Fisher-Price
Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Tablet
8.1/10 overallAround £26.99
Interactive pretend tablet with 28 app buttons for lights, sounds, phrases and songs, teaching letters, first words and more, with 3 Smart Stages learning levels.
The verdict
Fisher-Price's Smart Stages chair, around £26.99, switches songs, sounds and phrases across three developmental levels and doubles as sit-to-stand support, for ages 6 months to 3 years. Best for a younger baby still working on sitting and standing, thanks to its physical furniture role. Skip it if repetitive songs bother you or storage space is tight — it's bulkier than smaller toys.
This chair's Smart Stages technology changes its songs, sounds and phrases automatically as you flip a switch through three developmental levels, so the same toy stays relevant from early sitting through to cruising and pretend-play toddler stages rather than being outgrown in weeks. It doubles as a genuine sit-to-stand support once a baby is pulling up, adding a physical development role alongside the sensory one.
Against VTech's Baby's Learning Laptop, the Smart Stages chair is the stronger pick for a younger baby still working on sitting and standing, since it has a physical furniture role the laptop doesn't. The laptop pulls ahead once a toddler is past standing and ready for more structured letters-and-numbers content.
Is the Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Tablet worth it?
- Genuinely grows with the child across 3 stages
- Doubles as a sit-to-stand support toy
- Well-known brand with widely available spares
What are the downsides of the Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Tablet?
- Repetitive songs can wear thin for parents fast
- Bulkier to store than smaller toys
- Battery-hungry with regular use
Specs
- Power
- Requires AA batteries
- Stages
- 3 switchable developmental levels
- Content
- Songs, phrases, sounds
- Age range
- 6 months - 3 years
How we scored it
Developmental Value
How directly the toy supports a specific skill — motor, language, cause-and-effect or sensory.
Genuinely useful across three real developmental stages.
Safety & Durability
Build quality, choke-hazard-free design and how well it survives being thrown, chewed and dropped.
Sturdy build designed to be pulled up on and leant against.
Engagement
How long the toy actually holds a toddler's attention beyond the first few days.
Holds attention well, though songs get repetitive for adults.
Weighted by importance for this category — see our editorial policy for how we test.
How this review was done
We haven't used the Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Tablet ourselves yet. This review is built from Fisher-Price's published specifications and product information, and scored the same way as everything else on the site. We'll update it, and the badge above, once we've tested it hands-on.
How it compares
|  |  | VTechBaby's Learning Laptop | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Around £26.99 | About £15 | Around £12 | Around £20 |
| Overall score | 8.1/10 | 7.2/10 | 6.9/10 | 7.7/10 |
| Power | Requires AA batteries | — | None, no batteries | Requires AA batteries |
| Content | Songs, phrases, sounds | — | — | Letters, numbers, shapes, animal sounds, music |
| Age range | 6 months - 3 years | 6-36 months | 0-3 years (clip-on use continues into toddlerhood) | 18 months - 4 years |
Frequently asked questions
How does the Smart Stages feature work?+
Its Smart Stages technology changes songs, sounds and phrases automatically as you flip a switch through three developmental levels, so the same toy stays relevant from early sitting through to cruising and pretend-play toddler stages rather than being outgrown in weeks.
Does it help with standing practice?+
Yes — it doubles as a genuine sit-to-stand support once a baby is pulling up, adding a physical development role alongside the sensory one, with a sturdy build designed to be pulled up on and leant against.
How does it compare to VTech's Learning Laptop?+
The Smart Stages chair is the stronger pick for a younger baby still working on sitting and standing, since it has a physical furniture role the laptop doesn't. The laptop pulls ahead once a toddler is past standing and ready for more structured letters-and-numbers content.
Are the songs repetitive?+
Yes — repetitive songs can wear thin for parents fast, even though the toy holds a toddler's attention well.
Guides that mention this
Best Toddler Learning Toys Compared (UK)
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Baby Development Milestones: 6 to 12 Months
Every milestone here comes with a genuinely wide normal range. Here's what to expect, and when a gap is worth mentioning to your health visitor.
Toy Safety Standards Explained: CE, UKCA and Choking Hazards
A CE or UKCA mark means a toy has been tested against a legal safety standard — here's what that actually covers, and what it doesn't.
Reviewed by
Sepehr
Software engineer, soon-to-be dad, uncle to four — the tech-obsessed half of the two of us testing this stuff. Currently building this site with my wife, ahead of our own baby arriving.