It’s no surprise that kids love tablets. Thankfully, there are plenty of terrific tablets for kids out there. Some are specifically made for children, and others feature parental controls to ensure your child doesn’t go anywhere on the web that they shouldn’t. But whether or not you choose our go-to kids tablet, or one of our other top contenders, the list here has everything you need to get your kid set up.
Amazon Fire Kids Edition
Why should you buy this: Created especially for kids, it’s durable, affordable, packed with age-appropriate content, and comes with a 2-year free replacement program.
Who’s it for: Young children with parents on a budget.
Why we picked the Amazon Fire Kids Edition:
The parental controls are excellent, allowing you to define exactly how much screen time your kids can have, as well as what they can and can’t access.
You can also set up multiple profiles with tailored content to suit each child’s age.
You also get a chunky protective case available in pink, blue, or green. If your little angel does manage to break the tablet, there’s no need to worry because Amazon offers a no-questions-asked 2-year replacement warranty that covers accidental damage.
The Fire Kids Edition won’t suit older kids, but it’s ideal for youngsters getting their first tablet. It’s a complete solution that’s quick and easy to set up, and has everything your child could want out of the box.
Apple iPad
Who’s it for: High school kids who want the best.
Why we picked the Apple iPad:
The iPad is a great tablet with no weaknesses, and it has everything your teen needs to work and play. It’s very slim, has a beautiful 10.2-inch display, and offers access to the best selection of dedicated tablet apps that you’ll find. Battery life is great, the camera is good, and it sports Touch ID.
For families already invested in the Apple ecosystem, this tablet makes a lot of sense, and may even be something to look at for younger kids if you have the budget. You can use Family Sharing to give everyone access to any apps, books, movies, or music that you’ve purchased.
Apple’s parental controls, called restrictions, allow you to dictate what your child can access on the iPad and you can restrict content by age rating. There are plenty of parental control apps if you want to maintain a tighter grip.
For a more portable option, consider the iPad Mini. But ultimately, the iPad has no real flaws and is sure to be a hit with your kids.
Leapfrog Epic
Who’s it for: Very young children and parents looking for an educational option.
Why we picked the Leapfrog Epic:
The strength of the Leapfrog brand has been in creating educational software that’s tailored for different developmental ages, but is still a lot of fun for kids. The company usually limits devices to its own platform, but this is an Android tablet (and it’s better for it).
The Epic is aimed at children between ages 3 and 9, and you get a tailored experience with apps and content to match your child’s age. We think it’s best suited to the lower end of that age range. Kids can create their own home screens and there are apps, games, and other content that’s very well-designed.
The chunky protective bumper comes in green or pink. It also has a built-in stylus attached with a cord, which is ideal for budding artists. The parental controls offer all the depth you could want.
Sadly, this is another kids’ tablet with a poor-quality screen – the resolution is 1,024 x 600 pixels. It’s also slow and laggy, which can prove frustrating for wee ones and adults alike.
The durable design and the educational software elevate it above some of the competition.
Amazon Fire HD 10
Who’s it for: Elementary school kids.
Why we picked the Fire HD 10:
There is a lot to like about the Amazon Fire HD 10. It’s a good choice for slightly older kids. It offers a sharp 10-inch display, dual speakers, great performance, and up to 10 hours of battery life. The basic model of the Fire HD 10 has 32GB of storage, but it also comes in a 64GB version, and both sport a MicroSD card slot for expansion.
The Fire HD 10 also has Alexa enabled — which the Fire Kids Edition tablets don’t.
You can set up multiple profiles and employ Amazon’s excellent parental controls to keep a firm grip on what your kids view. The Fire HD 10 tablet could conceivably serve as a family tablet, as it’s suitable for parents to use when the kids have gone to bed.
How we test
We use all the tablets we test extensively. Primarily, we expect tablets to serve up content, and so we read on them, watch movies, play games, and test apps. We always make sure to check out additional functionality, including the cameras, to see how they measure up. The strength of the hardware and performance is weighed against the price tag to help us find the right recommendations. For this roundup, we also took into account the overall package, ease of setup for parents, and suitability for different age groups.
