with Yoto Daily, a short podcast with jokes, fun facts and questions. While he is only 3.5, the different types of audio held his attention longer than I expected.
I loved that I could create playlists for him using the app and turn on white noise automatically at bedtime. The Yoto’s nightlight glows gently with customizable colors, similar to the Hatch, and its sleep timer meant I didn’t have to sneak in to turn it off.
Setup and content
Setting up the Yoto was also easy, but required a little more adult involvement upfront. You pair it to your Wi-Fi, download the app and then activate your cards. Once activated, cards can be played offline.
The Yoto starts at $99.99, and the Mini runs for $69.99. I would recommend purchasing an adventure jacket, which helps adults and kids hold onto the device better.
The Card Store offers hundreds of options — from Peppa Pig to Roald Dahl to kid-friendly mindfulness meditations. You can purchase cards based on kids’ ages. The cards range from $6 to $10, and you can also subscribe to the Yoto Club, which gives you monthly card credits and discounts.
Best of all, you can create your own cards by uploading custom content and assigning it to a blank card. This was a huge win for us. We recorded grandparents reading stories and loaded them onto a single card. We typically would FaceTime every morning for a Dr. Seuss story with Grandpa, and now my son can have it daily and independently.
What we didn’t love
Because it’s more advanced with the buttons, cards and many different payment options, the Yoto wasn’t quite as intuitive for my 3.5-year-old. He needed help figuring out which buttons did what (as did I) and occasionally inserted cards upside down. It’s also not as instantly “fun” as the Toniebox since there’s no toy-like aspect. And the cards themselves, while smaller and cheaper, are easy to misplace or bend. I recommend purchasing a portable case for storage.
It also doesn’t feel quite as indestructible. I trust the Toniebox to survive toddler chaos more than I trust the Yoto.
Best use cases
- Bedtime routines and calm time
- Morning play
- Road trips (especially with headphones)
- Custom content from family and friends
Best overall
Honestly? Both are excellent, just in different ways.
If your child is under 4 or still loves physical toys and simple cause-and-effect play, the Toniebox is a better starter. It’s magical, user-friendly and built like a tank.
If your child is 3.5 or older and starting to enjoy longer stories, more variety and a little independence, the Yoto Player has more room to grow.
We still use both in our home. The Toniebox lives in the playroom and is the go-to for fun or character time. The Yoto Player is in my son’s room and is used as an upstairs toy for morning wakeup, evening play and bedtime.
No matter which one you choose, both give you what every parent craves: screen-free entertainment, a bit of independence for your child and even if just for 20 minutes, a chance to enjoy your coffee while it’s still hot.
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We selected the two audio players based on Google search trends and research online, choosing which to test based on bestsellers and customer reviews.