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7 of the best kids music players in 2026, tried and tested

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7 of the best kids music players in 2026, tried and tested

We've tested 7 of the best music and audio players for kids including the new Toniebox 2, Yoto Player and Amazon Echo Dot Kids to help you find the best fit for your family

Matthew Trask

Published: February 19, 2026 at 8:00 AM

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Whether it's bedtime or you're about to go on a long car journey, a great music player can be a huge help in keeping your kids occupied and calm. This somewhat new category includes some of the most exciting kids tech products on the market offering much more than just the ability to play music.

Specially designed players like the Yoto Player and the Toniebox are made for kids, allowing independent play and learning with intuitive controls and specialised features. Then there are the smart speakers like the Echo Dot Kids and HomePod, which offer voice control and a range of great educational games alongside additional smart home controls.

Deciding what you want will really depend on what you value most in a kids audio player. Do you want something child-friendly? Something screen free? Maybe you want a device with a huge catalog of audio. Or maybe you want to be able to play your own audio through the speaker. No matter what you're looking for in a kids music player, our list has got you covered.

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We've also got our Toniebox review and Yoto Player review as well as a comparison of the two market-leading family favourites in our Yoto vs Tonies piece if you want more information.

Best kids music players at a glance

Best for maximum play potential: Toniebox 2, £99.95
Best for younger children: Toniebox Starter Set, £80
Best for older children: Yoto Player 3rd Generation, £89.99
Best for portability: Yoto Mini, £59.99
Best for families that use Apple devices: HomePod Mini, £96
Best for fun designs: Amazon Echo Dot Kids, £64.99 £29.99 at Amazon (Save £35 or 54%)
Best for listening to audiobooks: VoxBlock, £49.99 £39.99 at VoxBlock (Save £10 or 22%)

Best kids music players tried and tested

1. Toniebox 2, £99.99

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Best Toniebox for maximum play potential

toniebox 2

Battery Powered: Yes | Bluetooth: No | WiFi: Yes | Headphone Port: Yes

Pros:

Tonie figures are great for play and collecting
Redesign looks great
ToniePlay games are a great addition
USB-C charging
Built-in sleep light

Cons:

Expensive
Tonie figures are quite expensive

The Toniebox 2 is FINALLY here and it was worth the wait. The latest Toniebox model takes everything we loved about the original and plusses it in almost every way.

They've added a bunch of great new features including USB-C charging, an in-built sleep light, a dynamic light ring, a sunrise alarm and more. It's compatable with all existing Tonies figures as well as the brand new Tonieplay games, which are a whole new way for children to interact with their Toniebox.

Building on an already great product, the Toniebox 2 offers more bang for your buck while also increasing its longevity thanks to it being certified for use by children from 1 years. Overall, this is one upgrade worth considering.

Available from: Tonies, Natural Baby Shower, JD Williams, Very, Currys

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2. Yoto Player, £89.99

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Best for older children

Yoto Player

Yoto

Battery Powered: Yes (Up to 24 hours) | Bluetooth: Yes | WiFi: Yes | Headphone Port: Yes

Pros:

Fantastic range of free content
Can be used as a nightlight
Built-in room thermometer
Great app
Bluetooth
Durable
Yoto Cards are easy to store

Cons:

Expensive
The screen may not be for everyone
Only 1 colourway
Hard plastic body not as child friendly as other options

The Yoto Player 3rd Generation is a fantastic device, packed with innovative features that are designed to help provide an engaging and entertaining experience for your child.

The controls are simple with two large buttons that are intuitive and robust as well as the ability to play content from within the Yoto app. The breadth of free content available on the Yoto Player is also a standout with the podcast and radio both being huge hits with kids. Beyond free content, all the biggest brands are available including Disney hits like Moana and music from bands like Queen.

As MFM reviewer Gemma noted in her review, "[The Yoto] is a surprisingly versatile and expandable device that keeps kids away from traditional screens and encourages a love of books, stories and songs in all forms."

Available from: Yoto, Amazon

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3. Yoto Mini, £59.99

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Best for portability

yoto mini player

Battery Powered: Yes (Up to 14 hours) | Bluetooth: Yes | WiFi: Yes | Headphone Port: Yes

Pros:

Fantastic range of free content
Cute design
Great app

Cons:

Expensive
Only 1 colourway

The Yoto Mini is exactly what you'd expect, everything great about the Yoto Player shrunken down into a pocket-sized version designed for on-the-go listening. You get the best of the Yoto including all the great free and paid content as well as the ability to connect a smartphone via Bluetooth for even more audio options.

It also just looks cool, with the bright, tactile buttons and smooth, hard plastic shell it is perfect if you are the parent to older children. Combine it with the Mini Adventure Jacket for an even sleeker, more personalised look.

Overall, this is a fantastic entry point into the world of Yoto Players, with access to an array of content that will help keep kids occupied when you're on the move.

Available from: Yoto, Amazon

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4. Toniebox, £79.95

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Best for younger children

Tonies disney bundle

Battery Powered: Yes (Up to 7 hours) | Bluetooth: No | WiFi: Yes | Headphone Port: Yes

Pros:

Tonie figures are great for play and collecting
Soft and 'huggable' design
A wide array of colours
Great selection of content

Cons:

Controls are hit-and-miss
Proprietary charger
Tonie figures are quite expensive

The original Toniebox might not be the latest and greatest anymore, but the vast array of content and fun design still makes it one of the best kids audio players on the market.

"My son was so taken with the Rotten Romans he has listened to that Tonie pretty much non-stop for two weeks," noted parent tester Sarah, who tested the Toniebox with her 3-year-old son. "He has learnt so much from it and talks about the different Emperors and some of the myths. We live near Hadrian's Wall so have been visiting the Roman Forts - Toniebox in tow - to explore some of the sites."

Available from: Argos

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5. HomePod Mini, £99.99

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Best for families that use Apple devices

HomePod Mini blue

Battery Powered: No | Bluetooth: No (AirPlay works over WiFi) | WiFi: Yes | Headphone Port: No

Pros:

Great sound
Can play basically anything
Wide range of colours
Voice control
Tons of apps

Cons:

Power cord attached to HomePod Mini
No button to mute the microphone on the HomePod Mini itself
Expensive
Not portable

Slightly different to the Yoto Player and Toniebox, the HomePod Mini is a great smart speaker designed to be used alongside Apple's voice assistant Siri. As this is an Apple product, it works seamlessly within the Apple ecosystem, allowing you to AirPlay pretty much any audio from your iPhone to the HomePod for shared listening (though a separate subscription may be required for some content).

For parents, the HomePod Mini has a variety of parental controls including the ability to prevent explicit music from being played as well as the ability to restrict access to other content.

You can also set up kids' profiles as part of your Family, though this is quite a time-consuming and difficult process. There's also the ability to set volume limits and monitor activity, which is great if you're planning on setting up the HomePod Mini in your child's bedroom.

For more on setting up Apple devices for kids, check out our guide to Apple parental controls.

Even thought this isn't explicitly made for kids, it is a great investment in the long term if you're looking for a player that works for the whole family. As with anything Apple, it's thoughtfully designed and easy to use and will last long after your child has grown out of products like the Yoto, Tonies and VoxBlock.

Available from: Apple, Currys, Argos

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6. Amazon Echo Dot Kids, £64.99

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Best for fun designs

Echo Dot Kids Owl

Battery Powered: No | Bluetooth: Yes | WiFi: Yes | Headphone Port: No | Ages: 3-12

Pros:

Great range of content
Reasonably priced
Alexa included
Hardware button to mute the microphone

Cons:

Amazon content requires an additional subscription
Not portable

Probably the most well-known smart speaker on the market, the Echo Dot Kids is still a fantastic option. The kids' version of the classic Echo Dot is basically the same device only with a robust set of parental controls via the Amazon Parent Dashboard including volume and time limits as well as content filtering.

As this is an Echo Dot you get access to the wide array of Amazon content including music, audiobooks and podcasts (though a separate subscription may be required). You also get Amazon's voice assistant Alexa, which kids can ask to play content, set alarms and more.

Amazon's content is more limited than what you might find on the Apple HomePod Mini, but the cute designs and fantastic parental control options make it a great music and audio player for kids.

Overall, the Echo Dot Kids is a great pick for independent kids looking to take control of their listening. With a wide variety of great, child-friendly content and other smart features like alarms and the ability to control smart home devices, the Echo Dot Kids is a great all-around device.

Available from: Amazon, Currys, Argos

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7. VoxBlock, £39.99

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Best for listening to audiobooks

Voxblock audio player starter pack product shot

Battery Powered: Yes | Bluetooth: No | WiFi: No | Headphone Port: Yes

Pros:

Simple to operate
No apps or Wi-Fi required for set-up
Sustainable card books
Durable and good size for travel

Cons:

Limited library for younger listeners
Can’t connect Bluetooth headphones
No additional functions
Quite a large device

If you're looking for a low-cost and easy-to-use way for your child to listen to audiobooks either on the go or while at home then the VoxBlock is a fun, innovative device. It works similarly to the Toniebox or Yoto Player in that there are individual audiobooks that connect to the VoxBlock to play audio.

The books themselves are fun, sustainably made versions of the print books with the cover art and spine art designed to look great on the shelf as your child's collection grows. The content library is more limited than what you'll find on the Yoto or Toniebox but you'll still find classics from Roald Dahl and the Alex Rider series to entertain your child.

"Considering the Voxblock essentially does the same thing as other audio players, albeit without a few additional features," noted parent tester Cher, "it is great value for money and the fact that books start from £5.99 make it a great choice for parents looking to spend a little less."

2 pictures of children playing with Voxblock audio player

This is a simple device with zero connectivity and is designed just for audiobooks, which we think makes it an ideal device for getting your kids reading without costing the premium of some of the more fully featured audio players. Like the Yoto Player and Toniebox, the kid-friendly design is a key selling point here, making it a great option for families.

Available from: VoxBlock, Amazon

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Authors

Matthew Trask