I was at a friend’s house a few months ago and they had just bought their daughter a Yoto Mini for her birthday. I hadn’t heard of them before but her little girl absolutely loved it.
My son is a little younger than her but he was really enjoying using it too. He was listening to The Gruffalo over and over, then had some music on.
I’m always looking for gift ideas that aren’t just more cars (my goodness he loves cars…) so I put it on my mental list of things to look into further.
Once I got home I did some research and my mind was made up. I was getting one. There was a slightly concerning story in the news that made me think twice, but I will reveal all shortly.
Yoto Minis are all the rage at the moment, and I can see why. From a parent’s point of view they give the kids something to do that isn’t screen based, and from the kids point of view they have a device that is 100% theirs and which they have complete control over.
I think the Yoto Mini will be great for my son’s development (and my daughter when she’s older). Not to mention being really useful on long journeys.
Here’s everything you need to know about them 😊
Let Me Explain What They Are
So what is a Yoto Mini? Well, it’s a portable audio player that kids can control. A mini one.
There is a bigger version called the Yoto Player, but I will cover that shortly.
The mini is like a low tech version of a portable CD player or a Walkman if you’re old enough to remember those. Only much more modern.
Kids can insert different Yoto Cards and listen to stories, music, educational stuff, activities and other audio content such as a podcast and a family friendly radio station. The radio station adapts what it plays based on the time of day too, so towards bedtime the vibe will much more laid back, for example.
It’s got bluetooth so can be used to play Spotify etc, a display to help kids who can’t read yet understand things like chapter changes and volume, and it charges using a USB. The maximum volume is annoyingly loud but they are compatible with headphones too, thank the lord, so you can force your little munchkins to plug in.
These things are made to be tough too because, let’s face it, kids break stuff. Usually your stuff, but sometimes their own. They would struggle to break a Yoto Mini though.
Even the Yoto Cards – the things that plug into the machine to tell it what to play – are pretty hardy, and they don’t fall out if the unit gets knocked over.
The two big buttons on the front can be pressed or turned to do different things so they are really easy to use. However, they have different functions depending on whether a Yoto card is inserted or not, so they take a little bit of getting used to. Yoto say the Mini is good for ages 3 and up and I would agree with that to a point. The learning curve might be frustrating for younger kids at first but they should pick it up fairly quickly.
The only downside is that you need an internet connection to play anything, or you can download the Yoto cards to play them offline. However, there is no way to know when it has finished downloading. Which is… well, irritating. You can see when it is done via the Yoto app (which you will need to set it up in the first place), but there is no progress info.
Yoto Player vs Yoto Mini
You already know what the Yoto Mini is, so what about the Yoto Player?
It’s essentially just a bigger version of the Mini, although there are a few differences. For example, the the Yoto Player has a bigger battery so can play for around 24 hours before needing the recharge. For the Yoto Mini that’s more like 14 hours.
The Player also supports wireless charging, has a bigger display, a room thermometer, and a night light which can be set to tell your child when it is time to get out of bed in the morning. It’s multifunctional and I would guess most people have them set up in the child’s bedroom.
In terms of what they are capable of playing, the Player and the Mini are no different. They both play the same Yoto Cards, they both have access to the radio station and the Yoto podcast, and they both accept the ‘make your own playlist’ cards.
The Player also has higher quality speakers than the Mini so it’s a better choice for group listening or if you want what you play to be the main focus in the room. Think bedtime stories.
The price might be a helpful deciding factor for you:
- Yoto Player – £85 – £100
- Yoto Mini – £50 – £60
Bear in mind that you need to buy the Yoto Cards to plug into it as well. Well, you don’t have to but without them all you can listen to is the radio and the podcast, or anything you link up via bluetooth.
The cards cost between £7 and £10 each, but you can sign up to the Yoto Club for as little is £2.50 a month or buy multipacks and make savings that way.
Basically, if you want portability and envision your kids running around with one of these things get the Mini; if you want it for a specific place or purpose in your house and like the idea of the night light, get the Player.
Product Recall!
It might seem a bit odd to tag this on the end of a blog post praising the Yoto Mini, but it’s important.
There was a product recall in December 2024 for any Yoto Mini manufactured between 2021 and 2023. Why? Because it’s a potential fire hazard!
I know that sounds really serious, and it is, but the issue has been resolved now so any new Yoto Minis manufactured later aren’t affected.
In April 2024 there was a recall of 250,000 units because of over heating batteries that was thought to be down to the charging cable. The cables were replaced but the issue persisted.
So in December they issued another recall and sent out battery repair kits. This, apparently, has done the trick.
It’s probably been an absolute PR disaster for the brand, but it wouldn’t stop me buying one. In fact I already have. It’s currently wrapped up under our Christmas tree (I hope my kids don’t read this 😂😂).
It’s not that I don’t take safety seriously. I will be keeping a close eye on our Yoto Mini. I just think if the issue has been resolved and I have bought one of the new products made after the faulty batch it should be fine.
Plus, they sold over a quarter of a million units of which only 9 in America and 3 in the UK were reported as faulty, and no one was injured. For transparency I wanted to make you aware but it’s a miniscule number.
That said, I totally get why some parents might be anxious. No judgement here if it’s an ‘absolutely no way’ from you! If you do want one, it’s the Yoto Mini 2024 Edition (or later) that you want. Don’t buy an earlier edition.