The report card
- Parental controls25% of score7.4
Google Family Link and Kids Space work well but take more setting up.
- Durability & warranty20% of score7.2
A food-grade silicone case, plus a one-time replacement within two years via Honor Care+ on Honor's store.
- Kid-safe content20% of score7.4
Google Kids Space is pre-installed; wider app access needs careful approval settings.
- Screen, speed & battery15% of score7.8
An 11-inch 90Hz screen, 128GB of storage and an 8300mAh battery.
- Value & running costs20% of score8.6
More screen and storage than a Fire Kids tablet for the same money, and no subscription.
The full review
The Pad X8a Kids is Honor's budget 11-inch Android tablet in a food-grade silicone case, with a kid-friendly stylus and Google Kids Space pre-installed. The Independent picked it as its best budget kids' tablet, praising the chunky case, the smooth performance and the Family Link controls.
On paper you get a lot for £149.99: an 11-inch, 90Hz screen with TÜV Rheinland low blue light and flicker-free certification, 128GB of storage and an 8300mAh battery Honor rates at about 14 hours of cartoons. There's no subscription to pay, and Honor's own store currently includes Honor Care+ with a one-time replacement within two years.
The trade-off is that Android's parental controls rely on you setting up Google Family Link properly, which takes more thought than Amazon's all-in-one dashboard. The Independent's adult testers also found the bouncy-tipped stylus awkward, though their pre-schooler didn't mind.
Pros and cons
What I like
- Big 11-inch 90Hz screen
- 128GB of storage
- Case and stylus included
- No subscription needed
- Replacement cover via Honor Care+
What I don't
- Family Link set-up is more involved
- The Honor Care+ offer may change
- No bundled content library like Amazon Kids+
Key specs
- Screen
- 11-inch, 90Hz
- Storage
- 128GB, expandable
- Battery
- 8300mAh, about 14 hours of video (Honor figure)
- Software
- MagicOS (Android) with Google Kids Space
- In the box
- Silicone kids case and stylus
- Eye comfort
- TÜV Rheinland low blue light and flicker-free
What I read
This is a research-led review. These are the main sources behind the scores, alongside patterns in verified owner reviews. How I review.