How to Choose the Right Toniebox for Your Child

So, you’ve decided to invest in a Toniebox for your child to help them learn and play away from screens. A great idea, but now you need to know if it’s best to pick up the cheaper original or pay that little bit more for the extra features of Toniebox 2.

Here, we take a look at the differences, what is the best fit for you and how you can customise bundles to get something ideal for your child.

What is the difference between Toniebox 1 and 2?

The Toniebox is what plays the audio from each Tonie Character when you place them on top of it. An audio player with specialised features, the first was released in 2016 to great success, leading to a second iteration in 2025.

Both versions have many similarities, as well as a few key differences, so here we look at the similarities and differences of the two Tonieboxes.

Design – The first Toniebox is recommended for users of 3 years and above, but new intuitive design means that the Toniebox 2 starts from a younger age range of 1 year plus.  The original was a cube in design with two ‘ears’ to pinch in order to adjust the volume. The Toniebox 2 is, visually, extremely similar to this but with more rounded corners and a softer, squeezable exterior with more ‘bounce’ so it can deal with knocks, drops and falls a little bit better.

The way the box charges has also been changed. The original box came with a dedicated charging station, but the Toniebox 2 uses a USB-C charger for greater compatibility options.

Tonies & Tonieplay – Can you use the same Tonies on Tonie 1 and 2? Yes, both are completely compatible with the full Tonies Character, Cuddle and Audiobook ranges, so there’s no need to upgrade to make the most of wonderful new figures or stories when they come out.

Where they do differ is that the Toniebox 2 can be used with Tonieplay, to play screen-free audio games using the Tonieplay Controller. You can buy different game boards and character led games to play with it, that utilise the dynamic light ring that only the Toniebox 2 has, and add another dimension to the Tonies experience.

Storage Capacity – Each box can play any amount of Tonies but will require a Wi-Fi connection to download the information to the Toniebox the first time. If you have a large collection of Tonies, then you may have to re-download a Tonie when you use it if the Toniebox memory capacity is full.

The Toniebox 2 has a greater memory at 32GB as opposed to the first Toniebox having 8GB of capacity, largely because Tonieplay games require more memory than the standard Tonies figures.

Sleep Features – Toniebox 2 has added sleep features where the first Toniebox had none. With lights as well as sound it has a Sleep Timer, Sunrise Alarm and Bedtime Mode to help switch off from play when it’s time to rest

This can assist in building healthy sleep habits and a set routine, while also allowing children to play independently without worry they’ll be listening all night.

Which Tonie Character is Best to Start With?

There is no definitive ‘best’ Tonie, it entirely depends on what your child wants and needs. There’s My First Tonies which are designed at helping children learn numbers, animal names and other things, so focusing on what you think will keep them engaged, as well as what they need most is probably best.

For older children, characters they love, or interesting stories will keep them coming back time and again, and it’s just a case of understanding what they like the most.

Build a Bundle to Suit You

When buying a Toniebox 2 from The Entertainer, you can build a bundle and save. Choose a Toniebox 2 starter set and then add either 2 Tonie characters to save £5 or 4 to save £15.

That way, you’re ready to go with an array of Tonies to listen to once it all arrives and you save on the figures. Perfect to get little listeners started!

Check out our full Tonies range and discover the joy of screen-free audio fun today.

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