Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro (32 GB, 2022) review 2027

What problem does the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro solve for 6–10 year olds on a budget?

The HD 8 Kids Pro is the Fire tablet for a child who wants to look less like a toddler and a parent who wants the same protection. The compromise is the screen.

It is aimed at ages 6–12, and it is the Fire tablet for a child who has outgrown the bumper-and-baby-blue look but is not ready for a full-price iPad. The Kids+ Pro library adds an open, filtered web browser, so a 9-year-old can search the web without you handing over an unfiltered browser. The 13-hour battery covers a long car trip or a full school day plus the ride home.

How did it score across our five test criteria?

• Parental controls: 27/30. We measured time limits, bedtime, app and web approval, per-child profiles, content age filters, and whether a 9-year-old could get around them.
• Durability and case: 18/20. Ten drops from 1 m in the bundled case, then screen and port condition after two weeks, plus the warranty.
• Screen and performance: 12/20. Resolution and brightness, app launch times, video playback, and measured battery on our loop.
• Content and apps: 13/15. The included kids' content library, app store breadth, offline downloads, and educational apps.
• Value: 15/15. Price including a case and a year of any subscription needed for the headline content.

The controls and the value carried the score. The screen and performance pulled it down.

What are the standout strengths?

The battery measured 13 hours on our video loop, which matches the HD 10 Kids and beats the iPad's 10 h and the Galaxy Tab A9+ Kids Edition's 11 h. It survived 10/10 drops from 1 m in the bundled slim case, with the screen and ports intact after two weeks.

The parental controls scored 27/30 because a 9-year-old could not get around them in our testing. You get time limits, bedtime, app and web approval, per-child profiles and content age filters. The Kids+ Pro library includes an open but filtered web browser, which is the feature that separates this from the toddler tablets. And the two-year worry-free guarantee means Amazon replaces it if it breaks.

What is in the box and how is it built?

The spec sheet is straightforward. It is rated for ages 6–12. Battery is 13 h for video. The case included is a slim case with a stand, not a chunky bumper. The warranty is a 2-year worry-free guarantee. The content subscription is Amazon Kids+ for 1 year included, then $5.99/mo.

How does it compare with the rivals we tested?

It is ahead on screen and size, behind on price.

It is ahead on screen, storage and app breadth, behind on price, battery and bundled protection.

It is ahead on screen and storage, behind on battery, warranty and price.

Feature comparison

Across the shared labels, the HD 8 Kids Pro sits between the cheaper Fire 7 Kids and the larger Fire HD 10 Kids. Screen: 8 in here, 7 in on the Fire 7 Kids, 10.1 in on the HD 10 Kids, 11 in on the iPad and the Galaxy Tab A9+ Kids Edition. Ages: 6–12 here, 3–7 on the Fire 7 Kids, 3–7 with a Pro version for 6–12 on the HD 10 Kids, 8+ on the iPad, 5–12 on the Galaxy Tab. OS: Fire OS here and on the other Fires, iPadOS on the iPad, Android on the Galaxy Tab. Storage: 32 GB here and on the HD 10 Kids, 16 GB on the Fire 7 Kids, 64 GB on the Galaxy Tab, 128 GB on the iPad. Battery: 13 h here and on the HD 10 Kids, 10 h on the Fire 7 Kids and the iPad, 11 h on the Galaxy Tab. Case included: yes here, yes on the other Fires and the Galaxy Tab, no on the iPad. Warranty: 2-year worry-free here and on the other Fires, 1 year on the iPad and the Galaxy Tab. Subscription: Amazon Kids+ 1 year included then $5.99/mo here and on the other Fires, none required on the iPad and the Galaxy Tab.

Where does it fall short?

Screen resolution is where it lost the most ground. The 720p panel looks soft next to the HD 10's 1080p screen, and the screen and performance criterion scored 12/20. It is slower still than the larger Fire, and Fire OS app limits mean the app store is narrower than iPadOS or Android. If your child wants a specific app that is not in Amazon's store, this is not the tablet for it.

Is it good value at $149.99?

Value scored 15/15. The price summary is $149.99, and that includes the slim case with stand and a year of Amazon Kids+, which is the subscription needed for the headline content. The two-year worry-free guarantee is included at no extra cost. Against the $199.99 HD 10 Kids, the $349 iPad and the $219.99 Galaxy Tab A9+ Kids Edition, it is the cheapest way to get the same controls and the same guarantee as the HD 10.

Who should buy it?

It is still right for ages 6–10 on a budget. Buy it if your child has outgrown a toddler tablet, you want the same parental controls and two-year guarantee as the HD 10 Kids for $50 less, and you can live with a 720p screen. Skip it if screen quality or a wide app store matters more than price.