We're Parents.
We Chose Different.
We looked at what was waiting for our kids — smartphones, social media, endless scrolling — and decided to build something better. A way for kids to communicate and be independent, without the stuff that keeps us up at night.
Meet Team Waffle.
Our family has grown. What started as three dads building something for their own kids is now Team Waffle:
Dr Brad
Psychologist
Author of The Tech Diet for Your Child & Teen, with 15 years helping families navigate screens and technology.
Sean
Product developer
15 years building consumer products for Disney and Warner Bros.
Brandon
Technology lead
Cut his teeth at IBM, making sure every call gets through and every message received.
Sally
Brand marketer
Making sure Waffle sounds like Waffle.
Eason
Industrial designer
Behind products you've almost certainly used — work for Dyson and Logitech.
Jennifer
Support and logistics
Making sure every query gets answered and every unit gets shipped.
What is Waffle?
Waffle is a screen-free phone for kids — a healthier alternative to a smartphone for kids that families have been searching for. We built it because the "first phone" conversation in most homes today starts with an iPhone or Android — devices loaded with apps, browsers, social media and group chats kids aren't ready for. Waffle is the phone before the phone: a kids phone with no internet, no apps, no ads and no algorithm — just real conversations with the people you trust.
Each Waffle device pairs with a free Parent Hub app that lets you approve every contact, set quiet hours and school mode, and see who your child is calling. There is no web browser, no YouTube, no TikTok and no way for strangers to reach your child. Calls connect over WiFi or our managed mobile data plan, with bank-level encryption end to end. It's the simple, voice-only phone for kids that millions of parents quietly wish existed — built by a small team of parents who wanted their own kids to grow up heads-up, not heads-down.
Waffle comes in two flavours so families can pick the right first phone for kids at the right age: Chatterbox Home, a WiFi landline for kids that lives on the kitchen bench, and Chatterbox Go, a portable phone for kids with GPS for trips to the park, school and weekend adventures. Read more about how the device, app and plans fit together on our how it works page.
The Backstory.
Our kids are at the age where they want to do things on their own — call their friends, check in with family, feel like big kids. But every device out there that gives them that independence also opens the door to social media, ads, and content they're not ready for.
We looked at what was out there. Smartwatches with browsers. "Kid-safe" phones loaded with apps. Every option solved one problem by creating ten new ones. All we wanted was a device that let kids talk — not scroll.
So we're building the thing we wish already existed. A device that lets kids connect with their approved circle — friends, family, neighbours — without the screen. Something rugged enough for the park, simple enough for a five-year-old, and locked down enough for peace of mind.
Chatterbox Go gives kids the freedom to explore and stay connected on the move. Chatterbox Home brings the family together without a screen in sight. We're building it for our kids — and now for yours.
— Team Waffle
Six people building the thing we wished existed for our own kids.
Our Ethos.
Screen-Free by Design
We believe kids don't need another screen. Waffle is built for voices, not views. No apps, no ads, no doom-scrolling.
Independence with Guardrails
Kids want freedom. Parents want safety. We built for both. Real independence with smart limits parents actually control.
Real Connection
Not likes. Not followers. Not streaks. Just real conversations with the people who matter most.
Built by Parents, for Parents
We're not a big tech company. We're dads who looked ahead and didn't like what we saw. Every feature exists because we want something better waiting for our kids.
Why Parents Choose Waffle
Parents pick Waffle because it gives kids the independence of a phone without the side effects of a smartphone. There's no app store to install games behind your back, no group chats they can't escape and no addictive feed designed by adults to keep children scrolling. It's a screen-free phone for kids that, by design, can only do the things a kids phone should do.
Families also love that Waffle is genuinely simple. A five-year-old can use it on day one. Grandparents can call it like any other phone number. Siblings can ring each other from across the house. And because it's built by parents, every feature exists to make family life easier — not to harvest attention. If you've been searching for the best first phone for kids, an alternative to a smartphone for kids that still feels modern, or simply a kids phone no internet can creep into — Chatterbox Home and Chatterbox Go are built for you.
Our Promise to You.
We'll never add a screen. We'll never sell your data. We'll never put ads in front of your kids. Waffle exists for one reason — to help kids talk to the people who matter.
Got a question? Want to say g'day? hello@wafflekids.co