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Best of Tablet For Kids available on US Market in 2016

By  8:20 PM  
These are the best kids tablets you can buy right now. We've tested and reviewed 10 of the best tablets for kids and we'll explain what to look for when choosing a children's tablet.

New entries: Kurio Tab 2 and Amazon Fire

Best kids tablets: Price

The list you'll find below includes some relatively old tablets. That's because there isn't a massive amount of choice, and it's possible to pick up older tablets for a bargain now. Models such as the original Tesco Hudl cost $174 when launched in 2014, but you can buy a refurbished model from Amazon for under $58 now. That's exceptional value for a proper Android tablet with the Google Play Store and all of Google's apps.

Tesco has also discontinued the excellent Hudl 2, but we've kept it at no. 2 in our chart because it's a fantastic kids' tablet. It's also fairly easy to find them for sale on Amazon. Just don't get into a bidding war and pay over the odds. Remember, too, that they won't come with a warranty unless they explicitly state that they do (it won't be a Tesco warranty).

At the top end, you could buy your child an iPad for $462 (for the iPad mini 4) or even an iPad Air 2 for $579. The issue is that iPads don't have great parental controls. They're also quite fragile. But, they have the widest selection of apps and games, many of which are free. You can buy child-proof iPad cases, too, and disable Safari (to prevent web browsing) and restrict music, videos, apps and games to the appropriate age level.

Best kids tablets: design and features

You have a basic choice when it comes to choosing a tablet for your kids. You could go for a standard tablet intended for adult use and try to lock it down (or not) to ensure they don't see things in apps or online that you'd rather they didn't.

While we're in lecturing mode, we should also point out that parents should be keenly aware of the amount of screen time their kids are exposed to. For more on this see: How much screen time is healthy for children? Health risks of too much kid screen time.

The alternative to a standard tablet is one designed for use by kids. These tend to have a 'safe' web browser (or no internet access) and games and apps which are appropriate for kids. What they don't have is a wide choice of the latest games. The LeapPads, for example, are great tablets, but your kids might be frustrated when they can't get the same games or apps their friends have on Android or iPad.

A good in-between option is Amazon's range of Fire tablets. These are fully fledged tablets with a great feature called FreeTime. You can set up password-protected profiles so you can give each child access to only the books, games and apps you want them to see. Plus, you can set different time limits for reading and playing. The fact that the range starts from just $71 is why we think the Amazon Fire is one of the best choices for kids right now.

Plus, Amazon agrees. It has just brought out a Kids Edition of the $71 Fire for $143. We'll add the review to the chart below as soon as we can. (The previous generation review is there, though.)

Best kids tablets: specifications

It's best not to dwell too much on specs. They rarely tell you how good a kids' tablet is. What you should consider is battery life and screen size.

Many kids tablets last around half the time of an iPad - around five or six hours. They can, of course, use their tablet while it's charging, but it's worth avoiding any that don't charge over USB as this makes it awkward to power them on long car journeys.

Younger kids might struggle with a 10in tablet, which is why the Fire HD 6 is a good choice. Its 6in screen is just the right size for small hands.

If you want a bigger screen - or a proper Android tablet - then you do do a lot worse than the Tesco Hudl 2. This has a great 8.3in screen. It has great parental controls, and a child-friendly web browser. You'll probably want to budget for a case to protect these tablets, though, which will bump up the price a bit. (Tesco has now discontinued the Hudl 2, but it's worth tracking down if you can find one at a decent price on Amazon or elsewhere.)

Rather than looking at processor speeds and RAM, read our reviews to find out if a tablet is fast enough to keep up with your kids. Gigahertz ratings aren't a helpful guide in this respect.

Storage can be important though. If the tablet you're considering has no micro-SD card slot, you won't be able to expand the internal storage. And with games, music, videos and apps using up quite a bit of space, it pays to get as much storage as you can. That's why a tablet with a card slot is so valuable. MicroSD cards are cheap and easily available.

Finally, here the 12 Best of Tablet For Kids available on US Market in 2016!


1. Amazon Fire

It's certainly not perfect, and the lack of Google apps will still put some people off, but the Fire is excellent value at under $72. The latest Fire OS is so Android-like that it's easy to use, and the Fire for Kids app makes it possible to limit what you kids can do and how long they can use the tablet. For some people it's well worth paying double for the Kids Edition version as you get the bumper case and the great warranty. There are some sore points: the poor cameras, the sluggish performance at times, and the long charging time. But at this price it's hard to complain. And you certainly won't find a better tablet for the same money.


AMAZON FIRE REVIEW: SOFTWARE

One of the biggest improvements over previous generations of Fire tablets is the latest version of Fire OS, version 5, but referred to as Bellini. There's logic here, since Fire OS is based on Android which uses friendly codenames as well as numbers.

Bellini is based on Android Lollipop, and it shows much more than in the past. You get an almost standard Android notification / quick settings panel when you swipe down from the top of the screen and can swipe away notifications, adjust screen brightness and toggle Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on and off. Even the on-screen buttons at the bottom are the same as Android's. The square icon brings up the standard Android app switcher where you can swipe away apps to close them.

You can also switch user accounts in the usual Android way, by tapping on the user's photo (or icon) on the lock screen or from the notification panel. This is particularly good if you're sharing the tablet with your kids, or buying one for them to share.

You can set it so that when they switch to their account, the Fire for Kids app automatically opens. It lets you choose exactly which apps, books, games and more they can access in their individual account. While we've praised this mode before (it used to be called Freetime), it could still be improved. For example, it would be more intuitive to have a search option in each of the books, videos and apps sections.

AMAZON FIRE REVIEW: PERFORMANCE

With a quad-core 1.3GHz processor and 1GB of RAM we were never expecting great performance from the Fire. We could list a load of benchmark results here, but for most people thinking about buying this cheap tablet there's only one question: is it fast enough?

In general, it is. Sometimes it's quicker than you'd expect, and the operating system - Fire OS 5 - feels slicker than some Android tablets costing twice as much. Apps load within a couple of seconds, and naturally even faster if they're already running and you're just switching back to them.

SPECS

Amazon Fire: Specs
  • 7in tablet
  • 10240x600 touchscreen, 171ppi
  • quad-core 1.3GHz processor
  • 1GB RAM
  • 802.11n Wi-Fi (2.4GHz only)
  • Bluetooth (with support for A2DP)
  • Rear 2Mp camera, front VGA camera
  • 8GB internal storage
  • microSD slot for up to 128GB additional storage
  • Dimensions: 191 x 115 x 10.6 mm
  • Weight: 313g


2. Tesco Hudl 2

One of the best budget Android tablets to date, Tesco has done the unthinkable and stopped selling its Hudl 2. It's still a great deal where available, but be warned that many people are selling it at almost double its $143 price at Tesco - just because they can. If you can find one, and even with the complaints about charging and cracked screens, we can still recommend the Hudl 2. Tesco will continue to support its tablet, and the great screen, decent processor and microSD card slot make this an excellent tablet.

TESCO HUDL 2 REVIEW: SOFTWARE

The Hudl launched with Android 4.4 KitKat and Tesco has made the wise decision of leaving the operating system mostly stock or vanilla (as Google made it).

 We say mostly because Tesco does add a few bits and pieces including My Tesco (above) which is one swipe away from the main homescreen (or hit the T icon). It's a hub for all everything Tesco from grocery shopping to Blinkbox. This was on the Hudl 1 but the new version is vastly improved with a Google Now card style interface which allows you to hide or remove elements.

Unfortunately, there's still no date for an update to 5.0 Lollipop, although Tesco has release a couple of updated to fix performance issues and add entertainment apps.

Get started and Top apps

 To help new comers, Tesco has created a Top Apps as a curated list of apps to download out-of-the box as the Google Play store is supposedly a bit daunting for some. There's also a Get Started app to help users to get to grips with the software including customisation, privacy and shopping.

Both these, as you would expect, encourage you to use Tesco's services but tou can, of course, buy the Hudl 2 without being a regular Tesco customer and simply ignore these parts of the operating system.

Child safety

 More handy in the long run, for some users anyway, is built-in parent controls. This app only displays in landscape, but aside from that, this helps you keep on top of what your kids can and can't see with a safe browser and the ability to black or whitelist specific sites or content. You can also set time limits for specific users to avoid them spending too long using it. Up to seven profiles can be customised in terms of age and suitability.

TESCO HUDL 2 REVIEW: HARDWARE

As promised, Tesco has upgraded the Hudl 2 in a number of ways. The main thing for us is the screen which is the best feature of the tablet for us. It's bigger and joins the increasingly popular 8in segment. To be precise, it's 8.3in matching the LG G Pad 8.3 and uses an impressive Full HD (1920x1200).

The display is bright, offers good viewing angles and nice colours. With a pixel density of 272ppi everything looks nicely crisp so we're seriously impressed when you consider the price of the Hudl 2. And that's not where the upgrades stop.

Tesco claims that the Hudl 2 is three times faster than its predecessor. This is thanks to an Intel Atom quad-core processor which clocks up to 1.83GHz. Tesco has doubled the amount of RAM to 2GB.

In our Geekbench 3 processing benchmark, the Hudl 2 is not three times faster with a score of 2165. But that is a nice improvement from 1371. In the graphics department it is triple the performance managing 17fps in the T-Rex test which the original could only manage 5fps. Web browsing is also better than before with a time of 768ms in SunSpider which is down from a no so speedy 1397ms.

SPECS

Tesco Hudl 2: Specs
  • Android 4.4 KitKat
  • 8.3in Full HD (1920x1200)
  • Intel Atom quad-core processor
  • 16GB storage
  • microSD (up to 32GB)
  • 5Mp rear camera
  • 1.2Mp front camera
  • Dual-band Wi-Fi
  • Stereo speakers
  • 8 hour battery life
  • 9mm
  • 401g


3. Amazon Fire HD 6

It isn't perfect, but the HD 6 is really good value. Performance is well above the level you'd expect at this price, as is the quality of the screen. Some might find the 6in screen too small, though, so it's worth trying to track one down before buying.

AMAZON FIRE HD 6 REVIEW: HARDWARE AND PERFORMANCE

As usual, there's no expandable storage so you're limited to the 8GB or 16GB of internal storage in the two models Amazon offers. We were sent the 8GB version for review, which had a total of just 5GB available for apps, photos, videos and other personal files. 

Even with Amazon's well-thought-out cloud storage system which means that pretty much all your content can be made available via Wi-Fi, there will still be files: music, videos and apps which you'll want to keep on the device, and 5GB really isn't enough.

That pushes the price to $143 for the 16GB version, and it's an extra $14 (as ever) if you don't want the lock-screen adverts.

AMAZON FIRE HD 6 REVIEW: BOTTOM LINE

It isn't perfect, but the HD 6 is really good value. Performance is well above the level you'd expect at this price, as is the quality of the screen. Some might find the 6in screen too small, though, so it's worth trying to track one down before buying.

The cameras are dismal, and it's a pain that it doesn't adjust screen brightness automatically. Plus, the measly 5GB of usable storage simply won't be enough for some people. For many, it will be well worth spending the extra $29 on the 16GB version, but at that point you start getting into 'proper' Android tablet territory.

It's at this point we have to say what we always say about Amazon tablets: there's no Google Play store, nor any Google apps.

Living in Amazon's world is fine for the most part, but the choice of apps is more limited than on an Android tablet. You have to watch YouTube videos via the web browser (or use a third-party app), and you won't be able to install the official Maps, Gmail or other Google apps.
If you're happy with the trade-off, then the HD 6 is a good buy, especially as it's so much cheaper than the HD 7.

SPECS

Amazon Fire HD 6: Specs

  • 6in tablet
  • 1280x800 touchscreen, 252ppi
  • quad-core 1.5GHz processor
  • 1GB RAM
  • 802.11n Wi-Fi (2.4GHz only)
  • Bluetooth 4.0 LE
  • Rear 2Mp camera, front VGA camera
  • 8 or 16GB internal storage
  • Dimensions: 169x103x10.7mm
  • Weight: 290g



4. Kurio Tab 2


The Tab 2 is almost great. It combines a proper Android tablet with child profiles and some decent apps. However, the software could be slicker and the screen better quality. It’s pretty good value if you can find it for under $116, though, but at the recommended $143, you’re better off with Amazon’s Fire Kid’s Edition which comes with a year’s subscription for Fire For Kids and a two-year warranty that covers accidental damage. It may lack Android and Google apps, but it has a much better screen.

KURIO TAB 2 REVIEW: DESIGN AND BUILD


This is a decent-looking 7in Android tablet that comes with a protective rubber bumper that’s more streamlined than usual. It covers the corners and should prevent damage from the inevitable drops the tablet will endure during its life.
A removable plastic cover at the back slots into the bumper in two places to offer two viewing angles, but it’s hard to attach.

KURIO TAB 2 REVIEW: SOFTWARE

Software is just as important as hardware on a kids’ tablet. Kurio’s system isn’t nearly as slick as Amazon or LeapFrog’s with small, hard-to-read icons and a less-than-intuitive interface. It needs an overhaul.

A few apps, games and ebooks are pre-loaded which means that once you’ve set up a parent account and your child’s profile (and installed any over-the-air updates) it’s ready to go with hours of fun before you need to install any new apps.

That’s the theory, anyhow. In practice we were miffed to find that some of the apps were essentially trials, so within five minutes our four-year-old tester was asking us to buy new deserts to make in Smurfs Bakery (you can make only one iced lolly – the other treats are locked out). Other games include adverts and in-app purchases, while others are ill-suited to children who can’t read. No instructions are read aloud (as you get with LeapFrog games) so you’ll need to be on hand to explain how to use most apps.

It’s not all bad: there are five Motion games which use the front camera in a similar way to the LeapFrog LeapTV to put kids in the action and get them to be active while playing games. This is where the stand comes in, allowing you to prop up the tablet so you can play the games hands-free. And if you buy an inexpensive micro HDMI to full-size HDMI cable you can hook the tablet up to your TV and see the game on the big screen. Some of the games have a two-player mode, too.

We also like Kidoz TV app which has a selection of content from YouTube suitable for kids, from Care Bears and Fireman Sam through to Cbeebies content such as My Pet and Me. Similarly Kidoz Buzz is a curated stream of online videos and from home-recorded clips of animals doing funny things to excerpts from films or TV shows.

Plus, unlike many children’s tablets, you have access to the full Android Lollipop operating system, complete with the Google Play store where there are more free apps than the tablet can hold.

SPECS

Kurio Tab 2: Specs

  • 7in 1024x600 capacitive touchscreen
  • Android 5 (Lollipop)
  • 8GB storage, 1.3GHz quad-core processor Mediatek MTK8127, 2Mp main camera, 0.3Mp front camera (640x480 max video resolution), 3.5mm headphone jack, microUSB sync/charge port, microSD slot (32GB max)
  • Micro HDMI output
  • Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n)
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • 240 x 170 x 60mm, 581g, 1 year warranty



5. LeapFrog Epic



The updated software and interactive home screen are welcome, but the hardware is disappointing for the money. You don’t get many games included, and there’s limited educational value in what’s bundled. Amazon’s new $143 Kids Edition Fire tablet is arguably a better deal as it has better hardware, a better warranty (with accidental damage cover) and a year’s subscription to kids’ content thrown in.

LEAPFROG EPIC REVIEW: SCREEN AND HARDWARE

We've seen just about every kids tablet - including the recent LeapPad Platinum, and were immediately disappointed to see a low-quality screen on what is an expensive children's tablet. Instead of IPS - the technology used in Amazon and Tesco tablets, LeapFrog has cut corners and opted for TN. This means viewing angles are very limited and that you have to hold it at the right angle to see colours as they're supposed to look.

The low resolution of 1024x600 isn't as good as we'd expect at this price, but our three- and seven-year-old testers didn't seem to mind.
Younger kids won't mind the styling, but those a bit older will want to remove the bumper and maybe unhook the stylus cable to give a sleeker look. Even then, the huge bezels mean it never really looks sleek.

LEAPFROG EPIC REVIEW: SOFTWARE

While the Hudl 2 may seem better value at $143, it's the software that LeapFrog has focused on. As well as a child-safe web browser in which you can add websites you deem appropriate, the whole system is locked down and safe for kids to use on their own.

The home screen is interactive, which our three-year-old loved. You can scroll side to side to move between different areas in the city – including the park - and add stickers which move around when you tap them. There are certain interactive elements, such as a weather forecast and a 'word of the day' game. 

It changes from day to night mode in real-time and the city changes depending on the child’s age. (You can, of course, set up multiple kids’ profiles.)
Daily surprises – a present they can tap on – offer fun mini-games such as story which involves recording your own voice when instructed to say and sing things which are inserted into the final story.

Six app icons reside at the bottom and you can drag any six apps from the app tray to replace the defaults.

You also get a calendar app, calculator, clock, notepad, voice recorder, music player, gallery (for your photos and videos. Plus there's two main games: PetPadParty and Stretchy Monkey. The first time you open the Leapfrog app store you get a choice of a free app or game.

There's plenty of fun to be had with the three games, but when they get bored, you'll be paying for apps from the store. These range from a couple of pounds up to around $29 and include plenty of characters your kids will know including Octonauts, Frozen and more.

It’s worth pointing out that while the Epic displays the UK rather than US school system, none of the apps are UK specific. Voiceovers are American and while apps try to be ‘region-less’ it would be nice to have UK voiceovers, especially given that apps are some of the most expensive around.

There’s no way to access the underlying Android 4.4 OS and install apps from Google Play, but Leapfrog says an update coming in October will allow you to access the Amazon Appstore.

SPECS


LeapFrog Epic: Specs


  • 7in 1024x600 capacitive touchscreen, 16GB storage, 1.3GHz processor, 2Mp front and rear cameras (640x480 max video resolution), 3.5mm headphone jack, microUSB sync/charge port, 229x162x26mm, 580g, 1 year warranty


6. LeapFrog LeapPad Platinum


If you’re after a tablet for your kids – or grandkids – the LeapPad Platinum is a decent choice. It’s completely locked down, designed specifically for kids and therefore will withstand the odd knock or drop. Kids will love the pre-loaded content, which is generally good quality, but they’ll be asking for more apps before long, and the choice is much more limited than on an Android tablet or iPad. The best alternative is Amazon’s Fire HD 6 which is a better-specified tablet but doesn’t have a stylus or case. If you can stretch to $172, the Kids Edition of the HD 6 comes with a foam bumper case, a “worry-free” guarantee and a year’s subscription to Fire for Kids Unlimited, making it a good deal.

LEAPFROG LEAPPAD PLATINUM REVIEW: DESIGN AND BUILD


As it’s designed for kids from 3-9 (we think a two year old would get enough out of it, but beyond seven kids will probably find it too childish) the LeapPad Platinum has a tough case and a “shatter-safe” screen.


The 7in screen has a resolution of 1024x600 which is higher than other LeapPad tablets, but by no means high resolution by today’s standards. It’s bright enough and colourful, with good viewing angles.

There’s a volume rocker on the bottom edge and a card slot for game cartridges on the right.
You can charge the tablet using the bundled charger or use the included USB cable to charge it from your computer or any USB charger (which means it can also be charged in a car).

The battery lasts around five fours which isn’t amazing, but as the tablet turns off completely when you press the power button or if you leave it idle for too long, power isn’t wasted. It also means the Platinum keeps its charge even if you don’t use it for a few days. We found it was enough for a good few sessions before it needed a recharge.

LEAPFROG LEAPPAD PLATINUM REVIEW: APPS AND PARENTAL CONTROLS

There’s enough pre-installed for hours of fun. Our three-year-old tester loved PetPadParty, as well as the included music in the Music app.

In PetPadParty, a pre-schooler will have to select numbers and letters when directed to unlock mini-games which themselves help with dexterity and are generally just good fun. You can create and name pets, give them toys, feed them, wash them and exercise them.

There’s also PetChat which is an instant messaging app which works with other LeapPad tablets, but isn’t any use on its own.

Six demos come with the tablet, although some require extra files downloading before you can play them. The Imagicard demo is one of them. This gives you a flavour of what you’ll get for $29 if you buy one of the full sets.

It’s not quite the augmented reality experience we were expecting, though. When you focus the camera on a card, the tablet recognises it and takes a photo and the letter or character springs into life on top of the photo. Because it’s a photo, you can’t move the tablet around and see the character run around on your knees or on the floor as you can with certain iOS and Android apps.

The games let you take photos with characters by using a combination of the cards and the front camera, but the results are fairly uninspiring.

The first time you go to the app store you will be prompted to download a free app (and create a LeapFrog account if you skipped that step during setup). There’s a choice of three for each age group, and you’re allowed one. For the 4-5 Nursery age group we were offered spelling, maths or a colouring game. It’s a shame that no colouring or sketching app is included by default. 

There’s a Notes app, but it only lets you type using the keyboard – not much use if your child is three.

You can filter by age group as well as by price, character, app category or skillset. Sadly there are no free apps. It’s even more of a walled garden than an iPad: there are no other app stores to browse, and although there are Disney and Nickelodeon licences, you’re not going to find Toca Boca and many other popular kids games here.

As a parent you can set a limit on how long the tablet can be used before a ‘rest’ period, the length of which you can also set.

It’s a bit annoying that the setup and parental interface is portrait, while the child interface and games are generally landscape. A minor issue, granted.

For the most part, the Platinum is speedy enough, but there can be delays when returning to the home screen and launching apps. Kids can often be confused when there's a tutorial section of an app as it stops being interactive until the tutorial is over, so it's worth supervising them until they've played it for a bit.

Almost every instruction is spoken so kids don't need to be able to read to use most aspects of apps.

SPECS


LeapFrog LeapPad Platinum: Specs


  • Kids tablet, 7in 1024x600 capacitive touchscreen, 8GB storage, 1GHz processor, 2Mp front and rear cameras (640x480 max video resolution), 3.5mm headphone jack, mini-USB sync/charge port, 356x292x25mm, 500g, 1 year warranty


7.  Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids


This is one of the better kids’ Android tablets we’ve seen but with a street price of $217, it’s not cheap. Yes, you get Android Jelly Bean and access to Google Play, but the sluggish performance and poor cameras combine with the missing user profiles and imperfect screen-time management to outweigh those advantages. 

The new Kindle Fire HD costs $172 (or $201 if you want 16GB of storage) and has a much better kids’ mode with user profiles and great screen-time management. The price doesn’t include a child-friendly case, but these are sure to appear now that the FreeTime feature has been added.

GALAXY TAB 3 KIDS: DESIGN AND BUILD

The Galaxy Tab 3 Kids is the same as the Galaxy Tab 3 7.0, but finished in bright yellow instead of white. It also comes with an orange silicone bumper case and – in a separate package which is often bundled free – a combined case and stand with built-in stylus, the Kids Grip Cover Kit.
It charges over microUSB and – unlike older Samsung tablets – isn’t picky about which USB charger you use. There’s a headphone socket at the top and buttons for volume and power on the right.

There are front and rear cameras (see below), a microphone and stereo speakers. Unlike other Samsung devices such as the Galaxy Note, the rear plastic cover isn’t removable, so the battery isn’t replaceable.

GALAXY TAB 3 KIDS: SOFTWARE

In both looks and simplicity, Samsung’s child-friendly interface is excellent. Once set up by a parent, a swipe anywhere on the screen unlocks the tablet and a series of scrollable ‘cards’ makes it easy for even young kids to launch the app they want.

Using the simple options, you can reorder the cards, choose which ones will appear (or not) and disable the menu and back buttons.

The avatar, lock screen and (animated) home screen images can all be changed easily, and there’s even a choice of animated character if you long-press on the default dog.

A parental area, which is protected by a PIN, lets you set limits on screen time, but the options are currently too basic.

You can set a timer between 10 minutes and 2 hours, after which the tablet will be unusable until a parent or guardian enters the PIN code. Alternatively you can set start and end times between which the tablet is usable. We’d prefer to see a total screen time per day restriction, which differentiates between games and reading.

SPECS

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids: Specs
  • 1.2GHz dual-core CPU
  • Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
  • 7in IPS touchscreen LCD, 1024x600 pixels
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8GB storage
  • 3Mp rear camera, 1.3Mp front camera
  • 802.11 b/g/n dual-band Wi-Fi
  • Bluetooth 3.0
  • Micro USB 2.0 port
  • accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor
  • Mains charger, USB cable
  • 1-year warranty
  • Dimensions: 111 mm x 188 mm x 10 mm
  • Weight: 303g



8. LeapPad3 and LeapPad Ultra XDi


The specially built-for-kids LeapPad3 and LeapPad Ultra XDi are similar in specs and functionality. The larger, 7-inch, Ultra XDi has twice the storage as the 5-inch LeapPad 3 but younger children may prefer the 3's smaller size and weight. 

We think their upper-age range is six or seven rather than Leapfrog's claimed nine, but our eight-year-old tester still enjoyed her time with both. While the hardware is cheaper than normal tablets note that the software can be more expensive. The advantage of Leapfrog software is that, while not as cheap as normal mobile apps, it has been built by educational PhDs with both fun and learning in mind. 

With its white-list web browsing it's safer online than most adult tablets, although it's limited in its scope from that point of view. The LeapPads are bestsellers every year and the latest models build on an award-winning and popular formula without any huge leaps forward in terms of design or functionality. Check out the latest, best online prices: we've seen the LeapPad3 for under $72, and the Ultra XDi for $108.

LEAPPAD OR IPAD, ANDROID TABLET?

The LeapPads differ from normal tablets – such as the iPad or Androids – as they are built specially for kids; Leapfrog recommends them for children aged 3-9. We think 3-7 is a more realistic age range, although our 8-year-old tester still enjoyed using them. Any older than 7 and we think children would prefer a more mature tablet, such as Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, which has decent parental controls such as screen-time limits.

LeapPads are also more robust than fragile adult tablets.

The LeapPads, and compatible software, are tailor made for learning while having fun. They are not iPads that you can use for email and play dumb-but-fun arcade games on. You buy a LeapPad not only to entertain your child but principally to help their education from reading and writing to maths and logic puzzles. They are child proof (well as much as anything can be) and child safe as they are closed devices compared to other tablets that aren't configured to child-only environments.

The LeapPads are much cheaper than other tablets, although the educational software is certainly more expensive than from iTunes or Google Play; see below for more on LeapPad software.

Some don’t like the fact you can’t load a LeapPad with movies or properly browse the Internet; see below for an explanation of the limited internet capability. Again this misses the point of them as safe, fun, educational devices that teach kids learning skills in a fun and child-safe environment. If you just want a movie player for long car journeys then consider buying an iPad mini, iPod touch, Kindle Fire, Nexus, Tesco Hudl or other Android tablet.

LEAPPAD3 AND ULTRA XDI SOFTWARE: APPS AND GAMES

The LeapPad3 comes with ten free apps: Five basic Utility 

Apps: Calculator,Notepad, Clock, Calendar and Voice Memo.

Music Player plus 10 learning songs: You can also add your own music tracks to LeapPad, as long as they are in MP3 format. It’s still not possible to add your own video, unfortunately. We can see the child-safety reasons for this, but believe parents should be given some control over the media content that their child's tablet can carry. 

Pet Pad Party and Pet Chat: For peer-to-peer fun children can take advantage of a local WiFi network and communicate and play with their friends and siblings in a kid-safe environment with their own personalised pets and pre-selected conversation. 

Photo Fun Ultra: This updated app lets kids customise and edit their photos with new special carnival, mirror and blender effects, nine-colour tint filters and different silly masks that turn an ordinary picture into a personalised creative masterpiece. The effects are fun but pretty basic. We'd like to see a more sophisticated photo app on the LeapPads.

You also get a choice of one extra app download from the Leapfrog App Store.
The LeapPad Ultra XDi comes with 11 free apps: Pet Pad Party, Pet Chat, Photo Fun Ultra, Music Player, Calculator, Calendar, Clock, Note Pad and Voice Memo, and the choice of an extra app to download, as with the LeapPad3.

LEAPPAD3 AND ULTRA XDI SPECS

Battery: Now both LeapPads feature more cost-efficient rechargeable batteries. The older LeapPad2 used to rely on endless AA batteries. Battery life is around six hours for the LeapPad3 and 8 hours for the Ultra XDi.

Storage: The LeapPad3 has 4GB of storage for apps, photos, videos and music. The Ultra XDi has twice this at 8GB. If making videos is going to be an important part of your LeapPad activity the extra storage makes sense, although you can of course transfer photos and videos taken with the tablet to your laptop or PC.

Leapfrog says 4GB is enough to store 20,000 photos, which sounds like more than enough, even for a tap-and-snap crazy child.

Screen: The LeapPad3’s five-inch touchscreen has a resolution of 480-x-272 pixels. The larger Ultra XDi has a seven-inch backlit screen measuring 1,024-x-600 pixels, and offers easier game play – although the smaller screen is not cramped. Imagine the difference like that of the iPad mini to the full-size iPad.

Processor: Other technical specifications you probably don’t need to bother too much about include processor speed. Weirdly the Ultra’s 800MHz chip speed is slower than the LeapPad3’s 1,000MHz. We could notice the difference, but it’s not a deal breaker.

Audio: All the games and apps come with some quite annoying (to adults) music and sound effects so the volume controls are a godsend, as is the headphone jack. The best kids headphones we’ve seen are Griffin’s volume-limiting MyPhones, available in several models.

Both LeapPads have the same 2-megapixel front and back cameras as the previous LeapPad 2.
LeapPad3 dimensions: 19cm long, 13cm wide and 2.5cm deep (7.5-x-5.2-x-1 inches); 0.4kg.
LeapPad Ultra XDi dimensions: 23cm long, 15.5cm wide and 2.3cm deep (9.05-x-6.1-x-0.92 inches); 0.65kg.




9. Tesco Hudl

The Tesco Hudl is a budget tablet with a nice design and good build quality. Key specifications are better than the price tag suggests such as the processor and good quality 7 in screen. A microSD card slot and Micro-HDMI port are two reasons to opt for the Hudl over Google and Amazon alternatives.

TESCO HUDL TABLET: HARDWARE AND PERFORMANCE

Despite the budget price, the Hudl has a decent specification. Much better than we expected, in fact. As well as dual-band Wi-fi and Bluetooth, there's also a built-in GPS receiver so you can use it as a satnav.

The 7in screen matches the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD but has been designed to be used in landscape mode. You can still use portrait if you wish. The resolution is good for a budget tablet at 1440x900 (higher than the Argos MyTablet and Kindle Fire HD) and viewing angles are good.

TESCO HUDL REVIEW: INTERFACE AND SOFTWARE

Right, let's talk about the elephant in the room. This is a budget Android made by Tesco, so the question you should be asking is how much has Tesco butchered the Android Jelly Bean OS with its own bloatware, to justify selling a tablet with reasonable specs for such a low price. 

Thankfully the answer to this question is that Tesco has forced minimal software on to the device. It is pretty much a vanilla version of Android on the Hudl tablet apart from five presinstalled apps and a small T button located in the bottom left of the screen, which takes you to a Tesco app with links to all of its online services.

The preinstalled apps blend into the background and aren't really noticeable unless you go looking for them. The apps preinstalled are blinkbox movies, blinkbox music, Clubcard TV, Tesco Groceries and a Tesco store locator app.

SPECS


Tesco Hudl: Specs


  • Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
  • 1.5GHz quad-core A9 processor
  • Mali 400 GPU
  • 16GB Storage
  • microSD (up to 32GB)
  • 1GB Memory
  • 7in IPS display (1440 x 900, 243ppi)
  • 3Mp rear camera
  • 2Mp front camera
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • GPS
  • Dual-band Wi-fi 802.11a/b/g/n
  • stereo speakers
  • microUSB
  • Micro-HDMI
  • 193 x 129 x 9.9mm
  • 370g


10.  VTech InnoTab Max


The VTech InnoTab Max is best suited to children ages 3-6, and includes some fun, creative games plus an excellent messaging feature that kids love. The kid-safe web browsing needs some parental monitoring but is more expansive than rival Leapfrog's. We did find the InnoTab Max frustratingly slow to load, and the photo quality is as averagely poor as with all kids tech, but it's a good choice for a child's first computer. Check out the latest, best online prices: we've seen the InnoTab Max for under $79.

VTECH INNOTAB MAX KIDS TABLET REVIEW

The VTech InnoTab Max is a tablet made specially for kids, with built-in “child-safe” Wi-Fi, video camera and player, MP3 functions and a bunch of fun, educational and creative apps.

Unlike its rival, Leapfrog’s LeapPad, you can add your own movies and music to the InnoTab Max, which will interest parents. There’s also an engaging Kid Connect messaging tool that links with a parent’s smartphone and tablet app.

On the negative side we did find the tablet to be frustratingly slow to load games and app, or even switch between them. 

The Innotab Max is up against Leapfrog’s LeapPad3 and LeapPad XDi as one of this year’s most popular Christmas gifts.

The InnoTab Max costs $158 but you can find it much cheaper online; we saw it as low as $79. Check out the bottom of this review for the latest, best InnoTab Max prices.

VTECH INNOTAB MAX PERFORMANCE

We found the InnoTab Max to be slow at loading (at times very slow), with the spinning Loading icon on show for frustratingly long times. If you’re used to a speedy iPad or Android this is bound to annoy you, although I suppose it teaches kids the value of patience! Strangely, even the iOS and Android Kid Connect app mirrors the slow loading times.

Other apps include a Clock, Calculator, Calendar, Notes, and Music player.

With some adult supervision the VTech InnoTab Max will help your child with basic maths )counting, addition, subtraction), and English (handwriting, spelling and reading). Other games could improve a child’s spatial sense, observations and pattern recognition.

Thankfully the battery is rechargeable (via the supplied Micro USB cable) so it won’t cost you a fortune in batteries.

SPECS


VTech InnoTab Max: Specs


  • Android 4.2
  • 7in (1024x600)display
  • 8GB memory
  • up to 32GB microSD card
  • 2Mp camera
  • lithium?ion battery
  • 382x284x67mm
  • 1.4kg


11. Apple iPad mini


The iPad mini is a premium small tablet, with a price to match. It's a shame Apple couldn't have included a Retina screen and newer processor - expect the iPad mini 2 to get those updates when it launches later this year. 

This Wi-Fi only model also lacks GPS. It's not cheap by any stretch, especially if you want more storage spare or the 3G/4G cellular version, but it's great value compared to a full-size iPad. You can save a chunk by buying a Nexus 7, Nook HD or Kindle Fire HD, but if you must have an iDevice, it won't disappoint.

PAD MINI REVIEW: SOFTWARE

A slight surprise is the presence of Siri - Apple's voice assistant - as it was previously thought the processor was the reason for not including it on the iPad 2. The mini has most of the other headline iOS 6 features as well, including flyover maps and VIP mail, but doesn't get a panorama mode in the Camera app. You can, of course, download any number of apps which will automatically stitch photos together for you. Try Microsoft's Photosynth for great 360-degree vistas.

One neat addition to iOS is that it recognises if you're resting your thumb on the side of the screen or interacting with an app. The side bezels are just 5mm wide so touching the screen is inevitable, especially when reading an eBook.

IPAD MINI REVIEW: PERFORMANCE

Another similarity with the iPad 2 is the processor. The A5 chip is getting a bit old, but our benchmark results show it can still rub shoulders with the current crop of 7in tablets. Importantly - and this is something benchmarks often fail to reflect - the iPad mini feels snappy in use, whether loading apps, scrolling around maps or browsing the web.

In the SunSpider JavaScript test, the iPad mini scored 1442ms, which puts it towards the head of the pack, but in the synthetic Geekbench 2, it managed only 752 - not a great score compared to the Nexus 7 (1452) and even the Kindle Fire HD (1124). For gaming, it's still pretty good, managing 24fps in GLBenchmark 2.5.1. The Kindle Fire HD could muster only 8.2fps here, and the Nexus 7 just 14fps. It shows that, when it comes to more demanding games, the iPad mini leads the way.

In terms of battery life, we found the mini didn't quite live up to Apple's 10-hour claim. Running our usual video-looping test, we recorded just 7 hours and 21 minutes with Wi-Fi turned on. That was at maximum screen brightness, however, so at a lower brightness, you might just reach 10 hours.

SPECS


Apple iPad mini: Specs


  • Apple A5 (ARM Cortex-A9, dual-core)
  • PowerVR SGX543MP2 (dual-core)
  • 7.9in (1024 x 768) 163ppi IPS display
  • IOS 6.0
  • 512MB memory
  • 16, 32 or 64GB flash storage
  • 802.11a/b/g/n with channel bonding
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • 5.0Mp rear camera
  • 1.2Mp front camera
  • 1920 x 1080 video capture
  • 3.5mm headset jack
  • Lightning dock connector
  • 16.3Wh, non-removable lithium polymer
  • 200 x 134.8 x 7.4 mm
  • 307g (67g SmartCover)


12. Vtech Innotab 3S


It may be a slow and potentially costly system, especially if you go down the cartridge route, but the children we gave it to really liked it. Kids eh?

VTECH INNOTAB 3S REVIEW

The Innotab 3S is Vtech's take on a children's tablet. You can't really miss this as the device looks and feels very much like a toy. Of course this isn't a bad thing, as younger folk can find precision-milled aluminium a tad dull, plus the rugged plastic casing looks like it might survive the odd fall or two.

It's a chunky tablet, mainly to accommodate the required four AA batteries, alongside a cartridge port for dedicated games. There are also more buttons than normal, with controls for power, navigation, volume, and a D-pad for games all on the front panel, which is topped off by a cool swivel-mounted camera. Due to the bespoke nature of the software we weren't able to run our usual battery tests, but the unit kept going for several days of light use.

The 5in screen is bright and colourful, featuring both resistive and capacitive responses. Using your fingers is a painfully frustrating experience, so its best to stick with the supplied stylus. There are a variety of bespoke apps installed, but you'll need to connect the tablet to your PC and download the Learning Lodge software to activate many of them.

Once up and running your child can access an art app, camera, some fun utilities and a few gently educational games. Generally these are enjoyable, but don't feel deeper than ones you can find on Android or iOS. One cool feature is Kid Connect, which (coupled with the corresponding app on your smartphone) allows the child to send and receive text messages with you.

SPECS


Vtech Innotab 3S: Specs


  • 5in, 480x272 pixel touchscreen, 110ppi
  • 360MHz ARM v11 processor
  • 4GB internal storage (expandable via up to 32GB microSD card)
  • Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g/n
  • 180• rotating cameras: 2Mp front (video recording up to 480p)
  • Mini USB port
  • Dimensions: 400x300x60mm
  • Weight: 1.2kg
  • Warranty: 1 year return-to-base