Amazon Fire 7 Kids Tablet (2022 Release) Review

The 2022 Fire 7 Kids Tablet ($109.99) is the child-friendly counterpart to Amazon’s general-purpose Fire 7 Tablet ($59.99). The physical tablet hardware is identical, but the Kids model comes with a protective foam case (complete with a handle that doubles as a kickstand), a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+ ($4.99 per month thereafter), and a two-year device warranty. While this new version costs $10 more than its predecessor, notably improved battery life helps justify the small hike in price. So although the Fire 7 is a far way off from the $329 iPad in terms of app selection and hardware, it costs a third of the price, making it one of your best bets for an affordable kids’ tablet.

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A Fire 7 Tablet at Its Core

Despite this tablet’s child-friendly features and child-like appearance, it’s ultimately just a regular Fire 7 Tablet (available in blue, purple, or red) tucked into a durable cushy case. That means everything we observed in our review of the standard Fire 7 applies here.

To summarize, you get the same relatively slow 2GHz MediaTek MT8168 chip with 2GB of RAM and either 16GB ($109.99) or 32GB ($129.99) of storage. Amazon says the new model offers a 30% speed improvement over the 2019 version, and although we did notice an improvement in our tests, it’s still a bit sluggish compared with many other models. The tablet’s 1,024-by-600-pixel screen remains unimpressive and can be difficult to see in bright light. The lackluster 2MP front and rear cameras aren’t impressive, either, but they’re fine for video calls. On the plus side, battery life is now much better. In our battery drain test (streaming a YouTube video continuously over Wi-Fi), the Fire 7 Tablet lasted an impressive nine hours and 30 minutes, two and a half hours longer than the previous model.

And as far as any hardware drawbacks are concerned, kids aren’t likely to care too much as long as they can access fun games and apps. To that end, plenty of entertaining apps, books, and videos are available via the Amazon Appstore, so kids should easily be able to find plenty to occupy their time (we’ll discuss this in greater detail in a bit). Though Amazon’s app ecosystem is smaller than the competing Apple App Store and Google Play, the selection can be viewed as an advantage for parents because kids are less likely to encounter unsafe or inappropriate material.

(Photo: Dave LeClair)

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Fire 7 Kids Design and Durability

One of the main selling points of the Fire 7 Kids Tablet is the rugged case that comes with it. The hefty foam shell is sturdier than most basic tablet cases and can handle some pretty serious drops. Furthermore, it’s much easier for small hands to grip. The tablet sits reasonably deep inside the case, so if your child drops it the screen won’t make contact with the ground and should be protected. The fold-out kickstand also serves as a handle, which is a useful design touch.

(Photo: Dave LeClair)

In testing, I dropped the tablet several times on both hard and soft surfaces and it easily shrugged off each impact. Day-to-day drops and bumps shouldn’t be an issue so long as you keep it in the protective case.

(Photo: Dave LeClair)

The Fire 7 Kids doesn’t have an IP rating, so it’s unlikely to survive a swim in the pool. But you don’t need to worry about that potential scenario too much: an included two-year warranty ensures you can get a replacement if the tablet breaks. Between the case and the warranty, you should be able to rest easy knowing the Fire 7 Kids should last at least a couple of years.

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Amazon Kids+ Completes the Package

With the included Kids+ subscription(Opens in a new window), your child can access age-appropriate books, movies, TV shows, educational apps, and games. The subscription also unlocks ad-free radio stations and playlists with kid-friendly music for them to enjoy. The library is split in two: one includes content for kids between the ages of three and eight, and the other for kids between nine and 12. For example, there are shows like Blippi, Bob the Builder, and Pete the Cat, as well as a variety of YouTube videos hand-picked for young people. When gaming, you can select titles from brands such as Disney, Sesame Street, Smurfs, Tonka, and more.

(Photo: Dave LeClair)

Parental controls allow you to lock the tablet down and make sure your child only sees the content you allow. You can also set screen time limits, define educational goals, filter age-appropriate content, manage web browsing, and adjust what content types your kids can access. Essentially, if you want to limit your kids’ device usage in some way, a Kids+ subscription makes it possible.

You control everything via the Amazon Parent Dashboard. Here, you can see what apps and content have been downloaded, check how long the tablet has been used, and manage limitations. You can even add content to your child’s tablet remotely. Amazon isn’t the only company that offers OS-level parental controls, but it does a better-than-average job.

(Photo: Dave LeClair)

One year of Amazon Kids+ comes free with the purchase of the Fire 7 Kids Tablet. After the initial year is up, Prime members can choose to keep the subscription active for $4.99 per month ($7.99 without Prime) or cancel. The tablet works perfectly fine without the Kids+ subscription, but your kids will no longer have access to Amazon’s curated children’s content. Instead, they will be limited to the regular apps that are available to all users via the Amazon Appstore.

(Photo: Dave LeClair)

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A Great Value for a Good-Enough Tablet

The Fire 7 Kids Tablet ($109.99) isn’t very fast and doesn’t have a high-quality screen, but that likely won’t matter to the younger children more apt to use one. The main thing to focus on is the value. Although it costs $10 more than its predecessor, it’s a good buy when you consider the whole package: The tablet ($75), case ($25), warranty ($8), and Kids+ subscription ($60) would total $168 when purchased separately. You won’t find a comparable tablet combo anywhere near the same price.

The minimum entry point for an Apple iPad is $329. The iPad completely outperforms the Fire 7 Kids Tablet in almost every measurable way, but it should considering the price differential. On the Android side, options such as the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus $259.99 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 ($229.99) don’t include the kid-focused extras you get here. Simply put, if you want the best budget-friendly tablet for your kid, Amazon’s offerings, including the Fire 7 Kids as well as the larger Fire HD 8 Kids ($139.99) and Fire HD 10 Kids ($199.99), are tough to beat.