Best smart watches for kids

by Melanie Victoriano (Content Editor)

Image source: Getty

The best smart watches for kids are those that balance connectivity and personal safety features with those that allow children to have outlets for their creativity as well as be physically fit. Top features include text messaging, voice calling, location tracking via GPS, parental controls, camera functions, music streaming, built-in games and step or activity tracking.

Ever since the launch in 2014 of the first smart watch for children – Hong Kong-based Vtech’s Kidizoom which was marketed as a “fun camera watch” – smart watches for kids have gained traction and the sector’s development in terms of product features and market size has run roughly in parallel with that of smart watches for adults.

The global market of smart watches for kids was valued at $1.12 billion in 2022, according to Allied Market Research (AMR). Based on data gathered by AMR, the sector is poised for a 14.6 percent CAGR in the next eight years, to be worth $4.27 billion by 2030.

Functions should serve children’s interests

Smart watches for children are generally designed for use by kids under 12 years of age. There is no consensus on from exactly what age a child should use a smart watch – some say four is old enough, while others say six is the right age. Parents or adults responsible for taking care of children are in the best position to know when a child is ready to use a smart watch. At any rate, it is most likely the age at which the child goes to school or is away from their parents or guardians for a period of time.

When starting a child on smart watch use, a guardian should select one which will best serve the interests of a child, particularly in the areas of connectivity and safety. A child would benefit from a smart watch if the purpose of the functions were explained well and he or she is taught the proper way to use the wearable safety device.

Here is a gallery of products, chosen by our Market Analyst, representing current trends in top smartwatches for kids from verified manufacturers in China:

1. GPS tracking, $31.40

Company: Shenzhen Qinmi Smart Technology Co. Ltd

Model Q51 from Qinmi Smart is an IPX7-rated 4G phone watch with a 0.3MP camera. Functions include two-way calling, voice chat, location tracking (GPS+Wifi+LBS), geofencing, SOS alert, and video calling.

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2. IP68 with GPS, $24.98 

Company: Shenzhen Dibet Technology Co. Ltd

The DBT-CGTW15lite2 from Dibet is IP68-rated with functions that include video and voice calling, location tracking, geofencing, SOS alert, camera, calendar, calculator and games. Connectivity is through the 4G network.

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3. 4G Android, $30.50

Company: Shenzhen Motto Electronics Co. Ltd

Motto Electronics’ LT05-51 is IP67-rated and has location tracking through GPS, Wi-Fi, AGPS and LBS. Functions include calling, voice chatting, one-key SOS alert, geofencing and 90-day route history.

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4. GPS quadband, $27

Company: Shenzhen Eelink Communication Technology Co. Ltd

Model GPT18-18030210 from Eelink is IP67-rated and supports 850/900/1800/1900MHz frequencies. Functions include location tracking satellite (GPS, BDS or GLONASS), Wi-Fi, LBS and AGPS; one-key communication; one-key SOS alert and remote listening. It also has a pedometer function.

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5. SOS call, $24

Company: Shenzhen Iwonlex Technology Co. Ltd

Model CT10-21-BE6 from Iwonlex is a 4G IPX7-rated watch with a camera. It supports FDD, TDD, WCDMA and GSM frequency bands. Functions include location tracking through GPS/AGPS/LBS/Wi-Fi, geofencing, route playback, SOS call, two-way phone call and video call. It also has pedometer and sleep monitoring features.

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6. GPS tracking, $11.20

Company: Shenzhen Lemon Smart Internet Co. Ltd

Lemon Smart’s Y21G-3 is a 2G model supporting 850/900/1800/1900MHz frequency bands.  It has a 1.44in OLED screen with 128x128p resolution. Functions include GPS+LBS positioning, two-way calling, micro chat, remote, one-key SOS alert and geofencing.

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7. 4G GPS, $29.90 

Company: Momix Tech. Co. Ltd

Model MO30-TZ6F from Momix is IP67-rated with a dial that can rotate up to 360 degrees. It has a 1.4in IPS full-angle display with 240x240p resolution and front and rear cameras. Functions include location tracking through GPS/LBS/Wi-Fi, geofencing, route history, video and voice call.

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8. 4G Android, $29.90

Company: Dongguan Hongfeng Smart Tech Co. Ltd

Hongfeng Smart’s model K11 is IP67-rated and supports GSM, WCDMA and FDD frequency bands.  It has a 2in touch screen and a 2MP camera. Functions include location tracking through GPS/AGPS/LBS/Wi-Fi, video call, voice call, voice chat and health monitoring.

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9. Location tracking, $16.80

Company: Shenzhen Indell Industrial Co. Ltd

The A38WS from Indell is IP67-rated and has a 1.44in touch screen. It supports GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 frequency bands. Functions include location tracking through GPS/AGPS/LBS/Wi-Fi, two-way communication, voice chat, geofencing and route history tracking. It also has pedometer, sleep monitoring and exercise monitoring features.

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10. 2G with SOS, $7

Company: Shenzhen Nanway Industrial Co. Ltd

Nanway’s model E02 is IP67-rated and has a 2in OLED screen with 1280x720p resolution and a 3MP camera. Functions include location tracking through GPS and Wi-Fi, voice call and push notification as well as sleep and fitness tracking.

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Frequently asked questions about smartwatches for kids

1. Which is the best smartwatch?

The best smartwatch for children is one that balances the benefits that technology can offer – connectivity, safety, creativity and health functions – with the need for a child to develop autonomy. Autonomy is the ability to control and make decisions for oneself. It helps develop problem-solving capabilities as well as self-esteem.

Top smartwatches for kids will be age-appropriate in terms of features, fit and cost. This means that the watch should have features that the child can understand and use easily.

The watch should also be a good fit for the child, meaning it should not be too large or heavy to wear on their wrist. As well, it should not be too expensive that it makes the child a target of petty thieves or that losing it could be the cause of trauma.

2. What should I look for when buying a smartwatch?

Among key features of the top kids smart watches are:

• Call and text functions • Parent-controlled contact lists • SOS alerts • Camera (for video calls and photos) • GPS tracking • Geofencing • Activity tracking (pedometer, sleep tracker)

Other functions like built-in educational games, music player and email are good to have but not essential.

Aside from the essential features mentioned above, the following items should also be considered when sourcing a smart watch for children. They are not much different from what factors to look at when sourcing smart watches for adults. These include:

• Ecosystem – Compatibility with smartphones and other gadgets that the family uses is the main goal, so an ideal choice is based on what smartphones the family or at least the child’s main family contact uses. Usually, the choice is between the Apple or Android ecosystems.

• Display– Round or square/rectangular are the usual choices for the shape of the display. Choose shapes that align with children’s ideas of what a cool watch for kids looks like. Younger children may prefer shapes that remind them of toys, but kids closer to the teen years may have more affinity with those that have displays like that of adult running watches or fitness trackers. A good display must show important information well whether indoors or outdoors and under direct sunlight. The touch screen should be highly responsive and it must be covered by protective glass.

• Battery life – Top smart watches that have a lot of features may be battery drainers unless some features are disabled, while midrange and budget ones may offer longer battery life.

• Connectivity – It’s good to have both GPS and cellular connectivity on children’s smart watches for communication and location-tracking purposes.

• Safety compliance – CE and RoHS marks on the smartwatch indicate compliance with rules on product safety. This is of particular importance when sourcing for certain regions like Europe.

3. How to choose the best smartwatch for kids?

It goes without saying – granted that all considerations mentioned above have been considered – but the answer is a question that buyers should ask themselves: Will children love to wear this watch?

4. Which smartwatch is better than Apple?

To find an alternative to the Apple Watch for kids, consider first what this watch can do. Besides being a timepiece, an Apple Watch can: send and receive messages and calls, count steps taken, measure the wearer’s heart rate, allow the user to listen to music, remind the wearer about their agenda for the day, send notifications about updates on their social media profiles, send SOS alerts to a national helpline, and track the user’s location.

A smartwatch for kids that can do all this can be a cool alternative to the product from Apple. A little bit of research can help in sourcing the top smart watch or the best inexpensive smartwatch for children.