New Yoto Players Make Kids Less Dependent on Cards (and Parents)

Screen-averse parents, take note: Yoto just launched new versions of its cult-favorite Yoto Player and Yoto Mini audio players for kids, with upgraded hardware designed to make listening to books, music and podcasts even more seamless (and screenless) than before. 

The fourth-generation Yoto Player now starts at $150, and the Mini at $110, both significant increases ($40 and $30) over their predecessors. But the upgrade that makes it worth the jump, to me, is a dedicated button that lets kids pull up their favorite audio without hunting down a Yoto Card or relying on a parent’s phone to access the Yoto app.

If you’re unfamiliar with Yoto, think of it as a toy-ified audio player designed to give kids control of their content without putting a screen in the middle. It’s a lot bulkier than your old-school iPod, but that’s a good thing in this case: It can survive being tossed around and, now, even splashed. Most of the controls are physical, too. 

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Kids pop credit card-size Yoto Cards — sold separately for $10 and up — into the square player to load audiobooks, music and podcasts. Parents can also purchase blank cards to record their own bedtime stories or morning affirmations for kids to play on demand. In a kids-tech landscape filled with distracting apps and screens, that’s always been the appeal for me as both a parent and tech reviewer.

I’ve seen that play out firsthand in my house with the third-gen models. My 6-year-old can keep up with his older brother and follow along with longer chapter books such as Harry Potter, while my 3-year-old has had her share of dance parties to Latin beats. The problem is that those tiny cards have also ended up between couch cushions, wedged in a car seat, buried in backpacks and in other mysterious corners of my house more often than I care to admit.

A new button cuts out the middleman

That’s why the new green button immediately caught my attention. Parents can load it with up to 20 favorite stories, songs, podcasts or other audio, essentially giving kids a mini library they can access directly from the player without tracking down a card or asking for a parent’s phone. Kids just press the green button and use the dial to scroll through their favorites themselves.

The green button also works with Yoto’s expanded routines, so that the lineup of favorites can change throughout the day. You could have books, music and podcasts available in the afternoon, then automatically swap in bedtime stories and soothing sounds at night.

What else is new?

Both players have more hardware changes beyond the giant green button, including more storage, faster Wi-Fi and downloads, improved sound and rounder edges that Yoto says make the players easier for little hands to grab. (I haven’t tested them hands-on yet.) The Mini is also more adventure-proof with IP67 water and dust resistance. That by no means makes it a bath toy, but at least the occasional spill shouldn’t be a crisis.

The larger Yoto Player gets the flashier upgrade, as its entire back surface is now a dynamic light. It changes colors and patterns based on what’s playing, from pulsing red during a dragon story to full-on disco lighting for energetic music. And it still works as a night light and alarm clock that changes color when it’s ok for your kid to get out of bed.

Yoto is also launching more colorful silicone covers (which it calls “adventure jackets”) for both players, including a lanyard version for the Mini.

Trade-offs 

Battery life actually takes a small step backward, at least according to Yoto’s estimates: 14 hours compared with 16 hours on the third-gen models. You’ll also pay more this time around. At $150, the new Yoto Player costs $40 more than its predecessor, while the $110 Mini jumps by $30. Both are available for preorder and Mini began shipping on Sept. 30, while the larger Player will ship on Oct. 15.

Is the new Yoto worth it?

Without having spent time with the new players myself (or having my kids test them), it’s hard to say whether they’re worth the upgrade and the splurge. But based on the specs alone, they make a compelling case. The extra storage and faster downloads are nice to have, but the green button is the game changer for me.

If it works as intended, it would remove much of the friction I’ve had with Yoto: relying on easy-to-lose cards or pulling out my phone and opening the app, which brings its own distractions. Giving my kids access to their favorite content directly on the player would make a real difference in how we use it. Stay tuned for my full review once we’ve put both players to the test.

Principal Writer

Vanessa is a lead writer at CNET, reviewing and writing about the latest smartwatches and fitness trackers. She joined the brand first as an on-camera reporter for CNET's Spanish-language site, then moved on to the English side to host and produce some of CNET's videos and YouTube series. When she's not testing out the latest health tech, you can catch her on a hike or trail run with her family. See full bio