Kids' Robots

Buying advice

Labels and paperwork for a child's robot

A robot made for children's play is a toy in EU law, and Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 on the safety of toys sets the EU's new rules for it, so ask whether the maker is working to that regulation. If the robot connects over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30 also matters, because it applies the EU's radio equipment requirement on personal data protection to radio-enabled toys. Ask the seller for the EU declaration of conformity and check that it names both. Buy from a seller who can say who imported the robot and who answers for it if a battery or charger fails.

Let the child's temperament steer the choice

Children differ in what they want from a robot. A 2026 study in Frontiers in Robotics and AI asked 43 children aged 3 to 15 about robot design and found that boys tended to pick larger, faster robots while girls leaned towards smaller, slower ones. The adults interviewed for the same study stressed that a robot should complement a child's relationships with people, not replace them. Watch how your child reacts to a robot's voice and movement in a demonstration video or a shop, and favour a model whose sounds, speed and personality settings you can adjust as they grow.

Comparing Cozmo, Miko 3 and the Roybi Robot

As of October 2026, the entry point was the Roybi Robot at close to $150, and the Miko 3 sat highest at close to $300, and all of them showed a price. Compare them on what happens over the years rather than on the first day. Make sure the account sits in a parent's name rather than the child's. Find out how to delete recordings and profiles, and whether a factory reset removes them before you pass the robot to a sibling or sell it. Check how long the maker promises updates, since an app-based robot can lose features when its online service closes.

What to look for

• Recommended age range, and whether the content grows with your child
• Parental controls, and whether extra content needs a paid plan
• Camera and microphone use, and how the maker handles children's data

Common questions

What age are kids' robots designed for?

It varies by model, from pre-schoolers to older children taking their first steps in coding. Follow the maker's recommended age range for each robot.

Should children use the robot on their own?

That depends on their age and the robot. Starting with shared play lets you check the settings and content before children use it alone.

Sources and further reading

• Gender and diagnostic differences in children's preferences for social robot design — Frontiers in Robotics and AI.
  Mixed-methods study of what 43 children aged 3 to 15 wanted from a social robot's look, voice and movement.
• Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2022/30 — European Union (EUR-Lex).
  Applies the privacy and network-security requirements of EU radio equipment law to connected devices, including toys.
• Regulation (EU) 2025/2509 on the safety of toys — European Union (EUR-Lex).
  The EU's new toy safety law, replacing the 2009 Toy Safety Directive and covering robotic toys sold in the EU.