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Little Tikes Tobi Robot Smartwatch Review

We sized up the Tobi Robot smartwatch and think it’s great for younger kids.

Staff Writer, Safety & Security

Published on December 10, 2021

The Little Tikes Tobi Robot Smartwatch is purely good for entertainment. Because it’s meant for kids who aren’t old enough to be alone, it doesn’t make phone calls or track your child’s location.

Instead, youngsters can practice telling time and solving math problems through the Tobi Robot’s learning games, dance and move around to meet fitness goals, express their creative side through photography, and learn how to responsibly keep track of their very first smartwatch.

Pros

Stores up to 3,000 photos or 30 min. of video

Learning games

Activity tracker

Wear on wrist or belt

Cons

No GPS tracking

Battery lasts 8 hrs. with heavy use

Splash-proof only

Compare the Tobi Robot to other kids smartwatches

	Product	Watch price	Video calling	GPS tracking	Max. number of contacts	Compatible cell networks	Learn more
Best overall	TickTalk 4	$189.99	Yes	Yes	53	Red Pocket, T-Mobile, AT&T	View on Amazon
Best for SOS calls	Angel Watch	$179.99	Yes	Yes	25	Red Pocket (AT&T)	View on Angel Watch
Budget pick	Verizon GizmoWatch 2	$99.99 + $35 activation fee	No	Yes	10	Verizon	View on Verizon
Best for active play	Xplora X5 Play	$169.99	No	Yes	50	T-Mobile recommended	View on Amazon
Best for younger kids	Little Tikes Tobi Robot	$54.99	No	No	–	N/A	View on Amazon

*Amazon.com price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

What's in the box

Tobi Robot Smartwatch
Watchband
Stand/belt clip
Micro USB charging cable

Tobi Mode: Interact with Tobi

Tobi is an interactive animated character with a playful personality. His eyes and mouth change shape to show around 100 expressions based on how kids interact with him. Tobi also makes gibberish noises to punctuate how he feels. (You can adjust the volume in the settings menu.)

The user guide gives a few examples and encourages kids to figure out the rest on their own:

Shake the watch to make Tobi dizzy.
Swipe right to make Tobi giggle.
Swipe left to annoy Tobi.
Press and hold Tobi’s mouth to give Tobi a snack.
Tap the screen anywhere to make Tobi’s robot arms and legs move.
Swipe up to put Tobi in listening mode. Say “Hi Tobi” or ask a question, and watch his response.

Other fun games and fitness tracking

The Little Tikes Tobi Robot Smartwatch features four educational games:

Tobi Time: Read an analog clock display, and enter the correct time on the digital clock display.
A-Maze-Ing Balance: Carefully rotate the watch to sink colored balls in matching colored holes.
Smash Math: Select the correct answer to basic math equations.
Tic-Tac-Tobi: Play a classic game of tic-tac-toe against Tobi.

This digital watch also includes a step tracker and three fitness games:

Search and Seek: an augmented reality game where kids capture the object that starts with a certain letter of the alphabet
Freeze Dance: a dance activity game similar to musical chairs. Dance while the music plays, then freeze when the music stops
Tobi Says: Tobi demonstrates a move and tells you how many times to do it

Stars, trophies, and decorations

Kids earn stars from interacting with Tobi, winning games, and staying active.

10 stars equal 1 sticker
3 stickers equal 1 room sticker (more on that in a second)
Every fourth sticker equals a new snack for Tobi
100 stars/10 stickers unlock a trophy and a new animation for Tobi

Room stickers are unlockable decorations used to fill Tobi’s virtual room. Tobi comes to inspect each new addition and celebrate a job well done.

Two cameras and plenty of storage

If your little one needs a break from the games, they can practice taking photos or videos. The Tobi Robot watch has a selfie camera and a point-of-view camera and stores up to 3,000 photos or 30 minutes of video.

Considering my very first iPhone stored about as many photos, this seems incredible for a kids smartwatch—and definitely in a good way.

Use the included USB cable to connect the watch to a computer to transfer photos. To clear storage space, manually delete the files from the watch itself.

The files won’t be the greatest quality once you get them on the computer, but they’re sufficient for a kids smartwatch. Photos are 640 x 480 pixel JPEGs and the videos are 320 x 240 pixel AVIs.

Limited communication with other Tobi Robot watches

If your kiddo’s bestie has a Tobi Robot watch too, you can pair the two devices so they can experience the thrill of swapping emojis. The controlled pairing occurs via Bluetooth, so they can share things only if they’re within about 50 feet of each other.

Kids can also share pictures they’ve taken or send voice messages, complete with fun sound effects like “robot” or “chipmunk.”

Any media file your kid sends will disappear from their friends’ nearby Tobi Robot Smartwatch after about 15 seconds.

Other features and settings

The Tobi Robot kids smartwatch also includes these apps:

Alarm clock
Timer
Stopwatch
Photo editor with silly stickers and borders
Video editor to rotate videos
Calendar with stickers to mark special occasions

In the settings menu, you can adjust the following:

Brightness
Volume
Analog or digital time display
Date and time, plus the format of each
Language (Dutch, French, German, and Spanish currently supported)

Available colors

We’ve found the Tobi Robot watch in these colors:

Final word

Younger kids will get a kick out of the Tobi Robot. It wraps education and fitness into a fun little package and promises plenty of replay value. If nothing else, it’s an affordable way to give your kid a digital camera.

Tobi Robot FAQ

The Tobi Smartwatch includes two cameras, learning games, dancing games, a fitness tracker, basic apps like a timer, calendar, and stopwatch. Kids can also share emojis, voice messages, and photos with other nearby Tobi Robot Smartwatches through controlled pairing.

No, there is no text messaging component on a Tobi smartwatch.

No, the Tobi watch does not have GPS.

Yes, the Tobi watch is safe. It only uses wireless connectivity for firmware updates. It also uses Bluetooth to pair with other Tobi smartwatches within 50 feet, but this doesn’t happen automatically.

With no internet and no cellular connection, there’s nothing to hack on a Tobi smartwatch.

There’s a little flap covering the charging port on the side of the Tobi watch, just under the home button.

The Tobi watch comes with a micro USB cable for charging but doesn’t come with a USB wall adapter. You’ll need to purchase that separately if you don’t have one.

The user guide also recommends turning the Tobi watch off before charging for best results.

No, the Tobi smartwatch doesn’t have Wi-Fi.

Locate the home button under the screen on the Tobi watch. Press and hold this button for five seconds to turn on the Tobi Robot watch.

Press and hold the home button for five seconds to turn off the Tobi Robot watch. You’ll hear a sound confirming the device is shutting down.

Here’s how to turn the volume down on a Tobi watch:

Press the home button once or twice until you see the Menu screen.
Swipe up.
Tap the Settings icon, which looks like a wrench inside a gear.
Swipe left or right until you see the volume control screen.
Press the minus (-) symbol to decrease the volume.

Win games or complete step goals to earn more stars. You’ll get a new type of food for Tobi for every 40 stars (4 stickers) earned.

How we reviewed the Tobi Robot Smartwatch

For our Tobi Robot Smartwatch review, we read through the user guide and watched Little Tikes’ video tutorials. We used our extensive knowledge of other kids smartwatches to gauge the value of what the Tobi Robot has to offer. Read more about the SafeWise methodology.

Compare the best child safety products

	Product	Price	Specs	Standout feature	Learn more
Best booster seat	Britax Highpoint	$179.99	For kids up to 120 lbs.	3 layers of side-impact protection	View on Amazon	Read review
Best kids GPS tracker	AngelSense Kids GPS Tracker	$69.99 (sale price)	AngelCall two-way voice	Listen-in function	View on AngelSense	Read review
Best kids phone	Gabb Z2	$99.99	Unlimited talk and text	GPS tracking	View on Gabb	Read review
Best kids smartwatch	TickTalk 4	$199.99	Two-way voice and messaging	Up to 53 parent-approved contacts	View on Amazon	Read review
Best parental control app	Bark	$99.00/yr	Requires iOS 11 or Android 5 and up	Monitors 24 social networks	View on Bark	Read review
Best kids bike helmet	Bell Sidetrack Child Helmet	$29.96	47–57 cm. head circumference	Easy-to-adjust tri-glide strap sliders	View on Amazon	Read review

Written by

Cathy Habas

With over seven years of experience as a content writer, Cathy has a knack for untangling complex information. Her natural curiosity and ability to empathize help Cathy offer insightful, friendly advice. She believes in empowering readers who may not feel confident about a purchase, project, or topic. Cathy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Indiana University Southeast and began her professional writing career immediately after graduation. She has contributed to sites like Safety.com, Reviews.com, Hunker, and Thumbtack. Cathy’s pride and joy is her Appaloosa “Chacos.” She also likes to crochet while watching stand-up comedy specials on Netflix.