Yoto vs Tonie

[SephrinaX]

Hello,

I have DS1 (6) and DS2 (3.5) and I've been looking at Tonie boxes and Yoto players online.

I'm going to get them both one for Christmas, but after looking at reviews I think perhaps Yoto player might be better for the 6 year old and a Tonie for the 3.5 year old?

Or should I just get them both the same?

I wanted to hear opinions from those of you who have them!

Thanks!

We have the Tonie box, Dd is 7 and I don’t see her giving it up any time soon! She loves the little characters and it goes everywhere with us if we stay anywhere. They have a Tonie you can record a bedtime story on which Dd loves when she stays at my parents.

She does also have an Alexa in her room for kids podcasts, and I think the Yoto can play them directly so it’s just if you want that ability.

Honestly I would just get an Alexa with an Amazon kids account linked to audible. It's so much cheaper and has far more longevity as you can transfer the files onto other devices.

I would get them both a Yoto player. I think 3.5 is a good age for the Toniebox but it won't be long before they're outgrowing the content. Where as the Yoto is more versatile and the content will grow with the child.

Get them both a yoto player. The yoto is so much more versatile and has more longevity and any cards you get for the 6 year old can in time be passed down to the 3 year old.

I'd get the oldest a yoto mini and the youngest a normal sized yoto. You won't regret it, best gift we've got our DS.

Yoto all the way. So much more content for a wider age range, plus the free radio stations, podcasts etc.

YOTO definitely!

My children are the same ages (6 and 3) and we did have both, but much prefer the Yoto so I've sold the Toniebox.

DC2 was always more interested in DC1's Yoto player than in the Toniebox. We got DC2 their own Yoto player for second birthday.

It makes more sense to me to have just one system, rather than buying content for different systems. I love Yoto because there's a lot of free content - my 6yo listens to the Yoto daily podcast most days, it's great - and because the cards are good value. I do quite a lot of MYO cards (using MP3s from music and audiobooks we have on CD, or borrowing audiobooks from the library).

Are you looking at the Yoto player or the mini? They're both fab, though I do like how portable the mini is. Yoto is doing 20% off the players for Black Friday - not the mini, but Natural Baby Shower has 15% off the mini.

We've had a Yoto for over 3 years, it's used everyday at bedtime and often during the day too. My DS who is 7 loves it and it goes everywhere with us.

Here's a referral link for money off prz.io/VZ6vl9KSV

Yes this is what we have. Yoto / Tonies seem to become ‘unfashionable’ around 7/8 which means all the money you’ve spent on books are also wasted. At least with Audible they still listen to the stories

It's not wasted if they've got use out of them. And they have decent resale value.

Can anyone tell me what the advantages are of a yoto or tonie over a cheap cd player and cds, or pp's suggestion of an Alexa and audible account? Honesty not trying to make a point, I feel I'm missing something.

Yoto (especially the mini) is very portable and can be carried around the house easily and taken in the car or when travelling, going away etc. The cards are smaller than CDs and less breakable. It's easier for children to have physical cards to choose and put in the player than it is for them to use Alexa and Audible. Parents have more control over the content (I assume there are parental controls on Alexa and Audible, but it's not the same as choosing which Yoto cards you provide). Yoto has extra free content including the Yoto daily podcast, which is really excellent, handy timers (eg for brushing teeth, tidying up etc) and various other things in the app - children's podcasts, radio stations and free content in the "discover" section.

i don't work for Yoto - honest I just love ours!

My 18mo loves pushing the button to turn our radio on and off so I was thinking about getting him a Yoto. Is he too young though to be able to operate it himself? Is the mini or big one easier for a toddler? What's the benefit of the big one over the mini if the mini is so much more portable?

Also how much is an Audible subscription? £7.99/month?

Yoto club membership is optional (you can just buy cards as and when you want them) but if you go for the annual option it's £99 (£8.25/month) and you get 2 cards a month which you own and can then sell as and when you want to. Which means you recoup the money, unlike an Audible subscription which is just lost.

Our under 2 loves the yoto...

We got it on a recommendation from someone who said they'd done a world of research and concluded yoto was the best one

I think the big one is a bit easier for a toddler - it has a larger display (obviously) and can be charged by putting it on the dock, which little ones can do. OTOH, the mini has to be plugged in via the cable.

The big one also has a nightlight (the mini doesn't) although we don't use it because you have to put the Yoto face down to use the nightlight, which means you can't then see the display to use it as a sleep/wake clock. We have separate nightlights anyway.

i don't work for Yoto - honest I just love ours!

Not to mention the company have fantastic customer service / after care. The product is amazing and they deserve to be praised. I love that you're trying to show more people just how brilliant they are, and hopefully lots of children will find a Yoto under the tree this year. 😊

Audible gives you 1 book to keep forever a month. There’s none of the limitations that Yoto / Tonies have either - DS has 3-6 hour long books. On top of that Audible have a huge collection of permanently free books kids can listen too as part of their Plus catalogue (a lot of the BBC productions with Steven Mangan / Lenny Henry). You also get Pod casts, performances, and can buy books on offer too. Eg I bought The Gruffalo and Other Stories & Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone for 3.99 total.

Another vote for the Yoto. Our 11 year old still uses hers, loves the daily podcast etc...

Thanks all, in the end I have opted to get them both a Yoto. The reviews seem pretty glowing for them. I think that the Tonie would have been good for the little one just now, but he probably will grow out of it much more quickly.

That's great news, i'm sure they will love it. Next year you'll be on these sort of threads telling everyone just how wonderful they are. 😆

Edit (typing error)

I have Voxblock players for my children. They are 7 & 9 and they love them. The range of audiobooks available are suitable from about 2 years old up to 11/12, so the players will last a long time. The price is also great, a starter pack is £59.99 and includes a player and 3 stories. They have also just launched a Roald Dahl starter pack which looks great too. The thing I like best is that they don't need any internet to work and the battery life last a long time. Just in case you wanted to look at an alternative.