Toniebox review - Is it worth the money? We put it through its paces to find out

With Christmas just around the corner, many of us are starting to think about gifts for the little ones in our lives - whether that’s grandchildren, nieces and nephews, or the children of close friends.

To help make your holiday shopping a little easier, we’ve reviewed some of the best toys and gifts for kids this season, offering inspiration for presents that are both fun and thoughtfully designed.

First up: the Toniebox, a screen-free audio player that’s become a hit with families for its charming design and easy, child-friendly controls. We put the Toniebox and a selection of Tonies to the test to see if it really delivers on both entertainment and durability. If you’re not yet familiar with Tonies, here’s what you need to know: the Toniebox is a soft, wireless speaker that kids operate using magnetic figurines placed on top - no screens, no complicated buttons, just simple storytelling. It’s built to withstand energetic handling (or even being dropped by little ones) and comes in a range of cheerful colours.

Read on to find out whether the Toniebox deserves a spot under your tree this year.

Setting up the Toniebox

The Toniebox arrived well-packaged - and all the packaging is recyclable, which is a definite bonus. Inside the box, you'll find everything you need to get started: the Toniebox in your chosen colour, a charging station, easy-to-follow instructions, and a Creative-Tonie figurine that can hold up to 90 minutes of your own audio recordings.

Set-up took less than 10 minutes, and while the printed instructions are minimal (which initially made our tester a little nervous), the MyTonies app seamlessly picks up where the paper guide leaves off. You’ll need to create a free account either on the Tonies website or via the app, which is available on both the App Store and Google Play.

To complete the setup, you’ll also need access to your email to verify your account, and make sure you're connected to WiFi with your password handy. If you're gifting this to a child in your family, it’s worth doing the initial setup yourself in advance, so it’s ready to use straight out of the box.

Toniebox Design

Our tester tried the bright red Toniebox because she's a good aunty and red is her nephew's favourite colour. It's a rounded cube shape (not a sharp edge in sight), and it's got a layer of foam padding around all of the sides, so it feels really sturdy. The audio comes out of a speaker on one side of the cube (not all), and so it feels pretty intuitive as to how you should hold it to hear the audio in the best way. There is also a headphone socket on the top where you can attach wired headphones.

The Toniebox has two different sized 'ears' on the top, next to the magnetic panel where the Tonies are attached. The only lights on the Toniebox appear on this top panel, which is great if you are planning on incorporating this toy into a child's bedtime routine - no one needs a flashing light show just before bed!

It also has a circular dip on the bottom, which is where the charger fits - this is a cool feature and it keeps it sturdy even when it's charging.

What age is best for a Toniebox?

The Toniebox is aimed at children aged three and over. Our tester's nephew has just turned four and was visiting his aunt (our tester) to take part in a 'storytime experiment' (also known as testing the Toniebox).

Initially, he was more excited about the Tonie audio characters, including Highway Rat and a Dinosaur, both of which were super recognisable to him. But when she showed him what happened when we put the figurine on the top of the Toniebox, that was even more exciting. By the time he went to bed, he was confidently turning on the Toniebox, swapping over Tonies and adjusting the volume.

For more advanced actions, like rewinding or fast-forwarding, or skipping chapters, a child of that age will need to be shown, but they'll pick it up quickly, tiny sponges that they are.

How easy is a Toniebox to use?

Once the initial setup is complete and you have a Tonie to play with, the Toniebox is incredibly easy to use - which is exactly what you'd hope for, given that one of its main selling points is that it's designed for children to operate independently.

To turn it on, simply pinch one of the box’s 'ears.' You'll hear the startup jingle, and then it's just a matter of placing a Tonie character on top - the audio begins playing automatically. If you remove the Tonie, playback stops. Pop it back on, and it resumes from where it left off - unless you’ve used a different Tonie in the meantime or the box has powered down, in which case it starts again from the beginning.

Stopping the audio is just as simple: remove the Tonie character. There’s no need to manually switch the box off - it powers down on its own after 10 minutes of inactivity, or 10 minutes after a Tonie finishes playing. So there’s no risk of it running all night.

You can also tilt the Toniebox to rewind or fast-forward within a track - a clever little feature, especially since you can customise the direction (left or right) for each action using the MyTonies app. To adjust the volume, just pinch the larger ear to turn it up and the smaller one to turn it down. We particularly appreciated that the maximum volume is limited by default, with the option to reduce it further via the app - a thoughtful feature for protecting young ears.

Tapping the sides of the box lets you skip to the next or previous chapter, but this function did feel a little finicky. It took a few attempts to find the right spot to trigger a skip in the right direction - something younger children might need a bit of help with at first.

To get a child’s perspective, our tester enlisted her four-year-old nephew - and it was a resounding thumbs-up from him. He was instantly drawn to the Tonie characters, spending time carefully examining each one and getting especially excited when he recognised familiar faces. He most engaged with the stories when he was away from other distractions, making the Toniebox a perfect addition to his bedtime routine. He was also very happy to use it independently, which speaks to how intuitive it is for young children.

Some Tonies encourage interaction by asking questions or prompting responses, and while our young tester did engage with these, he was more likely to do so when an adult joined in - likely a reflection of his age. The Toniebox supports independent play, but it doesn’t have to replace the personal interaction that comes with reading together. Instead, it can be a valuable addition to your child’s routine, helping to build listening skills, spark imagination, support language development, and offer a calming wind-down before sleep. And of course, you can always listen along if you want to enjoy some quiet time together.

One of the standout features of the Toniebox is its portability. Once it’s been set up and the audio from a Tonie character has downloaded (which happens automatically the first time you place a Tonie on the box while connected to WiFi), it doesn’t require an internet connection to play. A flashing blue light indicates that a download is in progress, and once complete, it turns green - after that, you're free to take it anywhere, WiFi or not.

Recording your own audio using the Creative Tonie

One of the standout features of the Toniebox is the Creative-Tonie, which comes as standard and allows you to record up to 90 minutes of your own audio. Using the MyTonies app, you can upload custom recordings - anything from bedtime stories and songs to personal messages - and assign them to your Creative-Tonie.

Our tester found the process took a little trial and error at first, particularly when it came to linking the recording to the Tonie and getting it to play through the Toniebox. However, once the steps were clear, it was straightforward to repeat, and future uploads were much quicker.

This feature does require adult input to set up, but it opens up some lovely possibilities. Plenty of children would enjoy recording themselves and hearing their own voices played back. It can also be a comforting tool if you're spending time apart from a child - leaving a familiar voice reading a bedtime story or repeating a goodnight phrase could help ease the transition and offer reassurance at the end of the day.

What's the Toniebox battery life like?

When fully charged, the Toniebox battery lasts for up to seven hours, but how long it actually lasts will depend on how you use it and at what volume. Seven hours might not seem very impressive, especially when we are used to our grown-up devices like smartphones and tablets lasting much longer. However, for younger children with shorter attention spans, this is probably less of an issue.

When our young tester played with it, he played with it multiple times during the day, listened to it at bedtime, and then listened to some more stories the next morning before it needed a charge.

Which is better - Toniebox or Yoto?

The Toniebox isn’t the only screen-free audio player designed for kids - another popular option is the Yoto Player. While both are portable, child-friendly, and similarly priced, they differ in how they deliver content. The Yoto uses card-style audio files that are inserted into the device, while the Toniebox plays audio via collectable figurines, known as Tonies.

YOTO Player : was £89.99 now £71.99 at Amazon

The Yoto Player is a screen-free audio device that sparks creativity and independence in kids aged 3 to 12+. Simply insert audio cards to play stories, music, and more. It also features a nightlight, alarm clock, room thermometer, and portable speaker. With up to 24 hours of playback and offline storage for 600+ hours, it’s perfect for screen-free entertainment anytime.

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In terms of battery life, the Yoto has the edge with up to 24 hours of playback, compared to the Toniebox’s 7-hour battery life. There’s also the option to purchase a Yoto player with added features, such as a built-in room thermometer, nightlight, and "ok-to-wake" clock - extras that may appeal to parents looking to consolidate multiple nursery gadgets into one device.

Ultimately, the right choice depends on your needs - and perhaps which device your child has already spotted. If you’re looking for a multifunctional gadget and don't already have a nightlight or room thermometer, the Yoto might be the better fit. However, if those features are redundant, the Toniebox offers a more tactile, visually engaging experience.

Our tester especially appreciated the Toniebox’s charming audio characters. Each one is detailed, instantly recognisable, and adds a sense of magic to the screen-free experience. For younger children, the physical figures can also help spark imagination and deepen their connection to the stories they hear.

Is the Toniebox worth the money?

Overall, our tester felt the Toniebox is absolutely worth the investment. Within minutes, her four-year-old nephew was completely absorbed—and it proved especially useful at bedtime, helping to create a calming and engaging wind-down routine.

Even if you start with just the Toniebox and the included Creative-Tonie, there's plenty of value. You can record up to 90 minutes of your own stories or messages (and easily delete and re-record as needed), and the MyTonies app offers a library of free audio content that can be uploaded to the Creative-Tonie as well.

That said, building a collection of Tonie characters can become pricey over time. At around £15 each, they’re not cheap—but the price point makes them ideal for gifting. If your child has favourites in mind, it’s easy to share a wish list with family and friends for birthdays or special occasions.

Outside of major sales like Prime Day, you can also save a bit by opting for a starter bundle. These typically include the Toniebox and a selection of Tonie characters at a better value than buying each item individually - making it a great way to get started without overspending, which will give you the box and a selection of Tonies for less than buying them all separately.