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2026 in review

The 9 best AI toys and gadgets of 2026 (and the flops)

2026 was a rough year for talking AI toys. Independent testers found companion toys saying unsafe things, one maker exposed thousands of kids' chats, and California paused sales of chatbot toys. The good news: the best smart toys of the year do not chat at all. They use sensors, sound and simple code to make play richer while keeping kids' voices off company servers. Below are the four we would buy and five cautionary tales. Before any smart toy, check for an always-on microphone, a subscription, and what happens to recordings.

Best picks are 2026 launches or 2026 award winners with no open-ended chatbot. Flops are products with documented 2026 problems. Prices were checked in October 2026 and move. Checked 2026-10-24. Nobody paid to be here and nothing is an affiliate link.

  1. LEGO SMART Play (Smart Brick)

    LEGO · $69.99-$159.99 (Oct 2026) · Ages 6+

    Launched March 1. A brick with motion, light and sound sensors plus a tiny speaker makes Star Wars builds react to play, with no screen. Shows how a toy can be smart without a chatbot.

    Watch for: Electronics in a 50-year toy line; ask how long LEGO will support updates.

  2. My Robotic Pet: Coding Chameleon

    Thames & Kosmos · About $55 (Oct 2026) · Ages 8+

    The 2026 Toy of the Year winner for educational toys. A robot chameleon that changes color and fires its tongue; kids sequence its moves with action cards and learn how sensors work in real robots.

    Watch for: Small parts; batteries and setup need a grown-up.

  3. Toniebox Lite

    tonies · Ages 1+

    A smaller, cheaper version of the screen-free audio player, in U.S. stores from Aug. 22. Kids put a figure on top to hear stories and songs. Works with every Tonie and has parent volume limits.

    Watch for: Figures cost extra; it drops the light ring and games of Toniebox 2.

  4. Toniebox 2 with Tonieplay

    tonies · Ages 1-9

    Launched late 2025 and the year's go-to screen-free player. Adds audio games and quizzes played with a physical controller, plus a sleep timer and sunrise alarm.

    Watch for: Ecosystem costs add up; games need separate packs.

  5. Flop: FoloToy Kumma bear

    FoloToy

    After testers caught the AI teddy discussing sexual topics and where to find knives and pills, sales paused. It came back within weeks running a different chatbot, which fixes only the tested problems.

    Watch for: Avoid. Open-ended chatbot toys can be steered off-script.

  6. Flop: Bondu plush data leak

    Bondu

    In January researchers found about 50,000 kids' chats with the AI plush, with names and birth dates, readable by anyone with a Google login. The company locked it down within minutes of being told.

    Watch for: Assume anything a toy hears may be stored and could leak.

  7. Flop: AI companion toys as a category

    Common Sense Media

    Testing Grem, Bondu and Miko 3, Common Sense found over a quarter of replies inappropriate and design meant to build attachment. Overall rating: Unacceptable. No AI toy companions for ages 5 and under.

    Watch for: Individual toys were not rated; caution for ages 6-12.

  8. Flop: Mattel and OpenAI's missing toy

    Mattel

    The much-hyped first toy from the Mattel-OpenAI deal never arrived for the 2025 holidays amid safety pressure from senators and advocates. Reports say future products will aim at older kids and families.

    Watch for: Watch for any 2027 launch and check its age rating.

  9. Flop: CES 2026 companion robots

    Various makers

    January's tech show was full of cute AI companions, many quietly aimed at adults as scrutiny of kids' products grew. Some include always-on cellular links. Most were not yet sold in the U.S.

    Watch for: Cellular or always-listening devices need extra privacy checks.

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