Guides & comparisons
A little homework
for a more confident hello
How do they compare?
Start with a question
Choosing their first phone
Five options compared on cost, controls and fit, from a home phone to a smartphone.
A phone without the screen
Explore a way to stay in touch without adding another screen.
What does a kids’ phone cost?
Think through equipment and ongoing service together.
A landline for kids
See what a home phone is in 2026, who it suits and what it costs.
A home phone over Wi-Fi
Understand how an internet-connected home phone works.
Keep a phone you already love
Meet the Bridge for compatible analog phones.
Hello, Philadelphia
Get to know Ring Ring close to home.
More on choosing a first phone
Alternatives to giving kids a smartphone, priced
Five real alternatives to a first smartphone, with verified 2026 prices, first-year costs, and the ownership data behind the pressure to buy early.
The Anxious Generation phone alternatives, charted
Jonathan Haidt's four norms, the CDC data behind them, and what a phone looks like when a family actually follows the book's advice.
What age should a kid get their first phone?
Start with where they need to call from, who they need to reach, and what they can manage. Age is only part of the decision.
Screen-free phones for kids: how to choose an alternative
Home phones, portable calling devices and a shared family phone solve different problems. Here is how to compare them.
How to set up a home phone over your internet connection
What to check before setup, how Modern and Bridge connections differ, and how to test the calling plan you chose.
How to delay a first smartphone while keeping your child connected
Separate calling from apps, make room for friendships, and agree on when to revisit the decision.
Can an old phone become your child’s home phone?
A familiar handset can have a second life. Check its compatibility, connections and calling plan before you buy an adapter.
Tin Can vs Ring Ring Club: an honest side-by-side (2026)
Both are screen-free home phones for kids with free tiers and parent-approved contacts. The differences are price, bring-your-own-phone, and shipping. Here is the straight comparison.
Ooma vs Tin Can: honest comparison (2026)
Two screen-free landlines for kids with approved contacts only. Tin Can has a free tier and ships in about three business days; Ooma MyPhone is on store shelves with a $7.99 plan from day one. Here is how they compare.
Pinwheel vs Tin Can: home phones compared
Pinwheel now makes a Wi-Fi home phone too. Next to Tin Can, it is cheaper hardware with a cheaper entry plan and a five-number cap. Here is the straight comparison.
Gifts for long-distance grandparents: a call from the kids
A gift for the grandkids that turns out to be a gift for the grandparents: a phone the kids use to call on their own, while grandparents keep the cell or landline they already have.
How kids can call grandparents on their own, no smartphone
Four ways a child can call a grandparent without borrowing a parent’s phone, what each asks of the grandparent, and how to set up a kid’s home phone in an afternoon.
Screen-free gifts for kids ages 6 to 10
Eight screen-free gift ideas for kids 6 to 10, led by a home phone of their own. What the phone costs, how to give it, and where it is the wrong gift.
The Ring Ring blog
Advice for parents
More on the first-phone decision, screen time, and helping kids stay connected.