The Best Smartwatch for Kids of 2024 (and fitness trackers!)

With the technological era upon us, gone are the days of standard analog watches that only tell the time. Now, kids can learn to tell the time much sooner thanks to built-in educational apps on the watch. The parental-controlled calling features also mean that kids get a guided, supervised introduction to the responsibilities of owning and using technology.

Making sure your kids are safe and healthy is every parent’s priority. With some smartwatches offering features such as GPS tracking and phone calls, you can always keep a watchful eye while still letting your kids have the freedom to play and explore.

VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch DX2

With a 1.44-inch color touchscreen display, the DX2 features 256Mb of built-in memory, along with many other features to appeal to kids aged between 4 and 12 years. Perhaps the most significant feature of the KidiZoom Smartwatch DX2 is its dual-camera feature.

Check Price

Best Smartwatch for Kids

The VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch DX2 is the best smartwatch for kids. It comes packed with fun games and features for kids, including dual cameras and a pedometer.

Best Fitness Tracker for Kids

The Fitbit Ace 2 includes many features you’d expect from a fitness tracker, including a pedometer and sleep tracker. Kids with smartphones can pair their watch to receive call alerts, chat with their friends, and challenge them to step competitions. Kids can also celebrate fitness milestones by receiving virtual badges on the app to reach their fitness goals.

Best Budget Option

Smartwatch: If your budget is tight, for less than $50, you can get the Prograce Kids Smartwatch. Designed for kids aged 4 to 12 years, it features fun games and a 90° rotatable camera. An excellent starter watch for kids, the Prograce Kids Smartwatch features a built-in FM radio and MP3 player as well.

Fitness Tracker: If a fitness tracker is what you’re after, or less than $25, you can get the BIGGERFIVE fitness watch for kids. It allows you to track steps and mileage with the built-in pedometer or calories burned in the day. A heart rate monitor tracks your activity and sleeping patterns, with all the data syncing up to your (or your child’s) phone app. For older kids with phones, the watch can also display phone calls and text notifications as well. Exceptional value for money!

Best Features

Smartwatch: The Prograce is ideal for parents wanting a multi-functional smartwatch. Included are fun games with a 90-degree rotatable camera. It features both a 24-hour and 12-hour watch format. It has a built-in FM radio and MP3 player with an earphone jack so your child can listen to their music quietly. There is also an option for using Bluetooth headphones, the smartwatch has Bluetooth V3.0

Fitness Tracker: The BIGGERFIVE fitness watch for kids allows you to track your steps and mileage with the built-in pedometer or calories burned in the day. A heart rate monitor tracks your activity and sleeping patterns, with all the data syncing up to your (or your child’s) phone app. For older kids with phones, the watch can also display phone calls and text notifications as well.

Best for Younger Kids

Smartwatch: Suitable for kids four years and older, the VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch DX2 is an excellent Smartwatch for younger kids. It features a selfie cam, basic fitness tracking, and parental control settings, allowing you to limit the amount of play-time of the watch.

Fitness tracker: If you’re looking for a fitness tracker only, the Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 is the perfect solution! It’s the most basic fitness tracker on our list, designed as an interactive, multifunctional toy for kids to keep young kids active.

We’ve rounded up some of the best smartwatches for kids that are currently available, with useful features and information on each to help you find the most suited one for your family. At the bottom, we’ve added helpful information for you – what features to look for when buying a smartwatch for kids, a step-by-step guide on how to set up a GPS-enabled smartwatch for kids.

Smartwatch vs. Fitness Tracker

If you’re not sure how these two differ from each other–a fitness tracker is designed primarily for tracking things like step count and heart rate. Fitness trackers also tell the time but offer no other features beyond that. Smartwatches provide many features such as GPS tracking and 2-way calling. Smartwatches often also have fitness tracking features included and can, of course, also tell the time. We’ve split our list up into two sections:

What is the best age for kids to start using a smartwatch?

The best age to start using a smartwatch for kids is between 5 and 6 years old; this is when most kids will learn how to tell the time, and having a smartwatch can often help make the learning process easier and fun.

Safety Concerns

Most parents looking to get a GPS-enabled smartphone for their kids want to enhance their child’s safety. In 2017, the FBI issued a warning about toys that can connect to the internet. They warned such toys might put your child’s privacy and safety at risk because of the amount of personal information you could retrieve.

Most of the smartwatches on this list do not offer GPS tracking. However, those that do also provide firewall protection to safeguard against hackers and keep your children safe. Always read through the user manual and ensure that your firewall protection is correctly enabled; this applies not only to smartwatches but any piece of tech you or your children use that can connect to the internet.

Features to Look for When Buying a Smartwatch for Kids

Durability

Anyone with kids will know that it must be durable and made with suitable quality materials if something lasts more than a day. A high-quality smartwatch for kids will have some form of waterproof protection or sweat protection, at the very least. The watch housing should have some form of shock resistance against knocks and falls. Ensure that the wristband is well secured, with suitable quality clasps. Having the option to replace the wristband strap as needed is also a useful bonus feature.

GPS Tracking

Not every smartwatch for kids features GPS tracking, but it is helpful if you’d like to keep tabs on your kids’ whereabouts. It’s important to note that a smartwatch with GPS capabilities will require a SIM card and mobile plan to work.

Communication

If you’re looking for a smartwatch for kids that features call and text functionality, look for one that features a two-way or even group-chat feature. As mentioned above, you’ll need a SIM card and mobile plan to use this functionality. Communication can be controlled and limited by a parental app, so no need to worry about who your child is speaking to.

Another handy feature, particularly for younger children, is an emergency or SOS button. Depending on the watch, if you press the power button multiple times in succession, the watch will automatically send out an alert to the selected emergency numbers. This feature is also sometimes activated by rapidly shading the watch in a specific manner.

Battery Life

Almost every smartwatch for kids will need to be charged each night. Watches with fewer features will probably last longer than those packed with features. Likewise, if your child spends hours playing the games on the watch, it will also drain the battery faster. All smartwatches should feature a rechargeable battery either via USB.

Ease of Use

It’s vital to purchase a watch that is appropriate for the age of the child. Most recommended smartwatches are for children aged six and up, with some designed for kids as young as four years. Ensure that your child can navigate and operate the essential features of the watch when setting it up and that it fits securely and comfortably.

Fitness Features

Even the most basic smartwatch for kids includes some sort of fitness feature. Most will just have a basic pedometer for step-tracking. More advanced smartwatches may consist of features like a heart rate monitor, exercise reminders, and sleep tracking. If these features are most important to you, rather than calling functionality, consider a fitness tracker over a smartwatch instead.

Games

While this might sound like a great feature initially, it can sometimes cause more hassle than anything else. Think carefully about whether you would like this feature before selecting a watch. Frequent game playing can cause the battery to drain faster, and games can cause a distraction if your child wears the watch to school.

How to Set Up a GPS Smartwatch for Kids

Step 1:

Insert a SIM card into the watch. You’ll have to link the SIM to an active network plan as well. Make sure the battery is 100% charged before you set up the smartwatch. If not, charge first before continuing. Setup the correct time and date settings. Some watches will automatically sync via your mobile network.

Step 2:

Record the IMEI number of the smartwatch. The IMEI is used in emergencies to locate the smartwatch. If ever the GPS fails to access the watch’s location, you will need to have the IMEI number. Hopefully, you never need to use it, but keep this number safe and accessible if you ever do.

Step 3:

Connect your phone to your child’s smartwatch. Download and install the recommended app on your phone. Follow the prompts to create your profile within the app. Turn on your phone’s Bluetooth connection and go back into the app. Select the option to add a new device. Here you’ll be prompted to enter the ID number found on the back of the watch.

Step 4:

Make a call from your phone to your child’s watch to test that the connection is active and working. If it’s not yet working, allow for some time for the device to be registered on the mobile carrier’s network. If after 24 hours it’s still not working, you’ll need to call your carrier for help.

Step 5:

Now that your phone is synced up with your child’s smartwatch, we recommend that you install the ‘Find my Kids‘ app on your phone; this will enable you to view the GPS location of your child as needed.

Once you’ve installed and registered yourself on the app, navigate to the option of adding a child’s device and select “GPS-watch.” Read through the checklist carefully before pressing Continue.

Next, you’ll enter the phone number for the watch and select continue. The app will ask to send three text messages, allow and wait for the texts to come through. It shouldn’t take more than about 5-10 minutes.

Step 6:

Lastly, you’ll need to set up the settings on the “Find my Kids” app. These include:

Fill in a phone book of specific numbers you want your child to have contact with. You can add up to 15 phone numbers.
Assign which numbers should receive the SOS notification by selecting the alert button.
You can decide if your child can receive calls from any number or only the numbers in the phonebook.
Set the “Do Not Disturb” times that you’d like the phone to be silenced, such as school hours.
Set up the alarm clock
You can also access other settings via the app, including the pedometer, refresh rate, GPS coordinates, time zone, and language preference.

Facebook X Reddit Pinterest StumbleUpon LinkedIn