Ellen Lee is a senior staff writer for Wirecutter and the author of guides to the first phones for kids, smartwatches for kids, and parental controls. As a parent of three kids, ages 9, 15, and 16, she has plenty of opportunities to observe how kids engage with tablets and is constantly looking for the best ways to balance screen time.

• In 2024 and 2025, Ellen and her kids tested the Fire HD 8 Kids and Fire HD 10 Pro, evaluating their speed, display, app and content selection, parental controls, and ease of use, and comparing it with their experiences on an iPad and Android tablet.

• Ellen’s work builds on the research, testing, and expertise of writers Andrew Cunningham and Ryan Whitwam, as well as Wirecutter’s larger tech team and our guides to the best tablets, the best Android tablets, and the best pro tablets.
• This guide also builds on Ellen’s research on kids and technology, including interviews with experts such as Catherine Pearlman, author of First Phone: A Child’s Guide to Digital Responsibility, Safety, and Etiquette.
• Like all Wirecutter journalists, Ellen reviews and tests products with complete editorial independence. She’s never made aware of any business implications of her editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards.

We’ve spent countless hours testing iPads and Android tablets, both for general use and with kids. We’ve also repeatedly surveyed parents on our staff to get an idea of what caregivers — and kids — need and want from a tablet.

Based on our staff surveys as well as conversations and research with fellow parents and caregivers, we looked for:

• a durable tablet that can stand up to normal wear and tear — either because the tablet itself is durable or because it has many options for cases and screen protectors
• a wide selection of apps, especially for education, video streaming, gaming, and reading
• robust parental controls for limiting what kids can do
• a good amount of storage for downloaded games and videos
• good enough performance to play relatively demanding games

We spent additional testing time (both for this guide and for our guide to parental controls on smartphones) using the parental control features on the various tablets we considered. We also weighed cost and the tablet’s potential longevity.

Top pick

The best tablet for your kid

Apple iPad (11th generation)

Apple’s iPad stands out for its user-friendliness, robust app selection, and performance. The 128 GB version is a good buy unless you plan to download a lot of high-end games or lengthy 4K video.

$299 from Amazon

$299 from Walmart

$299 from Best Buy

Apple’s 11th-generation iPad is the best kids tablet for many of the same reasons that it’s our overall top pick among tablets: It’s the cheapest way to access Apple’s huge library of educational, video, gaming, and reading apps. Plus, it’s fast and responsive, and the 11-inch display is sharp and bright enough to use indoors or out.

The best thing about the iPad is the superior catalog of kid-friendly apps available in the App Store. If you have a younger child, you’ll appreciate the wide selection of age-appropriate games from developers like Toca Boca and educational and licensed apps such as the ones from PBS Kids. Older kids can take advantage of all the different sources of ebooks, apps with Apple Pencil support for drawing, and video- and audio-creation apps like Apple’s own iMovie and GarageBand, which artistically inclined kids might enjoy.

The iOS app store also has tens of thousands of games, many of which debut on iOS or run only on iOS. And, of course, kids of all ages will appreciate video-streaming apps like Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, and YouTube Kids, all of which run perfectly on the iPad. If that’s not enough, Apple has its own streaming service and the option to purchase downloadable video content.

The iPad runs on Apple’s A16 processor, which is much faster than the budget chip powering Amazon’s Fire tablet. The iPad can run high-end games (including some that were originally designed for gaming PCs), play 4K video, and even multitask with ease. It has more power than your child probably needs, but that means it will still be fast in a few years as apps and iOS itself become more demanding.

Its 11-inch (diameter) display looks crisp and gets bright enough to be usable outdoors. It also includes True Tone, which changes the color temperature of the display based on the ambient light in any given environment, making the screen a bit easier on your child’s eyes.

Its battery should last through a long trip. Our testing found that the iPad could handle up to 10 hours of continuous use.

You can manage your child’s use of the iPad with parental controls. With Apple’s Screen Time, you can set off-limits hours for iPad usage (such as at bedtime) and time limits on particular apps; you can also limit access to the web browser. Kids can ask permission electronically if they want more time or want to buy an app or a game. Parents we surveyed also said they liked the ability to use Guided Access to keep younger kids from accidentally (or purposely) closing their game or app.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

You can’t create multiple accounts for multiple kids. If your child needs to share the tablet with anyone, they’ll end up sharing everything.

Apple’s parental controls can be difficult to use and don’t do enough. We frequently hear parents and caregivers complain about glitches and troubles in navigating Screen Time, as well as smart kids figuring out how to avoid Screen Time. In general, the iPad’s parental controls are not as easy to use as Amazon’s. Changing content settings for Apple’s various features, such as Game Center, Siri, and Safari, requires digging around in the Screen Time settings on the tablet.

For smaller kids, the iPad’s approximately 1-pound, 11-inch-diameter size can be hefty. The large screen gives little fingers larger targets to tap on but also makes the tablet more of a challenge to hold. If size is a concern for you, Amazon’s Fire HD 8 Kids, our budget pick, is smaller, and it comes with a grippy case and integrated stand. Apple does offer an iPad mini, which has many of the same features in a more manageable size, but it’s about $150 more and includes some add-ons that aren’t necessary for kids, including Apple’s AI features and a faster processor.

You’ll want to buy a durable case to protect the aluminum and glass body from cracks and dents. But because of the comprehensive range of iPad accessories, you have plenty of options (we have a guide to budget iPad cases; we plan to test iPad cases for kids later this year).

How much storage do you need?

If your child will mainly use apps and stream video, the 128 GB version of the iPad (an increase from 64 GB in previous models) will likely be fine. That will give you enough space to install apps and store some content offline in case you end up somewhere that doesn’t have Wi-Fi for streaming. If you want to load the tablet up with high-definition video and large games for slightly older kids, a $100 storage upgrade gets you 256 GB of space. We don’t recommend spending that much — Apple’s storage pricing is designed to nudge people to choose more-expensive models. Still, keep in mind that you can’t upgrade the internal storage in an iPad after you buy it, so you may want to consider how your kid’s needs will change over the next few years.

Budget pick

Slow but less expensive, and good for video

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids

This tablet, geared toward kids ages 3 to 7, is slower than an iPad, with a worse screen and a much more limited app selection. But it includes a case and has built-in parental controls.

$85 from Amazon

$85 from Best Buy

The same device, but for older kids

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro

The Pro version has the same hardware as the Fire HD Kids but is geared toward 6- to 12-year-olds and offers access to a digital store to purchase apps, books, and games.

$85 from Amazon

$140 from Best Buy

The Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids and Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro aren’t as powerful or versatile as even a years-old iPad, but if your child will mainly be watching video and you don’t need a wide variety of apps, the Fire tablets cost much less than Apple’s cheapest iPad. And this tablet does have some advantageous features, including a colorful — though bulky — protective case and a two-year “worry-free guarantee” in which Amazon says it will replace the tablet if it breaks.

Both the Fire HD 8 Kids and Fire HD 8 Kids Pro come with a subscription to the Amazon Kids+ library. You have a choice between a one-year or six-month subscription to this library of books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, and games for kids ages 3 to 12. Once your initial subscription expires, you pay $50 a year if you’re an Amazon Prime member or $80 a year if not.

The tablet is smaller than a full-size iPad. With an 8-inch screen (versus an 11-inch screen for the 11th-generation iPad we recommend), smaller kids will likely find it more comfortable to hold and carry.

It offers flexibility for multiple kids. Amazon’s Fire OS supports multiple user accounts to facilitate easier sharing among siblings (or kids and adults), with each user getting their own settings and usage restrictions. Be sure to add a “lock screen” password for each user, so siblings and others don’t sneak onto another person’s profile.

The Fire HD 8 Kids works best as a video-streaming device. In addition to Amazon’s extensive video library, you can get Netflix and Hulu, as well as kid-specific apps from Khan Academy, PBS Kids, and Sesame Street. With the Pro version for older kids, you can also purchase and download additional games, apps, and books (you can set the parental controls to require approval before purchase).

Its closed system means that kids are less likely to stumble onto inappropriate content. Unlike the iPad, Amazon’s Fire OS offers a completely separate user interface for child accounts that puts the focus on Amazon-vetted books, apps, and games selected based on the entered age of the child using the tablet. The Alexa voice assistant is disabled, and you can enable content filters and block specific websites. Its parental controls let you use time restrictions to reward kids — for example, allowing them to play games only after they’ve spent a certain amount of time reading or using educational apps. But while better than Apple’s Screen Time, Amazon’s parental controls aren’t perfect, either. We recommend removing access to the browser, as Amazon’s parental controls have limited control over it.

It offers expandable storage. Both the Fire HD Kids and Fire HD Kids Pro tablets come with either 32 GB or 64 GB of storage, but you can easily expand that using cheap microSD cards (Apple does not support microSD cards on the iPad).

Amazon also sells the larger Fire HD 10 Kids and Fire HD 10 Kids Pro. Like the 8 series, the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro is designed for kids ages 6 to 12, and the regular Fire HD 10 Kids for kids ages 3 to 7. Both have 10.1-inch screens, bigger than the Fire HD 8 Kid’s 8-inch screens. Unlike the Fire HD 8 Kids, the Fire HD 10 Kids only comes with 12 months of Amazon Kids+ included (Amazon does not offer a six-month subscription for the Fire HD 10) and 32 GB of storage. Both tablets cost $190. It’s a good option if your child prefers a larger screen, though, especially with its case, the Fire HD 10 feels much bulkier than the Fire HD 8.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Fire can be painfully slow. The octa-core processor is less powerful than the A16 chip in Apple’s iPad 11, so don’t expect the same level of responsiveness. If your child, say, plays Minecraft on the Fire versus the iPad (including earlier generations of the iPad), there will be a noticeable difference, with the Fire lagging in responsiveness and speed. Even switching between user profiles or loading a game or app can feel like you’re moving at a snail’s pace.

Compared with the iPad’s screen, the Fire’s screen is much lower in resolution and brightness. It may not be as easy to read in bright lighting conditions. (The Fire’s resolution contains 189 pixels per inch; the 11th-generation iPad has 264 pixels per inch).

You have limited access to content. If you have Apple devices, you can’t access your Apple media library on Fire tablets, and the lack of any Google apps on Amazon’s tablet platform means no easy access to YouTube Kids (though you can access it via the browser). The selection of educational apps and simple games isn’t bad, but it’s nowhere near as varied as what you can get on an iPad. And although the Kids+ subscription does give you access to many apps at no additional charge, we found that the selection isn’t huge, and many of the apps lack substance or quality. In addition, many of the books your child may want to read — say, the graphic novel series Dog Man or other new and popular titles — are not included in the subscription and require a separate purchase.

If you’re looking for an Android tablet: We recommend the Google Pixel Tablet, our overall pick for the best Android tablet. We prefer the iPad over any Android tablet, even if you use Google’s apps and services, but if you want to stick to the Android family, the Pixel Tablet has a sharp display and a battery that can last for days. With Google Family Link and other parental controls, you can manage your child’s access to it. If you purchase it with a dock, it can be turned into a smart-home hub. But even without the dock, the Pixel Tablet costs more than the 11th-generation iPad.

Tablets aren’t just small screens for putting cartoons in front of your kid. They can also be educational tools, toys, and gaming devices. Your kid can stay occupied on long car rides or plane trips, use educational apps provided by their school, practice math and verbal skills, exercise their musical and artistic creativity, and much more.

Compared with a smartphone, a tablet is easier to use, offers much more space for apps to work with, and costs less (often substantially less). A tablet’s larger size also makes it easier to monitor your child’s use, and the lack of cellular service (for the models we recommend) makes it simpler to manage what they’re doing on it.

But screen time in general has come under intense scrutiny, with concerns over how it affects a child’s sleep, behavior, and mental health. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against screen time for kids younger than 18 months except for in a small handful of scenarios, like video chatting, and it advises that kids 18 to 24 months old do all screen time with an adult. While the organization has generally moved away from prescribing specific time limits for older kids, it does recommend capping screen time, including curbing it to an hour per day for kids ages 2 to 5.

Common Sense Media, a nonprofit that researches, evaluates, and advocates on behalf of kids and technology, emphasizes that not all screen time is equal — more passive activities like watching videos are different from communicating with others or playing games. How kids use technology continues to evolve, but it generally encourages parents and caregivers to make sure their child is “using high-quality and age-appropriate content, their behavior is positive, [and] screen time is balanced with other parts of life like sleep, connecting with family and friends, and time outdoors.”

Before you buy a tablet for your kid, ask yourself whether you already own one you don’t use much. If you do, chances are it will work well enough for your kid. At the other extreme, if you use your tablet regularly, consider buying a new one for yourself and handing down your old one. Win-win!

iPads make especially good hand-me-downs. Apple currently supports every iPad since 2019’s 7th-generation iPad with regular software updates, so even those older iPads will be compatible with all the apps and games that your kids will want to run, and they should still be quick enough for most apps (though you shouldn’t go out and buy a 4- or 5-year-old iPad if you don’t already own one). And any iPad that can run the current version of iPadOS (version 18 at the time of publication) should be fast enough to handle all but the most demanding kids games.

Amazon’s Fire tablets, on the other hand, aren’t particularly good candidates for handing down, especially if the tablet is already a couple of years old. Amazon does provide software updates for three or four years after a device is released, but Fire tablets have much less-powerful hardware than the iPad. So by the time it’s ready to hand off to a child, the Fire will struggle with newer games. And Fire tablets — especially the Fire HD 8 Kids that we recommend — are inexpensive enough that it likely makes more sense to buy a new one with a fresh, kid-resistant warranty than it does to reuse an old one.

You can try to save some money by buying a used tablet, but you need to be careful. Buying from third-party sellers on sites like Amazon or eBay can be a bit of a crapshoot, and if something goes wrong, you don’t have a lot of options. Reputable resellers of used devices, such as Gazelle, sell used iPads that have been fully inspected and offer a 30-day return policy. These companies can also be useful if you want to sell an older tablet or phone that you’re no longer using.

Most people are best served by buying a new iPad, though buying a refurbished version of an older iPad can save you some money — and if you buy a refurb directly from Apple, you get a limited one-year warranty.

Another thing to keep in mind with older iPads and iPhones is storage space, since you can’t add more storage later.

We previously recommended the 8th-generation, 9th-generation, and 10th-generation iPads. Apple no longer makes or sells them, though you may be able to find them through other retailers or refurbished However, compared with the 11th-generation iPad, these older models are closer to running out of update support, and it takes a step down in performance and camera quality. In addition, given that a new 11th-generation iPad often costs roughly the same as a new 9th- or 10th-generation iPad, we’d opt for the newer model with more storage and a faster chip.

The iPad mini is close in size to the Fire HD 8 Kids, but the design, internals, and display are all more refined. The iPad mini has historically been a more budget-oriented tablet, but the current model is more expensive than the 11th-generation iPad, at around $500. It has an 8.3-inch display, an A17 Pro chip, and 128 GB of storage. But beyond its compact size, the noticeable premium over the 11th-generation iPad doesn’t get you anything that would make a difference to kids.

Apple’s iPad Pro tablets are faster and have better screens and cameras than the 11th-generation iPad, but those aren’t features that most kids would notice or care about. The iPad Pro models are also at least twice as expensive as the base model iPad, significantly more money than any of the parents we surveyed would want to pay for a child’s tablet. iPad Pro tablets are nice for demanding grown-ups, but they’re overkill for children.

Amazon still sells the Fire 7 Kids edition, which includes the same childproof case, two-year warranty, and Kids+ subscriptions as the Fire HD 8. But while the Fire 7 is a bit cheaper, it’s slower and equipped with a noticeably less colorful, lower-resolution screen.

You can find plenty of Android tablets, but we generally believe you shouldn’t buy any of them for your kids over an iPad or a Fire tablet. Although they run most of the same games and video-streaming apps as the Fire HD 8 Kids, and they have easy access to apps for YouTube, Google’s Family Link parental controls, and other Google services, the devices themselves aren’t available in kid-specific editions with similar perks. And to get a really good Android tablet, you have to spend at least as much as it costs to get an iPad, which is faster and has a larger library of apps.

We haven’t tested educational tablets sold specifically for younger kids, such as LeapFrog’s LeapPad Academy. This device is designed to be durable and has an app catalog specifically curated for kids, but it can cost roughly as much as our Fire HD pick but with a lower-resolution screen and a slower processor. More importantly, their selection of apps is limited compared with what Apple and Amazon offer, focusing mostly on educational apps for kids age 8 and younger. Many of these apps are advertised as “educator approved,” but if your kid gets bored with them or outgrows them, you don’t have Apple’s or Amazon’s variety of popular games, video-streaming apps, or even educational apps for older kids that can extend the tablet’s usefulness.

This article was edited by Caitlin McGarry, Arthur Gies, Amy Miller Kravetz, and Kalee Thompson.