All About the Yoto Mini Player

We received a gifted Yoto Mini Player as well as the headphones, device case, and travel case. All thoughts and opinions are my own, we really LOVE this device!

We have had Yoto players for just about a year now and we are OBSESSED! We love them so much that we have more than one so that they don’t have to be shared at bedtime. They are used on a daily basis in our home and I am thrilled. We listen to stories on them, meditation cards, sleep sounds, music and more. My children also love using them as a clock in their room and they definitely use the night light feature as well.

When the Yoto Mini was released I was instantly curious because we love our Yoto Players so much that a Yoto that was more travel friendly was appealing (because taking Yoto with you on trips, or anywhere, is the best) and I was curious wha the differences were between the two players. Happily, Yoto agreed to send us one to try and we couldn’t be happier.

*The photo below features the standard Yoto player, not the mini. The other photos in this post feature the mini.

What is the Yoto Mini Player?

The Yoto Player is a device that is first and foremost (for us) an audiobook player. The device is cube shaped with a digital face and two knobs on top to control it. The audio books are stored on individual, sturdy cards (think credit card sturdy) that you slip into a slot at the top of the device. Once the card is inserted it plays. It’s really that simple!

There are several different types of cards in addition to audio books such as podcasts, sound cards (like noise machine sounds for bedtime), music cards and mindfulness/meditation cards. I am especially excited to try out a few mindfulness cards with my kiddos. The Yoto Player does come with a bit of free content, like a daily podcast and radio station, but to really use it you will likely want to purchase at least a few cards. Luckily, the card store has a large library and they are constantly adding to the selection available. (I have already checked a few times in anticipation to see what they have added!)

Some things that make the Yoto Mini Player extra special are:

• It is screen free! Instead it has a digital face on the front that displays a pixelated, color image that coordinates with each chapter of each book. It’s a fun feature and it is especially handy for the youngest bookworms to help them recognize what chapter they are on or love.
• Yoto Player doesn’t have any features that I don’t want like: internet access, camera, microphone and so forth. It is simple and safe. Love!
• You only need wifi for initial set up and when you first put a new card in. After the first time a card is inserted it downloads to your device so in the future you can just use the card to play stories and no wifi is needed.
• There is a headphone jack! Also, on the accompanying parent phone app you can cap how loud the volume can go. (Love this!)
• When you are listening to an audiobook and then remove a card, the story pauses so you can pick up where you left off the next time it is inserted.
• Yoto Player is completely ad free.
• They have cards available that you can use to create your own playlists as well as audiobook cards.
• If you loose a card that you purchased you can use your digital copy on your account and a “create your own” card to make a new copy to use on your device! (Such a relief with little children, right?!)
• It has a magnetic charging dock that you can leave it on or you can take it off for up to 6 hours of play time and use it on the go.

How the Yoto Mini is different from the Yoto Player:

• The Yoto Mini is more suited for on-the-go listening. The fact that the player is smaller obviously lends it more to travel as well as the travel case and headphones that you can purchase separately. (Any standard headphones are compatible, but lets be honest, the Yoto ones are adorable!) Also, we are definitely fans of the travel case because it is so convenient with its spot for the player, headphones and even quite a few cards that can all be safely tucked away together.
• They are almost identical with features. The biggest difference that I can see is that the Yoto player has a nightlight feature and the Yoto Mini doesn’t. Also, the digital screen on the Yoto Mini is smaller. However, it still displays cute icons with stories so I don’t see that as a negative. Two other differences are that the Yoto Mini has a different charger and holds a longer charge and that the volume is slightly less powerful (doesn’t bother me a bit). Both players play the same cards, have the radio, podcast and everything else.
• The Yoto Mini Costs Less. As mentioned above, both players are almost identical in features, but you will spend less on the Yoto Mini.

Which one has my “vote”?

Honestly, we have and adore both. If you are interested in the nightlight feature and plan on using your player mostly at home, then I think that the extra money for the Yoto Player is completely worth it. However, if you are fine missing out on the night light feature or plan to take your Yoto with you on the go I would most definitely recommend the Yoto Mini. It is so much easier to transport and still has everything you could want, but for less.

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