We have long been fans of Yoto. We have tried out both the Yoto Mini and the original Yoto Player Review several years ago. Harry in particular is very fond of both of them. So you can imagine our surprise when they said that they were going to be launching a new look 3rd generation Yoto Player for the first time. In our minds, there was nothing wrong with the previous model. So I was intrigued to see what the differences were. We use our Yoto Mini almost every time we travel. However, our original Yoto Player has for a long time stayed next to the bed. If you are thinking of purchasing a Yoto Audio Player 3rd Generation then this blog post – third-generation Yoto Player Review, will help you make a decision. Plus at the bottom, I have a third-generation Yoto Discount Code * .
The promotional code can be used on all of the different Yoto players and accessories on your first order.
AD – We were given a third-generation Yoto Player in return for this Yoto player review blog post. All words and opinions are my own. This post includes affiliate links and outbound links to affiliate programs links are denoted by a *.
What is a third-generation Yoto Player?
Put simply it is an audio player which allows your child to listen to various different stories both at home and on the move. It is a long way from the CD player I remember as a child. But most importantly the kid’s music player does not increase screen time. If you have wifi then you can make use of physical cards, by placing them into the card slot at the top of the Yoto player.
However, if you are travelling without wifi then you can select the story card from the parent-controlled yoto app. The app will have all the cards you have purchased downloaded and so it is really easy to switch between them. Some of the best things about Yoto Players. There are no adverts, no camera, no microphone and it is screen free and as the parent, you have complete control via the parental controls. The 3rd generation Yoto Player is no different perfect for a bedtime story, quiet time and daily use and we use it every single day.
3rd Generation Yoto Player Features
There is a lot to love about the new third-generation Yoto Player:
- Suitable for ages 3 and upwards, the bluetooth speaker has been acoustically-engineered to give the best stereo sound
- The new third generation Yoto Player measures 11x11x10.5cm and has its own built-in speaker.
- It has two large orange control knobs on the top which allow children to twist them and adjust the volume when listening.
- The Yoto Player allows children to insert audio cards into the Yoto player. To listen to great content including great stories, music meditation and even cards they have made themselves.
- Via the Yoto app you can set OK-to-wake-up routines and alarms which determine when the sun appears on the face of the audio player. This allows parents to set the time in the app. Encouraging little ones to stay in bed a bit longer in the morning
- The pixel display which shows characters in the stories and pictures relating to each chapter of the story.
- As well as being a Bluetooth speaker there is a simple room thermometer and night light.
- Parents can control all the settings via the Yoto phone app including the colour of the day and night lights. My seven year old favourite nighttime colour is blue! There are seven-colour night light to choose from. Perfect for young children.
- There are up to 24 hours of play per charge
- It comes with a USB-C cable for charging and it is also possible to buy a wireless charging dock. Something I have been trying to do for a while but they are out of stock at the moment.
- The third-gen Yoto player can also be used with wireless headphones and comes with a FREE make-your-own card.
Yoto Player Review – 3rd Generation Yoto Player Vs the Original Yoto Player
The third generation Yoto Player was released on June 15th . It does look sleeker than the original Yoto Player. But outside of that what are the main differences between the two players? Photos show third-generation Yoto player on the left and second-generation on the right.
- Battery Life – this is probably the one thing that catches us out on our original player. The new third-generation Yoto Player has to double the battery life boasting up to 24 hours of playing time. This is more than double the original player which only has 10 hours.
- Charging – Everything seems to be moving to USB-C and the Yoto Player 3rd generation is no different. While the previous model needed a magnetic dock. You can also purchase a wireless charger for the newer model. The fact that is it USB-C which is the same as the wireless headphones which you can also buy to go with it is so convenient. Since we are always mislaying charging cables.
- Capacity – This is the next big change with the new Yoto Player having double the storage capacity. 3rd generation Yoto Player has 32 GB of storage while the older 2nd generation Yoto Player has 16 GB of storage.
- Headphones – You do need to purchase these separately for all devices. With the third-generation Yoto Player you can either use the new bluetooth headphones* which cost £34.99 or the traditional wired ones which cost £24.99. The older model only allows for wired headphones via a headphone jack. The good news is that if you have an older pair of headphones all of the Yoto devices operate off a 35mm jack so are compatible. The new wireless headphones however have a daisy-chain cable to allow for sibling listening which is great for family life!
- Audio Quality – as the third generation Yoto Player now operates on Acoustically-engineered stereo sound instead of mono there is a marked difference in the audio quality between the two speakers.
- New feature – the Yoto Player 3rd generation has a simple thermometer which the older model does not have. Although they both have a night light that operates in the same way.
- Price point – The third generation Yoto Player worth £99.99 while the second generation Yoto Player costs £89.99.
Yoto Player Review – 3rd Generation Yoto Player Vs Yoto Mini
Yoto vs Yoto Mini. Being a family that loves to travel you will never convince me that we do not need a Yoto Mini and carrying cases. We use our Yoto mini player so much it has been one of the best purchases we have ever made for keeping the boys entertained while travelling and on road trips. However, if you are considering which item between the two then:
- Battery Life – the Yoto Mini has slightly less battery life at 20 hours compared to the 24 hours for the new third-generation Yoto Player
- Size – the benefit of the Yoto Mini is its smaller size and the fact you can get a durable case to carry it around in. The Yoto Mini measures 7x7x4 cm compared to the Yoto Player which is 11x11x10.5cm.
- Charging – The Yoto Mini does not have the wireless functionality when it comes to charging that the new Yoto Player 3rd Generation has.
- Capacity – 3rd generation Yoto Player has 32 gb of storage while Yoto Mini has 16gb of storage.
- Audio Quality – as the third-generation Yoto Player now operates on Accoustically-engineered stereo sound instead of mono which is what the Yoto Mini operates off of. But we have never had a hard time listening to the Yoto Mini.
- Features – the latest audio playback device has both the nightlight and thermometer. The mini has neither of these.
- Price Point – The third-generation Yoto Player costs £99.99 while the Mini Yoto costs £59.99.
- Read more in our Yoto Mini Review.
Yoto Player Review – Yoto Player Vs Toniebox
Tonie Vs Yoto. I think the time has come to compare Yoto Vs Tonie although it probably deserves a blog post of its own. That was always my intention but I have never quite got around to it. Unsurprisingly we have a clear favourite and the introduction of Yoto Player 3rd generation has gone further to cement our loyalty.
- Audio Player – I like that the Tonie box comes in a selection of different colours, but the fact that the cube music player is padded. Makes it feel more suitable for younger children. If you are looking for an audio player which is suitable for older kids then my choice would be the Yoto Player. It is now also quite a bit smaller. Even if you do not take the Yoto Mini into account. Making it easier to move around with. Its sleek design makes it feel less kindergarten-like. I think the Yoto Player age range is much wider.
- Battery Life – The Tooniebox has 7 hours worth while the new generation Yoto Player has 24 hours!
- Ease of Use – I think from a child’s perspective they both operate in a similar way with ‘ears’ or ‘buttons’ to control the audio. The Tooniebox uses little figurines in place of Yoto audio cards. I can see how these would appeal more to younger children as they are much more tactile. Although more difficult to store! Tooniebox does not have an app like Yoto. Plus the Toniebox needs to be plugged in. The wireless capability of the third-generation Yoto Player now outweighs this considerably.
- Story Cards – Tooniebox is trying to expand its appeal by moving into some much longer stories and documentaries. Focusing on nature in particular. Although traditionally their audiobooks have been shorter. I also find that the Toonies are much more expensive now costing around £14.99 each, while I can buy a Yoto Card from as little as £5.99. Plus there is so much more educational content available and new releases. I think Toniebox is probably suited for younger children for this reason. While Yoto is moving into the tween market offering stories around the Marvel characters and Star wars in particular. As well as focusing on different languages.
- Make Your Own – One of the big draws of the Yoto Player is the make your own card option (MYO cards). You get a free MYO card in the box either as a welcome card or blank card depending on which generation you buy. Each card allows up to 500MB of audio content for any one card, or up to 100 tracks each 1MB each. A pack of five blank cards costs £12.99. The Tooniebox starter pack comes with Toonie which allows up to 90 minutes of own content you can purchase additional ones for £11.99 each. Yoto also has a lot of FREE AUDIO, a daily podcast, radio, sound effects and Yoto Space. All further opportunities to access FREE content. Tooniebox does not offer any of these.
- Features – The Tooniebox is just an audio player. The Yoto Player is so much more – night light, a replacement for the Gro Clock (yes we had one of those too) and now a room thermometer. There is also no audio club, unlike Yoto which offers a monthly subscription service. This gives you the opportunity to access even more content at a reduced price.
- Price Point – The Tooniebox Starter Set costs £79.95 and the new 3rd generation Yoto Player £99.99. Something to bear in mind when comparing Yoto or Tonie. Is that you can easily make up the difference in price with the free content and reduced price of audio cards.
First impressions and set-up of our 3rd Generation Yoto Player Review
This is probably because we have already set one up before and have the app downloaded but it is so simple. You do need an active wifi connection and I would recommend downloading the free yoto app in advance.
To get started all I did was plug our new Yoto Player third generation onto charge and open up the app. Here you go through a short series of steps to register your yoto player on the app. This will allow you to control the built-in sleep timer and other settings. As well as select which cards to play or access digital cards. Once the devices are attached to the internet and paired it takes less than five minutes to set up. Meaning the kids can get on with listening to stories as quickly as they want.
In the Yoto box, you will also get a quick start step and a QR code which will take you to the app. So you do not even need to search for it.
Yoto Player Review
If you have not guessed by the Toonie v Yoto comparison above we really love our Yoto Players. With Charlie recently turning 11 I am looking for something that also works with older children. The third generation Yoto Player is a great product that does just that. There really is no need for CD players anymore! Plus the Yoto library means I can carry so much content with us wherever we go! But just in case you were wondering here are some more reasons why we love our Yoto Player:
There is a wide range of pre-loaded cards audio cards
This is the best thing about the audio device – Yoto Player. There are so many different audio stories available with something for kids of all ages. We have been fans for several years and they are constantly adding more to the library. I really like that many of the titles are from well-known authors such as Roald Dahl, Julia Donaldson and even Peppa Pig. You are bound to find a favorite book.
The cards are an extra cost, with many of them being priced at around £6.99. We find the best yoto cards are those which come in bundles as they work out great value for money with a bundle of six starting from £19.99. Plus if you spend over £40 there is free shipping. There is an advanced search function that allows you to find these easily.
A relatively new Yoto option are new digital cards. You can buy these directly online from the Yoto store and they appear in your Yoto library without needing to wait for a physical credit card sized card to be posted to you. For this reason they are cheaper usually costing £5.99 or less.
It is not just Audio Books
It is not just stories the audio cards include activities, a music player and sleep sounds cards (including nature sounds). The is also free content through a Yoto daily podcast and family Yoto radio stations. If you have younger children then you can also play white noise through the speaker. The Bluetooth speaker appeals to a wider audience than your average toy, from zero to twelve with audio content relevant for each age group.
It is also possible for you to record your own content onto blank cards to make your own Yoto cards. The boys love to make their own audio and the sound quality is always really good. And there are audiobooks in other languages. Such as French, Spanish and German so as they start to learn languages at school it’s a great way to support their learning.
I am super impressed with the educational nature of the Yoto cards available. So much so that I wrote a specific blog post about our favourites – The best educational yoto cards. I am also looking at ways that I can use it while working on accessing podcasts for business solutions.
You do not need a Wi-Fi connection
Because it is possible to download the content onto the Yoto Player via the smartphone app you do not have an internet connection. The Yoto Player* can hold up to 600 hours of content with 32GB.
The Yoto Club makes a great subscription gift
One of the other great things about Yoto Player is that you can sign up for the Yoto Player club. The Yoto Club is £9.99 per month, or you can buy it annually for £99 for the year. Each month, Yoto will add two Club Credits to your account. You use these to order your choice of two Yoto story cards from our Club collection. You can use them right away or save them for up to twelve months depending on your personal preference. Your Club Credits will expire if not used within 12 months. Free shipping on all orders with no minimum spend. This is a great deal when you think new cards range from £7.99-£9.99 each.
Yoto Accessories
If you are looking to build a collection of story cards then they make great gifts. Especially as they do not take up much room. I know parents all over that are very grateful for this fact! If you are not sure what stories the children may like then you can filter the audio cards by best sellers, new products and suitable age range. Plus there are lots of Yoto accessories you can buy. For the third-generation Yoto Player, I would recommend the adventure jacket, wireless headphones and wireless docking station*. The photo below shows the wireless docking station in comparison to the second-generation charger.
We have also built quite a collection of Yoto cards over the years and really rate their storage binders* for Yoto card storage. If you are looking for more hints, tips and hacks then there is also a new area called Yoto Space which is an interactive audio platform.
Yoto App & Wake-up time
Harry is not the best at sleeping in. He has always been up early. Yet using the Yoto player app. I can set the wake-up and sleep time meaning the picture changes from the sun to the moon appear on the yoto speaker. Indicating it is bedtime (night mode). The app also gives you complete control over the audio files. This means that it is easy to select the device on which you want the audio card to play. The app allows you to manage Bluetooth connectivity and pairing, the library and clock operating times. You can also use it to make your own cards in your family accounts. All these extra features makes it really stand out compared to the competition.
Yoto Thermometer
One of the new features of the Yoto Player 3rd generation is the thermometer. This does not show on the Yoto Player itself. Rather you can access it via the Yoto app by selecting your Yoto device and settings. With all the hot weather it has been a great tool to keep an eye on while he is sleeping. One of the developments planned is a notification function. So that the app will notify you if the room goes above a certain temperature.
Yoto Player Review – Yoto Player Code 5% OFF – Active Yoto Discount Code – Yoto Referral Code 2023
We really like our 3rd Generation Yoto Player* and can not wait to buy some more content cards for the small device ready for our next adventure. The lovely people at Yoto have given me a Yoto Player Discount Code and a Yoto Mini Discount Code. These are personal discount codes. As a company, they do not discount the Mini in any of their special events such as Black Friday so this new discount code is unique. A best price means you can have access to something you would not normally get.
I have an amazing discount to give my readers valid on UK orders and worldwide orders. To get the Yoto discount codes you can use this referral link * 5% off Yoto Mini or Yoto Player Discount Code *. This will take you to Yoto’s website. The yoto promo codes can be used on a new yoto player or a yoto mini. Just add them to your shopping cart on the yoto website. Use the yoto coupon code AFF-MUDPIE5 on the first screen when you view cart, before going through the checkout page process from the card store. This is a valid discount, you should not have any trouble with it. But if you do please let me know. Don’t forget to sign up with your email address for more great discounts.
Conclusions
They make a great idea for travelling families and a lovely Christmas gift. We often request the music cards from family members and they make great stocking fillers.
I hope you have enjoyed this Yoto Player Review. Have you got a Yoto Player at home? What are your favourite stories or exclusive cards please let me know in the comments below. Please share this Yoto Review blog post if you have found it useful.
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