Sometimes singing in front of the mirror with your hairbrush just isn’t enough. If you’re looking for a way to unleash those pop star dreams, a karaoke machine is the way forward – and with the Christmas holidays just around the corner, now is the perfect time to invest. Whether you’re after something to help the kids let off steam or for you to channel your inner Adele at home, there’s plenty of choice when it comes to finding the right fit for your singing needs.
Sound quality varies a lot – and this is usually reflected in the price. For young children it’s not such an issue, as most will be content simply shouting into the microphone, but for older children or adults who want to make the most of the singing experience, you’ll want to look for a decent karaoke machine to show your voice off to its full potential.
Something to consider is how many microphones are included with your karaoke machine. If you’re happy to take turns one will do, but for duets – or to stave off arguments over who goes first – you’ll want to look for machines that come with two mics, or the option to buy extras.
Song choice is also a biggie – after all, what’s the point if you can’t sing along to your favourite tunes? Many of the karaoke machines in our round-up have a Bluetooth connection so you can link with your own music or stream karaoke versions of songs on YouTube (complete with lyrics). Others have a USB port, while some come pre-loaded with songs or with free CDs.
Most karaoke machines do a lot more than just play songs, with many in our round-up coming with cool extras like flashy light shows, sound effects, a record function and even interactive games. If you’re buying for kids, you’ll want to consider how easy the machine is to operate independently and how easy it is to carry around.
How we tested
We put a wide range of karaoke machines to the test, with the assistance of our very vocal six- and three-year-old helpers, looking at set-up, overall quality, any extras, how kid-friendly they were and what the song choice was like. After approximately 130 renditions of “Let It Go”, these are the ones that came out on top…
The best karaoke machines for 2022 are:
- Best overall – Mr Entertainer moonbox: £79.99, Mrentertainer.co.uk
- Best for song choice – Lucky Voice karaoke kit: £40, Luckyvoice.com
- Best for children – Tobi 2 interactive karaoke machine: £39.98, Amazon.co.uk
- Best with a stand – VTech Kidi Super Star DJ microphone and stand: £52.99, Smythstoys.com
- Best for the whole family – Daewoo Bluetooth karaoke machine: £103, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for a professional experience – Mr Entertainer digibox: £349.99, Mrentertainer.co.uk
- Best for Disney fans – Disney Encanto Bluetooth karaoke machine with EZ link technology: £75.99, Onbuy.com
- Best for toddlers – Cocomelon sing along karaoke microphone: £10, Argos.co.uk