The Best Tablets for Kids According to Parents
Editor’s Note: We know raising kids can be hard. That’s why we’re dedicated to making your life easier with the latest and greatest parenting advice and products. We wanted to let you know that if you chose to purchase one of the items featured in this post, we may receive a small commission for it.
Tablets are fun, educational, and teach kids basic tech skills--at some point, many parents decide that their kids are old enough to have their own tablets. When the time comes, you will want to make a good choice and purchase a tablet that fits your family’s needs. We looked into the details for you, and we have narrowed down the top six tablets for kids.
More: The 8 Best Laptops for Kids
What to Consider When Purchasing a Tablet for Kids
- Durability: Assume that the tablet will slip out of your child’s hands at some point and that it might even get something spilled on it. If you’re buying a tablet for children, look for one that can withstand child-use. A compatible case goes a long way.
- Apps: You will want a wide range of apps for your child to choose from. Look for a tablet that supports a variety of apps.
- Child Safety: The internet can be a dangerous place for little ones, and parents will want to be able to trust their child’s device to filter out inappropriate content. Quality parental controls are a must. This is one big reason why it’s best to purchase a child-specific tablet for your kids.
- Screen Quality: Make sure the tablet has a wide enough resolution to show a clear picture.
- Storage: You will be surprised how quickly your little ones will use up the available storage, so prepare for that.
How We Chose Our Favorites
We analyzed all of the kids’ tablets on the market, with an eye on durability, app availability, child safety, screen quality, and storage. After comparing all of these important details, we took it a step further and talked to real parents to get their input. Parents who owned the devices gave us the scoop on what worked and what just didn’t. We tallied up the feedback and created the ultimate list of the best tablets. We have organized our list so that you can easily identify which tablet is the perfect choice for you. Take a look:
The Best All-Around Tablet for Kids
Amazon has perfected the children’s tablet in its newest device. The Fire HD 8 Kids Edition Tablet comes with a subscription that gives your kids access to over 20,000 apps, games, books, and more. The first year of this service is free, and after that it charges just $3 per month.
The screen is large enough to be viewed easily, and the image is high-quality. This tablet is sturdy and comes with a protective case, but because kids are capable of breaking anything, Amazon will send you a brand new one if that happens within the first two years--no questions asked.
The parental controls are thorough: this tablet lets parents set screen time limits and easily filter content they are just not comfortable with. You can even set educational goals for your child to work towards using their Amazon Fire HD 8.
The Fire HD 8 comes with 32 GB of storage, and you can easily add more with a microSD card if your child is getting short on space.
“We love our tablet. My son is 3 and loves all the videos and games all educational! I get to set it up to where it’s age appropriate items and I can also switch profiles to mine and do things on my profile. Pretty great device and he can play on some apps without WiFi! Bigger plus. Great purchase.”
The Most Portable Kids Tablet
The Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet is just the right size for toting it around while on the go. It comes with a case to keep it protected, but if it does break during the first two years, Amazon will replace it. A built-in stand lets you set it up anywhere. When you purchase this tablet, you automatically get a year free of Amazon Freetime Unlimited, and afterward, you pay just $3 per month. This subscription gives your child access to all the best apps.
The parental controls are easy to use and allow for flexibility: parents can control how much screen time their kids get, or filter out any content they don’t want their kids viewing. The Amazon Fire HD 7 Kids Edition Tablet may be small, but it still includes 16 GB of storage. No worries if that isn’t enough though, because you can also connect a microSD for an additional 512 GB!
“I got this for my 5 year old for a road trip...one of the best ideas ever!”
“What pushed me over the line to purchase this was that Amazon will replace it if it breaks even if it's the kid's fault. My 4-year-old boy is so destructive and also throws things in a tantrum. He has already thrown this tablet a few times and dropped it other times and there has been no damage!”
The Best Tablet for Impatient Kids
The Fire HD 10 Kids Edition Tablet is the largest and fastest tablet from Amazon. It gives kids the best view, with it’s 1080p full HD display on a 10.1” screen. This tablet is overall the most powerful of the Fire tablets. The processor is faster and the wifi is more powerful, so kids won’t start whining when things begin to lag, and the battery lasts a full 12 hours.
Like all Amazon kids’ tablets, this one comes with a bumper case and a two-year guarantee. They will replace it if it breaks, no matter why. The first year of Amazon Freetime Unlimited is free, and after that the low $3 is completely worth it because it gives your kids access to so many apps, like Netflix, books on Kindle, games, and more.
32 GB of storage means there is plenty of room for all of the apps your kid wants, and you can always add more. This might be the most powerful tablet, but it still follow’s mom and dad’s rules when it comes to parental controls. Parents can set screen time limits and filter content as needed.
“My 6-year-old son loves it! The screen is huge and so easy for him to navigate it. There's a ton of books and movies he can watch or read. Keeps him busy for hours. There's a ton of learning games so he can switch from educational to just playing games.”
“The upgraded screen and internal specs are a welcome improvement and performance. This is a great kids tablet with great screen. It is much faster than older models with increased storage.”
A Good Choice for Older Kids Who Are More Responsible
Getting an iPad is the right decision for some families, but not all. Apple iPads do offer the highest level of technology, with superior screen graphics, and they tend to be the trendiest purchase.
Apple is usually compatible with the most apps, accessible through the app store, and offers them sooner than other brands. But the sleek design that Apple is famous for also makes them more breakable, even if you get a case. Apple products also generally come with a higher price tag, and it’s harder to limit what your child can view or how often they can get online. Consider an iPad Air if you trust your child and you’re willing to foot the bill.
iPads support smart keyboards, so one thing they offer that other tablets do not is the option to type or learn to type. You can also use a stylus for a variety of purposes. These are two other reasons why an iPad is a good choice for older kids.
“Unless you’re on a tight budget, it’s worth the extra cash and is probably the best all-around iPad you can buy right now.”
A Good Choice for the Parent on a Budget
If you don’t want to spend a fortune on your kids’ tablet, the LINSAY is a great choice. You get a lot of value for what you pay.
The LINSAY, which uses an Android operating system, is fairly durable and comes with a case to keep it protected while in the hands of little ones.
It offers a wide range of fun and educational apps and content for kids on the Google Play store. While it doesn’t offer quite as many apps as the Fire tablet or iPad, it has enough to keep kids busy and happy. The best part is its speed--the LINSAY’s processing speed is fast enough for the impatient child’s standards.
This Android tablet only includes 16GB of storage, but you have the option to add more. The LCD display gives a fairly good picture, and because the screen is large (10 inches) it’s easy to view.
“My younger son just had to have one after seeing how much his big brother enjoyed this tablet. It has been a great hit since we got it for his last birthday.”
A Good Choice for Kids Who Take Lots of Photos
The picture on the Samsung Galaxy Tab is one of the best quality and comparable to Apple products. It has both a rear-facing 8MP camera and a front-facing selfie camera that takes crisp, captivating photos.
Out of all the tablets for kids, this one has the longest battery life. It lasts a full 13 hours, so there is no need to stress about needing to recharge it while on the go or even every day!
This Android tablet is slim and although it's only 8 inches wide, it has a minimized bezel, meaning that the border around the screen is small, so the picture is larger. The trade-off for a slim, light tablet, is breakability, however, so this one may be best for older kids. On that same note, the parental controls are not very comprehensive.
Android tablets give you access to a fair number of apps if a bit less than Apple. The Samsung Galaxy Tab comes with 32GB of internal memory and up to an extra 512GB of expandable memory with an external microSD card. The main issue that parents had with this tablet was that it can be a little bit slow.
"Easy to use. Very good quality for the low price."
Looking for ways to keep your kids entertained and learning? Check out 21 Free Educational Apps for Kids.
