“From the toothbrush timer to bedtime stories and songs to dance to, we’ve used it every single day since it arrived.”
In an age where daily life can be dominated with smartphones, tablets and televisions, many parents are growing increasingly concerned by the effects of screen time on their young children. Keeping your children away from screens can be difficult and it’s why screen-free audio devices have seen a surge in popularity in recent years.
Now children’s audio brand Yoto is offering another new alternative. This month the brand has launched their new Yoto Player 4th Gen (£119.99) and Yoto Mini 4th Gen (£89.99), bringing a host of updates to the already-loved device.
It allows children to listen to stories, music, podcasts, sleep sounds and more without the use of a screen. The device uses Yoto Cards to let children choose what they want to listen to independently.
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New features of the 4th Gen devices include a ‘green button’ which gives children instant, cardless access to their favourite audio and personalised playlists from their library once parents have set it up through the free app.
The device also boasts a ‘smoother routine’ further helping families build the Yoto into morning and evening routines. While redesigned hardware and a more robust, adventure-ready Yoto Mini is perfect for one the go.
Yoto Player 4th Gen + Mini 4
The Yoto Player is a screen-free, interactive audio device that lets children play audiobooks, music, podcasts and more independently
Both the Yoto Player 4th Gen and Yoto Mini 4th Gen have also been upgraded to hold 64GB of storage – enough for up to 1,000 hours of audio. Designed for adventures at home and away, the Yoto Mini 4th Gen is IP67 puddle-proof, with a splash and dust-resistant design built to withstand the rough and tumble of everyday family life.
The larger Yoto Player 4th Gen, meanwhile, is better suited to family life at home. It has stereo sound, a redesigned full-panel night light, and features for morning and bedtime routines.
Elsewhere, the Toniebox is another well-known screen-free audio device, available for £110 at Argos. The Toniebox 2 works with collectible Tonie characters to ‘bring stories and songs to life’.
While, the Voxblock is another screen-free player, specialising in books. It is available for £59.99 on Amazon and is connectivity free, so it doesn’t need Wi-Fi or apps.
Back to Yoto, while the new 4th Gen models are yet to attract any new reviews, previous models do, with the brand currently holding a 4.4 star rating on Trustpilot. Charlene said: “Easy to navigate and good prices my granddaughter loves her Yoto player.”
A second customer as part of a lengthy review commented: “First of all, Yoto is a great product. Screen free time for my child. Love the MYO cards. Love the independence it provides my child. He knows he is in control of what he wants to listen to. The daily podcast, Yoto daily, is our breakfast ritual.”
Jessica simply posted: “We love our Yotos. Our nine-year-old has a mini and out five-year-old has an original. Best purchase ever.”
Rebecca wrote: “My two and four year olds love their Yotos. It’s opened up such a sweet world of books to them – and helped make road trips and bedtime easier! I can see us using them for many years to come.”
Another continued: “Yoto is EXCELLENT! From the toothbrush timer to bedtime stories and songs to dance to, we’ve used it every single day since it arrived.”
A sixth shopper enthused: “We love the Yoto player. We listen to it at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Such a great investment and would highly recommend!”
However Shilo wrote: “The cards are too expensive and to have to pay for delivery on top of that sucks! It would be nice to have an option to just have the card in the library but the option to not have a physical card.”
And Kate added: “My children’s Yoto players are the single most important items in their lives! I cannot praise them enough. Their customer support is brilliant. The robustness of both the mini and the big one is astounding… they are both well used but still going strong!
“I genuinely don’t know what I’d have done without them! Life savers for long car journeys and bedtime listening after lights out and cuddles!”
You can pre-order both the new Yoto Player 4th Gen and Yoto Mini 4th Gen on Yoto’s website now.