Amazon Echo Pop Kids
The Echo Pop Kids is Amazon’s newest Alexa-powered smart speaker for kids. It comes in Disney Princess or Marvel Avengers-themed versions and has a 1.95-inch speaker.
Amazon Echo Dot Kids (5th Gen)
Available in two fun designs, the Echo Dot Kids is a compact Alexa smart speaker. It sports a sphere-shaped design and has a 1.73-inch speaker, microphone array, and a temperature sensor.
Amazon started offering a kids-specific version of theEcho Dot smart speakerin 2020. But now the company has added a kids-version of theEcho Popspeaker as well.
So if you’re in the market for asolid smart speakerfor your kids' bedroom, the Echo Pop Kids and Echo Dot Kids are both vying for attention. But which is a better purchase for your little one? Let’s find out.
Price, availability, and specifications
At their list price, the Amazon Echo Pop Kids and Echo Dot Kids are similarly priced. The Echo Pop Kids costs $50, whereas the Dot Kids is $60. But as Amazon frequently discounts its Echo and Fire devices, you can get the Echo Dot Kids for as low as $28, which is its price as of writing this comparison.
However, since the Echo Pop Kids is a brand-new device, it will take at least a couple of weeks after its availability to see the first discounts. To give you an idea of what kind of discounts you may expect, the regular Echo Pop, which is $10 cheaper in list price, is selling for as low as $18 at the time of writing this article. In terms of availability, both are ready to order via Amazon or Best Buy.
Now, let’s look at the raw specifications of the two Echo devices.
Although the Echo Pop Kids and Echo Dot Kids are both compact smart speakers, the two have distinct designs. The Pop Kids is based on the regular Echo Pop and features a cone-style look with a rubber sleeve and a Disney Princess or Marvel Avengers poster on the front mesh. The rubber sleeve seems like the same sleeve that Amazon sells as an optional accessory for the regular Echo Pop; it will undoubtedly keep the device safe from not-so-delicate usage by your kids. Moreover, the front mesh poster is meant to entice the kids. The rest of the design is pretty straightforward, but only one color option exists.
The Echo Dot Kids uses the same formula as the regular Echo Dot. But unlike the Echo Pop Kids, it has no protective bumper or sleeve. You only get an owl or dragon graphic on the mesh.
Choosing between the two designs will depend on your personal preference and what your kids like. The Echo Pop Kids makes more sense if they are a fan of Avengers or various Disney princesses. Also, the Echo Pop Kids has the rubber sleeve going in its favor, which makes it more durable.
Features, software, and hardware
Being part of the Echo smart speaker lineup, the Echo Pop Kids and Echo Dot Kids have largely the same feature set, at least in terms of the software. The only software-specific difference you’ll find is the Hey Disney! companion on the Echo Pop Kids, which allows kids to talk with Mickey, C-3PO, R2-D2, Dory, and Olaf. They can listen to their stories, play Disney Trivia, and more. In contrast, the Echo Dot Kids features animal-inspired Alexa voices. Kids can enjoy animal-inspired songs, jokes, and greetings in owl or dragon voices.
It’s the hardware and bundled services that primarily differentiate the Echo Pop Kids and Echo Dot Kids. The Echo Pop Kids comes with a six-month complimentary subscription to the Amazon Kids+ Family Plan, after which you’ll have to pay $5 a month to enjoy this benefit.
On the other hand, you get a one-year Kids+ plan bundled with the Echo Dot Kids, essentially giving you $30 worth of Kids+ plan extra with the Dot. This plan brings access to kid-friendly Audible books, interactive games, fun Morning Routines, and educational skills. In addition, your kids can use the same subscription on their Fire tablets and other mobile devices.
The Dot Kids also houses a temperature sensor and supports motion detection, both of which aren’t available in the Pop Kids. While motion detection is mainly used to trigger Occupancy Routines on the Echo, the temperature sensor can help youset up Routinesusing the room temperature as a variable.
Another difference between the two smart speakers is the driver size. The Echo Pop Kids has a slightly bigger 1.95-inch driver than the 1.73-inch driver in the Echo Dot Kids. Although this won’t result in a massive performance boost, it will make the audio coming out of the Pop richer and better.
Aside from this, both devices offer the same Parent Dashboard, which allows you to set daily limits on smart speaker usage, review activity, filter content, and more. AndAlexacan help kids with homework, read bedtime stories, play music, and perform other tasks.
Which is right for your child?
There’s no clear winner here. Beyond their specific features, design, and other minor tweaks, both the Echo Pop Kids and the Echo Dot Kids are excellent smart speakers for kids. They don’t cost too much, offer parental controls, have lots of kids-specific content via the Kids+ subscription, and look cute. While the Echo Pop Kids has a slightly better speaker, it lacks a temperature sensor and motion detection. The Echo Pop Kids is also more durable with its included sleeve; however, it only gets six months of the bundled Kids+ Family subscription, compared to the Echo Dot Kids' one-year subscription.
Choosing between these two kid-focused smart speakers will come down to what you are looking for most in an Echo for your kids’ bedroom. Would your child benefit from a slightly better speaker and a more durable device? Then the Echo Pop Kids certainly makes more sense. Also, are they Disney or Marvel fans? If so, the Echo Pop Kids will entice them more. The Echo Pop Kids may seem costly at this point, but after a few months (or even weeks), it will surely end up cheaper than the Echo Dot Kids.
Durable with a powerful speaker
The Amazon Echo Pop Kids is a fun new smart speaker that packs a relatively powerful speaker and Disney-themed content. It will fit right in your kids' room.
If the temperature or motion-based automation will come in handy for your child, the Echo Dot Kids is more suitable. Also, if they love owls or dragons, they may like the Echo Dot Kids over the Echo Pop Kids.
Colorful and feature-rich
The Echo Dot Kids is another excellent child-friendly smart speaker with colorful designs. One of its highlights is the bundled one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.
