Best Kids' Tablets Under $150

What separates the best kids tablet under 150?

All three picks sit under $150, so the split comes down to screen, speed and how much protection you get in the box. The Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro scores 8.5 at $149.99. The trade-off is a 720p screen that looks soft next to the HD 10, and it is slower still.

The Amazon Fire 7 Kids scores 8.2 at $109.99. You get a case, a guarantee and a year of Kids+ for $110, plus the same Amazon Kids controls as the bigger tablets. It is light enough for a 3-year-old to carry. The 7-inch screen is low-resolution, apps are slow to open, and 16 GB fills quickly.

The Lenovo Tab M9 scores 7.4 at $139.99. It brings Google Play and Kids Space, 64 GB and a 12-hour battery, with a folio case included. In testing the screen cracked on drop seven in the folio, and it is slow with a dim screen outdoors.

What should I check before buying a kids tablet?

Parental controls carry the most weight in our scoring at 30 points, so confirm the control app covers what you need before anything else. Durability and case come next at 20, which is why the bundled case matters as much as the tablet. Screen and performance add 20, content and apps 15, and value 15.

• Controls: Amazon Kids is shared across both Fire tablets; the Kids Pro library adds an open, filtered web browser.
• Case and guarantee: the Fire tablets include both; the Lenovo folio is thinner protection.
• Storage: 16 GB on the Fire 7 Kids fills quickly; the Lenovo gives 64 GB.
• Screen: the Fire HD 8 Kids Pro is 720p, the Fire 7 Kids is low-resolution, and the Lenovo is dim outdoors.

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro

For 6–12-year-olds who want a more grown-up Kids+ library and a slim case, at $149.99.

Amazon Fire 7 Kids

For a 3-year-old: $109.99 buys a case, a guarantee and a year of Kids+, in a body light enough to carry.

Lenovo Tab M9

For a child who needs Google Play and Kids Space, 64 GB and a 12-hour battery for $139.99, with the understanding that the folio is thin protection.

For 6–12-year-olds, the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro at $149.99 gives you the slim case and the Kids+ Pro library. For a 3-year-old, the Amazon Fire 7 Kids at $109.99 covers the basics with a case, a guarantee and a year of Kids+. If you need Google Play, 64 GB and a 12-hour battery, the Lenovo Tab M9 at $139.99 fits, as long as you accept the thin folio.