The '90s Are Calling. This Landline for Kids Is Answering.

Summary

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The Wirecutter Show

Episode: The '90s Are Calling. This Landline for Kids Is Answering.

Date: June 26, 2026
Host: Christine Cyr Clisset
Guest: Rachel Hearn (Wirecutter baby and kid editor)

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Overview

This episode explores the resurgence of “landline” style phones for kids—specifically, brightly colored, screen-free devices that use WiFi (VoIP) rather than old-fashioned copper wires. Host Christine Cyr Clisset and editor Rachel Hearn discuss how these devices, like the Tin Can phone, offer a nostalgic yet practical alternative for families hoping to keep kids connected without the addictive elements of smartphones or the distractions of texting and games. They examine why parents are turning to these retro-inspired products, how they differ from true landlines and simple cell phones, and what to consider if you’re interested in trying one.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Trend Toward Screen-Free Kid Tech

• Nostalgia Meets Parenting Needs (01:05–02:39)
  • Many parents are nostalgic for ‘90s tech—point-and-shoot cameras, CD players, landlines—for both themselves and their children.
  • There’s a growing movement to delay giving kids smartphones, in favor of devices that promote real conversation and limit distractions.

“There’s an appeal, even for adults, to using a device that isn’t going to suck you into emails or a social feed.”
—Christine Cyr Clisset (00:57)

• Intentional Conversations
  • Rachel shares a personal story: Her daughter now sits and really talks to her grandparents on their Tin Can phone, transforming their relationship, as opposed to distracted FaceTime chats.
    (02:39–03:32)
  • Parent involvement in kids’ social lives decreases as kids can initiate calls and playdates themselves.

“She just feels like it’s completely changed their relationship with my older daughter… My mom could not be more thrilled.”
—Rachel Hearn (03:10)

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2. What Are WiFi Landline Phones for Kids?

• Tech Basics (05:12–05:47)
  • These aren’t traditional landlines. Instead, they’re VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phones.
  • Tin Can and similar devices look and feel like classic corded phones, with tactile buttons and twisty cords—intentionally ‘80s/’90s style.

“Actual landline phones connect to a network with physical copper wires. Whereas WiFi phones use a technology called VoIP… Tin Can has really been leading the pack in these VoIP phones designed for kids.”
—Rachel Hearn (05:12)

• The “’90s Summer” Vibe (06:10–06:25)
  • Parents want their kids to have the same analog, “home for dinner when the streetlights come on” experience.

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3. Features & Functional Differences

• Kid-Focused Design (05:47–06:42)
  • Bright colors and physical buttons make the devices appealing and accessible for kids.
• Functionalities (06:42–07:55)
  • Free “in-phone” calling among Tin Can devices.
  • Monthly subscription (around $10) for outside calls (e.g., to grandma’s cell).
  • Controlled contact lists, quiet hours, and protection from spam/scam calls.
• Controlled Independence
  • Parents can set which numbers can call and be called; quiet times (no calls) can be programmed.

“When my 8-year-old daughter tries to call someone during those hours, there’s a message like, ‘aw shucks, you can’t call that number right now.’”
—Rachel Hearn (07:44)

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4. Why Not Just Use a Landline or Flip Phone?

• Landlines Are Disappearing (08:41–09:30)
  • Traditional copper-wire landlines are increasingly unavailable; techs no longer learn to maintain them.
• Flip Phones vs. VoIP Kid Phones (09:30–10:30)
  • Flip phones still allow texting and simple games (e.g., Snake), introducing distractions.
  • The WiFi “landlines” offer pure call-only functionality, no games, or texting.

“You’re still not getting that with a flip phone… You can text, there are games. I think of the many hours I spent playing Nokia’s Snake.”
—Rachel Hearn (09:42)

• Analog Joys (10:30–11:03)
  • Prank calls are making a comeback via these kid phones—something parents fondly recall from their own childhoods.

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5. Product Reviews: Tin Can & Competitors

The Tin Can Experience

• Availability & Cost (13:25–14:16)

  • The primary downside: a long waiting list for preorders.
  • $100 per phone, with free Tin Can-to-Tin Can calling or $9.99/month for calling any approved number.
  • Price range in line with other competitors ($60–$100).

• Competitors (14:20–14:45)

  • Brands include:
    • Ooma (MyPhone)
    • Pinwheel (Pinwheel Home)
    • Ring Ring Club (a newcomer mentioned by readers)

• Testing Future Products (14:45–15:14)

  • Wirecutter has not yet tested all competing devices but notes rising interest among staff with children.

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6. Practical Considerations

• WiFi Dependency (15:14–16:36)
  • Devices require good home WiFi; signal strength can impact quality, but customer support can troubleshoot.
  • If the Internet or power goes out, the phones won’t work—unlike some landlines used as lifelines in remote/rural regions.
• Emergency Features (17:17–17:52)
  • 911 can be enabled or disabled; address registration can ensure help arrives promptly.

“It’s worth saying that’s true of any WiFi phone. The phone will only work if it has Internet connection and is plugged into the wall, which… is a big reason why people are holding onto their landlines… as kind of their lifeline.”
—Rachel Hearn (16:36)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On fostering independence:

  “I’m finding that the phone gives her a lot of independence and a way for her to amuse herself… without asking me for help.”
  —Rachel Hearn (04:31)

• On the demise of copper landlines:

  “Landlines aren’t maintained everywhere anymore… more and more landline services are being phased out.”
  —Rachel Hearn (08:52)

• On the joy of prank calls:

  “She uses the phone probably more to [prank call] than to talk to people.”
  —Rachel Hearn (10:48)

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Important Timestamps

• 01:05 — The challenge of getting kids off screens; nostalgic tech for kids.
• 02:39 — Real conversation and relationship building via screen-free calling.
• 05:12 — The basics: VoIP WiFi landlines vs. classic copper landlines.
• 06:42 — In-depth: Features, parental controls, free vs. paid calling.
• 08:52 — Landlines phasing out; industry and maintenance changes.
• 09:42 — Flip phones vs. WiFi landlines: distractions and limitations.
• 13:26 — Tin Can pros and cons, cost, and availability.
• 14:20 — Major competitors on the market.
• 15:40 — WiFi reliability and customer service solutions.
• 17:17 — Emergency (911) call capabilities.

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Concluding Thoughts

This episode offers a thoughtful look at new-old tech that parents are turning to amid modern digital fatigue and nostalgia for ‘90s-style childhoods. The Tin Can and its competitors make screen-free, purposeful calling possible for kids, fostering independence and connection free of the trappings of modern smartphones. The biggest tradeoffs are WiFi reliability, cost, and the uncertain future of truly analog landlines. For families looking to try a “90s summer” or simply make playdates easier, these VoIP phones deliver a quirky, practical solution.

Explore further:

• Read Wirecutter’s full guide to kid-friendly landline-style phones
• 8 Ways to Create a Light Tech Summer for Your Kids (article edited by Rachel Hearn)

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Transcript

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[Christine Cyrclassette]

I'm Christine Cyrclassette, and you're listening to the Wirecutter Show. Hey, it's Christine. If you're a parent, a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle, a teacher, you know that one of the greatest parenting struggles these days is to get kids off of screens. Summer break is here, and I know this is going to be the biggest challenge over the summer with my own kids. And you may also have noticed a growing trend of nostalgia for old tech point and shoot cameras, iPods, CD players and DVD players and MP3 players. Some people call some of this 90s tech. There's an appeal, even for adults, to using a device that isn't going to suck you into emails or a social feed. Today I'm going to talk about one of these throwbacks, the landline. Well, not Exactly a landline. WiFi phones, they look like a landline, but they work using the Internet. And there's an increasing number of these phones made specifically for kids. I'm going to speak with one of Wirecutter's baby and kid editors, Rachel Hearn, about why parents are getting these phones. What to consider if you're interested in one, and we'll discuss one of the phones we've tested. It's called the Tin Can. Rachel, welcome to the show.

[Rachel Hearn]

Hi. It's so fun to be here. Thanks for having me.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

You have two kids and you also have one of these phones we're talking about today, a tin can. So I've been seeing articles for the last few years about the rise in popularity of landlines. So parents in a lot of parts of the country have been sort of getting on the bandwagon. They don't want their kids on cell phones, so they've been agreeing to get landlines so their kids can call each other. But in experience, why go to this sort of older type of tech right

[Rachel Hearn]

I mean, I do think, you know, there's definitely a push to delay smartphones as long as possible. And so when kids are asking for a phone, it's like, okay, here's your phone. But also, I think at the heart of this is it's about having real conversations, you know, like learning to actually talk to someone without distractions. My daughter used to kind of just walk around the house when she FaceTimed with my parents and was barely answering their questions or just kind of, like, making faces. But now she sits on this corner of the couch where the phone is plugged in and actually talks to them. And my mom could not be more thrilled. She made a point of wanting me to stress to you and to all the families who are listening that she just feels like it's completely changed their relationship with my older daughter. Not. Not my younger daughter, though, she's two. So she just sort of screams. Screams into the ph and walks away.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

So it's really just not having the distraction of a screen, the distraction of things that you can do on a smartphone. It's really having to just. You're just listening. You're just listening on one of these phones, and you're sitting in one spot.

[Rachel Hearn]

Yeah. And for me, as a parent, there's a whole other factor, which is this kind of, like, personal assistant factor that we bring up in the piece that we published about the tin can, which, you know, my daughter was constantly asking me to text so and so's mom and set up a play date, and have they answered yet? And she's, like, looking at my phone to see if there a text message has popped up. And now, like, we're lucky enough to live in a small neighborhood, you know, set off from any busy roads, and there's lots of kids her age, and she can just call them up and be like, do you want to meet me at the rock? Which is like a big rock in the middle of our neighborhood. And even for friends who live across town, she's doing this this past weekend. It was a rainy Sunday. She wanted to invite her friend over for a movie date. And so she called this friend who has a landline. You know, we were like, that's great. And then, of course, the. The girl's mom texted me a few minutes later and said, like, is this a real invitation? I'm like, yes, it is. Yes, it is. And then they came over. But that really didn't take any planning on my part. I'm finding that the phone gives her a lot of independence and a way for her to amuse herself and fill up her time without asking me for help to do that.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I love that as a parent of two kids, that's what I want for them. I don't want to have to be involved in setting up playdates. How is this type of phone different from an old school landline?

[Rachel Hearn]

Actual landline phones, like the ones you and I had growing up, our parents had growing up, our grandparents had growing up, connect to a network with physical copper wires. Whereas WiFi phones use a technology called VoIP Voice over Internet protocol, which allows you to make calls using your broadband Internet connection. This is not new, and one company in particular, Uma, has been around for something like 20 years. But Tin can has really been leading the pack in these VoIP phones designed for kids and marketed to parents.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

And just for. Because people are listening to this, they don't know what this looks like. These phones look like old school corded phone that you would use, right?

[Rachel Hearn]

Yes, totally. These especially are embracing that, like, 80s 90s look. Bright colors, squishy tactile buttons, those long, twisty phone cords that you can wrap around your finger. I don't know if you've heard of the term 90s summer.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Yes, I'm planning to have one personally.

[Maurice Shama]

Yeah.

[Rachel Hearn]

Yes, yes. Well, it's essentially nostalgic millennial parents who are longing to give their kids the kind of childhood that they had. You know, like a head home, when the street lights come on kind of vibe.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

So you just mentioned that this VoIP calling technology has been around for a long time. You've been able to use these WI fi landlines for a long time, but there's this new crop of phones like the Tin Can. How are these different than the other WI fi landlines that you can get?

[Rachel Hearn]

So the kids versions of these phones do lean heavily on the aesthetics of the device itself. From what I can tell, the offerings on the different kids versions are not actually that different from the adult versions of VoIP phones. Almost all of them feature things like free in phone to in phone calling. So, like, if you have a tin can and your friend has a tin can and you just want to call other tin cans, you don't have to pay for a subscription. You only pay that monthly subscription if you want to call any number. If you want to call grandma's cell phone, for example, other VoIP phones offer that too. So, yeah, you can also have a controlled contact list where you which numbers you can call and which numbers can call you, which basically means you don't have any spam calls. And you can also set quiet hours where you can make it so that you can't make or receive calls during certain times. So my family's tin can is set so that between 8pm and 8am no one can call us. And when my 8 year old daughter tries to call someone during those hours, there's a message that's basically like, aw shucks, you can't call that number right now, or something like that.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Well, so tell me a little bit because some of these have a subscription option, right? So like $10 a month for certain features. What do those features include?

[Rachel Hearn]

Well, so for the most part those features do include that controlled contact list at least that's certainly the case for Tin can, where, yeah, if you have the can to can plan, you can call other tin cans for free. But if you want to call your mom's cell phone number, your grandma, like your friend who has a landline and doesn't have one of these VoIP phones or they have a VoIP phone and it's not a tin can. So that's where that like 9.99amonth comes into play.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

You mentioned that we published a piece about the tin can. And something that I really like about this piece is there's a very vigorous conversation in the comments section.

[Rachel Hearn]

Yes.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

And I noticed a lot of people kind of saying, why not just get a landline? So I'm gonna pose that to you. Why not just get a copper wire landline instead of One of these VoIP Internet phones?

[Rachel Hearn]

Yes. It's a very heated discussion which has been fun to watch unfold. And the thing that I just want to say to all these people is that landlines aren't maintained everywhere anymore. I mean, more and more landline services are being phased out. In fact, AT&T has clearly stated that they're only offering new landlines to certain parts of California and Nevada. I've heard comments about how telecommunications field technicians don't even know how to repair or maintain copper wires. Like they're just not being taught this. And so the industry is heavily shifting in the direction of not having them anymore.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Okay, so then another argument I saw in the comments was why not just get a dumb cell phone instead of one of these Internet VoIP phones? Just a flip phone or something.

[Rachel Hearn]

Right. And some kids, a flip phone is great. And we on our baby and kid team, we do recommend a flip phone as a, to avoid smartphones for longer. But I think the big point here is undistracted calling. And you're still not getting that with A flip phone, like, you can text. There are games. I think of the many hours I spent playing Nokia's Snake. I don't know if you.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I completely missed that. I'm a little too old, but I know that it's a real touchstone for a lot of millennials.

[Rachel Hearn]

Yes. And with texting, like, for me, I hate how addicted I am to texting. And I love that my daughter can just call up a neighbor and ask if they want to come over to play and she's not opening up a phone and then seeing a text from someone else and getting distracted and. Yeah, so I think that's a big. That's a big part of it.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

I think that one of the pleasures of one of these Internet phones is something that I'm seeing bear out in my own life. My neighbor downstairs has one of them for her daughter and about once a week I get a prank call from my own daughter from that phone. So I don't think anybody's prank calling from flip phones, you know?

[Rachel Hearn]

Yeah, that's so true. I did not tell my daughter about prank calling and she actually, she uses the phone probably more to do that than she does to talk to people. So, yeah, she does it all the time.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

We're going to take a quick break and then, Rachel, we're going to talk about some of the brands making kids specific landline style phones and the pros and cons of using these wi fi enabled phones. We'll be right back.

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[Christine Cyrclassette]

Welcome back, Rachel. Before the break, we talked a little bit about the tin can, which is a phone you have. And we have a piece on the site that a writer, Allison Rochford, wrote, and we'll link to that in the show notes. I want to dig in a little bit more into the tin can, specifically, what do you think the pros and cons of this specific phone are?

[Rachel Hearn]

So the only real problem so far that I can see is the waiting list.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Right? So there's been a long wait list for people to even get.

[Rachel Hearn]

Yes. I mean, there's been these pre orders and then you get the phone a couple months later, a month later. People are finding that really frustrating.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

And how expensive is this phone?

[Rachel Hearn]

So the phone itself is a hundred dollars. And then like I said, you can either choose to have the free plan where you just call other tin can phones or you pay 9.99amonth to call any phone number that you approve of. And you know, people are saying that that price tag feels expensive, which is fair, but the competitors are all going to cost between 60 to 100 bucks, so it doesn't feel ridiculous to me.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

And so who are those competitors? What are some other brands making this style of phone?

[Rachel Hearn]

So Uoma, who I mentioned before, now makes the my phone Pinwheel, who makes one of the picks in our guide to the best first phone for kids just came out with Pinwheel Home, which is also geared towards households with kids. And then there's a very new competitor on the market called Ring Ring Club, which I actually learned about through our comments section.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Are you planning on testing any of these phones?

[Rachel Hearn]

We haven't tested these phones yet, but there is a growing interest even among our own staff with kids and nieces and nephews who are wanting to get on this train. So you never know. We, we actually just hosted a bring your kids to work day at the Wirecutter offices. And it was really fun. Introduce our kids to each other and then you leave thinking like, oh, well, if they get a tin can, then my daughter can call their daughter or whatever and keep in touch. So, yeah, we'll see. Maybe we'll test all kinds to be

[Christine Cyrclassette]

explored in the future about whether you'll, you'll actually test them. I am very Curious about getting one of these phones. Like I mentioned, my neighbor has one. And I think even in our own building, my, my neighbor's kid and my kid would have a lot of fun calling each other. I have pretty spotty WI fi. I think everybody who works with me knows this. So I'm curious, am I a bad candidate for getting one of these phones?

[Rachel Hearn]

Yeah, that's a great question, and ultimately one that I can't completely answer right now. But when I did chat with one of the founders of the Tin can, that is Chet Kittleston, he said that they're a small company with customer service people and that they're happy to troubleshoot. And so they do that. And some customers have needed to make really minor adjustments, like literally moving the phone closer to their router. You know, and he basically said if you have Internet and you're able to run other Internet connected devices or apps, the phone should work. But, you know, I have also experienced your spotty wifi.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

You have, you did this week.

[Rachel Hearn]

So, yeah, for you, I would say it's worth just ordering one. And if it's spotty and it doesn't work, you can ask for a refund. And they did confirm that they would be happy to do that.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

Well, it seems like an obvious downside to these phones, though, would be if your Internet goes down, it's not going to work. Right.

[Rachel Hearn]

For sure. And it's worth saying that that's true of any wifi phone. The phone will only work if it has Internet connection and is plugged into the wall, which, as you know, is a big reason why people are holding onto their landlines, especially if they're in remote rural areas or places that have a lot of storms like Maine and lose power and, and it's kind of their lifeline. It's just not clear how long that service is going to be available. It's actually unsurprising that a number of people are getting this. For their elderly parents, for example, who have a hard time using a cell phone, it's easier for them to just use a regular phone, the kind that they've known their whole lives.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

What about emergencies? Can you call 911 with this phone? If 911 isn't one of the approved phone numbers on the list, you can for sure.

[Rachel Hearn]

And I think that's a big thing the people making these phones have taken into consideration. I think there's even a way for, you know, you can log your address so that it's even faster to get help in an emergency. But with Tin can anyway. You can also disable that function if you're worried your kids will call 91 1, like as a prank.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

This has been great, Rachel. We'd love to have you back on the show. Thanks for joining today.

[Rachel Hearn]

Thanks. It's been really fun.

[Christine Cyrclassette]

If you want to find out more about Wirecutter's coverage or if you want to check out the products we recommended Today, go to nytimes.com wirecutter or find a link in the show notes. We'll also drop a helpful article Rachel just edited about screen free devices titled 8 Ways to Create a light tech summer for your kids. That's it for us till next week. Thanks for listening. The Wirecutter show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel. Engineering support from Mattie Mazziello and Nick Pittman. Today's episode was mixed by Katherine Anderson. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Rowan Nimusto, Catherine Anderson and Diane Wong. Cliff Levy is Wirecutter's deputy publisher and general manager. Ben Fruman is Wirecutter's editor in chief. I'm Christine Cyrclassette. Thanks for listening.

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