Why the Nabi Dreamtab is a Kid Dream Come True

(Last Updated On: February 1, 2015)

Thanks to Fuhu for inviting me to tour Nabi HQ, learn more about their products and try out the new DreamTab as well as for providing a Nabi2 for my son & I to test drive at home. All opinions are my own.

I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Nabi products. But after touring their corporate HQ, I’m a believer. I not only want them for my kids. I sort of want them for myself.

My six year old son started using tablets before he could talk. Over the years, well meaning relatives have bought him (non Nabi) dumbed down, plastic “kiddie” computers and tablets, which he has politely played with for a day or two, before leaving the no-longer-new toy under a carseat or behind the couch. Done.

You can’t fool a kid. Kids know the difference between a real device and a toy facsimile. They aren’t impressed with the fakes. They want the real deal.

I’ve actually used this to my advantage over the years. At 2, my son learned to potty train in record time. All because successful potty session earned him tablet time on my device. Before long, he started thinking of my tablet as his device. Uh oh. Sharing with a toddler is slippery (and sticky!) slope. I have two sons. I’d been down this road before.

The problem, of course, was that I was constantly having to hover, hoping my kids wouldn’t drop or damage or spill on my tablet. I applied screen protectors and I bought special cases to protect my tablet from sticky icky toddler hands, but those cases made charging difficult so they were often left off. And I worried – because as my sons got older, and continued to use my device, I realized that they had access to all sorts of stuff I didn’t want them to have access to – including all my apps and contacts. Even after I purchased a new tablet for myself and handed off the carefully curated old one to them – I worried about the content they might come across on YouTube or the internet.

Without a better way to monitor, we established strict and elaborate rules for our kids’ tablet use. Only in the family room. Only when I was present. Set the timer for 15 minutes on the microwave…

When I went to Nabi HQ to learn more about their products and try out the new Nabi Dreamtab, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I hadn’t had any real exposure to their tablets, as I ‘d been totally turned off in the past by other products that were made for and marketed at kids (and rejected by my kids). I knew nothing but a REAL tablet was going to pass the test for my son.

Nabi products are REAL. They are the same high quality tech that parents demand for their own use, packaged and programmed for our kids.

Everything about the Nabi Dreamtab not only makes sense, but also makes me breathe a sigh of relief. Finally there is a tablet that delights my child, that meets his high standards and mine, and that I can hand off to him, and leave the room.

Here are the things I can finally relax about:

I don’t have to worry about my son dropping it – it’s encased in a thick red food-grade silicon protective case.
I don’t have to worry about him accessing content I don’t want him to see. In Nabi mode, he only sees the apps I have authorized him to see.
I don’t have to worry about him playing too long. I can set controls in parent mode, limiting his play time for specific apps, or overall screen time.

Bonus Points: I can add chores & rewards for my son. He’s much more willing to sweep the floor and make his bed when he’s “saving up” for a new dragon in one of his favorite games.

Here are the things my son loves about Nabi:

He can personalize his tablet by placing letters on the grid on the back side and decals on the front. He can also change the case color for a whole new look.
The grid on the back makes it easy for him to attach a stand as well. This is great for watching videos
The table came pre-loaded with tons of amazing, creative, original content and apps that he loves. Note: many of these are educational, but I am not telling him!
It’s a real tablet, and it is HIS. Not a hand me down. Not something that mommy has to hover over him while he plays, reminding him not to drop, not to run with it, etc.

By the end of my tour I was extremely impressed with Nabi products and the team behind them.So much careful thought goes into each and every aspect of each and every product they produce and they are all so proud of their well designed products.

From the pop up box designed to delight from the first moment the product is presented, to the smaller details of button and speaker placement, and integrated bumpers to protect the screen if it is left face down – this is an example of doing it right.

Before I saw the Nabi Dreamtab, I didn’t even know what we were missing. Now that I have, there’s no going back. Good news for parents, Nabi tablets are extremely competitively priced – tablets range from $99 for their simplest starter tablets, to $249 for the new loaded Dreamtabs. You’ll spend less than you would on an adult tablet and you may find yourself thinking about buying a second unit exclusively for your own use. Parents of more than one kid will appreciate that the tablets can be “dressed” a re-dressed in different colored silicon skins and stickers, making it easy to identify whose tablet got left in the car, and also making it easy to hand down a tablet to a younger sibling when an older one is ready to graduate to a different model. You are never locked into a color or character. Kids change their minds. A lot.

Some of the standout features of the Dreamtab:

Write and Draw with the Nabi Dream Pen – a fine tuned stylus that recognizes pressure and stroke
Nabi Connect – share photos and messages with family and friends in a safe, parent approved and controlled environment
Dream Pro Studio – supports the creative arts, giving kids the tools to create their own books, movies, animated features and more.
Wings Learning System – supporting current school curriculum

I think showing is better than telling – this video demonstrates some of the features that make the Dreamtab unique and is a must watch if you are considering purchasing one. Note: it really is as simple to use as the video makes it seem. We were up and running with the Dreamtab in mere moments.

Here’s a snapshot of the animated film I created in under two minutes. The integrated touch sensitive stylus makes it fun and easy to draw and included software is sure to spark the imagination of future artists and animators.

If you are on the fence about getting your kid a tablet, and/or considering one for back to school, I highly recommend the Nabi Dream Tab. I only wish I’d discovered this before I purchased my 10 yr old a Nook (the Nook app is included). Hello Ebay? Ever since the Nabi 2 came home, it’s been the only tablet my kids want to use. My son stopped at this Target display last week to make his holiday wishes known. He’s already lobbying for the DreamTab!