Gold From Olympia
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Yoto Review: Screen-Free Audio Entertainment for Kids – Is It Worth It?
When it comes to assisting your children in learning and developing while simultaneously keeping them entertained, numerous parents have discovered that technologies such as televisions and smartphones can be quite beneficial. Conversely, some parents are not particularly fond of their children being in front of a screen constantly.
If you are seeking methods to educate and amuse your children that will also help reduce screen time, this review of the Yoto Player may pique your interest.
Yoto is a brand that focuses on providing enjoyable and educational audio content for children aged 0-12, available worldwide in a safe and user-friendly format known as the Yoto Player.
The Yoto Player is a compact device equipped with a built-in speaker and two control knobs, which you load similarly to a cassette player. It allows you to play audio content that includes music, beloved stories, and podcasts specifically designed for children. It aims to educate and inspire kids solely through engaging audio – without the need for screens.
Although the brand is still relatively new, the Yoto Player is already creating significant excitement. Yoto has built a commendable social media presence on Twitter and Instagram, boasting 5.8k and 20.8k followers respectively, and has an even larger following on Facebook, with nearly 22k followers.
The Yoto Player has also been highlighted in various news outlets such as BuzzFeed News, Design Boom, Mashable, and PR Newswire. However, is this screenless audio player truly the screen-free entertainment solution that parents are seeking?
Overview of Yoto Player
In 2015, co-founders Ben Drury and Filip Denker established Yoto due to their concerns regarding the development of their children in a screen-dominated society that they believed could lead to addiction, disrupt sleep patterns, and potentially hinder the development of fine motor skills.
Drury and Denker do not oppose screens entirely – they initially connected through a video chat – but they are apprehensive about excessive exposure and aimed to create an alternative for children to engage in play that does not rely on screen-based entertainment.
By enrolling his children in a Montessori Nursery, Drury became acquainted with the Montessori philosophy of child development, which emphasizes the importance of children learning and playing with physical objects instead of digital ones, while fostering their independence.
Motivated by this educational approach and their shared experiences in the music industry, Drury and Denker began developing the first generation of the Yoto Player from their headquarters in London, England.
The Yoto Player was designed to educate and entertain children through audio and tactile controls, while also promoting independence by providing a simple, safe, and enjoyable method for children to choose what they wish to listen to.
In 2016, they enlisted the help of an industrial designer to refine the product’s design. By 2017, they successfully obtained funding to launch their brand via Kickstarter and established a manufacturing partnership in Sheffield, UK. The Yoto Player was released to the market in 2018, quickly selling out its initial production run within a year and has continued to thrive ever since.
Yoto Player’s mission is to, “assist parents in fostering creativity and imagination in children through audio… while also ensuring that young ones are kept away from screens” by utilizing an ever-growing collection of children’s audiobooks, music, and much more.
The brand is also placing significant emphasis on diversity and inclusion within their content, as well as among their behind-the-scenes teams and content creators. They are actively seeking feedback from families and aspire for Yoto Player to more accurately reflect their customers and create opportunities for underrepresented voices.
Having gained insight into the brand’s background, let us now examine the key features of this Yoto Player review below:
Highlights
- Secure and safe access to an audio library comprising over 300+ books, music, and movie adaptations for ages 0-12
- Availability of family-friendly radio and children’s podcasts
- Ability to create personalized content for listening
- Aids in minimizing screen time while still providing entertainment for children
- Supports the development of fine motor skills in children aged 3-12
- International shipping available
- Complimentary shipping within the continental US on orders exceeding $40
- Excellent customer feedback
The Yoto library is extensive, and the Yoto Mini has undoubtedly enhanced the portability of the audio experience; however, for this Yoto Player review, we will focus on the brand’s top-selling flagship Yoto Player and their Yoto Club.
Yoto Player Review
If you are concerned about excessive screen time or wish to ensure that your children do not inadvertently encounter the more, shall we say, questionable aspects of the internet, while still allowing them the freedom to choose and play, the Yoto Player could become your new best companion.
The Yoto Player is a compact device featuring a basic display, an integrated speaker, control knobs, and a card slot.
It is extremely user-friendly:
- Insert the audio card you wish to play
- Allow the player to download the file directly from the Yoto server
- Utilize the knobs to play, adjust volume, skip tracks, etc.
The controls are designed to be straightforward for children of all ages to understand. There are two knobs: one for adjusting the volume and another for functions such as rewinding a chapter in the current book.
If you desire the Yoto Daily podcast, simply press down on the chapter control knob, and press again for radio. Throughout this process, the pixel display on the front will indicate which function is currently in use.
Should your children prefer to use headphones, they can connect a pair of 3.5 mm headphones or use Bluetooth. Furthermore, if they wish to listen while on the move, the 10-hour battery life and 16 GB of storage will ensure they can enjoy excellent content for extended periods.
The basic Yoto Player package is priced at $100, which includes:
The Yoto Player
- A magnetic charging dock with a 5.4-foot charging cord
- A blank make-your-own audio card (for recording your own content)
- A setup guide.
Additionally, you can purchase add-ons to save on audio cards. A 6-card Starter Pack can be acquired for an extra $10 when bundled, rather than the standard $25.
You can also save by adding some popular titles. Is your child a fan of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series? If so, you can obtain the first three books for an additional $25. Alternatively, for an extra $50, you can acquire 6 movie retellings of some of your favorite PIXAR films.
According to Amazon, the player measures just under 11 cm cubed and weighs only 1.35 kg (or just over 2 lbs) – making it very easy for small children to carry.
Yoto Club Review
The Yoto Player operates using cards that contain audio content, similar to a cassette or CD. To facilitate the creation of a collection of Yoto audio that can keep your children entertained with diverse content, Yoto Player offers the Yoto Club – a subscription service that delivers new cards to you each month.
Each Yoto audio card typically ranges in price from $3 to $12, with some instances reaching up to $25, as discovered during our research for this Yoto Player review.
Moreover, the Yoto catalog is extensive and continually expanding, which may lead some parents and children to feel overwhelmed when browsing and selecting options.
If you aim to save money while receiving excellent recommendations, the Yoto Club subscription is an ideal choice. Each month, you will receive 2 exclusive cards that have been pre-selected, or you have the option to exchange them for 2 cards from a rotating list of 10 favorites.
This approach effectively eliminates the uncertainty associated with exploring the catalog, and the selection each month encompasses a variety of audio genres and age ranges available from Yoto.
The Yoto Club is offered at an affordable rate of $10 per month for a monthly subscription, or $100 for an annual subscription paid upfront, both of which can be easily canceled at any time if necessary.
In addition to receiving free shipping on your subscription deliveries, a Yoto Club membership also provides automatic free shipping and a 10% discount on all other purchases made from the Yoto website.
For those with inquisitive children eager for knowledge, stories, or music, the Yoto Club serves as an excellent means to fulfill that desire without compromising your budget.
Who Is Yoto Player For?
My review of the Yoto Player has determined that this brand is ideal for parents seeking to provide their children with learning or entertainment opportunities without relying on screens.
Children can explore an extensive array of audio content, allowing them to take a break from visual stimuli, which enhances their learning experience and offers an alternative method of engagement.
Additionally, the Yoto Player empowers children to make choices regarding their media consumption, enabling them to navigate through content independently while ensuring their safety and online security, unlike the potential risks associated with browsing YouTube videos or other internet materials.
Furthermore, the Yoto Player is particularly beneficial for parents of children with low vision or legal blindness. The straightforward and tactile control knobs are often more accessible for some children compared to touch controls on smart devices, which can sometimes be difficult to see and do not provide any auditory or tactile feedback regarding the manipulation of functions.
What Does a Yoto Player Do?
This review of the Yoto Player indicates that this product can fulfill various audio-related functions. It can serve as a source of entertainment, as well as a tool for promoting well-being, focus, and education.
When used in conjunction with the complimentary Yoto App, it can also facilitate the establishment of routines and schedules for your children that they will eagerly engage in.
Regarding pure entertainment, there are indeed cards available that enable children to download books, stories, and music from the server, which they can then take with them wherever they go. Additionally, there are options to listen to age-appropriate all-day radio and the Yoto Daily podcasts.
Furthermore, with the brand’s Make Your Own Cards feature, both children and parents can create their own content. This presents an excellent opportunity to record oneself or other familiar voices and sounds, such as stories narrated by a family member or lessons provided by a tutor.
Moreover, there are resources designed to assist your children in their development. There are audio cards aimed at helping young children with their ABCs and phonics, as well as cards that teach math, science, languages, and numerous other subjects for older children.
There are even cards featuring tracks intended to enhance learning and concentration, along with tracks for meditation and physical activity.
The Yoto App provides access to more sophisticated functionalities for the player. Through the app, you can configure your Yoto Player to operate as an alarm clock, play white noise or nighttime sounds to aid in developing healthy sleep habits, and serve as a nightlight for those who may be uncomfortable sleeping in darkness.
Is Yoto Player Worth It?
This review of the Yoto Player unequivocally endorses this brand. It offers a broad range of both adapted and original content suitable for the entire family, and it is evident how this device can foster children’s curiosity and independence while reducing excessive screen time.
The controls of the player are straightforward and easily understandable for children, while adults also enjoy a reasonable level of control through the brand’s integrated application.
Additionally, the subscription service and various discounts (detailed below) facilitate savings on purchases, and the accessories enhance the ease of transporting and storing your player and card collection.
Both parents and children appear to appreciate how the Yoto Player consistently captivates their kids, and they have positive feedback regarding the company. Therefore, our review of the Yoto Player confidently recommends that you give it a try!
Where to Buy Yoto Player
At present, the Yoto Player is exclusively available on the brand’s official website. Although it was previously listed on Amazon, it is currently out of stock. However, audio cards can still be purchased from that platform.
FAQ
Who is the owner of Yoto Player?
The brand is still owned by co-founders Ben Drury and Filip Denker, with Drury currently serving as the CEO of the company.
Does Yoto Player offer international shipping?
The brand operates multiple websites to cater to customers in the UK, Europe, Canada, and the US, where one can purchase a Yoto Player. As of our review of the Yoto Player, the Yoto Club is exclusively available in the UK and the US.
What are the shipping policies for Yoto Player?
Orders exceeding $40 within the continental US qualify for complimentary shipping. Orders below this threshold incur delivery charges that are calculated at checkout, varying by destination. For outlying US territories, a standard delivery fee of $15 applies.
Each international store has its own shipping and return policies, which can be accessed on their respective websites.
After placing your order, a confirmation email will be sent to you. Typically, processing takes just one business day, while delivery may take up to five days, depending on the selected UPS or USPS delivery options.
What is the return policy for Yoto Player?
Yoto provides a 60-day return policy. If you wish to return a product that is in new or good condition, simply contact customer service via email to obtain a shipping label and RAN code. After that, ensure the item is packaged appropriately and send it back.
How to Reach Yoto Player
If you have further inquiries after reviewing this Yoto Player assessment, you may contact the Yoto customer service team through email at hello@yotoplay.com.