Buying vs. renting Tonies: the case for renting, by the numbers

Tonies fill a child's day with stories, and there's always a new one they want to hear. Here's what renting gets your family, with real prices from us.tonies.com next to our own.

What Tonies cost new

On November 1, 2026, we counted every product listed as a Tonie in the All Tonies collection on us.tonies.com: 349 in all. Here's how their prices broke down:

• $19.99: 226 Tonies, by far the most common price (and the median)
• $16.99 to $17.99: 37 Tonies
• $11.99 to $14.99: 79 Tonies
• Under $10: 5 Tonies, one of them a Creative-Tonie
• $29.99: 2 plush Tonies

The average was $17.83, and 61 of the 74 Tonies marked as best sellers cost $19.99, so that's the price we compare against below. Those prices are before tax and shipping. Ours are what you pay, with no sales tax added.

12 new stories a year, three ways

Say your child gets a new Tonie every month for a year. Here's what that costs:

That's $167.88 saved with the Year Pass, or $143.88 on Monthly, while your child still hears a new story every month.

More listeners at home? With two Tonies at a time, the Year Pass brings 24 new stories a year for $144 and Monthly for $180, compared with $479.76 to buy 24.

The Year Pass: our best value

If your family loves Tonies, the Year Pass makes every new story even more affordable. $72 a year per Tonie at a time works out to $6 a month, shipping is free both ways, and a new Tonie still arrives every month. That's $24 less than a year of Monthly, shipping included, and the Year Pass is fully refundable until your first box ships.

Keep the favorites for $19

Some stories become part of bedtime for good. When that happens, members can keep any Tonie that's at home for a flat $19 from their Manage my lineup page, and it never needs to go back. That's less than the $19.99 most Tonies cost new. And if you find the same Tonie advertised for less, we'll match that price.

Here's how a year can look: a Year Pass ($72) plus keeping your child's two favorites ($38) comes to $110. Your child enjoyed 12 new stories, and you own the 2 that stuck, for less than half of the $239.88 it costs to buy all 12 new.

Rent the Toniebox, too

Every Tonie plays on a Toniebox. On us.tonies.com, a Toniebox Lite My Story Set costs $79.99 and a Toniebox 2 Starter Set costs $149.99 (checked November 2, 2026). Renting gets you started for $19 a month instead (billed yearly, at $228, on the Year Pass):

• No big upfront cost. Start listening for $19, not $79.99 or more.
• Your choice of model and color. Pick any Toniebox currently sold on us.tonies.com, from a Toniebox Lite to a Toniebox 2 in your child's favorite color.
• Months to enjoy it. 4 months of rental cost less than a Toniebox Lite set, and 7 months cost less than a Toniebox 2 Starter Set.
• Covered if it stops working. If a rented Toniebox stops working through no fault of yours, we replace it at no charge.
• It arrives with your first box. No separate order, and shipping is included.

How renting works

1. Build your lineup. Pick Tonies for up to 12 months ahead, or leave a month empty and we'll surprise you.
2. Your first box ships fast. It goes out within 2 business days, with your Toniebox too if you're renting one.
3. A new Tonie every month. Each box comes with a prepaid return mailer.
4. Swap and send back. Return last month's Tonie within 7 days, and we'll email you a reminder.
5. Keep the hits. Love one? Keep it for $19 from your Manage my lineup page.

You can change upcoming picks anytime, so your lineup grows right along with your child.

Stories for every age and interest

Our catalog has hundreds of Tonies, from songs for little ones (ages 1 and up) to longer adventures for 9-year-olds. You'll find Disney and TV favorites, bedtime music, audiobooks, learning Tonies, holiday stories, and Spanish-language titles. Every Tonie page shows the recommended age, so it's easy to pick the right one for each child, and character packs are split into single figurines, so you can rent each character on its own.

Free months for sharing

Every visitor and member gets a personal share link. When 3 friends start a paid membership with it, your next payment moves one month later, so that month is free, and it covers everything on your membership, from your Tonies to shipping and any Toniebox rental. Every 3 more friends earn another free month, and if you're not a member yet, the free months you earn will be waiting when you join.

Even more reasons to rent

• A tidy shelf: one Tonie in, one out, so the shelf never overflows.
• Easy returns: every box includes a prepaid return mailer, and reminders come by email.
• Clean and checked: every Tonie is cleaned and inspected between families, and if one ever arrives damaged, we replace it at no cost.
• Normal wear is fine: everyday scuffs from play never cost you anything.
• Room for every child: with up to 4 Tonies at a time, each child can pick their own, all in one box.
• Flexible plans: Monthly lets you cancel anytime, and the Year Pass is fully refundable until your first box ships.
• Simple pricing: no sales tax added, so what you see is what you pay, and we ship anywhere in the United States.

Who renting is great for

• Kids who always want a new story.
• Families still discovering what their child loves.
• Homes that are short on shelf space.
• Siblings who each want their own picks.
• Anyone who'd like a Toniebox without a big upfront cost.
• Grandparents who want to send something new every month.

The bottom line

Renting gives your child a new story every month for as little as $6 a month, keeps the shelf tidy, and lets you keep the favorites for $19. Add a Toniebox for $19 a month if you need one, and share your link to earn free months.