Best tablets for kids you can buy right now
Tablets are multi-functional, reasonably affordable computers that are used for work, play and learning. They’re also great devices for children of all ages.
Children use tablets to read books, watch their favorite Netflix series, create music, edit videos, play games, write term papers, and so on. They don’t need the latest and greatest iPad Pro, necessarily.
TechRadar has already offered its top 10 ranking of best tablets. But what of the best tablets for children? That depends, of course, on their age, interests, and your budget. We looked at quality, reputation, price, sturdiness, the range apps, and the unique strengths of each device. For toddlers, ruggedness matters more than in-app purchasing, obviously.
For your young adults in college, productivity applications and the availability of design and math software is crucial. For teens, like it or not, a tablet that’s great for gaming and social media, and packed with the latest technology, are highly desired features.
Here are the best tablet for kids in each category, whether they want an iPad, Kindle or Android in 2016.
Best tablet for children ages 5-10
iPad Mini 2
A great tablet at a good price with every app your child needs
Weight: 331g | OS: iOS 9 | Screen size: 7.9-inch | Resolution: 1536 x 2048 | CPU: 1.5GHz | RAM: 1GB | Storage: 16/32/64/128GB | Battery: 6470mAh | Rear camera: 5MP | Front camera: 1.2MP
Incredible range of apps for children Excellent form factor 16GB storage can’t hold much content Not the newest technology
Though iPad Mini 2 came out in 2014, it’s still a great tablet, particularly for children. The device is lightweight and perfectly sized for smaller hands, and it sports an amazing screen. Sure, it’s been surpassed by the iPad Mini 3 and iPad Mini 4, but those added a few specs and design tweaks that your kids won’t miss.
The iPad Mini 2 still runs on Apple’s intuitive iOS 9.3 (soon to be iOS 10) platform, and there are tens of thousands of apps optimized for iPad, ranging from education to art to writing, reading and much more. It’s not the cheapest tablet, but it should provide your young child everything they need in a tablet and with care, last them all through grade school.
Best tablet for tweens (ages 10-12)
Samsung Galaxy Tab 4
A sleek, sophisticated and extremely precocious tablet
Weight: 278g | OS: Android 4.4 | Screen size: 7-inch | Resolution: 1280 x 800 | CPU: 1.2GHz | RAM: 1.5GB | Storage: 8GB (32gm microSD slot) | Battery: 4000mAh | Rear camera: 3MP | Front camera: 1.3MP
Great form factor for children Solid performance for the price Small on-board hard drive Low-resolution cameras
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 is a tweener device, one that is short on disk space and power, but is surprisingly capable. Offering a high-quality build and respectable display, the well-constructed tablet can run the many thousands of Android apps available. Plus, it’s a great media tablet for young children and it’s all at a price where ecosystem lock-in isn’t a fear.
There’s also a “Kids Mode,” a more playful UI designed for younger children If your child is absolutely demanding a tablet, this is a great buy. Note: The 8GB drive will get eaten up fast with music, videos and pictures. Samsung typically offers a 32GB microSD card for about $15 – a must-buy.
Best tablet for teens (ages 13-17)
iPad Air 2
The best pure iPad may be the perfect at-home computer for teens
Weight: 437g | OS: iOS 9 | Screen size: 9.7-inch | Resolution: 2048 x 1536 | CPU: 1.2GHz | RAM: 1.5GB | Storage: 16/64/128 GB | Battery: 74340 | Rear camera: 8MP | Front camera: 1.2MP
Amazing screen Fast A8X chip Great camera Expensive
Though a bit on the pricey side, the iPad Air 2 is an amazing tablet. Great for gaming and for watching movies, it’s also capable of making movies, thanks to the 8MP camera which can shoot 1080p HD video, and the high-quality microphone.
The iPad Air 2 is fast, thin, and does just about everything a teen would demand from a tablet. Perfect for editing audio tracks, for FaceTime calls, for writing emails or outlining a paper, it’s also a great lean-back device. iPad Air 2 is probably the one tablet that not even teen’s can find something to complain about, and it’s a nice stepping stone to the iPad Pro 9.7 if they chose to upgrade down the line.
Best tablet for toddlers
Amazon Kindle Fire 7 Kids Edition
Amazing price for a fully functional tablet
Weight: 313g | OS: Fire OS 5 (Android) | Screen size: 7-inch | Resolution: 1024 x 600 | CPU: 1.3GHz | RAM: 1GB | Storage: 8GB (128g microSD slot available) | Battery: 4400mAh | Rear camera: 2MP | Front camera: 0.3MP
Unbelievable price Massive free media library Bulky and slow Amazon’s version of Android Poor camera
The Amazon Kindle Fire 7 Kids Edition doesn’t have the greatest specs. It uses Fire OS, Amazon’s fork of Android. But, it’s a remarkable device. For only $90, your child can have a well-constructed tablet that offers reasonable speed and access to thousands of free Android apps. Plus, if you’re a member of Amazon Prime, the device includes thousands of free Kindle e-books, unlimited streaming of free Prime Music and Instant Video from Amazon. The online retailer even throws in a two-year warranty.
It’s true the Fire 7 is available for only $50. But the extra $40 is worth it for parents of very young children. Amazon adds a protective bumper and a one-year subscription to FreeTime Unlimited, Amazon’s curated media service that offers 10,000 free books, videos and educational games for children. There’s also a two-year “worry free” guarantee.
Best tablet for college students
Microsoft Surface Book
The “ultimate laptop” is part tablet, part hybrid device, and probably the future of personal computers
Weight: 1,588g | OS: Windows 10 | Screen size: 13.5-inch | Resolution: 3000 x 2000 | CPU: 2.4GHz | RAM: 8.0GB | Storage: 128GB | Battery: 6800mAh | Rear camera: 8MP | Front camera: 5MP
Suitable for work, school and playStunning rt battery life
If you think college is expensive, wait till you test drive Microsoft’s new Surface Book, which will likely set you back around $1,499. Thing is, though, this machine can do just about everything a college student needs. It’s a high-performance laptop, fully capable of running Windows, Office and the myriad software applications required for nearly any degree. It’s also a tablet, which the student can take to class – and use the stylus to capture notes. It’s a great gaming device and is suitable for leaning back to watch the latest Netflix series. With its capable front and rear cameras, there’s also no excuse for avoiding video calls with the parents.
The few technical concerns are each very important to consider. The device is heavy for a tablet. And it’s slightly underpowered compared to high-end pure laptops.
More tablet reviews
Don’t see the best tablet for your child? That’s okay, because we have plenty of other tablet reviews that didn’t fit into our kid-focused recommendations.
We have sorted through all of the best tablets for grown ups – one that children or young adults with a bit more spending money and careful hands might enjoy, too.
Future-proofing your child’s education is iPad Pro 12.9 and iPad Pro 9.7, two great examples of more serious tablets ready to run iOS 10 this Autumn, and Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, which will hopefully run Android N by year’s end.
Source: techradar.com
Top Brands
Over here, it is important to know what content is there to get your kids glued to the tablet. Along with the content comes the look and feel of the tablet, adding some elements that excites kids is a plus point.
Content, which helps kid to learn, engage and play is the tablet to buy. But when the same tablet helps to build a better understanding between parents and kids then it is a masterpiece to be bought.
Answer to such masterpiece is EddyPaddy. Great one to have for your kids !!
The Fuhu Nabi 2 doesn't have 8GB of RAM! It has 1GB of RAM, and most likely a 8GB hard drive. 8GB of RAM would be amazing and twice as good as my desktop PC! Check out the specs here – http://thetoptabletblog.blogsp…
These tablets are perfect for my kids! They wouldn't ask for more onceey have they put their hands on it. It's complete from learning apps and games. New edutional tablets for kids are aweome!
best cheapest tablet
read more :
http://kindlehdtablet.blogspot…
The NABI 2 may be the best kids tablet on paper, but in practice it should be avoided like the plague. DO NOT BUY.
Based upon this article I bought two Nabi 2 devices for a 6 and 9 year old last Christmas. Within two weeks the six year old had snapped the power charger tip off and rendered his device useless. Within another month the second charger tip which was now strictly under the control of parents was starting to break, and then that also stopped working.
Since that date we have had two completely unusable €200 devices. A very expensive mistake due to the advice given here in this article. I did contact Nabi about replacement chargers and after posting three sets I received one charger only, since they sent them all unregistered and unrecorded and they were all stolen in the post except for one of the last two that were sent.
Worse was that the six year old had been pushing the volume buttons and getting no response and we found that a six year old child was capable of completely pushing the volume buttons inside the device and damaging the casing. I wouldn't expect an adult to be capable of this not mind a six year old!
The remaining working device soon bit the dust when it fell onto a tiled floor and the screen smashed into hundreds of pieces with the protection bumber attached.
In summary, chargers, volume buttons, case, display are completely unsuitable for children of any age as they can stand up to no punishment whatsoever.
Good in theory, but absolutely useless in practice.