Voxblock review: A new screen & Internet-free audio player for kids

Disclaimer: I was sent this Voxblock free of charge for an honest review, but words and pictures are mine. This post contains affiliate links, see more information here. If after reading this Voxblock review you want to buy one, then can get 5% off your order if you use the code WHINGEWHINGEWINE at checkout.

With parents always on the look out for screen-free ways to entertain their children, audio books are becoming more and more popular. There are a number of different types of audio players aimed at children, and we are fortunate enough to have reviewed a number of them so I’d like to think we know what we’re talking about now!

The newest kid-friendly audio player on the scene is the Voxblock.

We were sent a Voxblock with colourful bumper and books to review and compare with our other audio players.

Where the Voxblock differs from other audio players is that it doesn’t require any kind of internet connection. There’s no set up, no app to download and no desperately searching for YouTube tutorials to help you connect it to your home WiFi network. You can simply open the box, turn it on, and use it straight away without having to download any software or worry about privacy concerns.

There’s no screen, no glow, no other functions. It reads stories, starts, stops and you can set a 20 minute sleep timer.

Rather than cards or objects, the stories are designed to look like miniature books, and can be stored on a child’s bookshelf. The books are easy for little hands to handle and slot into the front of the Voxblock, where they are held in magnetically. The unit itself is very plain and won’t be seen by older kids as ‘babyish’, for example like the much larger Toniebox might.

Made of cardboard, they are built sustainably which is really great to note. All the packaging, too, is made from cardboard and fully recyclable. The Voxblock player itself is simply designed with the minimum number of parts with sustainability in mind,

The only issue I can foresee is that small children may want to open up the books. They’re very well glued together but you might want to tell them that they definitely do not come apart!

How does the Voxblock work?

Operating the Voxblock is really simple. There is an and off switch hidden behind the book slot. When this is moved down, the volume LEDs, battery icon and blue pause button will be dimly lit. The light at the bottom will change to green when a story is being played, and orange when in sleep mode. The battery will go red when the Voxblock unit needs recharging.

To listen to a story, simply place on one of the little books into the slot and it will start automatically. You can pause and restart a story with the big ‘play’ button, and move between chapters using the arrows. The up and down buttons adjust the volume; there are five volume settings.

You can start multiple books and it will save the space in each, which is great if you have several different stories on the go, for example if siblings are sharing.

Lastly, there’s a headphone socket on the bottom so you can attach a pair of corded headphones to the unit (although you cannot connect Bluetooth headphones).

Other features of the Voxblock

Measuring less than 20cm long, 12cm wide and 3cm thick with the bumper attached, it’s extremely light and portable and can be taken on a day out in a bag.

The unit charges with a normal USB-C phone charger cable too so you’re unlikely to get unstuck if you run out of charge.

Lastly, there’s a sleep timer. Press down both arrow buttons until you hear a tone and the status bar at the bottom goes orange. The story will play for 20 minutes and then go silent and enter standby mode.

What and who is the Voxblock good for?

In our opinion, the Voxblock is a really nifty unit. In particular, we think it would be great for:

• Young children aged 3-5, or those with additional needs who may struggle to use more complicated audio players, who will find the Voxblock really easy to use. Even young children will be able to select the stories they want to listen to based on the covers and insert them into the unit with no adult help or supervision required.
• Children who don’t have a stable internet connection in their rooms as no WiFi is required.
• Travelling; particularly on aeroplanes where other devices need to be put into aeroplane mode/switched off. Remember the headphones!
• Going on holidays, particularly camping where WiFi and charging isn’t possible. It can last for 14 hours of play on a single charge.
• Due to the neutral appearance, older children can also use the Voxblock and there are stories available for all ages. For older children, there are titles including Malamander, Great Scientists and Their Discoveries and Can You See Me – and there are more in the pipeline.

How much is the Voxblock and where can I get one?

The starter pack, which contains the Voxblock, a coloured bumper (from a choice of orange, green and red) and three audio books costs £59.99.

Additional books cost from £6, with longer bestsellers for older children around the £13.99 mark. These stories are loaded into the books and can be played as soon as they arrive, without having to connect to the internet. At the time of writing, there were over 100 stories/bundles available on the website, with some classics and some new releases, spanning a large age range from at least 3 to ten years old. This will be added to regularly as new stories are released.

You can see the entire range and buy the Voxblock on their website. If after reading this Voxblock review you fancy buying one, you can get 5% off your order if you use the code WHINGEWHINGEWINE at checkout.

See my list of best kids’ audio players for 2023 here!

WIN a Voxblock Easter Bundle!

You can WIN an Easter bundle from Voxblock including a Voxblock player, bumper, Peter Rabbit + a £5.99 gift voucher. You can currently buy these bundles for £45 on the Voxblock website.

Win a Voxblock bundle!