I have had our Yoto Mini for over 3 years and Yoto Player for over 2 years so I decided to share the differences and similarities to help you decide which Yoto Player is right for you. I have to say upfront, this is hands down one of the best “toys” I have ever gotten for my toddler and your truly can’t go wrong with either. We use it almost daily and it comes with us on every trip! So if you’ve been asking yourself “Which Yoto Player should I get?”, hopefully this article helps you decide.
If you want to learn more about the Yoto Player, you can read my full review: YOTO PLAYER AND YOTO MINI REVIEW–EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW. And if you decide to try out the Yoto player, you can use my Yoto discount code which is HaileyOutside10 for 10% off the players, cards, and accessories.
*This post is not sponsored by Yoto. Some of the links shared in this post may be affiliate links meaning I make a small commission off of your purchase (with no extra cost to you). This allows me to continue to create free content for my readers. Thank you for your continued support!
what is the yoto player?
The Yoto is a screen free audio player that you insert cards to play whatever is on them. They have cards with stories, songs, meditations, nature sounds, and more. It has a large pixel display which, when turned face down, will become a nightlight; a slot to insert the Yoto cards; two speakers on either side; two knobs that control the volume and tracks, and a headphone jack. There is the Yoto Original and the Yoto Mini. Now, let’s look more into the differences and similarities of these two players to help you better answer the question, “Which Yoto Player should I get”.
If you want to read more about the Yoto Player, you can check out my full Yoto Player review here.
Original Yoto Player
The Original Yoto player costs $120. They recently came out with the new 3rd generation model and made some really great updates.
Yoto Player 3rd Generation Features
- Charging Dock: You can just set your Yoto Player right on the dock and it will start charging. It also has a USB-C port on the side which I really like so we only have to bring one type of chord if we’re traveling with it.
- Battery Life: It has a battery life of around 24 hours. This is great for when it comes off the dock or it moves around the house a lot.
- Large Display: Compared to the Yoto mini, the display is much bigger. This isn’t a huge selling point for me, but just comes with the territory of being a bigger unit.
- Storage: The audio storage on the original Yoto holds 32 GB of built-in storage, which is about 700 hours of audio.
- Night Light: If you lay the Original Yoto face down on its screen, it will light up as a night light. You can adjust the color and brightness easily from the app or device itself (just the brightness, not the color).
- Room Thermometer: You can now check whether your child’s room is too hot or cold. They also said in future, you’ll get alerts if the temperature changes too much.
Yoto Mini
The Yoto Mini costs $70. It is smaller, so more portable for traveling. While not as loud as the Original Yoto Player, it still is plenty loud for my kids. The display screen is also much smaller but has never been an issue and my kids can easily differentiate between the pictures that signify the tracks.
Yoto Mini Features
- Charging: The Yoto Mini charges with a USB-C cable
- Battery Life: It has a battery life of around 15 hours. I charge ours every few days and always make sure to have a chord in my car in case it dies while out and about.
- Smaller display: Instead of taking up the whole front face, there is just a small display screen down in the corner. My kids don’t mind this at all and it’s still very easy to tell what track or chapter they are on.
- Storage: The audio storage on the Yoto Mini holds 16 GB of built-in storage, which is about 350 hours of audio.
- Portable: Since it’s smaller, the Yoto Mini is more portable and suited for traveling.
The Yoto Mini Player performs the same as the Yoto Player but it is smaller. The mini has a small pixel display but still plays the same cards. It only has the one speaker on the front that I find it to be plenty loud. It has the same two knobs, a card slot, and headphone jack.
Yoto Mini Vs Yoto Player (3rd Gen.) Comparison Quick Look
| Yoto Mini | Yoto Original 3rd Gen. | |
| Price | $70 | $120 |
| Charging | USB-C port | Charging Dock and USB-C Port |
| Battery Life | 15 hours | 24 hours |
| Display | Small | Large |
| Audio Storage | 16 GB (350 hours) | 32 GB (700 Hours) |
| Nightlight | No | Yes |
| Room Thermometer | No | Yes |
| Portability | Very Portable | Portable, but less so |
Yoto Player Similarities
For the most part, the both the Yoto Original and the Mini do the same thing. So to answer the question, “Which Yoto Player should I get?”, you really can’t go wrong with either.
- They both play the same cards. Any card from Yoto’s website and any Make Your Own Card will play on both devices.
- You can charge them both by USB-C cable. While the Original Yoto player has a dock, it also has the USB-C charging port.
- They have headphone jacks.
- They have all of the same audio features like white noise, Yoto Radio, and the Yoto Daily Podcasts.
- You can connect your phone to them through bluetooth and play music or podcasts from your phone.
Which Yoto Player SHould I Get?
This question really depends on what you’re looking for out of your Yoto player. I personally love and use both. In our family, we use the kids’ Yoto Minis more often because we are on the go a lot more so they bring them when we drive in the car or go camping. But it’s really nice to have the Original Yoto docked in my toddler’s room so it doesn’t go missing and he can listen to a story at night with the nightlight on.
I would recommend the Yoto Mini if you are looking for:
- The cheapest option
- Screen entertainment on a road trip or when traveling
I would recommend the Yoto Player Original if you are looking for:
- An audio player that can also be a nightlight and temperature monitor
- Something that is louder and can stay in one place in a room (be docked) so you can control it and your kids don’t misplace it.
- An audio player that has the most storage capacity
Hopefully this comparison of the Yoto Player and Yoto Mini was helpful and answered your question of “Which Yoto Player should I get?”. If you want to learn more about the Yoto Player, you can read my full review: YOTO PLAYER AND YOTO MINI REVIEW–EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW. And if you decide to try out the Yoto player, you can use my Yoto discount code which is HaileyOutside10 for 10% off the players, cards, and accessories.
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