Toniebox: The 3 best alternatives for children

The Toniebox is very popular with children. Adults often shy away from the high price or the necessary cloud account. We present three Toniebox alternatives in this article.

Alternative 1 to the Toniebox: Tigerbox

The Tigerbox is a Bluetooth speaker that can be used to stream songs from the corresponding app or to play stored audio files on a memory card. The Tigerbox has no official age recommendation and can theoretically also be used by small children.

• Advantages: content can be played directly from an MP3 player via AUX connection.
• Music and radio plays can be played back via Bluetooth, audio cable, Tigerbox media library (app) or SD card.
• The tiger box is smaller and handier than the tonie box (8.5 × 8.5 × 8.5 centimeters).
• There is a very large selection of radio plays in the Tigertones media library (over 1, 000 titles).
• The price of 30 to 40 euros is significantly lower than that of the Toniebox.
• Disadvantages: The Tigerbox does not have its own memory. To play the media content, the box must always be connected to the mobile device on which the app is installed. Alternatively, files can be saved on the SD card. The memory card is not included in the scope of delivery.
• Access to the Tigertones media library is chargeable and costs from three euros a month.
• The tiger box does not switch off automatically when it is no longer used.

Alternative 2: Alilo Honey Bunny

The Alilo Honey Bunny is a small rabbit that serves both as a storyteller and as a sleep aid with an integrated night light. So the bright bunny is also something for the little ones (recommended age from twelve months).

• Advantages: The Alilo Honey Bunny does not need an additional app and is immediately ready for use thanks to the internal memory.
• Music and radio plays can be saved on an SD card. The memory card is even included.
• The Alilo Honey Bunny has a night light as a sleep aid as well as a microphone and a recording function.
• An additional account or an extra app is not necessary.
• The bunny is small and handy (21.5 × 1.5 × 8 centimeters).
• With a price between 50 and 70 euros, it is slightly cheaper than the Toniebox.
• Disadvantages: There are "only" over 80 different radio plays and children's songs available. Compared to the competition, this is rather limited, but it is sufficient for small children.
• There is no headphone jack.
• A Bluetooth connection is not possible.

Alternative 3: Hörbert

Hörbert is a music player made entirely of wood and other sustainable materials. According to the manufacturer, it is also shipped with CO2-neutral shipping. Hörbert is suitable for children from the age of three.

• Advantages: Media content can be played back on a storage medium. An SDHC card is included. The internal memory is sufficient for 140 minutes of music and radio plays.
• The device does not have to be set up first. So your child can "hear" directly.
• An additional account or downloading an app is not necessary.
• Hörbert is easy to use. There are nine different buttons in different colors, each of which represents audio content.
• Since there is neither WiFi nor Bluetooth connectivity, parents do not have to worry about additional radiation in the children's room.
• An electronic kit can be ordered for Hörbert, so you can repair or retrofit the player yourself.
• The music player measures 15 × 25 × 7 centimeters and should be very light.
• Disadvantages: There is no headphone jack.
• A Bluetooth connection is not possible (this can also be an advantage - see above).
• With a price of at least 240 euros, Hörbert is significantly more expensive than the competition.

Toniebox: This is what the original offers

The Toniebox is a cube-shaped device for playing music or radio plays. The box is designed for small children and is therefore easy to use and very robust. To play audio content you need a character (a so-called Tonie; costs: between ten and 20 euros) in which an NFC chip is integrated. As soon as you place the figure on the Toniebox, it automatically recognizes which audio content should be played. If you place a Tonie on the box for the first time, it downloads the respective content once from the Toniecloud (account required). The content of the Tonies is then permanently available - even without an internet connection.

• Advantages: The Toniebox is recommended for children from the age of three, but is so robust and easy to use that it "survives" even smaller children.
• Your own content can be created with the so-called creative tonie.
• The device measures 12 × 12 × 12 centimeters and is therefore quite handy.
• Disadvantages: The selection of individual tonies (music and radio plays) is still quite limited. In addition, the tonies cost extra.
• The Toniebox is a closed system that can only function with the appropriate app and cloud account.
• The price is relatively high at around 80 euros.

The following article explains exactly what is behind a Toniebox.