The Best MP3 Players for Kids of 2023

Best Overall

RUIZU MP3 Player with Bluetooth 5.0

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Ruizu’s X02 line has been around for more than a decade, and the latest version makes for a great all-around MP3 player for kids because it's durable, affordable, and easy to use. With a built-in 8GB of memory (expandable to 128 GB with a microSD card) and an 80-hour battery that takes just two hours to fully charge, this MP3 player can be a constant companion in backpacks, diaper bags, or dashboards. The Ruizu X02 is an unassuming, lightweight device. A rubberized plastic body fits comfortably in small hands and helps keep the MP3 player from slipping out of pockets. Setup is as easy as plugging in a flash drive, but the onscreen menu navigation may be tricky for younger users who can’t read much yet. 

An on/off switch plus a two-button lock can help keep it from turning on when you don’t want it to. It comes pre-packaged with a MicroUSB charging cable and in-box earbuds—these are just OK, so you may want to upgrade to better headphones as it does have Bluetooth 5.0 compatibility. Playback options allow you to browse by artist, album, song, or playlist. 

In addition to the FM radio, it also features a voice recorder and alarm. If you’d like to hook it up in the car to listen to your kids’ tunes, it can do that, too, but an AUX cable may be more reliable than Bluetooth. Although the X02 is pretty dependable, it does come with a 12-month warranty to cover any non-accidental issues. 

Price at time of publication: $38

^{Key Specs:
Size: 3.54 x 1.46 x 0.31 inches | Audio Formats: MP3, WMA, APE, WAV, FLAC | Battery Life: 80 hours | Storage: 8GB built-in}

Best Budget

Dyzeryk MP3 Player

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You might be thinking budget means “cheap,” but when it comes to the Dyzeryk MP3 player, it actually means “value.” This small, light device is priced right at the $20 mark but offers a functional piece of hardware that’s a perfect starter player for young kids. An array of color options adds some flair, and for families with multiple kids, makes keeping track of everyone’s device much easier. It comes bundled with a charging cable, earbud headphones, and a 16GB microSD for storage (but can support cards up to 128GB if you have them). Everything’s backed by a one-year warranty, too.

The Dyzeryk uses a basic drag-and-drop file transfer, similar to Windows, for loading music onto the device and organizing songs by artist, album, and genre. There is no external volume button, so users have to go into a menu to adjust the sound—a bit of an annoyance if you’re on the go. Sound quality is good, especially at the price point, and an external speaker makes it easy for kids to listen together without headphones. Battery life is another potential downside, as it only provides 10 hours of listening time on a two-hour charge and even less if you leave the screen on. 

Price at time of publication: $20 ($22 for popular colors)

^{Key Specs:
Size: 3.5 x 1.5 x 0.3 inches | Audio Formats: MP3, WMA, OGG, APE, FLAC, WAV, AAC-LC, ACELP | Battery Life: 10 hours | Storage: 16GB microSD (included)}

Best With Bluetooth

RUIZU 16GB MP3 Player for Kids

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Ruizu’s Cute Panda MP3 player stands out in a crowded field thanks to its adorable design. But don’t let the cute panda look fool you—there’s a great MP3 player inside there, too, thanks to some remarkable extra features. Bluetooth 5.0 offers exceptional sound quality and connectivity, and a 100-hour battery means kids can listen with wired or wireless headphones for a long, long time after just three hours of charging. A basic interface organizes songs into familiar categories like artists and albums, and it supports up to three custom playlists. It has a built-in speaker and 16GB of memory, with the option to expand to up to 64GB with an SD card.

Extra features include a pedometer, FM radio, stopwatch, alarm clock, and voice recorder, though users report sound quality issues with the microphone. It comes with earbuds, a USB-C cable, and a 12-month warranty. A max volume setting, the feature pediatric audiologists recommend most, helps protect hearing. Dedicated buttons make this player easy to use, especially for kids who struggle with touch screens. It supports a range of audio formats, so it doesn’t matter if you use iTunes, Amazon Music, or Youtube—their beloved movie soundtrack will transfer with ease. 

Price at time of publication: $33

^{Key Specs:
Size: 3.94 x 2.76 x 0.98 inches | Audio Formats: MP3, WMA, APE, FLAC, WAV, DRM, ACELP, OGG | Battery Life: 100 hours | Storage: 16GB}

Best for Streaming Music

Mighty Vibe Portable Music Player

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For families that said goodbye to MP3s in favor of streaming services, the Mighty Vibe is your answer for portable, kid-friendly music. It has 8GB of internal memory, allowing for around 350-1,000 songs depending on the format (higher quality audio takes up more space). There’s no touchscreen or files to navigate; everything is done with the push of a few buttons. Because there’s no display, an automated voice will read the title of each playlist to you, which is great for little kids who can’t read much. Battery life lasts three to five hours on a full charge, so this lightweight player is great for walks and bike rides but not for road trips or day-long outings.

The Mighty Vibe does not include headphones and comes with a unique USB-to-3.5MM audio charging cable. Setup requires a bit of tech work: After charging for an hour, you’ll need to install the Mighty Audio app and follow its instructions. Because of music licensing permissions, you’ll need to update via your streaming service at least once every 30 days—not an issue for frequent users, but something to remember if it's been on the shelf for a while.  

The upside is once you’re set-up, it’s easy to update and manage playlists. If you leave it plugged in and connected to your home Wi-Fi, it’ll even make updates automatically. And because it's an offline player, multiple users can enjoy the same streaming accounts simultaneously. No more losing your playlist on a run because someone turned on a podcast in the kitchen. You’re also not paying per song like other MP3 players, so it lets parents keep up on their kids’ latest music tastes without breaking the budget. 

Price at time of publication: $120

^{Key Specs:
Size: 1.57 x 0.79 x 1.57 inches | Audio Formats: Spotify and Amazon streaming services | Battery Life: 3-5 hours | Storage: 8GB}

Best Portable

SanDisk Clip Jam MP3

4.2

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The SanDisk ClipJam provides a basic mobile solution for busy families who need to bring their music here, there, and everywhere. An 8GB internal memory can support an expansion of up to 32GB with a MicroSD card (not included). However, unlike some other players, the ClipJam keeps the storage separate, so it won’t shuffle songs between the internal memory and the MicroSD card. If you expand the memory, keeping all your music in one place can save you some headaches. In general, this player works best if you can keep things simple. The more random songs you add, the more muddled the categories (artist, album, and genre) can become.

Playlist problems aside, this is a reliable player with loads of good features. A stopwatch option records times as well, a great addition for teen athletes during training. The 18-hour battery life means you can go days or weeks without a charge thanks to display settings for brightness and sleep timers that reduce battery drain. There’s no Bluetooth, which is good for batteries but bad if you already have an expensive pair of headphones. It does come with a pair of earbuds as well as a charging cable and user guide, and everything is backed by a two-year warranty. Strong sound quality is supported by an equalizer function with presets for popular genres like pop and hip-hop and a custom feature to finetune things even more. It’s also great for your child’s favorite audiobook. Clip it on a backpack or a pair of shorts, and get moving!

Price at time of publication: $40

^{Key Specs:
Size: 0.63 x 1.6 x 2.6 inches | Audio Formats: MP3, WMA (no DRM,) AAC (DRM free iTunes), and Audible (DRM only) | Battery Life: 18 hours | Storage: 8GB}

Best MP3 Speaker

Yoto Mini Kids Audio & Music Player

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The Yoto Mini is as fun as it looks. In addition to having a big loudspeaker for a little device, the Yoto Mini boasts a unique collectible card feature offering hundreds of books and music collections. Its chunky, tactile-forward design makes it the kind of device kids can’t keep their hands off, which is great for keeping them busy on long flights or car rides. Two big buttons, one for volume and one to skip chapters for audiobooks, are easy to use. 

Parents can feel safe knowing the Yoto Card content is curated by education experts to be age-appropriate and engaging. You can even design your own cards that will play the MP3s and podcasts you choose. Only one custom card comes bundled with the speaker, so anything else must be purchased separately. The Yoto Mini has 16GB of internal storage and a 20-hour battery to support lots of listening. And even though it’s a great Bluetooth speaker, the Yoto Mini lets you use headphones, too. There’s also a free daily podcast and radio station that plays family-friendly music all day long.

All that fun doesn’t come without some effort, though. Each card requires a one-time download to the device, so you need to hook it up to the internet to get started. The app works with both Android and Apple devices, though Android users report more issues getting the Yoto Mini to connect to the Wi-Fi. Save the headache and set it up the night before if you plan to give it as a gift.

Price at time of publication: $70

^{Key Specs:
Size: 1.57 x 2.76 x 2.76 inches | Audio Formats: MP3 | Battery Life: 20 hours | Storage: 16GB}

Best for Storytime

Tonies Toniebox

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Getting children interested in reading is an ongoing challenge for most parents, especially with so many distracting devices in the world. The Toniebox solves this problem with a simple, silly box that combines books and toys for tons of screen-free fun. At nearly 3 pounds, the Toniebox is not lightweight, but it's built with durability in mind. That’s because kids have to pinch it, tap it, and tilt it in order to make it work, provided they have a Tonie figure to put on top.

The starter kit comes with a USB cable and the popular Puppy Playtime Tonie, which contains classic kids’ songs like “Baby Shark” and “Itsy Bitsy Spider.” There are dozens of Tonie figures to collect, and parents can purchase a variety of custom Tonies that allow them to record their own content. The Toniebox is meant to be used as a speaker but does support wired headphones. You control the volume by pinching the “ears” on the box to go up and down, and you tilt it back and forth to rewind and fast forward. 

It doesn’t have Bluetooth, so you can’t connect wireless headphones or stream audio to it. It has seven hours of battery life and 8GB of internal storage. Every Tonie requires a one-time download to work (which is what the 8GB of memory is for), and you manage the device and its settings through a smartphone app. Toniebox comes with a 100-day money-back guarantee. 

Price at time of publication: $100

^{Key Specs:
Size: 4.7 x 4.7 x 4.7 inches | Audio Formats: MP3 | Battery Life: 7 hours | Storage: 8GB}

Best for Little Kids

Lizzbey Kids Phone

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Lizzbey’s Kids Phone is a great MP3 player disguised as a grown-up cell phone. This makes it a great choice for little kids who can’t keep their hands off their parents’ stuff. It comes with an 8GB microSD card, a lanyard, a USB-C cable, and wired headphones. There’s no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, and the battery only lasts four hours, even less if you’re using the screen or camera. Despite the power drain, the front and rear-facing cameras are a stand-out feature for this device and provide plenty of fun on their own. Just keep a charger handy if this becomes a favorite toy.

The touchscreen is responsive, and the icons and menus are easy to figure out, but the screen is prone to cracking if dropped too hard (which explains the in-box lanyard). There are a bunch of fun screensavers and photo filters to choose from, and 13 games add even more entertainment value. The downside is that if you’re looking for an MP3 player to reduce screen time, you’ll need to keep looking. But if you’re comfortable with something that’s as much a toy as it is a music player, this is a great option.

Price at time of publication: $46

^{Key Specs:
Size: 4 x 2.3 x 0.39 inches | Audio Formats: MP3 | Battery Life: 4 hours | Storage: 8GB microSD card (included)}

Best for Big Kids

Sony 8GB Walkman MP3 Player

4.7

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For a certain generation, the Walkman is synonymous with music. The legacy brand from Sony is still around and continues to deliver an exceptional listening experience. For older kids who are outgrowing flashier, toy-like MP3 players, the Sony Walkman is a great alternative because it puts the music first. 

One common issue with MP3 players is that the volume can vary depending on the format and quality of the song. Sony uses a piece of software called a dynamic normalizer that keeps all songs at the same volume regardless of format. It also supports multiple playlists, something many other MP3 players simply do not do. 

It comes packaged with a micro USB cord and a pair of headphones but doesn’t support Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It has 8GB of memory and a 35-hour battery life. Set up is very easy, and Sony’s software is much more intuitive than its competitors, so older kids can manage the device themselves without a parent’s help. And management may be required if they fill the 8GB because there’s no way to expand the memory. There’s an FM radio feature as well as a photo album, too. For the big kids who don’t want to be associated with little kid stuff anymore, the Sony Walkman offers a grown-up device with some of the best sound they’ve ever heard. 

Price at time of publication: $73

^{Key Specs:
Size: 3.12 x 1.81 x 6.68 inches | Audio Formats: MP3 | Battery Life: 35 hours | Storage: 8GB}