The pitch is simple: a soft speaker a preschooler can run alone, started by placing a figure on top, with no screen to stare at. In North America that pitch is selling fast. Tonies, the company behind the Toniebox, reported on August 20, 2026 that North America revenue rose 48% in the first half of the year, or 57% in constant currency.
Tonies is a listed company, so its reports are the clearest public window into the category, and we lean on them here. They show a market still expanding quickly, a product line widening at both ends, and margins squeezed by tariffs. Here is what that means for a parent deciding whether to buy.
Trend Signal
82/100 Strong momentum
- Emerging
- Rising
- Mainstream
- Peaking
- Cooling
North American sales are growing faster than anywhere else
Tonies reported North America revenue up 57% in constant currency in the first half of 2026 and 85% in the second quarter, and it guides the region to more than 30% growth for the full year.
Our editorial reading of the cited data, not a forecast. How it is scored
By the numbers
- +57%Tonies North America revenue growth, H1 2026, constant currency, to EUR 104.3Mtonies (EQS release)
- +40%Tonies North America revenue growth in 2025, constant currency, to EUR 275.7Mtonies
- +65%Toniebox device revenue growth, H1 2026, reported, to EUR 57.2MTotal Licensing
- 3,500+Digital titles in the Tonies library, alongside about 20 Tonieplay games, May 2026tonies
What the numbers show
Tonies closed 2025 with group revenue of EUR 630.3 million, up 31% (36% in constant currency), according to its April 14, 2026 results release. North America, which the company calls its largest market, brought in EUR 275.7 million, up 31% as reported and 40% in constant currency.
Growth sped up in the second quarter of 2026. First-quarter group revenue rose 29% (35% in constant currency) to EUR 125.6 million, with North America up 34% in constant currency to EUR 47.8 million. For the first half, group revenue reached EUR 242.9 million, up 38% (41% in constant currency), and North America reached EUR 104.3 million. The second quarter stood out: North America revenue grew 83% to EUR 56.5 million, or 85% in constant currency.
Hardware is doing the heavy lifting. Revenue from Tonieboxes rose 65% to EUR 57.2 million in the first half, faster than the 32% growth in the figurines themselves, which reached EUR 177.1 million. Device sales running ahead of content is what an expanding customer base looks like, since new households buy the box first. Since its founding in 2014, Tonies says it has sold about 12.6 million Tonieboxes and more than 173 million Tonies worldwide, up from about 11.8 million boxes at the time of its 2025 report.
Device sales outpacing content sales is the signature of a category that is still adding new households.
Why parents are buying audio instead of another screen
The demand side shows up in survey data. Pew Research Center’s May 2025 survey of 3,054 parents of children 12 and under found 85% say their child watches YouTube. Its survey topline shows 86% of parents have rules about when, where or how the child uses screens, and 42% said they could be doing better at managing screen time.
Screen-free audio sells straight into that tension. It gives a young child independent entertainment, from stories to songs to bedtime audio, without the video feed parents are trying to limit, and it does not need a parent’s phone to run each time.
Tonies names three drivers for North America in its first-half report: continued expansion of retail partnerships, growing household penetration, and strong Toniebox demand. Its 2025 release lists Target and Walmart among its major retail partners. The company also says household penetration in North America is still relatively low, leaving substantial headroom, which is its way of saying the category has not saturated.
Parents trying to cut video time without giving up independent play are the core buyers.
What changed in the hardware
Toniebox 2, which Tonies calls its biggest innovation since the original box reached the market in 2016, extended the product from listening into play. Its Tonieplay add-on brings interactive, screen-free games, which the company describes as an entirely new product category. By May 2026 the platform offered about 20 Tonieplay games and more than 3,500 digital titles, and the first-half report added Bluey and Pokémon content along with versions of Hasbro board game classics such as Monopoly for Tonieplay.
The range is also widening downward. Tonies says Toniebox Lite launches in the second half of 2026 in a more compact format at a lower entry price point, adding a second device to the category. Its U.S. online store already lists Toniebox Lite alongside Toniebox 2.
For buyers, the practical point is lock-in. The value of a figure-based player lives in the content a family builds up over time, and that content is tied to the brand that sells it. Choosing a player is really choosing a library.
Where prices and margins are heading
Tariffs are the pressure point. Tonies’ first-half gross margin fell to 64.3% from 70.9% a year earlier, which the company tied to the timing of U.S. tariffs and a temporary, disproportionate growth in Toniebox revenue. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 0.7% for the half. In its 2025 report, the company said its ability to mitigate tariff impacts through strategic sourcing shifts and selective price adjustments proved central.
We read those statements together as a pricing strategy: a cheaper entry box to widen the base, and selective price moves elsewhere rather than broad discounting. The first-half release gives no U.S. dollar price for Toniebox Lite, so compare the box plus the content your child will actually use, not the box alone.
Tonies still expects the growth to hold. It reiterated full-year 2026 guidance of more than EUR 760 million in revenue, up more than 20% in constant currency, with North America growing more than 30% and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 9% to 11%. Free cash flow was negative EUR 64.3 million in the half, which the company attributed to a seasonal inventory build for its Bluey, Hasbro, Pokémon and Toniebox Lite launches.
Expect a cheaper entry point, not across-the-board discounts, while tariffs squeeze margins.
Who should buy now, and who should wait
Buy now if you have a preschooler ready to control their own audio, you want a bedtime or quiet-time routine without a tablet, and you are comfortable adding content one figure or card at a time. The category’s growth means a deep library and wide retail availability heading into the 2026 holidays.
Wait if the entry price is what holds you back: Toniebox Lite, which Tonies scheduled for the second half of 2026 at a lower entry price point, already appears in its U.S. online store. Also think about timing for an older child; the appeal is independent listening for kids who are not yet using a phone or tablet of their own.
- Count the content cost: a starter set plus the figures or cards your child will actually use.
- Check how the player handles offline listening and how parents set the maximum volume.
- Look for headphone support if siblings share a room.
What to watch next
- Tonies’ next quarterly update, and whether North America keeps growing faster than its guided 30%
- U.S. pricing and shelf placement for Toniebox Lite in the second half of 2026
- Pew’s next survey of parents on kids’ screen use, for signs that screen-free devices change habits
Where to start
Paid links: we earn a commission if you buy through the buttons below, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Screen-free audio gear for young kids
| Product type | Good fit for | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Figure-based kids’ audio player | Fits preschoolers running their own audio | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| Card-based kids’ audio player | Fits kids who like picking stories by card | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
| Kids’ headphones with a volume cap | Fits shared rooms and car trips | See listings on AmazonOpens Amazon search results, not one listing: check the model on the product page. |
Product types that fit the trend described above, not tested models. Check the exact listing before you buy. How we pick them.
Figure-based kids’ audio player
Where to look: Amazon
For young children who want to run their own stories. Price the figures you will buy, not only the box.
- Kids start stories by placing a figure
- No screen
- Content bought figure by figure
- Content tied to one brand
Card-based kids’ audio player
Where to look: Amazon
For kids who like choosing from a stack of cards. Check which titles come in the box and what add-ons cost.
- Flat cards store easily
- No screen
- Cards are easy to misplace
- Content tied to one brand
Kids’ headphones with a volume cap
Where to look: Amazon
For siblings who share a room or long car rides. Confirm the connection type matches your player.
- Quiet listening for one child
- Works with many players
- Volume caps vary by model
- Small sizes are outgrown
More: Baby and Parenting trends and how the Trend Signal is scored.
Sources
- tonies extends lead in North America and increases global revenue by 41% in H1 2026 — tonies SE via EQS on TradingView
- tonies continues profitable growth with record results in 2025 — tonies newsroom
- tonies records strong start in 2026, accelerating top-line growth in Q1 — tonies newsroom
- tonies extends lead in North America and increases global revenue by 41% in H1 2026 — Total Licensing
- How Parents Manage Screen Time for Kids — Pew Research Center
- Parents, Kids and Screens survey topline, May 2025 — Pew Research Center
- Toniebox 2 and Toniebox Lite — tonies US store
Questions readers ask
What is a screen-free audio player for kids?
A small speaker children control themselves, usually by placing a figure or card on it to start a story, song or program, with no video screen.
How fast is the Toniebox market growing in the US?
Tonies reported North America revenue of EUR 104.3 million in the first half of 2026, up 48% as reported and 57% in constant currency.
What is Toniebox Lite?
Tonies describes it as a more compact player at a lower entry price point, launching in the second half of 2026 as a second device alongside Toniebox 2.
What is Tonieplay?
Interactive, screen-free games for Toniebox 2. Tonies listed about 20 Tonieplay games in May 2026 and has since added versions of Hasbro board games such as Monopoly.
Are tariffs raising Toniebox prices?
Tonies said its first-half 2026 gross margin fell to 64.3% from 70.9%, partly on U.S. tariff timing, and that it offsets tariffs with sourcing shifts and selective price adjustments.
