Best Tablets for Kids 2021: Ultimate Guide

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our lives brought a lot of challenges especially to our family life. But thanks to technology, parents can continue to work at the comforts of our home and kids can learn online.

Parents who are previously reluctant to let their kids have their own laptops and tablets are now embracing their use for the kids’ online classes. With mom and dad working on their laptops and desktop computers, a good alternative for the kids is the tablet.

If you’re like me who’ve decided to buy a tablet for kids for my child, your next question would be what is the best tablet for kids? There are already a lot of options out there from tablets designed specifically for kids, to adult tablets which can be used by kids with some tweaks. With online classes, a good tablet would be able to run educational and meeting apps.

What is a Tablet for Kids?

Computer tablets for kids are tablets which are designed, or are suitable for use of children.  Kids tablets are usually made of  sturdy materials, comes with curated age-appropriate content, and parental controls.

What is the Best Tablets for Kids?

A lot of kids tablets claim to be the best tablet for kids. But here’s what I found out. There’s no one best tablet for kids. It all depends on what your specific needs are. One tablet may be best for you but not for others. So, if you really want to find the best tablet for kids, the best thing to do is to try the top-selling tablets for kids.

But that would not be practical. So, the most practical to do is to read reviews from users and tech experts and choose which tablet is best for your kid.  That would take a lot of your time and may confuse you even more. I know because I have been in that situation that’s why I empathize with you.  Therefore, I am going to make it easy for parents like you to find the best tablet for kids.

I suggest you decide on what you need first and consider both the pros and cons of these tablets for kids. Not one will have all the features you want but consider the one which suit your needs best.

Determine your purpose in buying a tablet for kids, age of users, and your budget. After determining your needs, you may consider the following factors in looking for the best tablet for kids: Parental Controls, Apps and Software, Sturdiness and Durability, Ease of Use, Battery Life, Customer Service, Customer Reviews. I believe these are the most important factors to consider when looking for a tablet for kids.

After a long search for the best tablet for kids, from reading a lot of parenting and technology forums, and after considering reviews from parents and tech experts, I finally came up with a comparison table of the best tablets for kids 2021

>> Click Here to Check Out the Top Selling Tablet for Kids at Amazon.com <<

Types of Tablets for Kids

Tablets Made for Kids

These are kid friendly tablets which are specifically designed for kids. These tablets usually have rugged and colorful casing, preloaded child friendly content, parental controls, and a user interface appropriate for kids. Some kid friendly tablets do not have WiFi access and use cartridges to load apps and games. Famous toy companies LeapFrog, VTech and Toys R Us are some of the early manufacturers of tablets designed specifically for kids. Amazon Fire tablets for kids are also good options since they come with great contents and 2-year warranty. Some kid friendly tablets also have powerful specs which can be used by adults so they can be used by adults as regular tablet.

Adult Tablets for Kids Use

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face classes are cancelled and kids are having online classes. A good adult tablet can be the best option for online classes because of higher specs which can run educational apps and virtual meeting apps.

Because of the popularity of tablets for kids, several companies have added a parental control feature to adult tablets in order to make them appropriate for kids. These tablets are often geared as a family tablet which has a user interface that can be shifted depending on who is using it. Usually, these adult tablets can have several user profiles so parents can regulate the kids use of the tablet. Amazon’s [easyazon_link identifier=”B01J90MSDS” locale=”US” tag=”kidtechlab-20″]Kindle Fire Tablet[/easyazon_link], Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, and Apple iPad mini are some of the adult tablets which can be used by kids.

Tablets for Kids with Autism

An estimated One in 50 American children ages between 6 and 17 was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and since therapy is quite expensive, technology is now used to give families access to affordable therapy through a tablet. A start-up company has developed a cheap tablet for kids with autism installed with apps and games which  mimic the kind of interaction and work children do with applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapists and board-certified behavior analysts. However, the company is no longer in operation so parents depend on the available tablets today and use apps specifically designed for kids with autism that work with mainstream tablets.

Best Tablets for Kids Comparison Table (By Age Group)

Best Tablets for School-Aged Kids (Aged 4-12)

Best Tablets for Tweens &Teens (Aged 12-18)  

Best Tablet for Kids Buying Guide

Tablets for kids are gaining popularity and parents are buying a tablet for kids are having a hard time deciding which is the best tablet for kids because new products are regularly introduced to the market with more superior specifications than the previous ones. In my opinion, choosing the best tablet for kids will start with knowing what you need and then knowing what to look for.

Know What Tablet for Kids You Need

Buying a tablet for kids is still a personal choice, therefore it is best to first determine your personal preference. Before buying a tablet for kids, parents should first determine the following:

• Purpose of the Tablet– Why do you need a tablet for kids? Is it going to be a learning tablet you need or just an electronic toy to entertain your child for long drives? Or is it going to be a family tablet shared by kids and adults? Deciding on the best tablet for your kid will become easier if you know what you’re going to use it for. The features you’re going to look for in a kids tablet will all depend on its use.
• Age of User – Younger kids have different needs to older kids. Remember that the tablet will probably be used by your child for a few years so choose one which is sturdy enough especially if your kids are still young. If the tablet is going to be shared by several children, then the tablet should be versatile for different ages.
• Budget – Not all parents have the resources to shell out $200 on a kids tablet so choosing the best tablet within one’s budget is the right thing to do. When shopping around, do not lose track of your budget. Higher priced tablets may have a lot of features but when it’s way beyond your budget, then you’ll have to sacrifice on other things which may be more important than having a tablet.

Factors to Consider When Looking for A Tablet For Kids

After considering your personal requirements, the next thing to consider are the features you would look for in a tablet computer.  Children’s tablets should be durable, easy to use, have age-appropriate content and most importantly, have a robust parental settings. Before buying a tablet, consider the following factors first.

• Parental Controls – In order for parents to keep track of their kids tablet usage, a kids tablet should have parental controls either built-in or through a third party app. This will help assure parents their only have to age-appropriate apps and content as well as in limiting their kid’s screen time.
• Pre-loaded Content– The apps are as important as the tablet itself so the availability of educational and age appropriate games and apps for your kid should also be a major consideration in choosing the tablet for kids. A good tablet for kids should be preloaded with child friendly apps and games. In addition,  there should available choices of apps for parents to choose from since kids needs and preferences vary with age.
• Sturdiness and Durability – A tablet for kids will definitely go through a lot of bumps and drops in the hands of a toddler so durability is an important consideration in buying a kids tablet.  There are tablet for kids which are already kid-safe while others need to have a protective case so be prepared to incur additional costs to make sure your gadget is ready for rough handling.
• Screen Size and Weight – Size does matter when it comes to choosing the appropriate tablet for kids. Toddlers and young children would not be comfortable using tablets with 10-inch screen size and older kids may not want to use those with screen smaller than 7 inches. The weight of the tablet should likewise be considered for the kids comfort.
• Ease of Use – Children easily get used to tablets but they have a very short attention span so it’s still important for a kids tablet to be intuitive. A child-friendly User Interface (UI) makes the experience for kids more fun and engaging.
• Battery Life– When the tablet is going to be used for several hours especially during long travel, then battery life as well as ease in charging is very important. Generally, you should look for a tablet which can last for at  least 8 hours of continues use.
• Customer Service – We have to admit that not all parents are very tech savvy that we can solve whatever technical problem we encounter with a kids tablet. After sales and tech support is definitely important. Buying a tablet pc is an investment so you have to make sure that your consumer rights are protected.
• Customer Reviews – Just because a tablet looks good in paper means it actually is. Consider the reviews and opinions of those who have actually used it and use your better judgment. Read both the negative and positive reviews so that you will have a general idea of what a tablet is good for. Everybody has different preferences and what may be a positive feature for others may not be important for you.

Final Thoughts

So there you have our comprehensive guide in buying the best tablet for your child. We hope we have provided you with everything you need to know so that you can make an informed decision through our helpful tips and comparison tablet.

If some tablets did not make it on our list, it doesn’t mean they’re not good tablets for kids. As mentioned, the best tablet for kids is the one which best suits your needs. It will depend on each parent’s specific requirements in buying a tablet for kids.  If you are not satisfied with the list I have provided, you may want to look into the other tablets for kids reviews and see if there’s one you like.

Lastly, the popularity and availability of tablets are changing the way our kids use media and how we interact with our kids. However, if used within limits, we believe tablets can be to our advantage as parents. We should strike a balance between our kids media use and active play so that we maximize their learning potential.