
Smart tunes bluetooth speaker Bluetooth#
Aside from charging, it’s easy enough to for kids to operate, and it’s a nice option for kids who wake at night and need a little soothing to drift off again.Wireless Speakers: Bluetooth vs Wi-Fi What is Bluetooth and How Do Bluetooth Speakers Compare to Wi-Fi Speakers?

Sadly, you have to plug in the Micro-USB cable to charge it, which isn’t as versatile as the reversible USB-C port for young kids. The focus here is on relaxation, and these meditations are suitable for falling asleep or just for a calming break. There are 128 “meditative journeys” in all, alongside some gentle music tracks and nature sounds. The idea is that your kids can turn the dials and get a matching story. It has two dials on the front: One has animals painted around it (like a lion, elephant, and koala bear), and the other has environments (like the jungle, castle, or desert). If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of an internet-connected device for your child, this incredibly cute, wooden speaker is styled like a radio but doesn’t connect to anything. The additional Bluetooth support gives the Yoto Player a little more versatility. The speaker comes with a circular wireless charging base, so there’s no need to fiddle with cables. There’s even a sleep mode that plays a mix of lullabies, classical music, and sleep sounds, and it’s easy enough to use that your child can switch it on themselves if they wake in the night. What elevates the Yoto Player is the inclusion of kid-friendly radio stations and a daily podcast. You can also buy a pack of 10 blank cards and record your own content. There are audiobooks from popular authors like Julia Donaldson and Roald Dahl, and prices are similar to Audible. Content is a bit more mixed, and kids can play different books by inserting cards into the slot on the top. It has a cute pixelated clock display on the front, with a day or night image that tells kids at a glance whether it’s time to get up yet.

The Yoto Player ( 7/10, WIRED Recommends) is similar to the Toniebox, but some important differences make it more suitable for older kids (it's aimed at ages 3 to 12). The lack of additional content or Bluetooth connectivity limits the appeal. They are generally less than an hour and can be as short as 16 minutes. Kids have the capacity to listen to the same thing over and over, and Tonies don’t offer a great deal of content. The hand-painted figurines are super cute, but they’re expensive, and you can expect tears if any go missing. You can also buy Creative Tonies to record up to 90 minutes of your own audio or have grandparents read stories to your kids. It is Wi-Fi–connected, with content downloaded to the speaker when a character is placed on top, but there’s no danger of your child accessing anything they shouldn’t. There are many Tonies to choose from and tie-ins with familiar favorites like Paddington Bear, Disney, and Pixar movies like The Lion King and Cars, and many popular kids characters. The Toniebox plays stories and songs connected to different characters or “Tonies,” triggered when your child places the relevant figurine on top of the speaker. It’s built to withstand tumbles, spills, and hugs, and you can leave your kids alone with it without worry. Older kids will be better served by the standard fourth-generation Echo ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends), which offers superior sound quality and still supports parental controls.ĭesigned for ages 3 to 7, the durable Toniebox is a squishy cube with ears that double as volume controls. If you’re a Prime subscriber and your kids have Fire tablets, this speaker is easy to recommend, but you can also use it as a regular Bluetooth speaker and stream any content from your phone. The content filters worked just fine, but if you want to be certain your kids won’t access something you don’t approve of, you must micromanage. There's a physical button to turn the microphone off, but you still might be uncomfortable with the idea of letting kids loose with a smart speaker. The parental controls are great, and I appreciate extras, like the ability to broadcast when it’s dinnertime. This Kids version comes painted as a tiger or panda, and Kids+ provides age-appropriate games, Audible books, and educational skills. Sound quality is solid, Alexa is responsive, and you can connect your music streaming service.

Smart tunes bluetooth speaker free#
This Alexa-powered smart speaker covers all the bases with support for music and audiobooks, alongside a world of kid-friendly extras included in the free year of Amazon Kids+ (usually $3 per month).
