Why would someone want to shop for the best tablets for seniors? Because those Golden Years may not be so golden if it involves losing eyesight or hearing and disconnectedness with family.
The situation worsens if the senior has not had the opportunity to learn technological skills. It can be a long learning curve to get up to speed with new technologies, and without official one-on-one training, the senior ends up depending on family members for technical support. I know because my parents asked me and <egad> I’ve even found myself asking my kids for help with the iPhone!
Tablets are a good intermediary device. They are like lightweight, portable computers; a cross between a smart phone and a computer. They don’t do everything a laptop does but they do enough to appease most people. They can provide a way for the senior’s mind to stay sharp from brain stimulation via games on the tablet or learning anything new from the tablet including how to run the tablet.
Tablets offer a way for the senior to stay connected via video with adult children and grandchildren. They are a lot easier to read than newspapers and magazines with small print. Tablets come in different sizes and their screens have different resolutions.
Considerations When Buying
When shopping for the best tablets for seniors consider that the most important factors in purchase decisions of a tablet are eyesight and hearing.
The next decision to make is how simple is the tablet to use. Consider how often the senior will be using it but expect that most seniors will use it for several hours at a time and each day. Tablets have the potential to literally change the life of a senior within a few weeks.
Instead of being a shut-in and down and out, the senior in your family will begin to come alive and show his or her real personality. This is from the effects of socializing.
Best Tablets for Seniors
Acquiring a tablet as a senior, or for a senior, doesn’t have to be as complex or intimidating as it might sound. The reality is that most tablets on the market will suit seniors just fine. The difference comes in when the user needs simplicity because they become overwhelmed when presented with too many features or options.
This can be dealt with by stripping the apps and features down to the bare minimum and making the most frequented apps easily accessible on the homescreen.
Still, even that might be too much for some, and for those individuals our final recommendation, the GrandPad, may be the best-suited to touch and go operation.
It may sound obvious, but if you’re buying a tablet for an elder and you’re wondering whether they are up the technological task, researchers suggest simply asking them.
1 – Simplest Tablet – Fire 7
- 7" IPS display; 16 or 32 GB of internal storage (add up to 512 GB with microSD)
- Faster 1.3 GHz quad-core processor
As a senior, you could start out with the simplest tablet to get used to it. For only $49.99, this one may be your best bet. The display is only 7” but you have 7 hours of reading, browsing the web, videos, or music. The HD video recording is 720p HD, which may be good enough for your needs. There’s a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor and 1 GB of RAM. The cameras are in the front and back. You can access your email from it, update your calendar, and use Zoom, Outlook and OneNote.
2 – Cheapest Tablet – Fire 7 (Again)
The cheapest is the one that is also the simplest, mentioned above. For many, this could seal the deal on the Fire 7. Bonus – it has a 4.5 star rating out of 5 with a whopping 190,000+ reviews!
3 – Most Bells and Whistles Tablet – Fire HD 10
- BRIGHT DISPLAY - Clear 10.1" 1080p Full HD display with more than 2 million pixels. Fire HD 10 is almost 20% brighter than Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 (2022).
- LONG LASTING BATTERY - 12-hour battery and 32 or 64 GB internal storage. Add up to 1 TB with microSD (sold separately).
At $149.99, this one may be your go-to tablet, or at least on your top picks. It’s fast and responsive with 3 GB RAM, 50% more than the previous generation. Battery lasts 12 hours and there’s 32 or 64 GB internal storage. A microSD could add up to 1 TB of storage. The display is 10% brighter than the previous generation.
You can connect Netflix, Facebook, Hulu, Instagram, TikTok and more (but not Google Play). You can make video calls via Alexa or Zoom. It allows you to check email, set calendar reminders, and use MS Office, OneNote and even Dropbox. And talk about bells and whistles – you can do multitasking and create a split screen to do Facebook Messenger and Prime Video at the same time.
4 – Most Senior-Specific – GrandPad
We’ve written on the GrandPad tablet before. This, as you can probably guess based on the name, is a tablet specifically designed for older adults. The cost comes at a premium, but that premium comes with advanced features (support) and simplicity.
For example, from our article:
The company has a designated “member experience” agent assigned to each GrandPad user. This is a real person, not a chat bot or email help or worse yet, an email support system. The “member experience” agent offers much more than tech support and can begin to build a relationship with individual GrandPad users.
https://www.elderguru.com/grandpad-tablet-for-seniors/
The downside to this unit is that it comes with a monthly cost. That cost includes the tablet itself, stylus, app, and a built-in 4G LTE data package. It also has phone and video calling features already built-in.
Tablet Accessories to Consider
Getting the tablet is one thing, but no tablet is complete without a covers, screen protector, and possibly a stylus pen. Don’t forget to download some great video conferencing apps for seniors who want to stay in touch with family who do not live nearby.