Audio storytelling devices provide screen-free entertainment for kids who can operate the toys independently – the way we used to play with CD and cassette players. The audio, though, goes beyond music, usually including stories and games.
Currently, the two most popular devices are the Toniebox 2 and the Yoto 3rd generation. Both are great, but which one would suit your child better? I tried each device to see how they compare.
Toniebox 2
I tried the second version of the Toniebox, which is an updated take on the original (my colleagues reviewed and loved that model as well). Toniebox 2 feels soft and can withstand some rough play from kids. You connect it to wi-fi to set it up initially, pairing it to an app on your phone. The box acts as a reader, downloading content from each Tonie figure. Every time you introduce a new Tonie figure, the box will need to be on wi-fi, but once the box ‘knows’ a figure, it can play it offline.
✔️ Toniebox 2 is designed for children aged 1+. The brand is doubling down on its offer for young kids with My First Tonies for toddlers and Cuddle Tonies for preschoolers.
✔️ Tonies are fun to collect, display and play with on their own, with classic figures such as Peter Rabbit and dozens of Disney characters. What little fan wouldn’t want a mini Elsa or Moana, or a storytelling Lightning McQueen or Simba?
✔️ The Toniebox is truly screen-free, and it’s fun to operate. Kids learn to tweak an ear to turn it on, and to tip the box on its side to fast-forward in a story.
Yoto Player 3rd generation
Everything is smaller with Yoto, from the box to the content cards. It has the same wi-fi configuration as the Toniebox 2, where you must download the app and then each new Yoto card while connected to wi-fi. Afterwards, however, the box can read the card offline. I tried out the third generation of the regular Yoto, but you can buy an even smaller one, the Yoto Mini.
✔️ Yoto is designed for children aged 3+ and has content that’s great for older kids, such as the soundtracks from KPop Demon Hunters and Wicked. There’s even content for teens and adults, including Queen: Greatest Hits Volume 1 for those of us who still want to listen to an entire album.
✔️ Yoto cards are easier to take out with you than the Tonies. But the cards aren’t anything special that you’d play with, whereas the Tonies are little toys in themselves.
✔️ Yoto has a display. My nine-year-old niece argues that it’s not a screen, not like a kid’s tablet: there’s just a simple pixelated image that changes with the content. One thing I loved about the display – it becomes a clock when not being used with a card. Parents can adjust the times for when Yoto shows a sun, for daytime, or a moon, for sleep.
Other ways they compare
I tried both at home and on a weekend trip with my nine-year-old niece. In my opinion they are:
✔️ Tied in ease of setup. Both require you to download an app, connect to wi-fi and so on. But I had each device set up and working within about five minutes.
✔️ Tied (more or less) in price. Prices go up and down with sales and the season, but each device generally hovers between £90 and £140. Tonies figures are usually around £15 each and Yoto cards vary more widely, from about £6 to £10.
✔️ Toniebox 2 has a short charging cable, Yoto has a long one. Yoto is easier to use in the car, in a hotel room or on flights, because of its longer cable. The Toniebox 2’s cable is very short, so you have to charge it right next to the power socket. In case it matters: Yoto’s cable has a traditional USB-A connector, while the Toniebox 2 cable has a USB-C connector. Neither comes with a wall charger, so you have to use one you already have.
✔️ Yoto’s battery lasts longer. Toniebox 2 markets itself as having up to 10 hours of battery life, and Yoto has more like 24 hours of playtime. Both seem like plenty to me, since they’re easy to recharge.
✔️ Both brands have compatible headphones. Your child can listen and you don’t have to. Tonies sells Bluetooth headphones for the Toniebox 2 and there are similar Yoto wireless headphones. Each brand sells wired headphones as well.
✔️ Both brands allow you to record your own content. I didn’t try this, but there are Creative Tonies and Yoto Make Your Own Cards that enable you, a relative or your child to record a tale.
Which storytelling device is right for your child?
In my opinion, it comes down to age.
Toniebox 2 is great for toddlers and young kids. It has a strong range of nursery rhyme content and classic stories, and even Tonies Sleepy Friends to help set the scene for bedtime. There’s no screen and the box is made for little people. It can, however, grow with your child. As they develop new obsessions with films or TV shows, there’s likely a Tonie to match.
Toniebox is what I’d recommend to my cousin who has eight-month-old twins. I will probably give her mine for their upcoming first birthday. I know she limits screen time and prioritises sweet stories, and I think this is perfect.
Yoto is great for kids and preteens. My nine-year-old niece took to the Yoto. Playing film soundtracks was especially fun for her, and she would, for instance, tell me which KPop Demon Hunter character was being shown on the front display. I loved that it turned into a clock when we weren’t playing with it. Book content such as The Chronicles Of Narnia are definitely for older kids. But I don’t want to make Yoto sound like it’s only for big kids; the brand also has plenty of little-kid offerings along the lines of Old MacDonald And Other Preschool Songs.
My niece turns 10 in June, and Yoto is the audio device I’d recommend for her, since there’s so much content for her. And yes, I will give her the one that we tested. I don’t think my brother will mind her having another toy – it's small and its cards are, too.
Jessica (she/her) is a contributor with several decades of experience writing lifestyle content and evaluating home, pet, and parenting products for families. A mom of two young adults and a cat, she was previously the Entertainment Editor at Parents and the Senior Lifestyle Editor at American Baby. When not testing toys, subtly starting at people's strollers, or taking meetings to learn about new car seats, she likes to travel. In 2026, she's made it to every continent except Antarctica.
