The smartwatch for kids needs to be a device that can balance parental control and safety with a child’s growing need for independence. The best choice has the most communication options, music streaming, and the urge to be active. Smartwatches are the trend of the future. They offer convenience, lots of apps and fun. If you’re considering buying a smartwatch for kids, though, you’ll need to do some research.
There are many on the market, even very cheap, but many in the end turn out to be simple toys. But with our guide to the best smartwatch for kids, you’ll find out which ones are the best for tracking your child’s location, counting his steps or playing games.
Why buy a smartwatch for kids?
If you own a smartwatch, you know how useful they are. It’s no different for children. They are a great alternative to smartphones, especially for younger children.
Often, it’s preferable to give a smartphone over a smartwatch to children, but that’s not always ideal. Smartwatches sit securely on the wrist, are less expensive than smartphones, and have limited access to inappropriate content. In addition, many smartwatches for children include educational games, GPS trackers, SOS buttons, allow for two-way calling and offer functions for fitness tracking, timers and calendars.
Choosing the Best Smartwatch for Kids
Before buying a smartwatch for children, it is important to consider several criteria to choose the most suitable device for your child. The characteristics of the watch must primarily meet the needs of parents.
Here’s what you need to consider:
- Age range recommended by the watch manufacturer. Buying a smartwatch for your child when it’s appropriate for a 6-year-old isn’t ideal. Young children may not have the fine motor skills required to use it, or it may contain apps or games that are not suitable for someone that young.
- GPS : it is useful for locating the child’s position in real time without distance limits.
- Geo-fencing : some smartwatches for children allow parents to define safety zones (school, home). If the child leaves these areas, parents receive an alert on their smartphone.
- Travel History – Allows parents to check where their children have been for a certain amount of time, usually up to 30 days.
- SOS button : it is useful when the child feels in danger. This is usually the power switch. Just press or hold it for a few seconds and the watch will send notifications to parents.
- Anti-Lost Sensor : This alert warns parents as soon as the child takes off the watch.
- If you’re looking for a smartwatch that functions like a phone, consider two-way communication features. These allow you to talk and sometimes send messages to your child and vice versa.
- Classroom mode allows parents to set time zones that prohibit the use of the watch.
- Water resistance : the watch should be water resistant so that it will not be damaged if it gets wet when your child washes his hands or falls in a puddle.
- The camera allows the child to take pictures.
- The flashlight allows the child to light up or read.
- Consider whether you want your watch to offer games. Most kids’ smartwatches come with one or two games pre-installed, and some allow for download.
- Battery Life: Having to charge your watch often will take away your enjoyment and perhaps even cause frustration. Most hold a charge quite well, at least for a full day.
- The watch must be simple to use. Needing parental help to use the watch isn’t ideal. Look for large screens and kid-friendly buttons, as well as a band that’s easy for a child to manipulate.
- Fitness Features : Older kids often want a smartwatch that also includes fitness features like a step counter, active minutes, and sleep tracking. These are great for helping kids be more active and health conscious. Some devices present daily challenges, encouraging the child to move by offering reward points.
Smartwatch for Children with SIM
Most watches work with SIM cards with or without a subscription. For the child’s smartwatch without a subscription, a prepaid SIM can be purchased, which helps keep costs in check but offers relative freedom. In this case it is essential to have an additional card paid in advance, because in case of omission the watch is no longer needed. However, be careful, because some smartwatches are not compatible with prepaid SIM cards.
Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 – the best smartwatch for kids
The Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 isn’t just a fitness tracker for kids. In addition to being fun for kids, the device allows parents to keep an eye on their children’s activity levels, including step counting and sleep tracking.
The gadget is packed with useful features to keep parents calm. When connected to the app, they allow viewing of the child’s activity and sleep, as well as seeing if a child has completed their goals.
The clock allows parents to assign tasks and household chores and award virtual coins as rewards. It also includes emergency contact information that your child can use if the need arises.
The Garmin Vivofit jr 3 is available in different colors and also in Marvel and Disney editions.
Specifications:
- Display: Anti-glare, transflective 64-color MIP (Memory-In-Pixel)
- Weight : 25 g
- GPS : No
- Water resistant : 5 ATM
- Battery life : 1 year
- Suitable for children aged 4 and over
Reasons to buy
- Character options from Marvel and Disney
- 1 year battery life
- Swim proof
- Parents can manage goals
Reasons not to buy
- Screen not too bright
Fitbit Ace 3
Fitbit Ace 3 is one of the best kids smartwatches out there. Ace 3 builds on its fantastic predecessor, Ace 2, adding some new features and longer battery life.
The biggest change is in battery life. Ace 3 can last up to 8 days on a full charge. It offers a modern design, with a rectangular backlit screen to facilitate reading the data on the touchscreen display.
It is waterproof and tracks all daily activities such as steps and active minutes, saving 7 days of activity data. Tracks sleep and includes reminders to move and go to sleep.
It is also compatible with Android and iOS smartphones.
Specifications:
- Screen : PMOLED touchscreen
- GPS : No
- Weight : 19.3 g
- Water resistant : up to 50 meters
- Battery life : 8 days
- Suitable for children aged: from 6 years
Reasons to buy:
- Good battery life
- Soft and super resistant strap
- Responsive touchscreen
Reasons NOT to buy:
- There are not many games
- Black and white screen
Fitbit Ace 2
Despite not being the latest model, the Fitbit Ace 2 is still a great smartwatch for kids.
Fitbit designed Ace 2 to help kids six and older learn healthy habits from an early age and encourage them to spend more time on the go. Ace 2 features a swim-proof design with a helpful raised lip to protect your screen during everyday activities.
Ace 2 is available in a selection of fun and vibrant colors suitable for children. The display is a grayscale OLED, backlit touchscreen. Includes animated watch faces, inspiring challenges, colorful avatars, and cover photos to personalize profiles within the Fitbit app. Plus, parents can stay up to date on their kids’ activities with a Fitbit family account.
Of course, it features all the must-haves you’d expect from a Fitbit device: steps, active minutes, and baby sleep tracking. The battery offers up to five days of autonomy.
Specifications:
- Screen : 33×12 mm
- Battery Life : Up to five days of standby time
- Weight : 18g
- Waterproof : 50m
- Connectivity : Bluetooth
- GPS : no
- Works with : iOS, Android
- Suitable for children of age : from 6 years
Reasons to buy:
- Resistant device
- Fitbit app
- Faces and animated challenges
Reasons NOT to buy:
- The wrist straps aren’t as strong as they could be.
Xplora X5 Play
Xplora X5 PlayThe Xplora X5 Play is one of the best children’s smartwatches on the market, packed with interesting features that are particularly useful for parents’ peace of mind. It stands out from the crowd because it includes games and offers an IP68 degree of protection. This means it can be submerged in water. Great if the child often goes to the pool to swim.
Parents are able to have full control over who is in their child’s contact list. You can add up to 50 contacts, while text replies are limited. The child can only send an emoji, picture or voice message.
This children’s watch includes an SOS function that is activated when the side button is pressed for 10 seconds and a GPS locator useful for locating the child at any time. It is also possible to set a geofence “safety zone” to receive an alert in the event that the child goes outside the limits.
It is equipped with a 2 MP camera and can store around 1,000 photos and videos. Unfortunately, despite the presence of a camera, it is not possible to make video calls.
In addition, the Xplora 5Play uses an interactive play platform called “Goplay” to encourage children to be active. For every 1000 steps recorded by the watch, the child earns a coin. Coins can be redeemed on the Goplay platform to play virtual games or purchase products.
Specifications:
- Screen : 1.4 inch
- Battery life: up to three days of standby time
- Weight : 34g
- Connectivity : Bluetooth
- GPS : Yes
- Camera : 2MP
- Works with : iOS, Android
Reasons to buy :
- Geofencing Pro Bullet and GPSPro Bullet tracking
- Contact list with parental controls
- SOS button
- High quality camera
Reasons NOT to buy :
- No video calls
- SIM card not included
VTech Kidizoom DX2
VTech ‘s bright smartwatch is a great option for kids aged 4 to 12. It is a newer version of the previous DX and the main differences are a sleeker design and an additional selfie camera.
The DX2 watch includes a built-in motion sensor, which transmits information to motion apps: Funky Jump, Racing Run and Crazy Dance, which encourage your child to jump, run and dance. As they engage in activities, the watch will play fun sound effects as it follows in their footsteps.
The VTech Kidizoom DX2 includes five exciting games, and if that weren’t enough, you can download more games.
The clock is customizable with over 55 different designs. It allows you to set alarms, use the timer or schedule a date with the calendar.
A novelty compared to the previous model is the integrated camera and its photo and video effects with which the child can let his creativity run wild.
The downside of this smartwatch for kids is that it’s not a completely silent device. So it’s not ideal to wear to school.
Specifications :
- Screen : 1.4 inch
- Battery life : 2-3 days
- Weight : 410g
- Connectivity : Micro USB
- GPS : no
- Camera : Dual camera for photos and videos
- Works with : iOS, Android
- Suitable for children aged 4 and over
Reasons to buy:
- Fun movement apps
- Learning games
- Camera
Reasons NOT to buy :
- GPS is missing
- No communication
- The SOS button is missing
Vodafone Neo
Animated characters, activity tracking, a camera and calls. All this is Vodafone Neo, the children’s smartwatch made with Vodafone.
Neo manages to do just about everything you could want from a smartwatch, putting Disney characters and safety features at the center. If you want to stay in touch with your child 24/7, then this is the right watch for your child, with dedicated voice and messaging features.
Obviously, more features means higher price. However, you get a very sharp screen and all the features you want. You can customize your watch with Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel characters. It includes a 5 MP camera, calendar, activity tracking, GPS and offers an integrated Smart SIM connected to the Vodafone network.
Specifications :
- Screen : 1.7 inch
- Battery life : up to 24 hours
- Weight : 40.6 g
- Water resistant : 10m for up to 30 minutes
- Connectivity : Integrated Vodafone Smart SIM
- Camera : 5MP
- Works with : iOS, Android
- Suitable for children aged 6 to 9 years
Reasons to buy :
- Interactive Disney characters
- Built-in 5MP camera
- security features
- Ability to make calls
Reasons NOT to buy:
- Monthly subscription
- Short battery life
Paw Patrol
Paw Patrol is more of a toy than a smartwatch for kids. It is not the most sophisticated, but it has many features to enter the world of smartwatches for the first time.
It is a very simple children’s smartwatch. Paw Patrol doesn’t need to be plugged into another device to works. It’s splash-proof and takes an hour to charge. includes a camera for selfies and videos, games, a touchscreen display, microSD port, calculator and alarm clock.
Specifications :
- Screen : 27 mm²
- Battery Life : Rechargeable, 24 hours with normal use
- Weight : 39g
- Water resistance : splash resistant
- Connectivity : Micro USB
- GPS : no
- Camera – Selfie camera for photos and videos
- Suitable for children aged : from 6 years
Reasons to buy :
- Camera
- Games
Reasons NOT to buy:
- No SOS button
- Calls cannot be made
- Limited battery life
Little Tikes Tobi Robot Smartwatch
The tobi robot smartwatch is first and foremost an interactive, wearable robot: poke, shake or swipe it to request one of its over 100 facial expressions. Our young tester was completely engrossed and reminded us of a Tamagotchi – the more you interact with it, the more you get.
It’s worth reading the detailed user guide and fiddling with the settings before handing it to your child – there’s a lot to do with the tobi, including fitness games (it has a pedometer), messaging (to other tobi smartwatches), and taking photos and videos, as well as learning to tell the time. For versatility, the tobi can be pulled off its silicone strap and comes with a clothes clip that doubles as a display stand. It is also available in pink or blue.
Specifications :
- Screen size: 1.54 inch
- Battery Life: Rechargeable, up to two days
- Weight: 60g
- Water resistance: splash resistant
- Connectivity: Wireless connectivity with other Tobi smartwatches (for sharing photos and messages)
- GPS: No
- Camera: Dual camera for photos and videos
- Works with: N/A
- Suitable for: four to six and over
Pthtechus Smartwatch for kids with music player
PTHTECHUS Kids Smartwatch is packed with apps and features already installed on the device.
This smartwatch supports two-way talk via phone calls, but you don’t need to connect the smartwatch via Bluetooth because it requires a 2G SIM card for calls.
The design is very similar to an adult smart watch. The screen is a 1.54-inch HD, and is made with comfortable material to allow the device to be worn all day without bothering the wrist.
It offers a wide range of functions: SOS emergency function, ‘school‘ mode to avoid distractions during lessons, an HD camera, possibility to customize the screen background with your own photo, games and an MP3 music player with the possibility available download music directly to the smartwatch.
Specifications:
- Screen : 1.54 inch touch screen
- Weight : 70 g
- Water resistance : yes
- Connectivity : Wireless connectivity with other Tobi smartwatches (for sharing photos and messages)
- GPS : no
- Camera : yes
- Functions : SOS, camera, music player, alarm clock, calculator, games
- Suitable for children aged 4 to 12 years
Reasons to buy :
- Call function
- Music
- SOS function
- Camera
- Games
- School mode
Reasons NOT to buy:
- Not compatible with phones
- No GPS tracking function
- SIM card not included