Youngsters love iPads. The simplicity of tapping on the display when they need issues to occur means they’ll study to make use of them in seconds, however there’s loads that Apple’s tablets can do. Whether or not it’s academic video games, leisure apps, utilizing them to create artwork with an Apple Pencil or simply one thing to cease them losing interest on automotive journeys, iPads generally is a godsend.
Choosing the proper one can really feel a bit daunting. In any case, don’t all of them do the identical issues? What’s the distinction between the traditional iPad and the iPad Air? Is an iPad mini too small or simply good? Effectively, we’re right here to simplify issues so that you may be certain you’re shopping for the suitable one.
On this article, we reveal our high decisions of iPads for teenagers, and share recommendation on whether or not you should purchase an iPad for a kid, if you happen to want mobile, and how a lot storage you need to get. Learn on for extra data.
You may also learn our greatest iPhone and iPad apps for teenagers information to get them off to a very good begin. Plus, we now have a roundup of the greatest iPhones for teenagers if you wish to immerse them absolutely within the Apple world as they develop up.
Greatest iPad for teenagers and toddlers
On the time of writing, Apple gives 4 classes of iPad, that are as follows.
We wouldn’t suggest the iPad Professional for kids, as you’d simply be paying fairly sizeable quantities for efficiency and compatibility options that they only received’t want. The usual iPad and iPad mini vary provide loads of scope and energy for youthful customers, and the iPad Air will fulfill the extra demanding teen. Our recommendation is to stay with these and ignore the Execs. In relation to older college students although, it’s a doubtlessly completely different argument, however the excellent news is you’ll be able to put that off for a number of years and save up for the costlier iPad within the meantime.
Talking of financial savings, try our round-up of one of the best iPad offers you may get on the entire vary of iPads right here: The very best iPad offers.
Right here’s our recommendation on which iPad to decide on when shopping for for a kid.
iPad mini (A17 Professional) – Greatest for small palms
Execs
- Light-weight
- Highly effective
- Apple Pencil Professional assist
Cons
- Smaller doesn’t imply cheaper
Value When Reviewed: $499 (128GB; Wi-Fi solely) | $599 (256GB; Wi-Fi solely) | $799 (512GB; Wi-Fi solely)
Whereas the iPad mini is perhaps the smallest member of the household, don’t let that idiot you, there’s loads of energy and options packed into the diminutive body. The one detrimental is the value, which is a bit greater than the larger iPad, so it’s not fairly as a lot of a discount for teenagers.
The 8.3-inch Liquid Retina show is attractive. Like all the fashionable iPads, there is no such thing as a Residence button – Apple ditched {that a} technology in the past and as a substitute put a Contact ID sensor within the Energy button on the facet.
Underneath the hood, there’s an A17 Professional driving factors, this processor is the bottom spec required to run Apple Intelligence options. If you’re selecting between the iPad mini and cheaper iPad and are inquisitive about Apple Intelligence, solely the iPad mini, iPad Air and Professional will assist it.
Even when Apple Intelligence doesn’t peek your curiosity, the A17 Professional chip means there may be no lack of energy on this smaller iPad, making certain the most recent video games and apps will completely fly on this system. It additionally has assist for the Apple Pencil (USB C) or the Apple Pencil Professional, that means your baby can use if for doodling, creating artwork or note-taking at college once they get a bit older.
The compact dimensions of 195.4mm x 134.8mm x 6.3mm at 297g make it small and light-weight, which may be simpler for little ones to carry. There are additionally 4 completely different colours to select from, together with delicate shades of Purple and Blue.
The iPad mini is offered in these configurations:
- iPad mini (A17 Professional) 128GB – $499/£499
- iPad mini (A17 Professional) 256GB – $599/£599
- iPad mini (A17 Professional) 512GB – $799/£799
- iPad mini (A17 Professional, mobile) prices $150/£150 greater than the non-cellular variations.
Verify our information to the greatest iPad mini offers to see if you may get one for a cheaper price.
iPad Air (M3) – Greatest for larger children
- Highly effective
- Apple Intelligence
- Apple Pencil Professional Assist
- Magic Keyboard accent
Cons
- Not low-cost
- Is perhaps overkill for smaller children
Value When Reviewed: $599 at amazon.
For most youngsters, the Air might be a bit above what they want, but when your baby is rising up and in search of one thing to assist them with schoolwork (in addition to taking part in the most recent video games) then the Air is a good bundle.
Powered by the M3 chip that has additionally featured in current variations of the MacBook Air, iMac and MacBook Professional, the iPad Air (which is available in 11-inch and 13-inch varieties) is a quick and really succesful system. The M3 chip additionally signifies that the iPad Air can use Apple Intelligence (the corporate’s suite of AI-tools) which gives assist with writing, wanting up details about something you set in entrance of the cameras, plus a spread of different useful options.
You received’t have any issues operating the most recent apps on the iPad Air, and with as much as 10 hours battery life for watching video on a single cost, lengthy journeys must be a bit extra peaceable.
At 460g/1.01lbs it’s a bit heavier than the iPad mini, however after all you get that bigger show. If the 11-inch mannequin remains to be too small, then Apple additionally gives the iPad Air 13-inch variant. Each assist the Apple Pencil (USB-C) and Apple Pencil Professional, making them nice for word taking and creative endeavours (see: Apple Pencils in contrast: Which Apple Pencil works together with your iPad?), plus there’s additionally the Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Air which might flip the system right into a makeshift laptop computer – nice in case your children are attending to the stage the place they should work on initiatives or essays.
The cameras are stable (a 12Mp broad on the rear and 12Mp Centre Stage digital camera on the entrance) and may report up 4K at 60fps for YouTube movies or different content material platforms on which your child would possibly need to construct a platform.
Storage choices are good, with the base-level 128GB most likely being sufficient for many makes use of, however if you wish to retailer a great deal of video games, films and music onboard then there are additionally 256GB, 512GB and 1TB capacities obtainable.
The iPad Air 11-inch is offered within the following configurations:
- 128GB – $599/£599
- 256GB – $699/£699
- 512GB – $899/£899
- 1TB – $1,099/£1,099
If you would like the bigger iPad Air 13-inch, then these are the fashions obtainable:
- 128GB – $799/£799
- 256GB – $899/£899
- 512GB – $1,099/£1,099
- 1TB – $1,299/£1,299
Each sizes share the identical alternative of colours, that are Blue, Area Gray, Purple, and Starlight.
If these costs appear a bit excessive, then its value noting that greater schooling college students get a reduction, however not faculty aged kids. You may see extra about that and our present suggestions in our Greatest iPads for College students roundup in addition to greatest iPad Air offers to see if yow will discover a discount.
iPad (A16, Eleventh Gen) – price range choice
- Fashionable design
- 11-inch Liquid Retina Show
- USB-C for charging
- Vibrant colours
Cons
- Show isn’t nearly as good as on different fashions
- A16 processor doesn’t work with Apple Intelligence
Value When Reviewed: $349 at Amazon
Apple revamped its customary iPad again in 2022 and the design stays the identical for the 2025 model, in truth little or no has modified other than the up-to-date A16 chip at its coronary heart.
Like with the opposite fashions on this record there’s a Contact ID sensor embedded within the energy button on the highest edge. This implies there’s loads of house for the 11-inch Liquid Retina Show. As with the earlier customary iPad fashions, the show isn’t laminated, that means there’s a slight air hole between the glass and the show beneath. This can be a minor factor and doubtless received’t even be one thing you discover, until you utilize an Apple Pencil typically, through which case you’ll most likely expertise a really slight lag as you write. It’s all good although, and after no time in any respect, you’ll be capable of incorporate that into your approach and scribble away with one of the best of them. This mannequin helps the first technology Apple Pencil (which is stress delicate) or the Apple Pencil USB C (which isn’t stress delicate).
Apple matches the Eleventh-gen iPad with an A16 processor, which is similar tech that powered the iPhone 14 Professional fashions in addition to the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. Whereas it’s a succesful little bit of silicon, it doesn’t meet the necessities to assist Apple Intelligence. So if Apple’s new AI-tools are one thing you really need — or suppose you might have considered trying sooner or later — then this isn’t the mannequin for you.
That being stated, the A16 chip will nonetheless present first rate efficiency for taking part in video games, streaming video content material, and operating academic apps. As with all new Apple gadgets (due to EU legislation) the charging port is USB-C port quite than Lightning. This opens up a world of peripherals that you need to use with the iPad, and you may even join it to a appropriate monitor in case your baby wants a desktop-style expertise. There’s additionally the choice of utilizing the iPad with Apple’s Magic Keyboard Folio case to show it into an iPad flavoured laptop computer. In fact, you’ll be able to pair it with a third-party Bluetooth keyboard and mouse if you happen to don’t fancy Apple’s premium pricing. Try our roundup of the Greatest iPad Keyboards for some glorious choices.
The iPad is available in 4 vibrant, daring colours (Blue, Pink, Yellow, and Silver), so your baby can choose one which displays their character or simply the one with the hues they like essentially the most.
Among the best options of the iPad (A16) is its low value. You may choose them up for the next costs:
- iPad (A16, Eleventh gen) 128GB – $349/£329
- iPad (A16, Eleventh gen) 256GB – $449/£429
- iPad (A16, Eleventh gen) 512GB – $649/£629
Verify our information to the greatest iPad A16 offers to see if you may get one for a cheaper price.
Ought to I get an iPad for my baby?
There’s been plenty of analysis printed about how a lot of display time our youngsters must be allowed. Some dad and mom would possibly argue that children shouldn’t be uncovered to screens at such a younger age, however frankly, in a world the place the whole lot is dominated by expertise we predict that we owe it to our youngsters to verify they’re snug in that surroundings, therefore the introduction of an iPad is sweet for his or her schooling.
That stated, simply sticking them in entrance of an iPad quite than interacting with them most likely isn’t nice: Disney+ shouldn’t actually be babysitting your children for hours on finish, but when it permits you a couple of minutes of peace to make dinner then truthful sufficient.
With that out of the way in which, there are various the reason why try to be assured about getting an iPad to your children to make use of. There are, in spite of everything, many different tablets in the marketplace, most of that are cheaper than the iPad. So, if you’re in search of some reassurance on is whether or not the iPad is the best choice to your baby, listed here are a number of compelling causes:
- The App Retailer is stuffed with nice apps designed particularly for teenagers.
- A lot of these apps will probably be supreme for varsity kids of assorted ages, and even toddlers.
- There may be an ecosystem of nice equipment designed to work with the iPad.
- iPadOS is simple to make use of, particularly in case your baby has used your iPhone. The bonus is your iPhone apps will probably be obtainable in your iPad too and vice versa.
Do I want mobile?
Most likely not. It provides $150/£150 to the value of the iPad and we’d counsel that cash was higher spent on upgrading the storage or getting a greater mannequin. If you wish to add mobile capabilities to your children’ iPad, we suggest that when you find yourself exterior the home your hotspot from your personal iPhone quite than spend cash on a contract to your baby. That stated, most apps will work offline, and you may obtain films to the system when heading on an extended journey.
Is 64GB sufficient?
Till the launch of the 2025 iPad Apple nonetheless offered a 64GB mannequin, which we felt wasn’t an ample quantity of storage, so our recommendation was to get an iPad with extra storage. The excellent news is that when Apple up to date the iPad in 2025 It eliminated the 64GB mannequin from the road up and now all the entire iPads talked about above provide a 128GB SSD or extra.
Our recommendation nonetheless stays the identical. If you’re contemplating a used iPad, or a refurbished mannequin, otherwise you see one of many older fashions nonetheless on sale don’t be tempted by a 64GB mannequin. For lengthy journeys, you would possibly need to obtain plenty of films, TV reveals, or video games to entertain the youngsters within the automotive or on the aircraft. In case you do that the storage will shortly refill, so extra storage is best.
Our recommendation is get as a lot storage as you’ll be able to, 128GB could also be adequate if you happen to additionally pay month-to-month for the iCloud household plan (2TB a month may be shared between the household for $9.99/£8.99 a month). See iCloud costs.
Ought to I purchase a refurbished iPad?
In case you don’t thoughts dipping into the second-hand or refurbished market, then you may get some nice offers on older fashions. Apple has it’s personal refurbished retailer on which yow will discover current fashions obtainable for round 15% off their retail value. These all include the identical 1-year guarantee as brand-new gadgets, however without the hefty value. Over time we’ve purchased a number of refurbished fashions from Apple, and all have been nearly as good as new.
You may also look to third-party distributors, most of which have the identical warranties and money-back ensures so that you don’t really feel such as you’re taking a danger on a pre-owned system. For extra data concerning shopping for a used or refurbished iPad learn: Why a refurbished iPad could possibly be one of the best pill for you.
A refurbished mannequin could possibly be a terrific and cost-effective solution to begin your little ones out on their technological adventures.
When you’ve got older kids, then check out our information to the greatest iPads for college kids.
