The best dumbphones are an ideal cure for having a phone permanently glued to your hand. Whether you’re lying in bed, on the toilet or commuting, endlessly scrolling through short-form videos and social media might trap your brain in a loop of dopamine hits. I can say that I’ve lost countless hours poring over movie clips and meme videos on Instagram and YouTube. But is mindlessly scrolling contributing to brain rot? Possibly.
A 2025 study linked frequent Instagram use with heightened levels of depression, anxiety and stress in young adults – dumbphones might be the answer for your digital detox. They often look and behave much like regular smartphones, offering phone calls, messaging and camera functions. But they help curb screen time and social media use, often by blocking access to streaming or addictive platforms like Insta or TikTok.
There are a handful of companies involved in the dumbphone revolution, like Balance and double-hard-phone veterans Nokia. But which is the best dumbphone for you? I’ve tried and tested the best dumbphones to help you decide.
Read more: This app blocker cut my screen time to just two hours a day
The best dumbphones in 2026 are:
- Best overall – Balance Phone: £379, Healf.com
- Best for older kids – Balance Phone kids: £279, Healf.com
- Best design – Light Phone III: £661, Thelightphone.com
- Best budget buy – Nokia 110: £19.99, Argos.co.uk
- Best for reading – Minimal Phone: £367, Minimalcompany.com
- Best for battery life – Mudita Kompakt: £293, Healf.com
Read more: What’s the best Kindle? Paperwhite, Scribe and more reviewed
Balance Phone
Rating: 4.5/5
Best: dumbphone overall
Why we love it
- Solid Samsung model
- Decent camera
- Excellent screen
Take note
- Thick-ish screen bezels
- Fingerprint magnet
I really rate the Balance Phone, as it offers a solid Android phone platform, the Samsung A37, with the specialised Balance OS layered on top. It offers decent performance for a mid-tier phone, some functionality for browsing websites — just no games, social media, streaming or dating.
Your home menu is replaced by a black screen with your preferred eight apps in white text, with no fancy icons or colourful flourishes to be distracted by, so I felt more present and focused, with a lessened need to reach for a smartphone.
For those wanting a digital detox, this is a great jumping-off point for those who still want access to a decent camera and the internet. Speaking of the camera, it has four shooting modes, which all do a solid job, thanks to Samsung’s solid hardware.
The only caveats are that it’s a fairly large phone, which can struggle to fit in smaller pockets, and the glossy back is a magnet for fingerprints.
Key specifications
Buy now £379, Healf.com
Balance Phone kids
Rating: 4/5
Best: dumbphone for kids
Why we love it
- Blocks addictive apps effectively
- Solid camera
Take note
- There are cheaper kids’ phones
A Samsung smartphone might be overkill for kids, but you get a lot of phone for this Balance OS-powered A17, which is actually reasonably priced. While a case is recommended, you also get IP54 splash protection and Gorilla Glass Victus on the front screen, so it’ll resist scratches and the odd water spill.
Importantly, the Balance phone allows for safe web browsing of carefully vetted sites as well as WhatsApp. That makes it ideal for older kids or teens who still need protection as they foray onto the internet unsupervised, without the need for parent monitoring apps or screen timers.
Handily, it’ll block access to porn sites, gaming sites and any kind of addictive social media or streaming platform, while allowing access to Google Maps, Spotify and Teams. Plus, the camera is reasonably solid, and kids won’t mind the odd micro-delays in performance when they’re juggling multiple apps.
Key specifications
Buy now £279, Healf.com
Light Phone III
Rating: 3.5/5
Best: dumbphone for design
Why we love it
- Striking design
- Pleasing matte display
Take note
- Can get uncomfortable to hold
- Really expensive
I love the design of the Light Phone III. Its metal body has a tasteful thickness, is delightfully compact, and is also bound to turn a few heads. It features a handy scroll wheel for easier reading, though its sharp edges can make it uncomfortable in the hands after a while.
The matte AMOLED screen is also a breath of fresh air, and while it’s not as bright as its rivals, the display looks and feels great to use. The camera captures nicely detailed photos, but they lack dynamic range, while the shutter delay can get irksome.
Texting can also be fairly unforgiving and time-consuming with the smaller screen. On top of that, it’s absurdly expensive, and there’s no WhatsApp or web browsing, with a fairly minimal offering of Light OS tools. So it’s only really suitable for those who are serious about going fully teetotal from digital.
Key specifications
Buy now £661, Thelightphone.com
Nokia 110
Rating: 3/5
Best: budget dumbphone
Why we love it
- Very cheap
- Compact design
- Tough as nails
Take note
- Very small screen
- Poor camera
Smartphones and accident-prone youngsters are an expensive combination, so if you’ve got younger kids, the Nokia 110 is a great recommendation. It’s compact, tough enough, and importantly, very cheap, with a battery that could easily last around 4 days. It does make me nostalgic for my bulletproof 2000s-era Nokia 3310.
If you’re willing to take a step back in tech capabilities, you’ve got a solid phone that can handle calls and texts with ease. And while technically you can access the internet, it’s simply not designed to handle modern apps or complex websites. Plus, you have the classic 3x4 button layout, requiring up to several taps just to get a single letter, which can take some getting used to.
The screen is also woefully tiny, and the camera is actually quite poor, but the onboard games and FM radio can provide some distraction — and yes, there’s Snake.
Key specifications
Buy now £19.99, Argos.co.uk
Minimal Phone
Rating: 3.5/5
Best: dumbphone for reading
Why we love it
- E-ink is easy on the eyes
- Decent design
Take note
- Laggy performance
The plasticky Minimal Phone looks like a cross between a Kindle and a Blackberry, with a large e-ink screen and tiny physical buttons. The display is immediately easy on the eyes, without your bright AMOLED searing into your retinas.
This makes the Minimal Phone excellent for reading, thanks to compatibility with the Kindle app via Google’s Play Store. The qwerty keyboard even feels nice and tactile to use, though a little button fatigue can set in during longer text chats, and you need two hands, unless you have longer digits.
Much like the Light Phone, the mundane menu of listed apps in monochrome keeps you focused away from colourful distractions. The issues appear when you try to do anything else like photography, as the screen refresh is glacial, so trying to snap a subject can often feel like rolling a dice.
Overall performance is also sluggish due to that e-ink display — enough to put you off YouTube, which is the goal, really.
Key specifications
Buy now £367, Minimalcompany.com
Mudita kompakt
Rating: 4/5
Best: dumbphone for privacy
Why we love it
- Good design
- Several handy features
Take note
- Camera needs work
- No selfie camera
Everything about the Mudita Kompact seems meticulously designed. Its chunky, curved body feels great in the hand. The e-ink screen is really clear, and while the apps are limited, you do get a meditation timer. I’ve also caught myself combatting brain rot with its decent Chess game. There’s also a decent e-reader and music player, though the mono speaker lacks oomph.
For those who want to get off the grid, the Kompact features a physical Privacy button, which disables the microphone, camera, and connectivity features, perfect for enjoying the here and now.
However, like most e-ink screens, there’s noticeable ghosting, and the camera just isn’t that responsive. Still, it’s a really pleasant to use dumbphone that can easily hit 5 days of battery life.
There’s also decent extras like wireless charging, a headphone jack, and a fingerprint reader, while it’s compact enough to not commandeer my whole pocket.
Key specifications
Buy now £339, Healf.com
What is the best dumbphone?
If I need to go digital cold turkey, I’m picking the Balance Phone. It’s got the apps I need, like WhatsApp, while jettisoning the ones I crave, like Insta and YouTube. And as someone who loves to take pictures, I still want a decent camera, which this modified Samsung A37 has. My biggest complaint is that it’s still a touch large, even without a case.
What’s the best spec to consider for a dumbphone?
It really depends on what you might need it for. Phones with e-ink screens are great for reading, battery endurance and winding down at night, but poor for photography and video. In short, ensure your phone can handle the apps you need, because many strict dumbphones won’t allow access.
Can I access the internet with a dumbphone?
Again, it depends on the dumbphone model. Phones like the Mudita Kompact and Light Phone III have no internet browser, while the Balance Phone will deny access to certain websites. Other models can struggle to load modern websites, so check with manufacturers.
How I tested the best dumbphones
I’m a tech writer with more than 15 years of experience, but I’m also a huge infinite scroller. So testing these dumbphones against my need to clock up hours on Reddit and Instagram is ideal for anyone who wants to unplug. I tested each phone for at least one week, looking at the following criteria.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
IndyBest is The Independent’s reviews section, where experts test products to find out if they're worth your time and money. Matt Ng is a writer specialising in tech, having reviewed the best wireless chargers, best sleep earphones, best VR headsets and more. For this review, he tested each phone for at least one week, assessing them on their performance and functionality, to bring you his honest verdict.
For affordable phones the whole family are sure to enjoy, check out our expert’s picks for the best cheap phones
