If you are wondering which is the better kids’ music player, the Toniebox or the Yoto, you have come to the right place. Today, we’re doing a Toniebox vs Yoto square-off.
As advocates for limiting screen time for kids and music fanatics, we’ve explored just about every screen-free music player option there is.
For us, it’s boiled down to 2 – the Yoto Player and the Toniebox.
Both of these kids’ music device options are screen-free, but which one is better?
Let’s take a look at each one so you can pick the option that’s best for your child.
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Music has so many benefits for kids and giving your child the gift of a music player they can operate without the help of an adult is an awesome gift.
When kids have the power to make their own choices, they grow into more confident and secure adults, and an easy way to give them autonomy in their decision-making is to gift them a music-playing device they can control.
Tablet apps and YouTube are the go-to’s for many parents when it comes time to play some music for their child.
The issues with kids’ music videos and apps are that they are often difficult and/or unsafe for kids to operate on their own and it’s screen time, which many parents limit nowadays.
Devices like the Toniebox and the Yoto Player are great for helping to avoid screen time in a variety of different situations, such as first thing in the morning and after school.
When it comes down to the Toniebox vs Yoto debate, it’s good to gather as much information as you can get on each device.
Let’s go ahead and give each one a look.
What is a Yoto Player?
A Yoto player is a portable screen-free music player for kids.
It operates by the use of cards – the child selects the card that corresponds to the story or music they’d like to listen to, and then the card is inserted into the device.
Fans of the Yoto rave about its many functions and features, including its ambient noise function, which is great for helping kids get to sleep.
Yoto’s customer service is really great, too. The company really seems to care about its customers.
Here is a list of Yoto features to compare with Toniebox features, which are listed further below.
Features of a Yoto
- The cards are fun for kids
- There is a Yoto Mini option available
- Knobs make it easy for kids to adjust the volume
- Easy to change tracks
- You can record your own Yoto cards
- Has a night light feature
- Has a white noise feature
- Connects to phone via app
What is a Toniebox?
A Toniebox is a screen-free kids’ music player that uses magnetic figurines. Kids choose the figurine that corresponds to the story or music they’d like to play and then place it on top of the device.
Toniebox fans enjoy the large selection of Tonies the company provides, but modifying creative Tonies (the ones you put your own content on) is where the Toniebox shines in the Toniebox vs Yoto Player battle.
Physically modifying Tonies to represent a wider variety of characters and recording the accompanying stories has become a big thing.
Parents are even modeling their creative Tonies after their own child’s personality, complete with the child’s favorite clothing and accessories.
Here are the features of the Toniebox so you can compare the two devices.
Features of a Toniebox
- Soft case
- Easy to adjust the volume
- Easy to change tracks
- Figurines are fun for kids
- Large selection of figurines
- Figurines can be modified to create new characters
The main differences between a Toniebox and a Yoto player
The main differences between the Toniebox and the Yoto Player are the method of playing the audio files (character figurines vs cards) and the speaker boxes themselves (the Toniebox is soft and the Yoto is hard plastic).
There are a few functional differences between the 2 players, but the differences stated above are the most significant to parents.
Is Tonie or Yoto better?
We would love to be able to give you a definitive answer to the question of which is better, the Tonie or the Yoto.
Of course, that’s not possible. Both devices are awesome and what would be considered a drawback to one family might be seen as an advantage and vice versa.
For example, the Yoto has cards that are more difficult to locate if they get lost than the figurines of the Toniebox.
Smaller things, like Yoto cards, are easier to store over Tonies, though.
On the other hand, Tonies look like toys, making it a temptation for children to take them around the house or even outside, which can end in the figurines getting destroyed or lost.
The devices are extremely similar, however, many parents choose to gift their children both the Toniebox and the Yoto Player, believe it or not.
The Yoto, with its bedtime features, is great to keep in the child’s room, and the Toniebox, with its fun figurines, is a great screen-time replacement that’s great for the living room.
When deciding which one to get for your child, consider their personality and needs. What works for one child may not work for another.
We’re curious – do you have one or both of these devices? If so, which one do you think wins the Toniebox vs Yoto debate?