How to pick a kids' tablet

Every year that your little one grows there is something new to get them. Most of the time it’s shoes, clothes, new books and toys. At some point though, you’re going to want to buy your kid a tablet.

Maybe it’s to keep their hands off your phone, maybe it’s for long road trips, or for school work, or games. Maybe it’s because they’ve just asked a thousand times. Whatever your reasons are, there are a few things you should consider when buying a tablet for your kids.

Best tablets for kids

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These are our editor's picks for the best tablets for kids, for more information on these devices scroll down to the Editor's Pick section.

• Samsung Galaxy Tab Active3
• Samsung Galaxy Tab A7
• iPad (8th generation)
• iPad mini (2019)
• Refurbished iPads

What to look for when buying a kids tablet

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Price

Kids grow up so fast. And they grow out of things just as quickly. Or if they’re not growing out of them, they’re mysteriously disappearing into the abyss. Any spending savvy parent knows not to throw good money at things that will be in the bin, or the lost and found within the next month.

Tablets for kids, like anything else, need to be affordable. In the case that this tablet does join the land of missing socks you don’t want to be feeling the sting of a thousand dollars missing from your pocket.

While tablets don’t come as cheap as phones do, there are still affordable options that are more suiting for children. Our recommendations in this article all come in under $800. Yes, we know that’s not exactly cheap, but tablets have more longevity than handsets do. We take a look at the cost per year of use on each tablet in our recommendations below. Samsung tablets generally get security updates for three years from launch, while iPads tend to get these updates for seven from launch.

While you can buy these tablets outright, they are also available on a plan if you’d rather space out your payments.

Durability

When you’re looking to make a long term investment for your kids you’re going to want it to be able to withstand the entire spectrum of childhood antics. Children can be anywhere from cherubs, to temperamental, to downright destructive.

Regardless of how responsible your kid might be, there is always a chance that this tablet is going to get wet, dropped, or sticky - potentially all three at once. You’ll want to look out for tablets with a water resistance rating, durable rears, or at the very least one that has the choice of a solid case to go with it.

Parental controls

Most devices feature built-in control options for concerned parents, so you'll be able to keep an eye on your kid's app and data use. If your child has a Samsung tablet, we've written up a detailed guide on parental control options; we've also created a similar guide to monitoring your child's iPhone use.

While these aren’t specific to tablets, you’ll be able to follow the same steps depending on the tablet’s operating system.

Editor's Picks: Best tablets for kids

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Samsung Galaxy Tab Active3

Price: $849

Approximate cost per year of use: $339.60

The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active is made for worksites and tradies, so it should probably be able to withstand your little one. The Tab Active3 is IP68 water and dust resistant with a 1.5m drop resistance, and is built with a tough silicone case.

Designed for the screen to still work while wearing gloves, it should cope pretty well with sticky children's fingers. It also comes with an S Pen.

Released in September 2020, you should still get approximatley two and half years of security updates.

Samsung Galaxy Tab A7

Price: $379

Approximate cost per year of use: $151.60

At a price as low as $379 for a brand new tablet, the A7 is as budget as budget gets. It's a great entry level device for your kid and it won’t break your heart if it comes back broken.

Sporting a 10.4-inch display, up to 1TB of external storage support, quad speakers and Dolby Atmos, it is sure to keep your kid entertained.

Released in September 2020, you should still get approximatley two and half years of security updates.

iPad (8th Generation)

Price from: $499

Approximate cost per year of use: $76.76

iPads have a longer shelf life than Galaxy tabs, but you’ll generally pay more for the device itself. However, with security updates for up to seven years the approximate cost per year is much lower. It also means that your tablet can grow with your kid. Note that the iPad (8th gen) came ut in September 2020 so we can safely assume around 6.5 years worth of updates.

The 8th generation iPad is the most affordable iPad right now, and has support for a keyboard and an Apple Pen. Therefore as your kid’s tablet related needs change the device is secure and versatile enough to change along with it.

iPad mini (2019)

Price from: $599

Approximate cost per year of use: $108.90

Mini iPad for your mini human? Cute right!? The iPad mini is quite similar to the iPad but smaller on the outside and bigger on the inside. Mini iPads come with more internal storage and therefore are a bit pricier than the OG iPad. Currently the 2019 model also doesn’t have the option to extend with an official keyboard case, although wireless keyboards can still be attached to the device.

As the last iPad mini was released in 2019, it has already been receiving updates for 1.5 years so you're likely to get another 5.5 years of security updates.

Refurbished iPads

A hand-me-down device is perfect for your kids. It’s less impact on you, your wallet and they still feel like they’re getting something shiny and new. If however, you don’t have anything of your own that you’re willing to pass down, why not try a hand-me-down from someone else.

All refurbed iPads come with a 12 month warranty from the re-seller, but keep in mind that they will get fewer years worth of security updates than a brand new model.