Whether you are going for an extended road trip with the family or you're taking a short drive across town, providing the kids in the back seat with a children's portable DVD player can help entertain them and keep them occupied. There are a number of features that the various portable DVD players for kids offer, ranging from appealing, kid-friendly designs to easy-to-navigate menus, that can help make your next road trip quite relaxing.
Best Portable DVD Players for Children
The exact features and designs desired for a portable DVD player will depend heavily on the age of the child. Some products are certainly better for certain age groups than others. While you won't readily find a kids' TV with DVD player, some of these options allow you to hook them up to a TV for larger screen viewing.
ZESTYI 9" Portable DVD Player
The ZESTYI Portable DVD Player is one of the best portable DVD players for toddler or younger children. There are three styles to choose from; a pink DVD player decorated with cartoon princesses (a great choice for a girls' portable DVD player), a turquoise blue option with a cartoon yellow truck, or a plain black one as well. The swivel screen rotates and folds into a tablet that can be easily placed in the mount holder on the back of the car headrest so your child can enjoy their favorite shows or movies. Features of this DVD player include:
- 9-inch display
- Free headrest mount holder
- Rechargeable battery that lasts up to 4 hours, AC adapter and car charger
- Supports multiple media formats which include CD, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW, VCD, S-VCD, MP3, WMA, JPEG
- It has a USB port and SD card slot (32GB or less)
- It has a memory function that will pick up where the DVD was paused or stopped
Reviewers were impressed with its durability, low cost and how easy it was for young children to use. The ZESTYI is priced at around $58.00.
DBPOWER 10.5" Portable DVD Player
The DBPower 10.5" Portable DVD Player is a great option to keep your child entertained. It comes in royal blue and black. It has a swivel screen that rotates and flips so it can easily attach to a car headrest for those long road trips. Features of this DVD player include:
- 10.5-inch display
- Remote control
- Dual speakers
- Rechargeable battery that lasts up to 4 hours, AC adapter and car charger
- Supports a large array of multimedia including CD, DVD, CD-R/RW, DVD -R/+R, DVD+RW/-RW, VCD, SVCD and 32GB USB and SD cards
- AV output allows the child's DVD player to be connected to the TV to watch shows and movies on a larger screen
- Memory function that will pick up where the DVD paused or stopped
Most of the reviews were overwhelmingly positive, and many had commented on the DVD player's excellent picture and sound quality - making this one of the best portable DVD players for kids. This DVD player costs $69.99 and is an Amazon #1 Best Seller with 4.4 out of 5 stars.
FUNAVO 10.5" Portable DVD Player
The FUNAVO 10.5 inch Portable DVD Player is another cute option for younger children. It comes in pink and light blue and decorated with adorable cartoon characters. This kid's portable DVD player also comes with matching headphones and carrying cases. The rechargeable lithium battery will allow your children to watch their favorite shows or movies for up to 5 hours. More features of this DVD player include:
- 10.5-inch screen
- Rechargeable battery, AC adapter and car charger
- Swivel screen that is able to rotate, flip and adjust for the perfect view
- It can attach to a car headrest
- Headphones are included
- Carrying case for storage
- Supports multiple modes and formats including CD, DVD, DVD+R(-R), DVD+RW(-RW), VCD, SVCD-R(RW), CD-R(RW) and has a built-in USB port and SD card reader
- AV input and output to enable the DVD player to be connected to the TV for viewing on a bigger screen
- Has a memory function that will pick up where the DVD left off if stopped or paused
Reviewers have called this the perfect, all-inclusive DVD player and definitely kid-friendly. The price of this DVD player is $59.99 for the blue and $65.99 for the pink.
COOAU 11.5" Portable DVD Player
The COOAU 11.5" Portable DVD Player not only allows your child to enjoy watching DVDs but play games as well. The children's DVD player comes in a variety of colors including blue, red, purple and black and the rechargeable battery will last up to 5 hours. Other features of this DVD player include:
- 11.5-inch player with a 9.5-inch swivel screen
- Rechargeable battery, AC power adapter and car charger
- Remote control
- Portable game controller
- 180 classic games
- Supports all DVDs and is compatible with DVD, DVD+R(-R), DVD+RW(-RW), CD-R(RW), SVCD-R(RW), VCD, CD, MP3, MPEG, AVI, VOB and supports USB and SD card.
- Has a memory function that remembers where the DVD was stopped and continues to play from that point
The reviews on this DVD player are excellent. Customers state that it has great picture quality and is easy to use. The cost for the red, purple and black DVD player is $59.99 and the blue one costs $61.99.
WONNIE 10.5'' Dual Screen DVD Player
The WONNIE 10.5'' Dual Screen DVD Player will play the same movie simultaneously on both screens. This set up is perfect for families with multiple children who would like to watch DVDs in the backseat of the car. The rechargeable battery lasts about 4 hours. More features of this dual DVD player include:
- 10.5-inch dual screens
- Improved sound
- Remote control
- Rechargeable battery, AC power adapter and car charger
- Compatible with multiple file formats including CD/DVD/CD-R/RW/VCD, MP3/WMA, JPEG, VOB/AVI and has USB/SD/MMC slots
- Has last memory function that continues to play where the DVD stopped or paused the last time
- Provides a 12 month, money-back guarantee and lifetime customer service and technical support
Reviewers were highly impressed with the picture quality, the size of the screen and how easy it was to use and set up. The price of this dual-screen DVD player is $134.98.
Kid-Friendly Considerations
When you're looking for a DVD player that your child is going to use, consider the following options to see if it will 'pass the test':
Durability
Younger children tend to drop and bump their toys, so when choosing a portable DVD player keep in mind the one you pick should be built sturdy enough to withstand this type of abuse.
Controls
The controls should be simple and easy enough to use, ideally with larger buttons, so the child can understand how to use the DVD player.
Anti-Skip
Since a DVD player uses optical media, any technology that helps to prevent skipping and other issues when the player is jostled would be a good option.
Battery Life
Typically, the battery life of DVD players can range from 2.5 to 5 hours depending on how it's being used. If long road trips are a common occurrence for your family, you may want to consider the DVD player with a longer battery life
Choosing the Right DVD Players for Kids
There's much to consider when purchasing a DVD player including the age of your children, the number of children that will be watching and the extras you may want included such as headphones, remote controls, games, game controllers, carrying cases and headrest mounts for the car. Whether you are buying a portable DVD player for toddlers or one for older kids, taking these options into consideration when making a decision will help ensure that you and your child will be happy with the DVD player purchased.