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journalism → support → readers
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we → purchase → commission
Encouraging screen-free entertainment, the Yoto is a gadget thoroughly deserving of its place in family homes.
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Yoto → encourage → homes
The audio player’s concept is simple: children pop a card in to listen to stories, music and more.
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children → pop → stories
As a mother of a three-year-old boy, I’ve seen first-hand Yoto’s appeal to both parents and children alike.
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I → see → parents
Launched as a London-based Kickstarter project in 2017, Yoto has helped make screen-free listening part of families’ everyday lives – and now frequently tops Christmas gift guides.
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listening → launch → guides
I already have both the full-size Yoto Player and Yoto Mini 3rd Gen.
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I → have → Player
They’ve become firm favourites in our house – and now, with both 4th Gen models in hand, I'm keen to see whether the latest models are worth the upgrades.
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models → become → hand
How I tested
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I → test → ?
Enlisting the help of my three-year-old, we put both the Yoto 4th gen player and mini through their paces, noting everything from ease-of-use to engagement and fun.
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we → enlist → engagement
I considered the value-for-money in upgrading, and any new features the fourth generation has introduced to the Yoto range.
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generation → consider → range
Ahead of Black Friday and Christmas, here’s your full lowdown on Yoto 3rd gen vs 4th gen.
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lowdown → ’ → gen
★
What we love: Green Button feature offers quick, card-free access, and doubled storage
Take note: Higher price tag, and less intuitive design may be confusing for younger users
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tag → love → users
The biggest change with the newly released Yoto is the addition of the Green Button, which gives children quick access to their favourite stories and songs without rummaging through their card collection.
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which → release → collection
You can set up custom daytime and bedtime playlists in the Yoto app, with up to 20 titles in each, then little ones simply twist the button to browse and press to play.
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ones → set → button
The button also feels reassuringly firm, so it doesn't click too easily when little hands are exploring the controls.
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hands → feel → controls
It's a handy upgrade that makes listening independently even easier.
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listening → make → ?
My son loves both of his Yotos, and we use the two players quite differently.
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we → love → players
The Mini comes with us to our local parkrun every week and keeps him entertained when we're out and about, while the full-size player has become part of our bedtime routine.
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player → come → routine
He can choose his own stories and music, giving him a little independence, while I’m safe in the knowledge that, should I need to, I still have full control from the app.
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I → choose → app
We also use the full-size player as a night light, which is one of its most useful features.
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which → use → features
The 3rd Gen has an ambient ring of light on the back, but the new 4th Gen takes things up a notch with a full-panel night light.
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Gen → have → light
It's a more substantial glow, with an additional handy feature being that the brightness can be adjusted by turning one of the dials, which makes the player feel even more like a proper bedtime companion.
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player → adjust → companion
The 4th Gen has a softer, more rounded design, giving it a distinctly childlike aesthetic, which wasn’t initially to my taste, but it is designed for children, after all.
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it → have → children
There are also changes to the Adventure Jacket colours of the new model, with these having a brighter, more vibrant tone than their predecessors.
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these → be → predecessors
I’ve compared both the Yoto 4th gen and 3rd gen mini and the larger players in depth – let’s get into it.
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’s → compare → it
Yoto Mini 3rd Gen vs Mini 4th Gen
The Mini is the one I'd recommend for families who are often on the move; it's useful for car journeys, holidays and keeping little ones occupied when you're out for the day.
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you → recommend → day
It has an IP67 water- and dust-resistance rating and has been drop-tested 30,000 times, making it better suited to the unpredictable reality of family life.
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it → have → life
The new Mini also doubles the internal storage from 32GB to 64GB, giving it space for more than 1,000 hours of audio once downloaded.
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Mini → double → audio
Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE 6.1 improve connectivity, while the new Green Button gives children quick access to their favourite audio without needing to find and insert a card.
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Button → improve → card
Battery life is rated at up to 16 hours, matching the newer full-size player and offering plenty of listening time for everyday outings and longer journeys.
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life → rat → outings
Charging: USB-C
Yoto Player 3rd Gen vs 4th Gen
The full-size Yoto Player is where the new generation makes the biggest difference for my household.
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generation → make → household
Ours is used every night, so the improvements to the light and sound are particularly welcome.
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improvements → use → light
The 3rd Gen already does a lot; it plays stories and music, doubles as a night light and works as an OK-to-wake clock.
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it → do → clock
It's a brilliant all-rounder, and although the ambient ring light is relatively subtle, it’s sufficient to keep the room dimly lit.
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it → ’ → room
The 4th Gen builds on this with a full-panel night light, acoustically engineered stereo sound and the new Green Button.
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Gen → build → light
The sound is a clear upgrade, whether we're listening to stories or music, and the larger light panel is a welcome addition at bedtime.
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panel → listen → bedtime
As with the Mini, storage has doubled from 32GB to 64GB, while Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth LE 6.1 bring faster downloads and updated connectivity.
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- → double → downloads
Both full-size players support USB-C charging and wireless charging using the Charging Dock (£27.99, Yotoplay.com), making it easy to keep the battery topped up.
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it → support → battery
Extra features: OK-to-wake clock, room thermometer, sleep sounds and day/night playlists
Yoto 3rd Gen vs 4th Gen: is it worth upgrading?
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it → ok → Gen
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
