Yoto Player vs Toniebox - Audio Player Comparison
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If there is one constant in the chaos that is our home, it is music. My husband plays music for a living so when he is not practicing our house is filled with the sounds of my son banging on the piano, our record player, or we are having a Spotify dance party in our living room to our favorite jams. Sometimes my husband will breakout the Bluetooth speaker when we’re outside working in the yard, or when we are working out in the basement, and my son has quickly become a speaker thief. Our speaker has a leather carrying strap and he loves to carry it around like his own personal boom box.
One weekend after coming up for a visit and seeing my son’s developing obsession with carrying around our speaker my Mom texted me “You have to get him his own!” and began sending me links for children’s audio players. I was slightly hesitant to look into “personal devices” for E because we prefer to limit screen time as much as possible, and I assumed most of the options would be similar to an iPad with a screen for music videos or music apps. I was very pleasantly surprised when I discovered the Yoto Player and Toniebox. I did some research on the differences between these two devices before we made our decision on which to get him. Here are the things that we considered and why the YOTO Audio Player e was the winner for us.
Functionality
The Yoto Player and the Toniebox are both “screen-free audio devices”, essentially personal Bluetooth speakers for kiddos but there are difference when it comes to Yoto vs. Tonie functionality. The Toniebox operates based on small figurines that are placed on top of the box, connecting via magnets. Each figure represents a different story. The Tonie is a square shape with two small “ears” on top that allow kiddos to control the volume, fast forward and rewind their stories all on their own. By squeezing one of the ears they can turn the volume up or down, tapping the side of the box skips to the next chapter. There are hundreds of “tonies” or figurines to choose from, ranging from toddler selections, like Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, to chapter books, like Diary of a Whimpy Kid, for older kiddos. They also sell “Creative Tonie” figurines that allow you to record your own story!
While the “tonies” are fun to collect and easy for little ones to place on top of the speaker independently, if the figurine is removed the story will stop. This becomes problematic for kiddos who want to play with the figurines, or in my son’s case chew on them.
The Yoto Player is a very similar concept of a personal Bluetooth speaker, but it operates via cards (similar in size to a playing card) that are inserted into the top of the box. Each card contains a story or a series of songs. The Yoto has two buttons on the top of the box that allows kids to control the volume as well as skip chapters/songs. There are hundreds of cards to choose from with stories for all ages as well as music playlists. The front of the Yoto player is made of a pixel display that displays either a day/night clock or an image from the story they are listening to. The image changes with each chapter in the story, or each song on the card. This can help kiddos relate which chapters/songs they prefer on each card.
The cards for the Yoto are smaller and harder to manage than the figurines for the Tonie so younger children may not be able to insert them in the box independently, but once they are “clicked in” they are more difficult for a child to remove and play with or lose.
Both of these players require wifi for their initial set-up, but once set up is complete they are able to operate without wifi so they can be used anywhere. Both players are compatible with 3.5 mm headphones, which is a godsend for car/plane rides (or any parent who doesn’t want to hear the same story for the 100th time.) Both players come with their own app which allows for easy set-up and gives parents control over content and volume. Both players also come with a universal magnetic charging port.
Design
The Toniebox is covered in a padded rubber with soft fabric on top which makes it “Soft enough to cuddle, durable enough to handle hands-on kids” and comes in 7 fun colors.
The Yoto Player is made of a hard, grey plastic material. While you can purchase a silicone “adventure jacket” that allows you to customize your player in 1 of 7 colors, this does not come with the player. This jacket also helps protect the speaker from bumps and bruises.
Additional Features
When comparing the Yoto vs. Tonie audito players, it was easy to feel overwhelmed. They have so many similarities, but what sets them apart? I found that the Yoto Player had a few additional features that the Toniebox did not.
Bluetooth capability: While both players are NOT compatible with Bluetooth headphones (so you'll need wired headphones if you decide to use them,) the difference is that the Tonie is not Bluetooth capable at all. This means you can't use the device as a portable speaker, unlike the Yoto. Through the app you can directly connect to the Yoto and use it like you would any other Bluetooth speaker.
Night Time Functions: As far as bedtime is concerned the Yoto has several functions that set it apart from the Tonie. The day/night clock helps children visualize nighttime hours vs. daytime hours and can be set via the app to indicate to kiddos when they can get up/leave their room. The Yoto also offers a night light for bedtime. To turn on the night light all your child has to do is gently lay the speaker onto its face. You can control the color of the night light via the app and children can control the brightness of the light via the control nobs. Lastly, the Yoto offers a variety of white noise stations on their app allowing it to double as a white noise machine.
Yoto Mini: While both players offer a full-size version, Yoto Player also offers a miniature version. The Yoto Mini is a smaller, hand-held option that has all of the functions of the larger version, including a small pixel display, headphone capabilities and controls. The only thing that the Yoto Mini doesn’t include is the night light function.
Cost
Always one of the biggest considerations when making any purchase is the cost. Both players can be ordered on Amazon, but if you want to get your hands on these speakers or try them out you will have to check out their website to find a toy store near you that carries them. The initial investment in the Yoto and Tonie are roughly the same with the Yoto Player coming in at $109 and the Tonie starter sets ranging from $99-$159. The Yoto Mini (which you see in these blog photos) retails for $69.99. When you buy either the Yoto or the Tonie you will receive the speaker itself, a charger and one figurine or one card to get you started. If you chose the Yoto, I would highly suggest investing in the Adventure Jacket to protect the speaker, which costs $29.99 for the full size or $19.99 for the mini.
After the initial investment, the fun comes in adding Tonies or Cards to your collection so that your little one can hear new stories. Each Tonie costs $14.99, while Yoto cards cost anywhere from $5.99 for one card to packs of 5-6 cards for $29.99.
While the initial investment, including the adventure jacket, may be slightly more for the Yoto vs. Tonie in the long run, you will most likely end up spending more money on purchasing Tonies than you would purchasing cards for the Yoto.
THE WINNER
After looking at all of the pros and cons between the two options, and visiting a local toy store to play with both I decided to go with the Yoto Mini. E and I spend ALOT of time traveling together; whether it is the 5 hour drives to Cincinnati to visit family, vacations to Florida or Georgia, or even just running errands during the week. I knew that most of the time E was using his speaker, we would be on the go. I love that the Yoto Mini is small enough to throw into my purse or the diaper bag without taking up too much room, and the mini adventure jacket comes with a wrist strap, which helps E keep ahold of his speaker during our trips. In addition to having the Yoto mini, one of the biggest factors was the playing devices. I thought it would be much easier to manage a stack of cards in my purse vs. figurines that would easily go missing during our travels.
E has been using his Yoto mini for over a month now and he absolutely LOVES it. He loves being able to carry around his own music and dance all over the house. When we purchased the Yoto Mini it came with one “create your own card” so we have recorded the soundtrack to Wild Symphony, some of his favorite Peanuts songs and a few sweet messages from his Grandma and Grandpa. While I have had to use the app to control the max volume settings (what can I say, the boy likes to rock out) E loves being able to control which song he is listening to and turning up and down the volume. I have also been impressed with the durability of the speaker. While we have had the adventure jacket on since we bought it, it has survived several tumbles to the floor with no issues. The battery lasts up to 10 hours which comes in handy during our long road trips and overall this speaker has made traveling with a toddler much easier!
