If you’re a parent (or a grandparent, aunt, or family friend) you’ve probably seen the Yoto Player popping up everywhere lately. I know I did. After hearing other parents rave about it and spotting it on socials, I decided to find out if it really lives up to the hype.
So, is the Yoto Player worth it? I’ve spent a good few months watching my kids use it every day, so I’ve put together this guide to help you decide whether or not a Yoto player is for you.
What is the Yoto Player?
In case you’re new to it, the Yoto Player is a clever screen-free audio player designed especially for kids. It puts children in control of what they listen to, offering a wide mix of stories, music, radio stations, educational audio and calming sleep sounds, all without needing a tablet, phone or screen time. Kids simply insert a small physical card into the Player, which starts the audio straight away.
The Player has an intuitive pixel display that shows fun icons and simple animations to match what’s playing, but there’s no distracting screen content. It also has chunky, kid-friendly buttons and a built-in nightlight, making it just as useful at bedtime as it is during playtime. Parents can control volume limits and settings through a connected app, and kids can even stream free daily podcasts or radio through Wi-Fi. The Yoto Player grows with children too. From infants story time to independent listening and even music as they get older.
What Age Is Appropriate For Yoto Player?
I don’t think there is a designated age for the Yoto player, as the cards are so diverse. There are fairy tales, Roald Dahl stories, Harry Potter, educational content, music albums and so much more! Making it fun for all ages.
The Big Pros
1. Completely Screen-Free
This is the top reason so many parents love the Yoto Player. My kids love their gaming consoles and yes, I let my kids enjoy screen time. However, we do balance that out with lots of time outdoors, so they get good breaks away from the screens too.
With that said, my youngest is autistic and, like many neurodiverse kids, he relies on his iPad a lot. He often records things and replays them to help him process what’s happened. It can be tricky to find an alternative when he’s had enough iPad time but still needs something to hold his focus. That’s exactly where the Yoto Player works so well for us. It gives him something engaging to listen to, without adding more screen time to his day.
There are no flashing lights or touchscreens on the Yoto player, so kids can listen and use their imagination instead. I’ve found it’s brilliant for winding down after a busy day and no overstimulating screen time before bed.
2. Kids Are in Control
My youngest loves being able to pick what he wants to hear and swaps the cards in and out. It’s simple enough for him to manage on his own. I’m all for encouraging a bit of independence, plus it means I’m not on standby to press play every two minutes.
3. Brilliant Card Library
There’s a huge range of Yoto Cards. Classic fairy tales, Disney stories, learning cards, music, phonics, mindfulness and more. Some cards last a few minutes, others are hours long. We’ve built up a little collection, and I tend to gift new cards for birthdays or holidays. Money well spent, in my opinion.
4. Multi-Use
It’s not just for stories. The Yoto Player works as a nightlight, an OK-to-wake clock and you can play sleep sounds or white noise all night.
My youngest loves the daily Yoto podcast. It is full of new content every day, from games to play, some encourage exercises, draw along activities and more. There is a schedule for the month ahead on Yoto Daily, where you can see what is coming up. Kids love to listen along to Jake, a dad and teacher who runs the podcast.
This little gem has become a favourite part of our morning routine! My little man has never been so quiet when he tunes in to Yoto Daily!
5. Portable and Sturdy
It’s designed for kids, so it can survive a drop or two. You can get a protective Adventure Jacket case if you want to be extra careful. We have a purple one, but you can check out the full range of Yoto covers here.
If our Yoto can survive my son’s heavy hands, then it can survive almost anything!
Are there any Downsides? (Because Nothing’s Perfect)
1. Needs WiFi for Some Features
You don’t need WiFi to play downloaded cards, but some features (like the daily podcast or radio) need a connection. Not a big deal at home, but worth knowing if you want it completely offline.
2. Maybe a Bit of a Sibling Magnet?
One thing I can imagine is it causing the odd squabble if you have more than one child and only one Player. My two are different ages, so this isn’t the case in our house.
This isn’t really a downside as the Yoto Player is so fun that everyone will want to play with it!
Can You Make Your Own Yoto Cards?
Yes, you can make your own Yoto cards! This is quite a cool option, actually. You could record yourself reading a story, or perhaps upload an MP3 of a relative telling a story. Fill the card with music tracks, link up to 100 tracks per card, 1 hour max per track.
You can also make cards from a selection of radio stations and podcasts, which are available on the app – so that you can play these on Yoto Player, directly from a card.
Add graphics to the card and the list goes on. Oh and the cards are reusable too!
Is It Worth the Money?
YES, yes and yes! We’ve had hours of fun, creative play, calmer car journeys, and a better bedtime routine because of it.
I think it’s a really good price for such an engaging player, and it’s a lovely way to encourage kids to love stories and give them a bit of independence.
If you’re on the fence, think about how your kids like to play and listen. If they love audiobooks or being read to, they’ll probably get loads of use out of it. If you travel a lot or want a bedtime helper, it’s even more worthwhile.
Tips to Make the Most of It
- Start with a few cards you know your child will love, such as popular characters or favourite stories.
- Join the Yoto Club if you think you’ll want lots of cards. It can save money in the long run.
- Get a case if you’ll be taking it on trips. It really does help keep it safe and makes it easier to carry.
- Use the free daily podcast and radio, there’s always something new to listen to.
Highly Recommended!
⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑
If you’re trying to cut down on screen time or want to add more calm, imaginative play to your days, the Yoto Player is genuinely one of the best things we’ve discovered. It’s well-made, simple to use and grows with your child.
If you have any questions about the Yoto Player, feel free to drop them in the comments. I’m always happy to share what’s worked (and what hasn’t).
Happy listening!
I love that it involves no screens, but also the idea that you are able to record your own stories. Such a great idea for families where their loved ones might live further away
We love ours – recommended to all – Thanks for your review
My grandson has a yoto and loves it at bedtime. Just stories and no screen time
This looks like something a bit different, handy, portable and sturdy is a must!
This is brilliant!
My granddaughter would love this
I’ll definitely keep this in mind for Christmas presents! My 2 year old granddauthter would love this!
I would love this for my kids
I would say it is worth it as it’s so versatile. We are always discovering new things that it does!!
This would be perfect for my grands!
My son has a yoto and he loves, we all think it is great for bedtime
I feel like the novelty will wear off fast and not hold their attention
Awesome. This is GREAT
This is fantastic
Being able to make your own recordings is such a good feature! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Sounds brilliant and so many cards to choose from
My daughter’s friend has a Yoto Player and it is wonderful and so worth the money. The girls love it as she brings it round for play dates. I can imagine long car journeys would be a lot more fun with one for the kids.
I have heard great things about the Yoto player and am considering getting one
This is such a great idea, my friend was looking at something similar for the nursery where she works, so I will tell her about this. My kids are too old for this now but it’s definitely something we would have bought for them.
This is awesome
JAMES for my neices and nephews
My son loves the podcast – especially the jokes
This looks really good, need to get one of these.
We love a story at bedtime and also for calming down before bed
Great Idea, wish they had this when mine were growing up
This sounds great. We have been considering getting one
These are fab! Highly recommended!
My son is Autistic and this sounds so perfect for him, especially the fact that there are no flashing lights. Thank you so much for the list of pros and cons.
This looks great! Wish we’d had these when I was growing up
This looks like a great idea and has been created well!
This seems fun – great review 🙂
Very clever product that encourages interactive listening.
This looks like something my Grandson would love
A FANTASTIC PRODUCT – I KNOW GRANDDAUGHTER MARTHA WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.
oh wow the space in the bedrooms i would save with all the books we have
MY DAUGHTER RACHEL WOULD REALLY LOVE THIS
Weve had our yoto players since my daughter was 1 and my son since he was born. I genuinely think they are amazing. From sleep sounds to rhymes and songs they’ve been so useful. We invested in the mini as we loved the original so much and now we take that camping. I couldn’t agree more with your review and im glad people are promoting it. Its such a versatile piece of technology, engaging and safe and that cant often be said of technology. My daughter is 7 now and the things she learns from her science podcasts she listens to at bedtime absolutely baffle me. How you can control it from your phone as a parent is amazing too. Makes me laugh when the kids drop in to our alexa to request a different story and I can pause it, change volume and even set timers all without moving (a god send at the end of a long day). Love these little machines, wish they’d had them when I was little. I even listen to the stories myself when the kids are at school 🤣
These look amazing! I’ve bought my daughter one for her birthday next month.
This would make a fun gift for my niece. Fingers crossed.
This is a great idea. Perfect birthday present for someone I know.
This player would be a nice idea for my daughter.
Sounds awesome, and something to consider as a present for my grandchildren.
I see the Yoto player mentioned everywhere. We don’t have children of an age who would use it but it sounds like a great product.
This could be on the gra kids santa list?
This comes highly recommended in article and comments. Could be one on Santa’s list
Thank you for reviewing this, I’ve been thinking about buying one for a while and I think I might get one for Christmas now ♥️
my kids love this
This would be a great gift for my nephew and coming niece
I’ve always felt my daughter wouldn’t have the attention span for one of these. But I see a lot of people recommending them and Tonie Boxes. Maybe something to reconsider
I think the Yoto player could be useful when we wanr to get our grandchildren to look at something other than a screen!
This is a great gift for an upcoming birthday I have!
This would be the perfect gift for my Niece, thanks for the review x