Head-to-head

Yoto Player (3rd Gen) vs Yoto Mini (2024 Edition)

Yoto Player (3rd Gen)8.4Around £90Amazon

Yoto Mini (2024 Edition)8.1Around £65Amazon

The short answer

Same cards, same app and the same free listening, so the difference is the box. The Yoto Player has a 5W stereo speaker, a colour-changing night light, an OK-to-wake clock, a room thermometer and up to 16 hours of playback. The Mini is palm-sized and under 200g, with a 3W mono speaker that reviewers find fine for stories but thinner for music, an OK-to-wake clock but no night light, and up to 14 hours.

On age, Yoto rates both from three upwards; for a younger child, the padded Toniebox 2 is the better fit. For a just-turned-three, the Player's chunky dials are the easier start, as The Independent's tester found the Mini's volume dials a little tricky for small toddlers. The Mini comes into its own for travel, car journeys or as a second player, at around £65 against £90. Buying one second-hand? Check it's the 2024 Edition, as Minis sold between 2021 and 2023 were recalled in the US over overheating batteries.

My call: the Player for a bedroom, where the night light and better speaker earn the extra £25. The Mini for travel, or as a cheaper way in. Yoto's new 4th Gen versions (£89.99 for the Mini, £119.99 for the Player) add the Green Button and double the storage.

Point by point

Measure	Yoto Player (3rd Gen)	Yoto Mini (2024 Edition)
Tech Dad Score	8.4	8.1
Content & free listening	9.2	9.0
Cost of ownership	7.6	8.4
Easy for small hands	7.8	7.0
Parental controls & privacy	9.0	8.9
Sound, battery & build	8.4	7.0
Typical price	£90	£65
Age	3 to 12+	3 to 12+
Speaker	40mm, 5W stereo	33mm, 3W mono
Battery	Up to 16 hours (Yoto figure)	Up to 14 hours (Yoto figure)
Storage	32GB, 600+ hours offline	32GB, 500+ hours offline
Headphones	Bluetooth or wired	Bluetooth or 3.5mm jack