Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids vs. Fire 7 Kids: Which tablet for your kid?

Amazon does a great job of continually updating its Fire tablet line-up and the Kids tablets, and when looking at the Fire HD 8 Kids vs. 7 Kids, those updates are quite welcomed. These tablets offer a relatively low-cost option of tablets for kids that they'll love, and parents can feel comfortable handing them over. The parental controls that come on the Fire Kids tablets are some of the best in all tech, and the curated kid's content is expansive enough for kids of all ages. However, on the surface, the Fire HD 8 Kids and the 7 Kids only have a 1-inch difference, so which should you choose?

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids vs. Fire 7 Kids: Size isn't the only difference

The Fire HD 8 Kids sits squarely in the middle of Amazon's Fire tablet lineup for children, but the capability is at the top. While it doesn't have the same screen size or resolution that the Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids Pro behemoth does, the smaller tablet does have that same raw power. Though the 7-inch model doesn't have impressive specs, it still gets the fantastic parental controls and children's content as its more expensive counterparts.

Even though these two tablets look very similar, some important variations make a significant difference in what the overall experience will be like. Depending on the age of your child, they may or may not notice any difference. However, as your child ages and experiences more capable pieces of technology, the less advanced internals of the 7-inch Fire 7 Kids tablet will start to show.

If we start with the part of the tablet that will be used every time you turn it on — the display — the differences are minor. The improved display on the 8-inch version is worth considering because as your child grows and learns, the higher PPI (pixels per inch) matters — especially when they are learning to read. The higher resolution means that not only is the fun stuff they do on the tablet going to look better, but so is the text they are trying to read.

Moving on to the other part of the entertainment experience that's improved on the Fire HD 8 Kids versus the smaller 7-inch option is the speakers. On the larger tablet, you get dual speakers with Dolby Atmos support. This means that there will be less straining to hear what's being played on the tablet. Don't worry, parents; there is still a headphone jack.

When we look at what's below the surface, the increased RAM and built-in storage of the 8-inch model means that the faster processor will have no problem handing programs for your child. The tablet will be a much smoother experience, which is vital so that your young child doesn't get discouraged thinking they didn't do something right.

The increased internal specs also mean that the tablet will be able to keep up with your child's demands as they grow up. This allows them to continue using the tablet longer, saving them money. I have a 7-year-old that used a Fire HD 8 Kids from two years ago, and while it still does fine for most things, its lower specs are starting to show some age in the speed category. He now uses the Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro, which matches the standard model in all ways, except it has a more mature interface and different cases. You can check out our guide on Amazon Fire Kids tablets to see the differences between the regular and Pro models.

While the Fire 7 Kids doesn't have the best specs, it still has some of the best software — as all of the Amazon Kids tablets share that software and performed quite well during our review. Packed with a wide range of parental controls, you can control what content your child can access when they can access it, and for how long.

Amazon's Kids+ is the place where your child can access over 20,000 books, movies, TV shows, apps, and games that have all been curated specially for kids — and it's free for the first year. With parental controls, you can set the age range of content your child gets to see from this library.

On top of the great software, Amazon is also helping to protect the hardware. Each Kids tablet comes with a fun-colored foam rubber case with a kickstand that makes holding the tablet easier and keeping it safe. However, should the tablet get damaged, it's backed by a two-year "worry-free" guarantee in which Amazon will replace the device for free should something happen to it.

Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids vs. Fire 7 Kids: Which should you buy?

Each of these tablets comes with enough great content that your child will likely be happy with either, making them two of the best Android tablets for kids. My son was just excited to have a tablet he could call his own. That being said, if you can afford the additional cost of the Fire HD 8 Kids, it'll be worth it. From its improved display, better internal hardware, and not to mention the additional five hours of battery life over the 7-inch model, the larger tablet is the way to go.

Because it has improved hardware over its smaller sibling, the 8-inch option will be a device that will age better than the Fire 7 Kids. However, if you are looking for a tablet that you can start your child off with, and the price is a primary consideration, the 7-inch version will still get the job done. Since each tablet offers the same excellent software experience, the content and parental controls are still there.