To buy or not to buy, that is the question. Literally, that’s the question on a lot of parent’s minds right now, and maybe even yours. Should you buy your child a smartwatch or not?
The answer is: It depends. You’re a good parent doing your due diligence. You’re researching. You’re considering. And you’re deciding.
There are a lot of differentiating opinions out there. In fact, we recently published an article recently in favor of banning smartwatches in schools.
But, as always, we want to give you information that can help you make the best decisions for yourself and your family
Today we are going to focus on the good reasons why smartwatches for kids can be a great thing.
Why Every Kid Should Have a Smartwatch
Smartwatches Can Help Kids Develop Good Habits
Let’s face it, kids often need reminders to get up in the morning, brush their teeth, pick up their room, or do their homework. Imagine a world where your child is reclined on the couch watching their favorite show, glances at the alert on their watch, then hops up to feed the dog without a word from you.
Magic, right?
No. It’s techno-magic. Watches like the Tick Talk 3 have built-in features that can make that world become a reality. With built-in and customizable alerts, smartwatches can give parents fun ways to help their kids remember and fulfill their responsibilities and create better habits.
The Octopus Watch even comes with a customizable magnetic daily routine chart for your fridge that matches the icons on your child’s watch to ensure you’re all on the same page.
Smartwatches – Stay in Touch Without Cell Phone
Some kids aren’t ready for their own smartphones. Conversely, some parents aren’t ready for their kids to have their own smartphones. Enter the kid-friendly smartwatch.
Some smartwatches are smart all on their own. With a SIM card (provided separately) watches like this one by MeritSoar allow parents and kids to stay in communication without the risk of purchasing, losing, or breaking expensive cell equipment.
Track Kids’ Location in Real-Time
Sending your child off to school, on a field trip, to a friend’s house, or even to the store on their own as they get older can be stressful for parents. The reality that kids get lost, lose track of time, sometimes make bad choices, or even take them while they’re away from home is one parent would rather not accept.
Smartwatches equipped with GPS and linked to cell service, like this one, allow parents to keep tabs on their child’s location when they’re apart.
🏆 #1 Best Overall
- 【All in One Smart Watch for Kids】Kids smart watch with selfie-cam, MP3 player, voice recorder, habit tracking, games, pedometer, flashlight, alarm, stopwatch, calculator, theme, screensaver select, parental control, silent profile, time format, volume, etc. Which can bring convenience, fun and unprecedented new experience to children's lives.
- 【Upgrade Kids Watch】As the fun kids smart watch, with 39 games to choose from kids. These games are more playable and suitable for children of multiple ages. That can effectively exercise kids logical thinking ability, reaction ability and hand-eye coordination. It is a gift for 4-12 year old boys and girls. There are Habits Tracking and Parental Control that traditional watches don't have.
- 【HD Selfie-Camera & Video】The kids touchscreen smartwatch not only has camera and video support, but also has amazing HD pixels. Children can take photos and record videos, capture record every wonderful moment in their lives. With pop big head sticker shooting, children can take some hilarious photos with family or friends. The first step in training a child to be a photographer.
- 【Powerful Battery Life】Kids watch built-in rechargeable battery that lasts more than 7 days on a full charge, the battery of this girls watch is upgraded to 500mA, allows kids to play anywhere, anytime, and is equipped with a USB cable. Let the children enjoy a happy playtime and give them a good childhood!
- 【Great Gift for Kids】Our kids watches is designed with a durable aluminum frame design and a 1.54 inch IPS HD touch screen, it's easier to operate for kids. This watch introduces a fun function: habit tracking, cultivating children's good habits. Perfect birthday, Christmas, festival, and holiday gifts for boys and girls aged 6~10. We provide friendly customer service.
Help In Case of Emergency
No parent wants their child to experience a frightening or dangerous emergency. Luckily, some smartwatches, like this, have an SOS feature that allows their child to press and hold a button that sends a real-time alert straight to their parent’s phone.
This feature alone is enough for many worried parents to purchase smartwatches for their kids.
Rank #2
- 👍⌚【Muti-Functional Smart Watch for Kids】Kids smart watch with selfie-cam, 39 puzzle games, torch, MP3 player, voice recorder, pedometer, alarm, stopwatch, calculator, theme, screensaver select, backlight time, audiobooks, learn card, habit tracker, silent profile, five country language, ringtone volume etc.
- 👍⌚【Fun Selfie-Cam & Video】Kids touchscreen smart watch supports such as camera and video perfectly. Children usually use "VCRS + magic cameras" to record every happy moment in their lives. Set your favorite photo as wallpapers. Kids watch is capable of store 10000+ HD photos or 6+ hours video.
- 👍⌚【Easy to Use】No SIM Card Required. The watch for kids don't have call function, don’t need to download app, all the functions are built-in the kids watch, very easy to operate for kids. We also provide SD memory cards Built-in this kids smart watch, helps your child download MP3 children's songs, pictures and videos.
- 👍⌚【Longer Lasting Battery】Kids watch built in re-chargeable battery, the working time can be 3-7 days (varies with use and other factors), this kids smart watch has excellent battery life allows for uninterrupted fun throughout the day and night, and USB cable included (About 2 hours charging fully).
- 👍⌚【Our Forever Guarantee】Smart watch for kids using environmentally friendly silicone material, soft and comfortable, leaving no trace. Please fully charge the kids smart watch before first use. And we provide 90 days money-back, 1 year warranty and life-time friendly customer service. If you have any questions, please contact us in time. We will solve the problem for you as soon as possible.
Keep tabs on kid’s communication
Ever wonder who your child is talking to?
We’ve all heard the dangers kids can face these days with bullying by peers or, even worse, inappropriate communication by older kids or adults. This can happen not just in person or social media, but on phone calls too.
Some smartwatches, like the Lil Trackers, allow parents to remotely monitor phone calls. By having the ability to listen in on conversations, parents are given greater ability to help keep their kids safe as well as teach them how to keep themselves safer.
Create “safe zones” for kids
Back in the day, kids could play outside as long as they stayed in the neighborhood and came home when the streetlights came on. But we live in a different world now.
Smartwatches like the IGPS Wizard allow parents to create outdoor “safe zones” for their kids. Parents can have peace of mind knowing they will receive notifications if their kids travel outside the safe perimeters.
Rank #3
- 【Muti-Functional Smart Watch for Kids】Kids smart watch features with selfie camera, games, music, alarm clock, calendar, calculator, pedometer, timer, stopwatch, album, recorder, flashlight, theme, wallpapers, volume adjustment etc, which is designed to keep kids entertained while supporting their growth with educational functions
- 【Games & Music】 kids smart watch has 26 puzzle games, helps kids learn through playing also can effectively exercise children's reaction ability and hand-eye coordination. Meanwhile, parents can set the game time to prevent children from being addicted. In addition, the kids smartwatch has Music player. You can connect to the computer via USB, add your favorite music to the "My Music" folder
- 【Capture and Explore with Camera】Equipped with a 300,000-pixel camera, pop big head sticker shooting, kids can take photos and videos, capture record every wonderful moment in their lives, enhancing the quality of captured memories, and inspiring a budding interest in photography and creativity. Also can set your favorite photo as wallpapers. Kids watch is capable of store 10000+ HD photos or 6+ hours video
- 【Educational Toy for Kids】The kids smart watch has 13 alarms clock, helping kids build time management skills. This kids watches also includes 10 audiobooks and 104 learning cards that traditional watches don't have. Designed to spark a love for reading and enhance word and picture recognition, it makes learning fun and engaging for kids. Perfect toy for kids age 4 5 6 7 8 9
- 【Long Lasting Battery & Easy to Use】Kids watch built in rechargeable battery, the working time can be 3-7 days (varies with use and other factors), this kids smart watch has excellent battery life allows for uninterrupted fun throughout the day and night, and USB cable included (About 2 hours charging fully). No need to connect phones or download APP, all the functions are built-in the kids watch, very easy to operate for kids.
Encourage Kids Fitness
Kids today have access to more junk food than ever before. Coupled with cable and streaming TV, YouTube videos, and video games, kids today are more sedentary than ever.
Parents are looking for ways to get their kids up and moving, active and healthy. And smartwatches like the Fitbit Ace are a perfect remedy. Equipped with the ability to track steps, sleep time, and movement, these watches not only let kids know how much they’re moving, but fun badges and motivating messages to encourage them to make and reach goals.
Rank #4
- All-Day Activity Tracking: BIGGERFIVE BRAVE 2 Smart Watch for Kids Teens Automatically counts steps, distance, calories burned, and active minutes. Supports 80 sports modes like walking, running, cycling, basketball, and more.
- Without/With APP: BIGGERFIVE kids fitness tracker watch can be used seperately without APP and phone. But with APP, you could explore more functions. Compatible with Android 6.0+ and iOS 9.0+ smartphones.
- Comprehensive Health Monitoring: Monitors real-time heart rate and tracks sleep patterns to promote your child's well-being.
- Customizable Watch Face &1.8" HD Touch Screen：Our kids smartwatch boasts a 1.8" HD touch screen and offers 100+ exquisite cloud dials in APP BIGGERFIVE. Elevate personal style with custom dials using your kids' own photos and ignite their creativity!
- Puzzle Games under Parents' Control: 5 built-in puzzle games can help train your child's reaction ability and calculation ability. You could restrict your child from playing games at school in the BIGGERFIVE APP (supports also lock game all the time).
Smartwatches Are Fun Gadgets
Smartwatches for kids aren’t all about safety. They can be fun too!
Watches like Vtech’s Kidizoom include a motion sensor for immersive games like chasing and capturing monsters and more. This watch by WillowWind boasts games that aren’t only fun but help develop a child’s intellectual capacities as well.
Play Music
If music is important to your child, Bluetooth capability allows certain smartwatches to act as music players right on their wrist.
If your child loves music, this watch by Yenisey might be a great option. And this Prograce watch has an FM radio feature as well.
💰 Best Value
- BEST SMART WATCH FOR KIDS –– Give your kids the best combination of safety & connection with Cosmo. JrTrack 5 is the award-winning first phone & GPS tracker for kids ages 6+ with the real calling & texting, parent-approved contacts, customizable controls, and powerful safety features.
- AMAZING REAL-TIME GPS –– JrTrack 5 comes with all-new HaloGPS technology, powered by a state-of-the-art location chip for pinpoint accuracy and real-time location tracking. It's the fastest, most accurate location tracking available on a kids watch.
- SECURE CALLING & MESSAGING –– Get the best kid-safe connection with Cosmo. Reliable family-safe calling coverage across the US, Canada, and Mexico. With Cosmo's True Texting, securely share text, pictures, audio, and even short video messages with parent-approved contacts to bring everyone closer together.
- PARENT-APPROVED CONTACTS ONLY –– JrTrack gives you confident connection for your child. Engineered with the highest-level security to allow only parent-approved contacts (no spam calls ever) and block any access to internet or social media. JrTrack 5 also comes with the ability for parents to view and monitor text messages sent and received.
- UNLIMITED TALK, TEXT, AND DATA –– Stay connected anytime, anywhere with Cosmo Mobile Family-Safe service. Easily activate your watch's eSIM out of the box and choose from flexible and affordable cellular service plan options - starting at just $9.99/month equivalent with prepaid plans. (NOTE: JrTrack is not compatible with other carriers)
Take Fun Photos & Videos
Taking pictures and recording videos of friends and fun times is awesome, but even better in a kid’s eyes when the fun and crazy filters can be applied.
Smartwatches like this VTech watch allow your child to get creative with their photo-taking skills, right from their wrist.
What to Watch Out For
Many of the watches mentioned above share similar features. When looking for the best watch for your child, make a list of the features that matter most to you. Whether it’s location tracking, communication, productivity features, or fun, the wide range of smartwatch offerings gives you plenty of great options.
Other things to look for: Does the watch need a SIM card to work? Is the watch only compatible with certain cell phones? What is the battery life like? Is the information on the watch encrypted? What other features does the watch provide?
Smartwatches are great tools and even toys for your kids. They can teach and encourage independence, help your child stay safe, and allow you to stay connected with them. And let’s not forget, they can be super fun too.