Looking to buy a tablet for your toddler and not sure what the best option is?
If you’re looking to buy your child a tablet then you’ll know by now there is a lot of choice on the market.
You’ve got the fancy Apple iPad and the cool Android options, plus tablets made specifically as toys for kids.
Best toddler tablet
Best toddler tablet: Amazon Fire 8 Kids
Best affordable toddler tablet with room to grow: Amazon Fire 10 Kids Pro
Out of all the many options available there’s one that stands out as the best for toddlers – the Amazon Fire Kids range.
These tablets win the race thanks to these features:
- Price
- Easy parental control
- Range of age-appropriate content
- Protective case
- Worry-free 2 year guarantee
- Option to add popular apps such as Netflix
- Ability to download content to use offline – such as when travelling without access to wifi
These tablets are geared up specifically for kids, and are priced comfortably for parents. Your other options from the iPad and Android ranges are superior in terms of speed and screen and sound quality. But there are disadvantages to these.
The biggest one is the cost, closely followed by how easy they are to break, and with no replacement guarantee can cost you dear to repair or replace.
But the iPad and Android are understandably options you may consider, so we’re going to take a look at those key options for your child’s tablet and weigh up the pros and cons of each.
Guide to tablets for toddlers
Let’s take a closer look at the general options available to you for your toddler’s first tablet.
Apple iPad
If you are familiar with Apple iPads and I’m sure you are, you’ll know they are fast, they are easy to use and they’re reliably awesome.
The screen quality is great, as are the cameras in the newer models.
The processor can handle big games like Roblox. I have an iPad mini 4, released way back in 2015. It still works great for gaming for my kids, although it’s no longer supported by software updates.
There’s a huge range of games available in the Apple store, both free and paid for. You can set parental controls via settings so you can limit your child’s access to certain apps, such as social media, and the internet.
You can also set time limits and age restrictions. You could share a tablet with your child, setting up their own profile on your tablet.
However because it’s Apple, they are expensive. It’s the big disadvantage with the iPad, along with how easy they are to break.
Especially in the hands of a child and they don’t come with a case, unlike the Amazon Kids range.
That’s something that’s really worth thinking through if you are getting this tablet for a child under 10 who may, in a fit of rage, use it like a frisbee.
The iPad 9th Gen comes in far more less expensive than the brand new model, so it’s worth considering getting an older gen to save money.
Android
There are a ton of android tablets on the market, but we’ve found the Samsung models to be consistently reliable.
We’ve got the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, which has been great for our kids although the 10ins screen is likely to be too big for tiny toddler hands to cope with.
When it comes to kids Samsung has a Samsung Kids profile you can set up on the tablet with kid-friendly content. It comes pre-loaded with some very toddler-friendly apps, such as a camera and some games.
Then you can add more apps to it if you choose. The Samsung Kids profile is controlled by a pin code, so your child cannot exit it to an adult profile without the pin, keeping them safe.
You’ve also got a huge range of games available in the Android store and the processor can also handle playing big games such as Roblox.
Amazon Fire Kids
The advantage with the Amazon Kids range of tablets is that it’s a tablet specifically set up and designed with kids in mind. The price makes it a great budget option for parents, which is what makes it so popular.
The Kids 7 is the super budget version, but I would advise investing in an 8 or 10 if your budget can stretch as you get a faster processor, bigger storage and better battery life.
The Amazon Kids tablet range is an android tablet, but it comes with the Amazon Kids operating software.
When you purchase a tablet you get a year free subscription to Kids+, Amazon’s kid-friendly content for their tablets.
That includes games, books and videos. Plus you can add apps to your child’s kid+ profile, including Netflix and Disney+.
Amazon tablets come with a case that will appeal to kids, and the non-Pro one is particularly cushioned in case of drops.
You can play some games and download video content, like on Netflix, to watch when you don’t have access to wifi, such as on a plane. In terms of space you can expand it by adding a memory card to the device.
Difference between Amazon Pro and non-Pro
The Amazon range comes with Pro and non-Pro versions. The non-Pro is aimed at younger kids under 6, while the Pro is for school aged kids ages 6 and upward.
The key differences are the look and range of content you get on Kids+, with the Pro coming with filtered web access plus store access, so kids can browse a digital store with lots more content where they can ask permission to download apps. The Pro also has a slightly cooler, sleeker case design.
Buying a Pro 8 or 10 tablet for your toddler can have advantages, as you can set the age limit so they cannot access content suitable for kids older than them, and then expand the access as they grow.
Amazon Kids+ app
Everything on the tablet is controlled by you on the Kids+ app on your smartphone. You control times they can use the tablet, daily limits, what apps they have, and see what they have been doing on the tablet. Plus you can control the tablet remotely.
Amazon Fire disadvantages
Key disadvantage with Amazon Kids, with the 8, for us has been it struggles to cope with some games. We’ve often had to shut the whole thing down.
I even had to do a full factory reset a few weeks ago as it kept glitching. It seems to be fine now.
But it still particularly struggles with Roblox, so if that’s the kind of thing your kid wants to do on the tablet it’s worth considering. Our friends have the Amazon Kids 10 and they don’t seem to have the same issue, it has a faster processor.
My kids have Minecraft on their Amazon Fire Kids 8 Pro tablets and that does work without any issues.
You can read my Amazon Fire Kids 8 Pro review here.
What to consider when choosing a tablet
There are a few key issues to think about when deciding which tablet to buy for your toddler.
Your budget
Consider not only what your budget to buy this tablet is, but also how much are you prepared to spend to replace it if it gets broken.
With an option like the Amazon Fire Kids you get free replacement if it’s broken within 2 years of purchase. Amazon kids comes with case that can help to protect the tablet, unlike the iPad and Android.
Fire is by far the best budget option.
Their age
If this is a tablet for a child aged two and up then a delicate device like an iPad is a risky decision.
The Fire range of tablets are physically created with kids in mind and come with the protective case.
What your child may use it for
Your toddler’s tablet is likely to be used to play games, both fun and educational, look at books, and watch videos. You’re not likely at this stage to be comfortable with them browsing the internet or checking out social media!
The Amazon Kids tablets come delivered with all the safety restrictions in place to limit what they can access to safe content only. However you can set up the iPad and Android to be safe for them with limits in place.
iPad and Android app stores have a wider selection of gaming options for kids, however a toddler who is new to tablets is unlikely to complain about the range of choice they have on the Amazon device.
Parental control options
Even tablets sold as adult devices can be set up with parental controls that limit their usage.
But the Fire tablets have the Kids+ app which gives you remote access. I’ve found the Kids+ app to be the most reassuring when it comes to parental control on kids tablets.
Speed, picture quality and sound quality
I’ll be honest, for me these are low priorities for a kids tablet. Yes I want them to be able to see what they’re doing, but I’m not too worried about the tablet being the top performer for screen and sound quality.
While gadget fans may seek out a tabloid with the best processor, realistically you may not need that at this stage for your toddler’s first tablet.
Final thoughts
Still confused after all this? One of the best options to try is giving your child an old tablet of yours, and upgrading your own.
This way you haven’t invested a huge amount up front to give them something you’re still unsure of.
