Call them robots, call them toys. Whatever you decide, these are great educational devices which are also masses of fun.
Most also connect to apps to help teach kids (or curious adults) how to code along the way.
And because they let you connect your first programs with something in the physical world, they're much more motivating that even the block-style coding apps which have become popular. Plus, robots are cool.
You don’t need any coding knowledge to play with the robots in our round-up, but with a little know-how you can make them do specific things. We also have a guide to the best coding games for kids if you're looking for more ways to introduce coding to your children and, though it definitely can't be called a robot, Kano's Harry Potter Coding Wand is a great option for kids who love the Potterverse.
So whether you're genuinely interested in the skill or just looking for a robot friend, here's our guide to the best on the market.
Sphero Bolt
- $149.99
The Bolt is one of Sphero's more traditional robots and is its most advanced offering yet.
This is the next step on from the SPRK+ - which you'll find further down this list - and pairs the traditional Sphero tech with new features like an LED light panel, an ambient light sensor, and infrared communication between multiple Bolts.
While the Sphero Play app comes loaded with a few games and driving options, the real focus here is the Edu app. This is designed both for individual learners and for school groups, and will run users through block-based coding (with the option of full JavaScript too) to develop programs that make the most of the Bolt's array of sensors, lights, and speakers.
From programming animations and games to making multiple Bolts act out little scenarios, there's a massive amount of potential here. And thanks to an array of graphs providing live feedback from the various sensors, there's the chance to learn as much about physics and engineering as there is coding.
Read our Sphero Bolt review.
Sphero Mini
- $49.99
If you don't want to pay for the full Sphero experience of the SPRK+ or one of the Star Wars droids, you might want to consider the Sphero Mini.
As the name suggests this is a smaller version of the company's spherical robots, fortunately with a lower price point to match.
As with other Sphero droids you control it using your phone, and there are a few options: you can use standard touchscreen joystick controls; a 'slingshot' mode in which you pull back and release to send the robot flying forwards; a gyroscopic mode where you tilt the phone to steer; and even a facial recognition mode where you can smile to move forward and frown to reverse (fun, but it doesn't work as smoothly as the other modes).
The Mini is available in a few different colours, and you can also customise the colour of the internal LED, which glows through the translucent plastic shell. It charges over Micro-USB (cable included) and comes with a set of mini plastic bowling pins and traffic cones to set up obstacle courses.
Beyond driving around the Sphero there's also a set of games that use the internal gyroscope, so you rotate the Sphero itself to move around objects on your phone screen within the game. It takes some getting used to the controls, but it's fun once you get the hang of it - if little more than a novelty.
You even get the more complex programming features of the bigger Spheros through the Sphero Edu app, so for very little money you're really getting the full Sphero package in the palm of your hand.
Sphero SPRK+
- $129.99
Another robot that's widely available is the Sphero SPRK+. This is an evolution of the original Sphero, and is designed to be fun to play with and to inspire kids to learn to code.
At its simplest you can use the Sphero app to control where the ball rolls, just a like a remote-controlled car.
But you can also program it to travel a certain route, and you can hold it and use it as a controller for other apps and games.
Read our full Sphero SPRK+ review.
UBTECH Jimu Meebot 2.0 kit
- $129.95
The Meebot is a robot aimed at kids, available from Apple stores. It comes in kit form, which means you must build it like LEGO, but rather than paper instructions a mobile app provides an animated 3D model for reference.
Construction takes a couple of hours (fewer if your kids aren’t helping), and you can then connect the Meebot via Bluetooth and start controlling it.
The preset moves are great: it can do some crazy dancing and will make the kids happy.
The idea, of course, is for children to have fun building and playing with Meebot, then learn how to program it to move themselves. They can do this using a graphical block interface, but can also see the code itself.
They can even dismantle the kit and build their own version of the robot, connecting the six servo motors in whichever combination they like.
This is the second-generation model with LEDs.
Wonder Workshop Cue
- $199.99
Wonder Workshop makes a few different robot toys - we've previously reviewed the Dash - but the Cue is arguably the device that skews the oldest, and has the most tech packed inside.
Like many of the other robots in this round-up, Cue mixes up gameplay with education, teaching kids how to code - in both a block-based language and JavaScript - through a mix of demos and 'story missions'.
These are played out with one of four different robot personalities, which you can interact with through a chat interface as you run through the story. That'll expose you to the basics of Cue's tech and controls, which you can then explore more thoroughly in the standalone modes dedicated to coding and manually driving it around.
A couple words of warning. Firstly, Cue is still very much aimed at kids. Unlike the Sphero Bolt or even the Cozmo, which could be a fun way for an adult to get to grips with the basics of coding, Cue is loud, obnoxious, and filled with 'jokes'. Kids will probably find it tremendously fun, adults definitely will not.
Second, compared to some of the competition the experience is a little less polished, which is a shame for the price. We ran into a few bugs and setup glitches using the Android app, and annoying problems like two audio tracks trying to play simultaneously. It's not enough to ruin the overall effect - Cue is still overall going to be pretty great for a techie kid - but it does make it a bit trickier to recommend over Sphero's latest.
Cozmo 2.0
- $219.99
The Cozmo is hands-down one of the smartest robots we've seen. Unfortunately, Anki went bust in 2019, but the good news is that the assets were bought by startup Digital Dream Labs.
The Cozmo is available to pre-order as of 20 November 2020 but has increased in price to $219.99 (which is discounted to $197 for pre-orders). This is about £150. As you can't actually buy it yet and we haven't seen this revamped version, we can't put a star rating. But it's well worth keeping on your radar.
Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, Cozmo packs an impressively big brain, and is capable of recognising people's faces, playing games, and learning as he goes.
Cozmo comes with three LED cubes, which are used in games that test reaction time and colour matching. He learns how you play and adjusts his own skill level - and reactions - appropriately: beat him and he'll throw a tantrum, screwing up the eyes on his LED screen.
The built-in camera can learn, recognise and then associate faces with a given name, which he will say out loud when he sees them. You can program Cozmo to say other phrases, too.
You can even remotely control Cozmo while watching the view from his camera on your phone- or tablet screen. There's also a host of coding mini-games to teach kids basic programming.
Above all, though, Cozmo is packed with personality. He's lively, vibrant and fun, telling you what games he wants to play at any given time, reacting to you and expressing his emotions. It sounds silly, but you really will find yourself caring about Cozmo and what he wants, which is a huge accomplishment.
If you want to find out more, you can see him in action in our video.
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