Audio players for children: what we actually tried

Audio players were our favourite screen-free alternative for a long time. Children can decide what they want to listen to and when. That matters. Being alongside them as they choose is worth the effort. Not all players work equally well for bilingual families. Here is what we found.

Toniebox 1 and 2 — player approx. €110, figures approx. €12–16, Creative Tonie approx. €15

The most popular system. Place a figure on top, story starts. Suitable from age two, very robust, very intuitive. The new version 2 adds an LED ring, sleep timer, sunrise alarm and a screen-free game function with a controller.

Tip: Through the Tonie app, grandparents who live far away can record a story directly from wherever they are. They may need a little help setting up the app. After that, the recording lands digitally on the Creative Tonie without any physical card being sent. For families who do not live nearby, this is a real advantage.

Every new figure needs to connect to WiFi the first time it is played, to download the content. After that the player works offline. Before a trip, just load the favourite Tonies at home.

For bilingual families, the Toniebox is our clear favourite. Figures are available in both German and English. The library grows in both languages, and English classics like The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom and Paddington are available as Tonies. One player, two languages, no workaround.

The catch: you are tied to the Tonie ecosystem. Each figure costs extra. Buying second-hand or borrowing from the library is worthwhile. We ended up building a proper swap system with family, neighbours and friends.

For whom: children from age 2. Families who want a simple, robust system. Especially good for bilingual families and for families who live apart from grandparents.

Tigerbox Touch Plus — approx. €130, Wildcards approx. €10 per set of 3, subscription approx. €6.25/month (annual) or Tigercards from €3

More modern and versatile. Touchscreen, Bluetooth, headphone jack, nightlight, over 30,000 titles in the subscription. Recommended from age 5 because of the display.

The display is for navigation only, no video, no animation. But for families who want to avoid any screen entirely, that is worth knowing.

The tigertones streaming service is primarily designed for German-speaking audiences. English content is available but limited, and the playback language cannot be changed. For bilingual families this means: English content comes via Wildcards, onto which you upload your own MP3 files. That works, but it takes time.

Tip: Grandparents can record a story and send it as a file, which parents can then upload to a Wildcard. The card does need to be physically in the player though, which is less direct than the Toniebox approach, but manageable.

Each Tigercard needs WiFi the first time it is played. The subscription simply ends without auto-renewal.

For whom: children from age 5. German-speaking families who want a large library without buying every title individually.

Galakto — from approx. €55, Audio Tokens approx. €10

Compact, robust, no app, no internet, no registration. Insert a token, story starts. Two headphone sockets for listening together, 20 hours battery life, separates into two parts for on the go. The classics are available: Benjamin Blümchen, Pumuckl, Biene Maja, Madita, Paddington.

One drawback for bilingual families: we have not been able to find English tokens since the launch. Perhaps that will change.

For whom: parents who do not want an app. Children from age 3. German-speaking families who want a straightforward, uncomplicated player.

Kuratu verdict: Toniebox. Simple, robust, immediately intuitive. The only player with a genuine bilingual figure range. From age 5, German-speaking: Tigerbox Touch Plus. Largest library, convenient streaming, fair terms. For bilingual families: Toniebox. English figures available, Creative Tonie for your own content, grandparents can record directly from a distance.