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Phyliss Berard
Like them or loathe them, kids' tablets can be extremely useful from a parent's perspective - from boosting your child's learning and development to giving you some much-needed peaceful moments. We're not saying you should crack them out at every family meal, but during long journeys, lengthy waiting room stays or even just for staving off a 4pm danger-nap in the buggy, they can be a lifesaver. And, particularly if you're looking for a first tablet for very young children, you can't go too far wrong with an Amazon Fire (especially if it's on offer!)
But which Amazon Fire kids' tablet is the best? As a long-time owner of the Amazon 7 Kids, I was interested to see how it measured up to its newer, whizzier upgrade, the Amazon Fire HD 8. Both are listed as best buys on our guide to the best tablet for kids, both are named frequently on the Mumsnet boards as good, reliable options for children as young as two and both are rated highly by technology experts across the internet.
But which tablet has the best battery life? Which has better storage capabilities? Which one would I be more comfortable handing over to my perpetually-sticky four-year-old son, who, despite said stickiness, has a tendency to accidentally drop things onto hard surfaces within three seconds of handling them?
Read next: As we head into the summer holidays, check out our guides to the best travel games to keep them occupied on journeys, the best board games to play on rainy days and the best online tutoring to keep learning forefront while school's out.
We bought our first Amazon Fire 7 Kids (9th generation) when our eldest child was around four or five, and were so impressed with it, we bought a second for our middle child a few years later. They are now primarily used by our four- and six-year-old for long journeys, waiting rooms and camping trips.
"Both my DC (9 and 12) have used it a lot since we received it. My son has been using it a lot, especially to find new books for his school reading. They've also really enjoyed some of the recommended apps and I really like the fact they can have whichever app they like, provided I approve it, of course." (Tried and tested by Mumsnetter SanFranBear)
"It is amazing! Performed really well, and is a great introduction to tablets for younger children. She found it really easy to use, and keeps showing me new things she has discovered. I highly recommend it." (Recommended by Mumsnet user cliffdonville)
Comparing the two tablets, Amazon Fire HD 8 far outstrips the Fire 7 Kids in terms of performance - not only does the superior screen display everything in far better quality, the audio is better thanks to the dual speakers. The battery also lasts far longer on the Fire 8, which can be a game-changer for long-haul holidays or camping trips, and it doesn't seem to have the same glitches in terms of certain apps and games not working when there's no WiFi to be had.
Overall, this tablet is pretty impressive - particularly when compared to our oldest 7 model - and it's easy to justify the extra cost when it comes to superior quality and functionality. On the other hand, will a three-year-old really care if they're bathing an animated kitten in high-definition with dual integrated speakers?
According to Amazon, the Fire 7 Kids is aimed at children aged 3 - 7, however you can use the parental controls to set the content for children as old as 12 (our nine-year-old still enjoys hers on occasion). You may find that its lower storage capabilities, lack of HD and shorter battery life span make it a better fit for younger children.
Yes, but you will need to add Netflix via the parent dashboard. It's worth noting that some older Fire 7 Kids tablets only allow Netflix streaming rather than download, which can be a pain if you're looking to download video content to watch offline. The Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids does allow downloading of Netflix content, however.
In terms of hardware, there isn't a difference between the Amazon Fire tablets and their counterpart Fire Kids tablets. The difference in price (with the kid's tablet often coming in around 50 more expensive) is due to the 'Kid-Proof' case (which, trust me, is a must) and the subscription to Amazon Kids+ as well as the warranty, which is two years for a kids' tablet and one year for the standard fire tablet.
When you set up your kids' tablet, you'll have the option to add a child's profile or import any existing child profiles from a previous tablet. You can set up a pin or password at this stage to stop your child changing their settings. If you haven't already, you'll also have the option to set up your Amazon Kid+ account (both the Amazon Fire 7 Kids and the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids come with a year's free subscription to this).
It really depends on what you're looking for from a kids' tablet. If you're looking for a first tablet for a younger child, the Amazon Fire 7 Kids is a great option. If you're shopping for a slightly older child or simply want a bit more battery life, a higher definition screen and more storage space for movies and games, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids is a good investment.
In terms of performance, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids is better than the Amazon Fire 7 Kids. Its tech specs are all an upgrade to the 7, the playback quality is better, the storage will hold more and the battery life lasts longer. However, I think the decision on which Amazon Fire Kids' Tablet is best for you really comes down to the kid rather than the tablet.
If you're buying for an older child who will appreciate high-definition playback, decent dual speakers and a large capacity for storing games and apps, go for the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids. It's an upgrade to the Amazon Fire 7 Kids in almost every way and will always out-perform it in terms of tech specs.
However, if the thought of handing over a brand new, 150 piece of tech to your child gives you butterflies in your stomach, perhaps you'd be better off with the Amazon Fire 7 Kids. It may cost less and store less and run out of battery sooner, but it's still one of the best kids' tablets currently available (and definitely one of the cheapest!) It holds its own in terms of playback quality and speed, it is easy to navigate for toddlers as young as eighteen months, and, as our family can attest, the tablet itself lasts a long time. Amazon doesn't even make the oldest version we own anymore but it's still going strong in our household. And, thanks mostly to the rubber 'Kid-proof' case, I'm more than happy to hand it over to my youngest and clumsiest when needs must.
Having said that, and particularly since trying out the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids, I will certainly be keeping an eye out for deals on the newer version - particularly with Prime Day just around the corner and Black Friday on the horizon.
Before joining the content team at Mumsnet, Jenny worked as a journalist for newspapers, radio, TV and b2b trades magazines for over a decade. She is also a bestselling sci-fi author (writing as J M Briscoe) and parenting blogger.
As a parent of three primary school-aged children, Jenny is passionate about making Mumsetters' lives easier through rigorous research of all items recommended in buyers' guides and reviews such as this one, as well as sourcing expert advice on all things pregnancy and child play related.
At CNET we've spent countless hours testing both over the years, and in general, both work really well. Most of the Roku and Fire TV devices we've reviewed received an 8.0 (excellent) rating or higher, so it's tough to go wrong. The Roku Streaming Stick 4K offers Dolby Vision and is sometimes on sale for less than the older and Vision-less Roku Express 4K Plus. Meanwhile, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, is one of the fastest streaming devices on the market.
Better menus. Roku's no-nonsense menu system places the apps front-and-center and lets you arrange them however you please, just like on your phone. It gets to the apps and shows want quickly, without filling the screen with other junk.
Using a Fire TV device means wading through a bunch of TV shows and movies in addition to the apps. That would be fine if they were the TV shows and movies you're in the middle of watching, or might actually want to watch -- something Netflix's menus do well. But more often than not, it is hard to care about the TV shows and movies on Fire TV's screen. They just seem like stuff Amazon or its partners want us to watch.
CNET's Ty Pendlebury summed up the difference in his review of the Fire TV Stick. "If you like to graze for content, the Fire TV might be more appealing. If you know what you want already, or at least what app you want to watch, a Roku is probably a better choice."
In his review of the Fire TV Max, meanwhile, Eli Blumenthal also noted the prevalence of ads in Fire TV's menus, including on the screensaver. "It's one thing to throw in a little ad here or there like Roku; it's another to turn my entire 65-inch TV into a billboard for iFit or Nancy Grace's Fox Nation show."
Better search. Search results on Roku are straightforward and price-centric. You're shown how much a movie or TV show costs and can click through to watch or buy it -- and if it's free because you're a subscriber, you'll see that, too. Fire TV's results are much more confusing, with multiple options and false positives. And once you find what you want, you're shown just one primary service, and you have to click through to see "more ways to watch."
When you choose between Roku and Fire TV you're buying a specific device, not just the platform. For that reason, our advice below gets a little more specific. We break down our favorite devices in a variety of areas: price, 4K capability, voice control and more.
Roku is our favorite overall platform, but the Fire TV Stick Lite offers more features at the entry level than the similarly priced Roku Express. The Fire TV Stick Lite includes a voice remote, while the Roku doesn't support voice commands via the remote. We found the Lite's built-in access to Amazon's Alexa particularly helpful when navigating through menus and searching for content. While Roku recently announced an updated version of the Express with faster Wi-Fi, the device retains its original remote.
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