Best value tablet for 2yr old on a long haul flight

Cheapjaffa on 27/01/2022 - 15:25

Hiya Cheapies

Please help a mum out. Is this a good deal on market place?
https://themarket.com/nz/p/kids-tablets-and-computers-colour…

I'll be travelling alone (terrified) with my 2yr on a very long haul flight (29hrs) and wanting to buy a tablet to help when/if things get bad.

I want to be able to download some of her fav YouTube videos on it
Games
Family Pictures and Videos she can look at

Also anyone else have any experience flying alone with a toddler and can share some life hacks?

Thank so much

General Discussion

Comments

  • Alan6984 on 27/01/2022 - 15:51

    No help about what to buy, but once you have a tablet, just make sure that whatever you want to be able to use will work when you have no internet connection.

    You can test that by putting the tablet in 'aeroplane mode' whilst at home, then try playing the videos or games etc, and see what happens - maybe even play the games for a good while just in case they periodically try to display ads and lock up if there is no connection.

    Alan.

    • CheapAzChips on 27/01/2022 - 16:36
      +3

      Agree with Alan. Plans like YT premium, Spotify premium, etc will allow you to download for offline viewing. Any Netflix plans allow offline downloads to a limited number of devices. Also note that if you happen to come back online with airport WiFi or the like in a different country, some downloads may cease to play if Netflix isn't licensed to stream it in that country. So try and keep it offline until you arrive.

      Family pics and videos are amazingly addictive at that age, as you seem to point out. My 2yo could sit all day scrolling through the family collection.

      My personal opinion on those cheaper kids tablets like you've linked to is that they can be useful but they usually under-deliver. Build quality can be questionable, and they can be sluggish out of the box. Might not matter for a 2yo, but if she can't get her favourite app running, prepare for Plan C/D/E/… A higher spec device might be better, even if it's missing the huge bumper case.

      Definitely consider a modest set of headphones, look for one (usually wireless) that has a removable 3.5mm jack on both ends of the cord, so if it's yanked it unplugs rather than breaks. Just use it in "wired mode" so there's no hassle of switching on/off Bluetooth, running out of battery, etc.

      More generally (having travelled with 4 different toddlers):

      • Layer your activities. Always start with the "easy" activities: no power, non-messy, quiet activities such as colouring/drawing reading, and gradually move to the more aggressively attention-grabbing ones (phones and tablets). If you start with the tablet, all else is lost.
      • Always keep a good variety and quantity of healthy snacks available, and plenty of water. While traveling overseas this is tricky, as you may not be able to whip out an apple or celery sticks, but try and stock up each time you can. Any time you need a distraction (say, to take their mind off the device so you can get off the plane), whip out a favourite snack and swap for the tablet. Get them to drink regularly. And - if toilet training isn't already in full swing - disposable nappies will make your life SO much easier than trying to find a toilet each time she needs to pee.
      • Spend time with her, the tablet won't babysit her for 29 hours or anything like it. Play games with her, read to her, draw pictures together, scroll through photos together.
      • If there one thing that could help at that age, it's carrying the toddler through the airport. They really struggle with the long walks, long waits, noise and new environment. And carrying her everywhere will quickly get extremely tiring. Even more so if she is a wiggler or a runner. I'm not sure the best option here but Google "toddler luggage seat" for some ideas that might help. Just make sure she is safe from falls if you use one, don't leave her unattended, even for a literal second.
      • CheapAzChips on 27/01/2022 - 17:36

        Oh and good luck. You'll have your ups and downs and then it will be over before you know it and you can both get a good sleep and start adjusting to the new timezone ;)

      • Cheapjaffa on 28/01/2022 - 10:54

        Awwww man! I'm so touched you took the time out to write such a detailed reply and share so much.

        *As I'm a cheapie, I don't have any subscriptions to Netflix etc right now. I was planning on getting the tab then using some program or app or something to download YouTube videos.

        *Great idea about the headphones, didn't think of them. Is the below option a modest one? I can't see anything about a 3.5mm jack, but I see a wire sticking out in the picture.

        https://www.jbhifi.co.nz/headphones-speakers-audio/ifrogz/if…

        *As for your other ideas. You're absolutely on point. The tablet is a last resort for me and for things like Nappy change in the scary aeroplane toilets.
        I've bought things like stickers, sticker books, small Playdoh, disposable placemat.
        Will also be taking some crayons, pens, books and snacks like her fav homemade cupcakes, nuts etc just in case she refuses airplane food.

        *I find it very difficult to carry her around. So I've bought a used Babyzen which folds down to nothing and can be stored in the cabin.

        • CheapAzChips on 28/01/2022 - 17:19

          You could try a free trial of any of those services, which should give you downloading for a month. Just be careful downloading YT videos without a subscription, a lot of the websites that allow you to do this are laden with dodgy ads and in some cases malware. There are very few (if any) "legitimate" ones because Google clamps down on it, as it's a source of income for them. There are ways to safely download videos (eg. using VLC), but they are a bit clunky. If you're unsure, check with someone tech-savvy to see what they recommend.

          As for headphones, that one you linked to is wired-only, which means that the wire is permanently attached. I'd personally get a wireless pair as they're not much more expensive and you can use them as wired with a removable cable (which I'd recommend for the flight). Here are some options:

          https://www.jbhifi.co.nz/headphones-speakers-audio/moki/moki…

          https://www.jbhifi.co.nz/headphones-speakers-audio/belkin/be…

          https://www.jbhifi.co.nz/headphones-speakers-audio/xcd/xcd-b…

          Belkin is a much better brand than Moki, I'm not sure about XCD but generally the "over ear" ones will be much more comfortable over long periods than the "on ear", which the first two are.

          Good choice on the carrier and your other list of activities is great!

    • Cheapjaffa on 28/01/2022 - 10:41

      Hi Alan

      Thank you, those are some really good ideas. I'll make sure to trial everything out

  • ehh on 27/01/2022 - 16:04

    I'd recommend something like a samsung s6 lite , the tablet on the link only has 8gb internal storage so less than 4gb will be usable

    • Cheapjaffa on 28/01/2022 - 10:38

      Thank you. S6 is beyond our price range at the moment,but you're right I should think about storage.

      • ehh on 28/01/2022 - 14:51

        I read your original post as for a different age oops.. a samsung a7 lite should suit for your purpose and would hold reasonable resale value if you didn't require after.

  • davew on 27/01/2022 - 22:03
    +1

    Throwing in my 2c as well (dad of a 2 year old) - we have Google Play Pass, which is a subscription service that gets you access to a bunch of normally paid apps for free. Among them are some really excellent children's apps - Sago Mini School is by far the best, but there's some other good options too. I believe you can do a 30 day trial for free which would be great for your situation.

    • Cheapjaffa on 28/01/2022 - 10:33

      Thank you, that's a really good idea, especially the free trial. I looked at the Sago Mini App it looks awesome

      I'm considering getting an Amazon Fire, apparently there's a easy work around to get Playstore on there, hopefully I can still also get the free trial/subscription

  • Cheapjaffa on 28/01/2022 - 10:30

    Apparently there's a work around to get playstore on these Amazon tabs.

    Amazon Fire $168 on PBtech. Is reasonable $$, my budget was 2-3 hundred. Has good reviews

    https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/TABKDL1013211/Amazon-Fire-H…

    Another option: Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Tablet 32GB….. Seems like the perfect option to me… But only place selling it is a parallel import, I'm supposed to avoid those right?

    https://www.mobilestation.co.nz/fire-hd-8-kids-tablet-32gb.h…

    Also btw this article that recommended the above two options

    https://www.techradar.com/nz/news/best-kids-tablet

    Open to any other ideas and suggestions also :)
    As you can see, not very tech savy.

  • ace310 on 28/01/2022 - 11:22

    Other thing to consider for long haul flights with stop-overs is getting assistance booked so that there is someone at the airport to help you with the luggage. Not sure what's the situation is after the covid and if you can still book assistance or not, but check with the airline.

    Normally there is no charge for this. Pre-covid we always used to book for assistance even if we decide not to use it sometimes and tell the person that we are fine. Has helped us few times to transport hand luggage for us, so that we can concentrate with kids.

    Other thing to consider is having a universal travel adapter for charging your devices.

    • Cheapjaffa on 28/01/2022 - 12:36

      Yes Thank you for pointing that out.
      I believe they still offer it but not sure to what extent. As I will have the stroller and baby bag, will definitely need help with hand luggage.
      I'm waiting for an email back from the airline to confirm

  • boldbilly on 28/01/2022 - 13:49

    Don't forget to bring the USB cable onboard with you — you will need to recharge it, especially if it's a cheaper model with a lower battery life.

  • justaddwater on 28/01/2022 - 19:21

    vodka and milk

  • F armer on 06/02/2022 - 11:40

    dad of 3, anything lower spec samsung tablets are fine.
    internal storage can be solved with a micro sd card, what i did was install a few games that doesn't require wifi connection and loaded the micro sd card with movies and clips of their favourite shows

  • [Deactivated] on 13/02/2022 - 08:30

    The amount of customer returns on the really cheap ones like Laser etc get a A7 lite or Lenovo m7 should be fine and a durable case

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