Nowadays, more parents are allowing their kids to own smartphones from an early age. In addition to diminishing the learning capacity, smartphones might affect the relationship between you and your kids. This can quickly escalate into serious conditions like autism.
But like it or not, kids will refuse to be stripped from any form of technology. If they’ve been nagging at you, you should consider buying a kids smartwatch. Unlike phones, smartwatches have fewer distracting features. Plus, some of them allow you to call your kids and keep tabs of their location at all times.
In this article, we will take a look at the best smartwatches for kids that you can buy!
Top Picks
1. Bauisan Kids Smartwatch – Best Overall Kids Smartwatch
It was a bit tricky to choose the best smartwatch since the market is full of many great options. After our elaborate search, we found that Bauisan Smartwatch offers the best features for the most affordable price tag.
After inserting a nano-SIM card, you will be able to call and receive calls from your kids, no matter where they are.
One of my favorite features about this watch is the SOS button. In cases of accidents or situations of distress, your kids can instantly notify all the contacts on their watches by double-clicking the button on the right.
If your boys like to go camping as scouts, they will find this watch super helpful. By tapping on the built-in app, a bright flashlight will illuminate from the right side of the watch. This should allow your kids to venture around during the night.
Last but not least, this watch is equipped with a small selfie camera to capture your kids’ special moments.
The only thing I don’t like is that the watch only supports 2G SIMs. As you probably know, this network is becoming less common in the US. Make sure your area has good 2G coverage before getting this watch.
2. Fitbit Ace 2 – Best Performing Kids Smartwatch
Fitbit is already famous for its ingenious fitness trackers and adult smartwatches. Luckily, they were keen enough to consider our precious youngsters, too!
The Fitbit Ace 2 features pretty much everything you’d expect from other elaborate fitness trackers. It is one of the smallest too!
Not only does it track your kids’ steps and active minutes, but it also provides regular challenges to motivate them into moving more. And to keep the process entertaining, your kids will earn virtual badges for every challenge they complete.
The thing I like the most about this band is the generous battery. It can supply up to 5 days of runtime, allowing your kids to venture around for hours on end.
To make sure your kids have plenty of energy, Fitbit added a sleep tracking system that evaluates sleep quality and quantity. It will also improve the experience by providing bedtime reminders and wake-up alarms.
After getting this watch, make sure to pair it to a family account on the Fitbit app. This will give you real-time updates about their activity and sleep habits.
It’s important to note that this smartwatch doesn’t feature any games. That’s why I only recommend it for children older than 6 years.
3. VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch DX2
Kids love to brag about the cool things they’ve been doing the whole day. But why talk when you can show?
VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch DX2 features two cameras: The first is located on the front side, while the second sits on the top part of the screen. With this design, your kids will be able to take selfies, snap photos, and record videos to capture anything they want. I only wish if VTech had added a larger memory. With 256 MB, your kids might not have all the fun they need.
In terms of everyday performance, this watch won’t disappoint. It’s equipped with a motion sensor and a pedometer that can detect steps, jumps, etc. This way, your kids will be encouraged to go outside and stay active.
Do your kids get bored easily? If so, they will love this watch. It comes with more than 55 clock face designs that can be readily changed. Your kids can also make their own clock faces by editing the photos they snap with the camera.
To top it all off, VTech equipped this smartwatch with a splash-proof build. Although this should protect against most accidents, it shouldn’t encourage intentional water exposure.
4. Verizon Gizmowatch Connected
Without a doubt, being a helicopter parent isn’t fun. However, sometimes you can’t help worrying about your kids’ well-being. To provide a healthy, effective balance, you should consider getting a smartwatch with GPS tracking. The Gizmowatch from Verizon is one of the best in this category.
Through the Gizmo app, you will receive a real-time feed about your kids’ locations. To put your mind at ease, you can predetermine boundaries on the map — Whenever your kids cross them, you will be instantly notified. This can be extremely helpful for kids who like to spend hours playing in the backyard — you won’t need to keep watching them anymore!
In cases of sudden emergencies, you will be able to keep in contact with your kids via voice calls and text messages. The watch’s internal memory can hold up to 10 contacts at a time, which is way more than any kid would need.
Naturally, you will need to subscribe to a monthly service plan in order for the GPS and calls to work.
When it comes to outdoor activity, the Gizmowatch ensures to keep things fun. You can set goals, reminders, and trophies to motivate your kids.
5. Prograce Kids Smart Watch
If you’re looking for a smartwatch to entertain hard-to-please kids, this one from Prograce should be your best bet.
On the top part of the watch, Prograce placed a convenient camera that can be swiveled inside a 90° range. This way, your kids can instantly switch between the front and selfie modes. But unfortunately, it can’t record video. Also, you will have to insert a micro-SD card since the watch has a tiny internal memory.
On the side, you will find a 3.5mm jack in which your kids can plug their earphones. They can listen to music from the SD card or turn on the FM radio to pass the time on long road trips.
I can’t express how much I like its design. It comes in two color schemes: blue for boys and pink for girls. The strap is made from a special material that keeps the colors looking bright and catchy.
Just like most of the other smartwatches, this one has a motion sensor and a pedometer that can track outdoor activity. There’s also a built-in app to calculate the calories and propose mini exercise plans.
6. VTech Kidizoom BB-8 Smartwatch
Have your kids seen the iconic Star Wars series yet? If they thought it was cool, then they will probably love VTech Kidizoom BB-8.
I like how VTech paid attention down to the tiniest details. For starters, the strap is created with a futuristic orange/white design. The Star Wars logo is printed on the lower part of the screen, stressing the fact that this is a special edition dedicated to the most loyal fans.
To encourage an active lifestyle, VTech added some cool sound effects that can’t be triggered unless your kids get up and move. For instance, when your boy swings his arm, the watch can sound like a lightsaber, droid, or a spaceship!
Additionally, through the built-in microphone, your kids can record their voices and play them back in a chipmunk voice, Kylo Ren voice, slow-mo voice, echo effect, and more! This feature alone can keep your kids competing for hours to find out who can sound the funniest!
Oh, I almost forgot. May the force be with you!
7. Fisher-Price Time-to-Learn Smartwatch
Parents who have toddlers know the struggle. The moment you avert your eyes, they will rush to possess your phone, smartwatch, tablet, or anything that seems catchy enough. Good luck retrieving your belongings without making a fuss! If this sounds familiar, you will be super grateful for getting this device from Fisher-Price.
We can’t really call it a “smartwatch”, to be fair. It’s a pretend toy that should make your toddlers believe that they’re as important as mom and dad!
Over the front, the printed design has icons for music, camera, dial, recorder, etc. Clearly, none of these actually work; they’re just there to keep your baby engaged for a longer time. However, there are two real buttons that sound a bunch of fun songs and phrases that teach colors, greetings, etc.
Despite being intended to mimic real smartwatches, this toy is built much bigger than normal. I think that’s better because it ensures that your toddler can’t swallow it by mistake.
To promote comfort, the strap is made from soft, safe rubber that can be easily squashed inside a baby bag. There are also two clackers mounted on the strap to encourage your toddler to keep shaking those chubby hands!
8. Garmin Vívofit Jr 2
Want something minimal? Consider the Garmin Vívofit Jr 2 fitness tracker. As the name implies, this gadget is intended to track your kids’ activity, steps, and sleep. It doesn’t have any of the advanced apps and games that we saw in the previous options.
With the adjustable color screen, your kids can keep track of the time and scroll through the fitness challenges. Since there’s not much to do, Garmin kept the screen small to save battery life.
Garmin has really outdone itself with the designs. They release about 15 versions that have unique color schemes and internal themes.
For instance, the version I chose is made in accordance with Marvel’s Captain America. The strap has a clever pattern of the iconic vibranium shield. After pairing the watch with the app, your kids will start advancing through a Marvel adventure every time they complete their daily activity goals. Talk about motivation!
Other designs are built on the themes of Star Wars, Frozen, Spider-Man, Minnie Mouse, and more.
9. iTouch Playzoom 2 – Best Budget Kids Smartwatch
Parents are usually deterred from the concept of smartwatches since their mischievous kids will probably break it in no time. Like it or not, you must let your kids fail if you want them to grow into responsible adults. Opting for an affordable gadget will let them learn without breaking the bank. If this is what you’re after, you might want to consider iTouch Playzoom 2.
Despite the small price tag, this smartwatch offers most of the features that you typically see in more expensive models. There’s a camera that can swivel between side and selfie positions. It also has different interactive apps, such as a stopwatch, alarm, timer, and calendar.
This watch suits parents who like to “set-and-forget”. All you have to do is turn it on and hand it to your kid. You won’t hassle with Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity since it doesn’t come with an app.
Is it ideal? Not really. The thing that annoys me the most is the battery life. It needs to be recharged more than two times per day, which is kind of absurd, given its limited potential.
10. TickTalk 3 Watch Phone
Through the 4G network, this ingenious TickTalk 3 smartwatch allows you to check on your kids by video calls. This is made possible through the handy selfie camera placed at the front. Best of all, the watch can work via WiFi to save data when you’re kids are home.
The internal memory of this watch can hold more than 50 contacts. From the smartphone app, you can enable the firewall feature to automatically block calls and messages from strangers.
Thanks to the GPS tracking, this smartwatch allows you to pinpoint your kids’ location at all times. If you buy more than one watch, you can quickly view them at the same time on a single map.
If your kids tend to lose focus, you can help them stay on track by setting unlimited reminders with about 60 presets to choose from. You can also enable “Don’t Disturb” to silence the notifications until further notice.
By the nature of the beast, such a model loaded with that many features will certainly break the bank. Sadly, it costs about 5x the average!
11. Disney Smart Watch
I couldn’t end my list without mentioning this extremely cute smartwatch from Disney.
The strap is colored in a fashionable matte black. Disney also added an adorable pattern that shows Mickey’s ears, shorts, and shoes. The watch head is colored in bright red to complement the overall hype.
Luckily, Disney didn’t forget about girls. There’s an alternative version that bears illustrations of Minnie Mouse. And of course, the strap and the watch are colored in bright pink to go along with your little girls’ preferences.
Technically speaking, this watch doesn’t offer anything new. There’s a selfie camera that can capture photos and record videos. It also has a recorder that can alter your kids’ voices with cool built-in effects.
This watch comes with 3 built-in games. Some of them are meant to interact with your kids through the pedometer to motivate them to go outside and move their bodies.
