The short answer: the best AI toy for a kid in 2027 depends on one choice first: a talking plush with no screen, or a robot with a display. For no screen, compare SkyBuds, Curio, Ted, bondu and TalkiPal; for a screen and games, Miko 3 or Loona; for read-aloud stories only, Poe. Then narrow it down by your child’s age, the languages your family speaks and whether you want to pay a subscription.
One disclosure up front: we make SkyBuds, and it is in the list below, labelled as ours. This guide still has to help a parent who ends up buying something else. Every fact about another company’s toy links the page it comes from, and we read each of those pages again on October 29, 2026. We do not list toys that have not launched, and we do not guess at 2027 launch dates: everything here is a toy you can order today. When that changes, we will update this page.
What changed going into 2027?
AI toys got political scrutiny. In December 2025, Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal demanded answers from six AI toy makers, Miko, Curio and KEYi Robot (which makes Loona) among them (NBC News). In February 2026 the senators said Miko had left what appeared to be the toy’s audio responses to children in a publicly accessible database; it was taken offline, and Miko’s CEO told NBC News there had been no breach or leak of user data (NBC News). Expect sharper privacy questions from parents and lawmakers, and ask them yourself.
A toy can outlive its company’s servers, or not. Moxie, a robot that needed its maker’s cloud, is no longer for sale. Its site says the robot’s connection to its servers stayed on until June 30, 2026, and after that it can run on OpenMoxie (moxierobots.com, checked October 29, 2026). Any toy whose AI runs on its maker’s servers raises the same question, ours included: what happens if the company stops? Our answer is in our privacy policy.
Many prices are marked down, and plans are optional. When we checked, Curio’s Gabbo was $119 (from $150), bondu was $199 in a fall sale (from $299.99), TalkiPal was $69.99 (from $129) and Loona was $429 (from $529). Most of these makers let the toy talk without a plan and sell the extras: Curio Plus, Miko Max, bondu+ and our own SkyBuds+. Ted has no subscription at all.
More languages. Curio and TalkiPal are English only for now, but Ted speaks more than 60 languages, bondu+ lists 50+, Miko 3 lists 8 and SkyBuds speaks more than 75. For a bilingual family, this is now one of the biggest differences between toys.
How do you choose an AI toy for your kid?
Answer these four in order, and most of the list drops away.
- Screen or no screen? A plush keeps play voice-only. A robot like Miko 3 or Loona adds a display, games and a camera. Neither is wrong; they are different toys.
- How old is your child? Age ranges differ a lot: Curio says 3 to 12, Ted from 3, SkyBuds and TalkiPal 3 to 10, bondu 4 to 8, Poe 4 and up, and Miko says its AI conversations are designed for 5 to 10. Buy for the range your child is in now, with room to grow.
- Which languages? If your child hears more than English at home, rule out the English-only toys first, and check whether extra languages need a paid plan (they do on bondu and on Miko 3 for more than one at a time).
- What will it cost in a year? Add the plan you would actually keep to the price of the toy. A cheaper toy with a plan you need can cost more than a dearer one without.
The safety and privacy checklist
Ask every company these questions, ours included. If a company cannot answer them clearly on its own site, that is an answer too.
- When does it listen? Only when your child presses a button, on a wake word, or all the time? Curio’s FAQ says its toys listen only when turned on, by holding the power button or shaking the toy (Curio’s FAQ). Ted lets you choose push-to-talk or auto-listen in its app (Ted&Co’s FAQ). SkyBuds is not always listening. A small chip on the toy listens only for the wake word “Hey SkyBud”, and only while the toy is in standby. When the toy is powered off, nothing listens.
- What is kept, and for how long? Curio says it deletes the audio once it is transcribed and keeps transcripts for 90 days (Curio’s FAQ). SkyBuds keeps conversation transcripts for 12 months, so the SkyBud remembers your child and you can read every chat, and you can delete your account and all of your child’s data anytime (our privacy policy). Read each maker’s privacy policy for the rest.
- Can you read the conversations? A parent app that shows what was said is the best safety net, because no AI filters perfectly. SkyBuds, TalkiPal and bondu all let parents see chats in an app.
- Whose AI is your child talking to? Ask which company’s AI model answers your child, and who else gets the audio. With SkyBuds, it is our own model on our own servers. It is not ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI lab’s model, and when your child talks with their SkyBud, their voice is not sent to any outside AI company’s model (our privacy policy). For other toys, ask the maker whose AI model answers your child and where the audio goes.
- Is there a camera? Miko 3 and Loona have one. SkyBuds has none.
- Does an independent program vouch for it? SkyBuds is kidSAFE Listed, a seal from the independent kidSAFE Seal Program. Ask other makers which seals they hold, and check the seal on the program’s own site.
- What still works if you stop paying, or if the company stops? See the Moxie story above.
The AI toys you can buy now, compared
Eight toys, in no ranked order after our own. Each rival’s facts were read on its linked page on October 29, 2026; a row is left out where that page did not say.
SkyBuds Ours
Ash the dragon, Pearl the unicorn and Sprout the bear
- Form
- Talking plush toy
- Screen
- No screen, no camera, no ads
- Ages
- 3 to 10
- Languages
- More than 75. The optional SkyBuds+ adds more
- Subscription
- Not needed: talking and stories stay free for life. SkyBuds+ is optional, first month free, then $9.99/month
- Price
- $139 each
- Whose AI
- SkyBuds’ own model, on our own servers. Not ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini
- Source
- SkyBuds FAQ, what SkyBuds costs and our privacy policy
Curio
Gabbo, Grem and other characters
- Form
- Talking plush toy
- Screen
- No screen
- Ages
- Primarily 3 to 12
- Languages
- English only, for now
- Subscription
- Free chat stays available; Curio Plus unlocks unlimited conversation time
- Price
- $119, marked down from $150
- Checked
- , on heycurio.com and Curio’s FAQ
Miko 3
- Form
- Small robot with a display
- Screen
- Yes. It also has a camera; Miko says parents can disable the camera or mic with one tap
- Ages
- Miko says its AI conversations are designed for kids 5 to 10
- Languages
- 8. Using more than one needs Miko Max
- Subscription
- Optional Miko Max: $99 a year (shown marked down to $89) or $14.99 for 30 days
- Price
- $299
- Checked
- , on miko.ai, the Miko Max page and Miko’s help centre
Ted
by Ted&Co
- Form
- Talking teddy bear: press the button to talk, or turn on auto-listen in the parent app
- Screen
- No screen
- Ages
- From 3
- Languages
- More than 60
- Subscription
- None: normal use is included with the purchase, no monthly fees
- Price
- €129, marked down from €169 (tedco.ai showed euro prices when we checked)
- Checked
- , on tedco.ai and Ted&Co’s FAQ
bondu
- Form
- 12-inch AI plush companion
- Screen
- Screen-free
- Ages
- 4 to 8
- Languages
- 50+, as part of bondu+
- Subscription
- Not required. bondu+ is optional: first month free, then from $19.99/month
- Price
- $199 in a fall sale, marked down from $299.99, with 1 month of bondu+
- Checked
- , on bondu.com and bondu’s FAQ
TalkiPal
- Form
- Talking plush toy
- Ages
- 3 to 10
- Languages
- English only, for now
- Parents
- TalkiPal app, where parents can see the conversations
- Price
- $69.99, marked down from $129
- Checked
- , on talkipal.com and TalkiPal’s FAQ
Loona
by KEYi Tech
- Form
- Robot pet
- Screen
- Yes: a 2.4-inch LCD, plus a 720p camera
- Price
- $429, marked down from $529
- Checked
- , on keyirobot.com
Poe the AI Story Bear
by Skyrocket’s PLAi
- Form
- Storytelling bear: an app creates the story, then Poe reads it aloud
- Ages
- 4 and up
- Price
- $49.99 list price
- Checked
- , on TTPM
Which AI toy is best for…?
A screen-free toy for a 3 year old: SkyBuds, Curio, Ted or TalkiPal, all made for kids from 3. TalkiPal costs the least of those four.
A family that speaks more than English: SkyBuds (more than 75 languages, no plan needed) or Ted (more than 60, no subscription). bondu lists 50+ with bondu+.
An older kid, 11 or 12: Curio, which designs for up to 12. SkyBuds and TalkiPal stop at 10, bondu at 8.
A screen, games and a robot that moves: Miko 3 for a 5 to 10 year old; Loona if a robot pet with a camera suits your home.
Bedtime stories on a small budget: Poe, $49.99, which reads aloud stories the app creates.
Where SkyBuds fits
SkyBuds is three plush characters, Ash the dragon, Pearl the unicorn and Sprout the bear, for kids 3 to 10. No screen, no camera, no ads. It speaks more than 75 languages, remembers your child between chats, and the parent app lets you read every chat. The AI your child talks to is SkyBuds’ own model, running on our own servers. It is not ChatGPT or another AI lab’s model. Each is $139; talking and stories stay free for life. SkyBuds are in stock and ship within 1–3 business days from our US warehouse, with tracking, and come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If another toy on this list fits your family better, buy that one. We would rather you pick right than pick us.
Meet the three SkyBuds, or take the quiz to see which one fits your kid.
Want more detail? Read our head-to-heads: SkyBuds vs Curio, SkyBuds vs Miko 3, SkyBuds vs Ted, SkyBuds vs Bondu, SkyBuds vs Poe and SkyBuds vs Loona. Last year’s edition, with Curio vs Miko 3 and the Moxie history, is the best AI toys for kids in 2026.
