Product test
Competition for the Toniebox: What the Wobie Box can do - and what it can't
by Katja Fischer
Discover Jooki, the jukebox for children
12.12.2023
Translation: machine translated
One box, infinite possibilities: I tested the Jooki, which also works in streaming mode.
It's with great anticipation that my boy and I unwrap the Jooki. The blue and orange of the jukebox immediately make my son think of American child star Blippi, always dressed in these two colours.
First WiFi connection difficult
To set up the speaker, we need to plug it into the mains and scan the QR code on the packaging. I download the app onto my mobile phone. Meanwhile, the colourful box makes some interesting noises, but doesn't seem to want to connect to WiFi, which is needed to configure the device. I quit the app and relaunch it, and, oh miracle, it works.
The Jooki is more expensive than the benchmark in the field, called Toniebox. On the other hand, the advantage lies in its one-off acquisition cost, as you don't need to buy any other figurines. What's more, you can change the titles they play to your heart's content.
When your 4-year-old knows more about technology than you do
When I start a playlist on Spotify and click on the device icon, the app suggests Jooki as my player, which immediately starts humming. I'm immediately struck by the sound quality, much better than a Toniebox.
As I sit in front of my computer, eyes squinting, studying the instructions, my son has figured out all by himself, in a second, how to move on to the next song and turn up the volume. He starts dancing to Pancake Robot by Parry Gripp. A real piece of cake...
The user guide is available free of charge in several languages on the Jooki website.
We now want to load the songs and stories chosen by my son onto the media provided. The box I tested contains five small figurines (ghost, dragon, knight, fox and whale) and flat tokens in different colours. They can all be populated with Spotify playlists. Once on the media, the content can be played, even without internet access.
The media must be placed once on the Jooki box to be memorised. We now need to launch a playlist on Spotify. You can select the character you want to associate with it in the app.
A horrifying setup
The iPhone app is perfectible. The 'back' button is unusable, as it hides behind the time display. Installation would greatly benefit from simplification. Fortunately, we got away with it, it works, and the whole family has already had fun trying it out. During its eventful stay with us, the Jooki fell off the table twice and escaped unscathed.
Conclusion: nice, except for the installation
Headline photo: Anne Fischer
A true local journalist with a secret soft spot for German pop music. Mum of two boys, a dog and about 400 toy cars in all shapes and colours. I always enjoy travelling, reading and go to concerts, too.
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