Yoto Mini, Travel Accessories and Yoto Cards Review
DISCLOSURE -THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Mel Randle
The Yoto Mini is a member of the Yoto family, designed to be a travel version of their original children’s audio player. I have heard parent friends talk of Yoto but have never seen one myself, so I was excited to explore everything it has to offer. This review includes the Yoto Mini, a Mini Adventure Jacket, a Travel Case, Headphones and a selection of audio cards.
My assistant in this review is my daughter 9, because of course this is a product designed for children. I will say straight away that she loved it, however I think she would have benefited from all the features more had we started with it when she was much younger. Recommended ages for the player is 3-12+ although it could be introduced earlier with full parental control.
YOTO MINI – £59.99 – This little machine is essentially (for anyone old enough to remember) a modern day Walkman. Marketed as a screen-free audio player, it gives children the independence to control their own entertainment without the need for electronic devices. There is no necessity for parental controls or monitoring what your child is doing because it is a safe environment with all child friendly, ad-free content. Audio books and music are delivered via cards which you buy and insert into the top of the machine.
The player was very easy to set up with simple to follow instructions and can be blue tooth enabled and linked to parent’s phone via the Yoto app. It was at this point we discovered there is so much more to this little machine than just playing tunes!! Podcasts, radio, sleep-sounds, alarms, clock, news….. we are discovering more every day and all of this content is free. It also allows you to set up routines for bedtime, wake-up and even toothbrushing! The controls are very simple with big chucky buttons for little hands, so the child can explore easily. All content can also be controlled, and even played, through the parent’s phone which also enables it to be played through the car audio system on long journeys if desired. The sound quality on the Yoto Mini is brilliant! That was the first thing I was very impressed with. It has up to 14 hours battery life and comes with a charging cable.
MINI ADVENTURE JACKET – £19.99 – This little rubber sleeve is designed to protect the player from the inevitable bumps from children. Although the player itself seems very robust I can confirm this added protection does work as my daughter has already dropped it! As well as the practical use, it brightens up the little grey machine and makes it much more appealing to the children. There are eight colours to choose from and a wrist strap is included to make it more portable.
HEADPHONES – £24.99 – I am super impressed with the headphones! Not only are they very smart looking, but they are adjustable, have kid-safe volume limit, super soft padding, braided cable, ‘daisy chain’ so two siblings can listen to the same machine (something I’ve never heard of but very impressed by!) and much more. With a standard jack connection, these headphones can be used with other devices too.
TRAVEL CASE – £29.99 – This was my daughter’s favourite accessory! A bright robust hard case with room for the player, headphones, spare cards and charging cable, this really appealed to her sense of independence with its adjustable shoulder strap. And again Yoto seem to have really thought about the detail and have included a hole in the side for the headphone so it can really be listened to on the move!
AUDIO CARDS – Individually priced – we had 4 cards included in our bundle – Abba Gold, Enid Blyton’s Springtime Stories, 5-minute Spring Holiday Stories and Hogwarts Library Collection. These seem to be durable cards and easy for a child to insert into a player. They can also be stored in the Yoto App, presumably in case they are lost or damaged. There are stories from Peppa Pig to Harry Potter, music from nursery rhymes to Bob Marley and countless educational cards whether it be learning Spanish or the planets in the solar system. The opportunities with this player seem endless and if that wasn’t enough you can buy blank cards and make your own!
Whilst initial outlay for the Mini Yoto seems steep, this really is a childhood investment and can only bring great benefits. We have only been using it for a week and are discovering new things daily. The options of adding new content ranges – there is so much free stuff, you can join the Yoto Club from just £3.99 a month to gain credits and exclusive benefits or purchase individual cards from the website. Cards would also make great presents for birthdays and Christmas enabling the child to expand their choices and take control of what they want to listen to.
This device gets a big YES from us, I’m just sorry we didn’t get it sooner! I am sure there is lots more available that I haven’t mentioned, it just means that we haven’t found it yet, but there is lots of info available on the Yoto website and app.
Rating: 5/5
The Yoto Mini, all accessories and cards can be purchased from the Yoto website at https://uk.yotoplay.com/yoto-mini