I purchased the Toniebox for my kids in an attempt to reduce screentime and the tantrum-y behavior that comes with it.
It quickly became their favorite audio player thanks to the familiar characters they know and love… from said screentime. (Sigh!!)
While I prefer the Yoto player, my kids would toss that to the side for Toniebox any day. Here’s a full, unsponsored Toniebox review.
What Is Toniebox?
The Toniebox is a square-shaped audio device that plays music and stories for kids. What sets it apart from a boombox (throwback!) or CD player are the characters that trigger the audio to start playing.
The top of the Toniebox has a magnetic square, and the little action figures have magnetic buttons.
When your child sets the character on top of the Toniebox, the magnets somehow trigger that character’s audio to start playing.
It’s honestly very cool, and the whole system is very kid-friendly.
Pros and Cons of Toniebox
I’m getting straight to the point because I’m sure you don’t want to read through fluff.
We’ve had the Toniebox since 2022. I’ve collected the little characters with more fervor than my own children (it’s easy to get obsessive over the cuteness overload).
Here are the actual pros and cons, speaking from years of use and wear and tear.
Pros of Toniebox:
- My kids love it. It’s the only audio device we have that they specifically seek out (against the Storypod and Yoto player). When asked, they say Toniebox is their favorite of the three.
- My kids listen to the Toniebox at bedtime, every single night. It’s the ultimate bedtime routine hack, especially if you have multiple children and want them all to benefit from age-appropriate stories (we have two Tonieboxes for this reason).
- There’s a huge selection of characters, including some niche ones that can be hard to find elsewhere. Is your child into some obscure cartoon? Toniebox may actually have a character from it.
- The tonies double as toys. As an example, we have the Thomas the Train tonie, and my kids often play with it like a toy train (outside of using it on the Toniebox for the stories).
- Some libraries have tonies you can check out!
Cons of Toniebox:
- The system is expensive. Each new character (I suppose I should call them tonies…) costs something like $18. You can see how fast that money adds up if you want to build a nice audio collection. My eyes are peeled for sales (wait for Black Friday).
- The battery life kind of sucks (it’s 7 hours). I’m sorry to say it but we’re always rushing to charge it since my kids like to fall asleep with them playing.
- The top of the Toniebox is super susceptible to scratching. Ours looks pretty beat up. The soft sides are nice, though.
- The little tonies are easy to lose. They just blend in with everything else we have. A solution is buying the cool magnetic shelves to store them, but I already dropped an arm and a leg on all the characters… do I really have to spend another Benji?!
- The audio stops when you take the character off the toniebox. My 2-year-old will take a character off and pop it back on over and over again. It restarts the story at the beginning each time, which is maddening. Other audio devices don’t stop unless you press stop or place a different character on top.
- Some of the famous characters use voice actors, so the songs from the movies aren’t the songs on the tonie – they’re covers. For the amount you pay, you’d expect the original songs, not a re-recorded version with different singers. Listen to the audio samples before you buy if you don’t want that.
Is Toniebox Worth It?
The Toniebox is 100% worth it. It’s one of the few toys that gets used daily. My son doesn’t even like to go to bed without the sheep nightlight.
It gets expensive, but if you hit the sales, it hurts a little less. It’s also a great gift idea for family members. Just ask them to pick out some new tonies! I also like popping some in my kid’s Christmas stockings.
As a parent, I prefer the Yoto player as it has a longer battery life, way more audio options, and a wider age range. You get more bang for your buck.
But I can’t deny that I have to bring the Yoto player out whereas my kids grab the Toniebox on their own.
If you’re interested in the Yoto player, I wrote a full review of it: Yoto Player Review: Is the Kids Audio Speaker Worth It?
FAQs
What does a toniebox do?
The Toniebox is an audio playing device featuring tonies, or hand-painted, collectible characters with hours of songs to sing and stories to tell. When you place the tonie on top of the Toniebox, it starts playing that character’s unique audio.
How long does the toniebox battery last?
The Toniebox battery lasts about 7 hours, which is pretty frustrating! I hope in future models, they extend the battery life.
Do the tonies use the voices from the movie?
Not all tonies use the same voices from the movies. I find this is more common with Disney characters, but you’re getting a re-recorded version with a different singer. You can hear audio samples on the Toniebox website before you buy.
How do I get a discount on Toniebox?
The Toniebox is expensive, but what’s more expensive is building out a nice library of characters for your child. You can get discounts on Toniebox and the tonies on Black Friday/Cyber Monday, on Amazon Prime days, and periodically throughout the year. I got the best deal on Black Friday.
What age is Toniebox good for?
Toniebox says it’s suitable for ages 3+. From my personal experience, I’d say it’s actually ideal for ages 2-5. The sweet spot is definitely ages 3-4.
Which tonies are the best?
The quality of the content on the tonies is actually pretty good, aside from the Disney princesses (it’s just re-recorded music). The ones my kids reach for the most include the joke squares, Poppy from Trolls, Cookie Monster, Spidey (my son is obsessed), the bedtime Peppa Pig, and the Sleepy Sheep bedtime tonie.
Conclusion
There you have it – my full Toniebox review! The Toniebox is a well-loved toy in this house, and I appreciate that it assists with our bedtime routine.
I’d personally rather spend my money on the Yoto player, which I think has more longevity, but boy – my kids sure do love their tonies. Let me know in the comments: what are your thoughts on the Toniebox?
