Toniebox review: kids put the colourful smart speaker to the test

With screens everywhere these days, many parents are looking for alternatives. Concerns about unsuitable content, adverts and the effect of screen time on children’s developing brains have made way for new and innovative devices that allow kids to listen to age-appropriate music, audiobooks and educational content without screens or access to the internet.

If you’re on the hunt for a visually appealing but screen-free audio player for your child, the Toniebox could be the perfect choice. Regularly recommended by parents on the Mumsnet forums, the Toniebox comes up often in discussions about the best toys for 2-year-olds and 3-year-olds.

But with plenty of cheap smart speakers available to pair with a parents’ smartphone, is it really worth investing in an audio player specifically designed for kids? We asked mum of two Bethan and her 5-year-old, and mum of two Amber with her 3-year-old to test out the Toniebox. Here’s what they thought…

First impressions

We were impressed by how sturdy and padded the Toniebox is, it’s certainly built to be used by young children. The Tonies are chunky and a good size for little hands, and they fix to the top of the Toniebox with magnets.

Our tester families both tried the Toniebox Starter Set, which comes with the Toniebox itself, plus a charger unit, instructions and a creative Tonie already loaded with content. We also tested the Sleepy Sheep Night Light (see below) and a selection of Tonie characters including Peppa Pig and Cocomelon.

Read next: Yoto Mini vs Toniebox: which is the best screen-free audio player?

How child-friendly is it?

The Toniebox is made with toddlers and young children in mind. They can navigate through the story by tapping the sides and control the volume using the box’s “ears”. Our five-year-old tester initially found it difficult to operate and not as sensitive as it could be. The three-year-old was able to operate the Toniebox with parent supervision.

"[My daughter] squeezed the ears and she counted to five and [the Toniebox] started talking which was very exciting! She squeezed the ear again and it made it louder, which she did a few times. She squeezed the other ear and the volume came down. She said she was going to turn it up again, which worked!" - Amber, mum of our three-year-old tester.

There’s no extra content available on a Toniebox - just what’s on the Tonie being used. So there are no surprises and you don’t need to worry about your child finding their way online.

Both parent testers found the player to be very robust, and there are plenty of kids’ favourite characters available as Tonies to get them interested in using the player. Both our testers said they kept the player on the charging unit at home mostly, as both found it most useful at bedtime and first thing in the morning. Thanks to a seven-hour battery life, it can be taken out on trips too.

Best feature - the “Tonies”

For visual appeal, the little hand painted Tonies are a stroke of genius. Collectable and robust, toddlers and pre-schoolers love having their favourite characters and the independence of operating the Toniebox by themselves.

Despite their fun looks, they’re not too stimulating and it’s easy to make selecting a favourite Tonie part of your existing bedtime routine. “We still read a story together, but then he puts on his current favourite tonie to fall asleep to.”

Read next: Shopping for a toddler? Check out our guide to the very best toddler toys for 2023.

If a bedtime story from their favourite Tonie character isn't quite enough to send your little one off to the land of nod, Tonies also have a Sleepy Sheep Night Light. This adorable light up sheep sits on top of the Toniebox and plays either soothing bedtime lullabies or a personalised goodnight message or story, all while glowing gently. Our parent tester found it a very welcome addition to their Toniebox and liked the fact that the light works on or off the Toniebox, allowing the child to carry it with them if they get up in the night.

Will the Toniebox last?

There’s no doubt the Toniebox is robust and great quality. It can take a lot of bashing and rough and tumble from a young child. However, while the cute characters will appeal to young children, older children might find them less inspiring.

Price

At just under £80 the Toniebox is more expensive than the Yoto Mini and Echo Dot Kids. Our parent-tester Bethan thought it was a bit pricey when combined with the Tonies, although she admits they do get a lot of use for it. She plans to pass it down to her younger child once it’s grown out of.

Tonies are £15 each so it’s worth looking out for bundles and discounts.

Where to buy a Toniebox and Tonies characters

Toniebox starter sets are available from Amazon, John Lewis and plenty of other online retailers. You can also purchase them from Tonies directly. Some of the best bundle deals can be found with the starter set, so it’s worth shopping around.

Individual Tonies can be bought from lots of online retailers - here’s Amazon’s selection.

Final verdict: Toniebox review

Overall rating: 4/5

The Toniebox is a robust, well-designed audio player perfect for toddlers and young children. Our testers said it is used daily and helps their children drift off to sleep at night, as well as providing entertainment during the day.

"The Tonie characters are a bit pricey but we do use them a lot. I will likely pass it on to my daughter also and the characters my son grows out of. I see them both sharing it and us using it on long car journeys." - parent tester Bethan (mum of five-year-old)

"The box is easy to lift on and off the power docking station. After [my three-year-old] had been shown once, I didn’t need to help, the magnet click helps align where to put the figure alongside the green light guiding its placement. " - parent tester Amber (mum of three-year-old)

However, both the player and characters are more expensive and with fewer features than the Yoto Mini, and we think the Toniebox has less longevity because of its younger look, so on balance, we’ve given the Toniebox 4 stars.

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All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents after weeks of research and testing. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust.