Hey,
Itās Pete Matheson with a new issue of Experiments in Progress.
Buying tech for kids is a weird trap.
You either spend flagship money on something that'll end up at the bottom of a school bagā¦ or you buy something so old that half the apps don't work anymore.
The Tech Iād Buy for My Kids
Here's what I'd actually buy my kids in 2026: laptop, phone, headphones, and a watch.
š» Laptop: MacBook Neo
I know this sounds silly recommending a Ā£599 laptop for a kid. But hear me out.
The MacBook Neo is the new "everyone just has one" laptop. And the thing isā¦ it does everything anybody really needs.
Ā£599, or Ā£499 with the student discount ā though annoyingly my kids are too young to qualify, as it's secondary school and up
Real macOS on Apple's A18 Pro chip. The same one from the iPhone 16 Pro
Most people only need a MacBook Air. Very, very few people need a MacBook Pro. The Neo sits below both and is still plenty.
If you're buying a first laptop for a kid, this is the one.
One to watch:
Dell have just announced the new XPS 13 at a competing price. I haven't tested it yet, so I don't know anything about itā¦ but I'll be very keen to see how those two actually compare.
š± Phone: Google Pixel 9a
My kids got the Pixel 9A. They could probably have had one a generation earlier too.
But here's why I like keeping kids on a current generation device:
Software updates and support. Apps just work. No "your device is too old for this app" moments (looking at you, old iPads)
Family Link parental controls. Control which apps they download, how they spend money, screen time, the lot
It's not flagship money. You get the current-gen experience without the current-gen flagship price
Cheap current-gen beats expensive last-gen. Every time. For kids especially.
We've covered parental controls before here if you want the full setup guide:
š§ Headphones: Soundcore
I only realised this recently, after reviewing some Soundcore headphones properly.
They're very, very good. And very, very good value for money.
They're budget headphones on paper, but they genuinely compete with a lot of flagship-priced gear.
For kids who will lose them, sit on them, or leave them on a bus that's exactly the price-to-performance ratio you want.
ā Watch: Garmin (two options)
Anything beyond laptop, phone and headphones is really just a watch. And Garmin have two ways to go:
Garmin vĆvofit jr. 3. The kiddie version. It syncs to your phone, and you control prizes, rewards, step goals, chores, all of that. The battery lasts about a year.
Garmin Bounce 2. The next level up. This one works more like a proper kids' smartwatch: two-way calling, texting and location tracking, syncing to the kid's own phone.
Younger kids: vĆvofit jr. 3. Older kids who don't need a phone yet: Bounce 2.
šÆ The Kids' Tech Setup: Short Version
Category | Get this |
|---|---|
Laptop | MacBook Neo |
Laptop (Alternative) | New Dell XPS 13 ā untested |
Phone | Google Pixel 9a |
Headphones | Soundcore |
Watch (younger kids) | Garmin vĆvofit jr. 3 |
Watch (older kids) | Garmin Bounce 2 |
What's your actual approach to kids' tech?
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š ULTIMATE Earbud Comparison (Don't Waste Your Money!) soundcore vs Apple vs Sony vs Bose vs Samsung
I put the Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro head-to-head with the AirPods Pro 3, AirPods 4, Sony XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra II, Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Galaxy Buds Pro 4.
Why the cheapest earbuds on the table kept embarrassing the expensive ones
Sound quality and EQ tested across all eight pairs
The mic test rankings and which "premium" buds flopped
Whether flagship noise cancellation is actually worth the extra Ā£150+
Battery life compared, case to case
Which earbuds you can actually sleep in
My final verdict on which pair I'd spend my own money on