2 Audio Player

At $149.99, the Toniebox 2 is expensive for a children’s audio player, especially when you factor in the cost of building a collection of Tonies. But ours has become much more than another way for our kids to listen to stories. It gives them control over their own screen-free entertainment, has held their interest across several stages of childhood and, unexpectedly, has become one of the most useful things we pack for extended trips.

When we bought our first Toniebox, I thought it would simply be a fun way for our kids to listen to stories independently. It soon became part of their bedtime routine. After we finish our regular nightly reading, they choose a Tonie and listen as they fall asleep.

That routine became even more valuable when we started traveling with it. A hotel room, camper or grandparent’s house can feel unfamiliar at bedtime. Turning on a favorite story gives our kids something recognizable to focus on. For our family, that has become more mission-critical to bedtime success than a night-light or sound machine.

It becomes particularly useful during longer trips. One unfamiliar night is usually manageable. But for extended trips the Toniebox gives our kids the same bedtime experience regardless of where they are sleeping.

Its simplicity is a large part of what makes it so great for them. Place a magnetic Tonie on top and the audio begins. Pinch the large ear to raise the volume and the small ear to lower it. Tap one side to move forward to the next track and the other to go back. Younger children can operate it without navigating menus, asking for a phone or waking a parent to find another story.

Our original Toniebox uses a dedicated charging base and can generally make it through several nights between charges. Toniebox 2 replaces that base with USB-C, which is a welcome improvement for travel because it means one fewer proprietary charger to pack. It also adds a sleep timer with a light, a sunrise alarm, Bluetooth headphone support and interactive Tonieplay games.

The Toniebox requires Wi-Fi during setup and when a Tonie is played for the first time. Once that content has downloaded, it can be played offline. That makes it genuinely useful anywhere with unavailable or unreliable Wi-Fi.

There is an enormous range of content, including short stories, songs, audio versions of familiar movies, educational programs and guided activities such as yoga and meditation. Creative-Tonies also let families add their own recordings, which could mean stories read by parents or grandparents rather than another licensed character.

The price can be hard to justify. The starter set is already expensive, and additional Tonies priced around $20, turn it into an ongoing investment. For us, it's more than earned it's keep over two and a half years of daily use. 

We initially thought we were testing a novelty audio player. What we ended up with was a durable source of independent entertainment and a portable bedtime routine that our kids love.