Yoto V Tonies
You may be wondering which brand of audio player to choose for your child, and there are lots of benefits for both.
To try and help with your decision we have produced a chart listing the facilities and features of each. To be honest, in our opinion both are fantastic products, and the choice of audios available for both are also great.
Tonies is tending to appeal more to toddlers and younger children as the machine is simpler to use and is attractive with its bright soft outer and 3D characters. The characters make audio recognition very easy, and operation of the machine is straightforward for little ones to master. They can play with the characters as a standalone toy too, which is an added bonus.
Yoto is a little more complex to operate its controls, but its additional features are great for an older child, such as the clock and podcasts. The audio cards are extremely robust, like a credit card, but do not have an appeal for toddlers and younger children in the same way the Tonies characters do.
The Yoto mini is a great option if you want to be able to take your player out and about, and the cards also take up very little storage space, even in a holder.
If sharing a player between children of different ages (including school ages) we would recommend the Yoto player as the audio content is broader, and offers more audio titles suited to older children, with chapter books and educational content.
We have demo machines for both brands in the shop, and are also happy to help with questions, if needed.
| Features | Tonies | Yoto |
| Portable | Y | Y |
| Plays music | Y | Y |
| Plays stories | Y | Y |
| Download own audio for offline use | N | Y |
| WIFI required on set up | Y | Y |
| Parental control via app | Y | Y |
| App stores audio content | Y | Y |
| Record your own content | Y | Y |
| Carry Handle | N | with case |
| Storage case/ headphone accessories | Y | Y |
| Night light | additional | Y |
| Battery life away from charger | 7hrs | 8hrs |
| Bluetooth speaker | N | Y |
| Radio & daily podcast | N | Y |
| Clock | N | Y |
| Colour options | Y | with case |
| Machine size options | N | Y |
| Cost of machine | £79.99 | from £59.99 |
| Cost of media | £12+ | £4+ |
| Age suitability (engaging content/ operation) | 2-8 years | 4-10 years |
