If you want the short list, these are my top audiobook player picks for seniors, and you’ll find the details on each one further down.

A good story is hard to give up, even when small print or tiny buttons make reading and listening a chore.

An audiobook player built for older adults can bring books back. This article covers players that suit low vision or trouble with fine finger movements, and what to watch out for with each.

How Do Audiobook Players Help?

They help by reading the book to you out loud, so you can still dig in to a favorite novel – without straining your eyes.

But, they have their challenges too – especially for seniors who aren’t as tech-centric as the younger generations. Either the screen is too small, the buttons are too close together or it’s easy to accidentally touch the wrong spot and mess up the playback.

In this guide, I’m going to show you how to shop for audiobook players for the elderly.

I’ll also show you a few free ways to get an audiobook device for seniors. Plus, I’ll recommend a few of my favorite devices that are simple and easy to use.

Let’s get started…

Video Guide: What’s the Best Audiobook Device for Seniors?

Reviews of the Best Audiobook Players for Seniors and the Elderly

Seniors want an audiobook player that is simple, easy to understand, and has buttons and a screen that is easy to read. Here are the best audiobook players for seniors with a detailed review of each model.

ODEJOI Bluetooth MP3 Player

The first player on my list is the ODEJOI MP3 player with Bluetooth and a built-in speaker. It is a plain, simple device for people who want to press a button and hear their book. If you want to compare more, see my guide to mp3 players for the elderly.

There is no touchscreen menu to work through. It has dedicated physical buttons for play, pause, volume, and track control. A bright 1.8-inch screen shows what is playing, and holding the Back button takes you straight to the home screen if you get lost.

You can listen on the built-in speaker, or you can connect headphones. Bluetooth 5.3 reconnects on its own to the last headphones or speaker you paired. If you also want to hear the TV better, see my guide to TV listening devices. There is also a 3.5mm port for wired listening, including some car audio systems.

It holds 32GB of audiobooks, podcasts, and music, and takes a microSD card up to 128GB if you want more room. One charge gives up to 40 hours of playback, so you won’t be plugging it in often.

It also has an FM radio and a voice recorder. A lanyard and earphones come in the box.

The trade-off is that this is a plain music player. You load your audiobook files onto it yourself, and it does not stream books from the web. If you are blind or have low vision and want spoken menus, a player built for that purpose will suit you better.

Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet

The next item is a tablet, which many people think is the best device for playing audiobooks. It can also do plenty besides audiobooks, like streaming shows and movies, reading, and browsing the web.

This one is the Amazon Fire HD 8 with an 8-inch HD display. Audiobook apps and streaming apps come through Amazon’s Appstore, and some of them need a subscription.

The battery is rated for up to 13 hours of reading, web browsing, video, and music. That is enough for a long listening day without hunting for the charger.

It has 64GB of storage, which holds a lot of downloaded books. If you ever run out, it takes expandable storage of up to 1 TB (sold separately).

It is also described as thin, light, and durable, with a fast hexa-core processor and 4GB of memory, so menus and apps should respond quickly. That matters more than it sounds when you are tapping through a library of books.

There are a few things to know first. Google Play is not supported, so you get the apps in Amazon’s Appstore and not everything you may know from other tablets.

A tablet is also more than most people need if all they want is to press play on a story. If you or your loved one prefers a few simple buttons, a dedicated audiobook player may suit better. For someone who wants audiobooks plus video calls, shows, and photos in one device, this is a sensible choice.

If you want to see what else is out there, here are the best tablets for seniors.

Apple iPod Touch

An alternative to a tablet option, the Apple iPod is a great device with many different accessibility features.

It’s an overall quality device that many folks are already familiar with using and it serves as a great audiobook player. It has a large 4-inch screen and a battery that lasts for an incredible 40 hours of active use.

Even tech-averse seniors can use the iPod easily for playing audiobooks with some set-up help from a techy family member or friend. You can install the audiobook player app of your choice right on the home screen.

Then, playing the audiobook is as simple as scrolling and touching the one that you want to play. Other icons can even be deleted or hidden if you want to make the iPod an exclusive audiobook player for a more elderly person.

Audiobooks can be downloaded from iTunes app store or you can use any other app you prefer like the audiobooks.com app or Audible which is part of the Amazon eco-system. You can even use multiple apps and not be locked into one certain system.

What I like:

• Easy to use and navigate
• It’s lightweight
• Great screen and sound

Possible downside:

• If you want to use it as an audio player only, it is a bit pricey

Audiobooks.com Audiobook Trial

Why not take one of those old tablets or iPads you have laying around and convert into an audiobook player? There are lots of free apps you can choose from to download audiobooks.

Audiobooks.com offers apps for both Apple and Android products. Their apps make it a simple process to download something new to listen to – with just a few clicks. Use the link above and get 2 free audiobooks just for trying them out.

Oilsky Touch Screen Music Player

The Oilsky player is a touchscreen MP3 player with Bluetooth and WiFi. It comes with Audible already on it, along with Spotify, Amazon Music and a few other apps. If you have an Audible account, you can sign in and listen to your books on the player itself.

It also plays audiobook files you download in MP3 format. There are lots of places to find free ones. A memory card slot takes cards up to 512GB, so you can fit a big library. If you like to read magazines too, I also list large print magazines for seniors.

The screen is a 4-inch touchscreen. A touchscreen means you tap the picture of what you want, with no tiny buttons to find. It also has a built-in speaker, so you can listen without headphones.

Now the downsides. Using Audible or any streaming app means connecting to WiFi and signing in to your account, which takes some setup. Audible is a paid subscription, and the player does not change that.

It is also built to play music and video, so there are more menus than a simple audiobook player has. If you want one button to press and nothing else, a dedicated audiobook player will suit you better.

For someone who likes gadgets, or who has a family member willing to help with the first setup, it can be a handy all-in-one.

Sony Walkman MP3 Player

For seniors who want a small portable device to play their audiobooks, I really like this model from Sony. It has a large, easy-to-see screen and, even though the print on the buttons is thin, it is easy to read because it is well contrasted.

This device syncs easily with Windows via the USB cable and comes with earbud headphones (check out other headphone options for seniors here too)

BOESPATR Portable FM Radio

This is a pocket-sized FM radio that also plays MP3 files, which makes it a fit for audiobooks. It plays files from a USB flash drive, a TF card or a micro SD card, so you load your audiobooks on your computer and plug in the card or drive.

The controls are digital buttons, including number keys for picking a track and a lock key so nothing gets pressed by accident in a pocket. If you like pushing a real button rather than touching a screen, that suits you.

It weighs 93 grams, measures 107 x 25 x 55 mm, and comes with a hand strap. It can play through its own speaker or through headphones you plug in.

The built-in 700 mAh battery is rechargeable and runs about 10 hours at one-third volume. A charging cable is included. That is enough for a long book, but you will be charging it more often than with a player built for long battery life.

It also has an FM radio with one-touch station scanning, a voice recorder and a flashlight. If you only want audiobooks, those extras are just more things to ignore.

It is not the right pick if you want to download books straight to the player, since everything goes on by card or drive. If you do not want to move files from a computer, look at a different kind of device.

Features to Consider When Shopping for an Audio Book Player

Not all elderly people are the same and some may have more specific needs than others. Some are more tech proficient than others too.

But, generally, you want to find an audio-playing device with a simple user interface. It is important for the elderly to be able to navigate and use the audio player easily. It is also good if they are lightweight and the volume is easily adjusted with a simple button.

Depending on their preference, seniors can get devices with large screens so they can identify the book and chapter being played more easily.

If you choose a tablet, for example, make sure you install an app that is easy to use and can’t be disrupted by imprecise gestures.

On the other hand, some seniors have suggested that tablet screens can be too sensitive and that they prefer smaller players which have physical buttons.

3 Ways to Get Free Audiobook Players

There are a few different ways to get free audiobook devices for seniors and the elderly. Services such as the National Library for the Blind send free devices to your home.

Another way is to convert an old iPod or iPad or other tablet so that it plays audiobooks.

1. National Library Service for the Blind

This free braille and talking book service is part of the Library of Congress.

As part of the service, they offer a free player (on extended loan) with free book “rentals.” The books are sent out on a cartridge that plugs into their proprietary player.

The player is simple to use with large, color coded buttons. When you finish the book, send it back and trade it for another title.

There are some eligibility requirements to subscribe to this service. Click here to learn more about the NLS eligibility.

2. Convert an Old Device to a Simple Audiobook Device

If your house is like mine, you have several old tablets laying around. Maybe you upgraded to a new model or just stopped using them.

Have you thought of bring new life back to these old dinosaurs by using them as a dedicated e-book player?

Services like Audiobooks.com have free player apps that you can download for Apple and Android devices. Then, you can download their audiobooks right to your device at the touch of a button.

3. Android Tablet or Kindle Fire? Use the Homer Player App!

The Homer Player is an app that you can download onto an Android tablet or a Kindle Fire tablet. This app is extremely simple to use and is made specifically for tech-adverse seniors.

This quick video walks you through the basic operation:

What I really like is this app can make an Android tablet or Kindle Fire into a dedicated, stand-alone playback device that is simple to use. And, it even blocks other functions, to avoid confusion or issues using it.

There are a few limitations:

1. Check your old tablet version, first. It must be running at least Android 5.0 (from Dec 2014) or be able to upgrade to that version.
2. The Homer App only plays MP3 files that are DRM-free. But. there are lots of sources for these.

To learn more about the Homer Player app, click here to visit their website.

What About Apple iPad Users? Do We Have an Option Like That?

Unfortunately, no. Not one that simple at least.

There are tons of audiobook player apps on the Apple App Store, but none of them are this simple. Also, most are geared toward playing books from your preferred library.

I couldn’t find any that are easier to use than the built-in, native iBooks app.

If you know of a better option, please let me know in the comments below.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

How Do Seniors Benefit from Audio Books?

Audiobooks are a wonderful way to keep the elderly mind busy and in shape. They are engaging, and elderly can listen to their favorite books again or learn new things that interest them.

Audiobooks are especially good for people with impaired sight since they can enjoy great stories again. They are also beneficial for people who suffer from arthritis and can no longer hold a book in their hands without pain.

Another positive aspect of audiobooks is fighting loneliness. Many seniors tend to get lonely, especially if they are living by themselves.

Combined with the difficulties mentioned before, things can quickly get depressing. Audiobooks can make a huge impact because a comforting voice reading a great story is just a few clicks away.

At last, the general benefits of audiobooks now benefit seniors too. You can listen while taking a walk, doing things around the house, or other activities.

It is much easier if you just absorb the material that is delivered to you. You can get exposed to new topics, learn new things or just make your imagination more vivid.

What About Audiobook Player Apps?

In addition to everything mentioned, there are apps available for both Android and iOS that make audio books more enjoyable for seniors.

Audiobooks.com has free Android and Apple apps for listening to audiobooks through their platform.

The Homer Player for Android (discussed in detail above) is an audiobook player designed with elderly people in mind. It has a simple interface (just a list with a start button), you can flip the device to stop and the reproduction speed can be adjusted.

The BookPlayer for iOS is also highly recommended, reliable, and simple audiobook player for seniors to use.

Where Can You Get Audio Books for Your New Device?

There are many ways of acquiring audiobooks, but the most common one is through digital music stores. They can be paid for and downloaded the same way as other files.

Many websites and apps provide these services, and you can even get a certain number of audiobooks free of charge.

Audible is possibly the most famous source to get audio books online. When you register you get one month of free access and then you pay a monthly subscription of $14.95 for access to a huge amount of book titles in every genre.

They also offer some audiobooks for free, so you can search for those too. You can listen to them on your Amazon Fire tablet or simply download the app on your iOS or Android.

Another interesting option is OverDrive. This is a free service provided by your library for which you just need your ID-card.

They make it possible to borrow audiobooks the same way you would a regular book, anyplace and anytime. They have apps that are compatible with iOS, Android, Windows, and Kindle. So, give it a try.

The free sources I mentioned are Open Culture, Project Gutenberg, and LibriVox. They offer a large number of great audiobooks completely free of charge.

Most of the audiobooks they offer are classics because the copyright for those has expired. They make everything possible with the help of thousands of volunteers.

Summary and Final Recommendations

I am sure you will be able to find the best audiobook player for you or a person you care about, so you can step into an exciting new world audio books offer. This is an amazing field which can really enrich your life.

Check out my guide to the best CD players for seniors too for even more listening options. And,happy listening!

Do you have another audiobook player you recommend? Or other tips for enjoying audiobooks? Please share your thought in the comments below!