In my current season of toddler parenthood, I’ve sometimes felt that I could cut the tension between myself and the TV remote with a knife. As much as I try to keep screen time in check, sometimes I need 10 uninterrupted minutes to unload the dishwasher before a certain almost-2-year-old goes for the dog bowl.

That’s where audio players are handy. In a world where screens are increasingly hard to avoid, parents are looking for alternatives—and these players, in their various formats, are to the rescue. The devices mark a sweet spot between independent play and story time, letting kids listen to music, audiobooks, and interactive stories without a tablet in sight. Some audio players are geared toward younger kiddos who enjoy tactile toys and familiar characters like Elmo and Bluey, while other options are designed to grow with them to chapter books, podcasts, and beyond.

Over the past several weeks, my family has tested some of the biggest names in the category to see how they stack up. Here’s the verdict on which ones are best suited for different families and their needs.

Want more recommendations for WIRED-tested kids’ toys? Here’s our guide to Brain-Boosting Toys for Kids, Kid-Approved STEM Toys, and the Best Gifts for Lego Lovers.

Best for Kids of All Ages

The Yoto Player is simple enough for toddlers to operate independently while offering a broad enough content library to keep it relevant as kids grow. Stories and music live on credit card–sized cards that my daughter could swap in and out with her little hands, and the small pixel display on the front of the machine adds a visual element without becoming another distracting screen.

You can add each Yoto card to your child’s library through the device’s companion app. Once you do, you can stream the content directly from your phone or remotely send it to the Yoto. That means you’re not necessarily tied to bringing the speaker with you everywhere you go. I saw this capability as being especially useful on road trips—you can play stories through your car speakers or listen from your phone if the player gets left behind or its battery dies.

Yoto offers more than the stories and songs from its player cards. You’ll also get kid-friendly daily radio, draw-alongs, toothbrush timers, white noise, a wake-up clock, and a nightlight that activates when you flip the player screen-side down. I only see it getting more useful as my daughter grows, and if I’m being honest, there is a Nancy Drew story collection I am secretly eyeing for myself.