Merlin, the children's speaker from Bayard, is a well loved way to listen to podcasts, stories and documentaries without a screen. Ted takes a different route: instead of listening to content, your child has a real conversation with a teddy bear, within guardrails you set.
Side by side
| Merlin | Ted | |
|---|---|---|
| What the child does | Chooses and listens to audio content | Talks, asks questions, co-creates stories |
| Content | Podcasts and stories from Bayard and Radio France, more available to buy | Invented live with your child |
| Subscription | Not required | None |
| Screen or camera | No | No |
| Internet | Listening works without a connection | Wi-Fi needed |
| Languages | Mostly French content | More than 60, set by the parent in the app |
| Listening mode | Not applicable, it does not listen | Automatic listening or push to talk |
| Form | Compact speaker | 24 cm teddy bear |
Merlin figures from the Bayard and Milan websites, September 2026.
What Merlin does very well
Quality French content from trusted publishers, radio free listening and a very simple device. For a child who loves documentaries and podcasts, Merlin is a great choice, and it needs no Wi-Fi to play.
What Ted adds
- A dialogue, not a playlist. Your child asks "how do volcanoes work?" and gets an answer at their level, then a follow up question back.
- Stories starring your child. Their name, their classmates, the park down the road. A new story every evening.
- Other languages. Grandparents speak Arabic, Italian or English? Switch Ted's language in the app.
- Something to hold. At bedtime, a teddy bear is easier to cuddle than a speaker.
Safety and control
Parents stay in control through a mobile app: language, volume, listening mode and guardrails. Ted has no camera, does not store your child's voice and does not recognise voices. Data is hosted in Frankfurt, Germany. See our safety page.
Questions parents ask
Does Ted play podcasts?
No. Ted is built for conversation and stories invented with your child. For podcasts, Merlin is the better tool.
Which is better for a curious 5 year old?
If they want to listen, Merlin. If they want to ask "why" twenty times in a row and get answers, Ted.
Meet Ted, the teddy bear that answers back.
