Just right
Fire HD 8 Kids Edition
$140 at Amazon
Pros
- Manageable screen size for small kids
- USB-C charging with fast charge option
- Kid-proof case included
- Expandable storage up to 1TB
Cons
- Only HD resolution
- Older children may prefer a larger screen
For most kids and parents, the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition will be in the sweet spot of performance and price. The screen resolution is sharp enough for young kids to learn to read as well as for media consumption. With the included one year of FreeTime Unlimited, your child will get plenty of quality use from this tablet.
The big one
Fire HD 10 Kids Edition
$200 at Amazon
Pros
- Large full HD display
- Included kid-proof case
- USB-C charging with option fast charging
Cons
- The cost difference may not be justifiable
- Only up to 512GB of expandable storage
- Screen may be too large for some
The Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is everything you could want from a kid’s tablet. It has great performance and a large full HD screen that is perfect for media consumption. However, with expansion up to only 512GB and a significant price increase over the 8-inch model, it may not worth it.
When Amazon upgraded its Fire Tablets earlier this year, the company did a fine job making changes where needed, including improved processors, increased RAM, better screens, and more. The Fire HD 8 Kids Edition and the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition make up the middle and upper tier tablets and all feature some of Amazon’s recent updates. These tablets have a lot in common, but their differences are enough to sway you one way over the other.
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition vs. Fire HD 8 Kids Edition: Searching for separation
As mentioned above, these two tablets share so much of the same DNA that it can be challenging to choose which one to pick. However, if we look closely, we can see that there are a few differences, outside of price.
Weight | 19.4 oz | 24.7 oz |
Display | 8″ HD | 10.1″ full HD |
Dimensions | 9.2″ x 7.2″ x 1.0″ | 11.5″ x 8.1″ x 1.0″ |
Storage | 32GB | 32GB |
Expandable Storage | Up to 1TB | Up to 512GB |
Screen Resolution | 1280×800 (189 PPI) | 1920×1200 (224 PPI) |
Battery life | Up to 12 hours of multimedia | Up to 12 hours of multimedia |
Camera | 2MP front and rear-facing cameras with 720p video recording | 2MP front and rear-facing cameras with 720p video recording |
Alexa enabled | Off by default | Off by default |
Colors | Pink, Blue, Purple | Pink, Blue, Purple |
Audio | Dual speakers with Dolby Atmos | Dual speakers with Dolby Atmos |
Case | Kid-safe case included | Kid-safe case included |
Parental Controls | Yes | Yes |
FreeTime Unlimited | One year included | One year included |
Ports | USB C, 3.5mm headphone jack | USB C, 3.5mm headphone jack |
Warranty | 2-year | 2-year |
The two tablets differ in three categories: size, resolution, and the amount of expandable storage. While these changes mays seem minute, when looked at from a usability standpoint, they make all the difference.
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition vs. Fire HD 8 Kids Edition: How do these differences matter?
You might think that bigger is better — right? Well, that depends on the situation. The Fire HD 10 Kids Edition has a 10.1-inch display, whereas the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition an 8-inch screen.
The Fire HD 10 is large and can be great for watching movies or games that come included with the one-year of FreeTime Unlimited on each of these tablets. However, that large screen becomes even larger when considering the bulky kid’s case that comes on it. While you could take the case off, you likely won’t since this is a pricey device you’ll often be putting into the hands of your children. Unless the child using the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is older with larger hands, this big tablet could be difficult to manage.
Smaller hands could have troubles using the large screen, especially with the included protective case.
This size difference is why the 8-inch model may be more appealing. Though the display on the larger model does have a slightly higher resolution (1920×1200) the 1280×800 display on the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition still looks excellent. Even with the foam case installed, the size of the tablet stays in the range that most kids should have no trouble using.
While the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition’s larger screen seems prime for entertainment, the device is limited to only 512GB of expandable storage. It’s a spec that is a bit confusing given that both tablets offer only 32GB built-in storage. Yes, 512GB is a lot of space, but once you start moving apps, movies, and other downloads onto that microSD card, it will fill up fast.
The Fire HD 8 Kids Edition may have the smaller screen and lower resolution display, but it has double the expandable storage capability — up to 1TB! This means your little one will likely never run out of space for their entertainment and learning aspirations. Though you may not need a full terabyte of storage on your child’s tablet, having the option can be wonderful for long road trips or other times that the internet is unavailable.
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition vs. Fire HD 8 Kids Edition: What features do you get?
Because these are Kids Edition tablets from Amazon, they come with some of the industry’s best parental controls and kid’s content. With the purchase of every Kids Edition Fire Tablet, you get one year of FreeTime Unlimited. It costs $3 per month after the first year if you are a Prime Member or $5 per month if you aren’t.
Parents can set limits for daily tablet usage, app limits, and what content is available through the built-in parental controls.
FreeTime Unlimited is an age-specific library of curated content for kids with over 20,000 books, movies, TV shows, apps, and games. Through the parental controls, you select the age range of content you want your child to have access to. You also can set specific targets for when your child can get to the “fun” stuff on their tablet. For my son, I require at least 30 minutes of reading before he can access the games and videos.
Each of these tablets also gets a two-year “worry-free” guarantee that will replace the device for any reason should it get damaged. While the case that comes on these tablets is very hardy, things happen, and Amazon has your back if it does.
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition vs. Fire HD 8 Kids Edition: Bottom line
Both the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition and Fire HD 8 Kids Edition are great options for kids. They have dual-speakers with Dolby Atmos support, fast processors with 2GB RAM, USB-C for charging, and a headphone jack. This all works wonderfully in tandem with the services and warranty Amazon provides.
However, when we boil these two tablets down to basics, the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition is the option best suited for most families. It gets all of the same high-performance features of the larger option while saving you some money and offering more expandable storage space. The size will also be more usable for most kids as it doesn’t get too unwieldy in its case for small hands.
The Fire HD 10 Kids Edition may work best for your family needs if you have an older child who could handle the larger screen. The higher resolution screen could be beneficial when media consumption is the primary use case for this device. Just remember that the expandable storage capacity is half of what you get on the Fire HD 8.
In the end, both of these are great choices to consider for your child. Just note that the highly durable cases on these devices are also quite bulky, so that big 10.1-inch tablet will be much larger with that on.
Perfectly middling
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Edition
In size, not performance
$140 at Amazon
$140 at Best Buy
With its great performance and excellent usability for kids at its 8-inch size, the Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet is a perfect choice. Bring Amazon FreeTime Unlimited and two-year warranty into the fold, and you’ve got a happy kid.
Large and in charge
Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Edition
Going big
$200 at Amazon
$200 at Best Buy
With a full HD 10.1-inch display and fantastic content options from Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, the Fire HD 10 Kids Edition is ready for hours of entertainment.