3 of the Best Wearable Gadgets for Kids

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Introducing young people to modern technology can be a challenge. You want to stay connected with them while giving them enough freedom to grow, but also protect them not only from the dangers of the world, but also from those who would take advantage of them, like tech companies that harvest data. You may not want to give them a phone or tablet, that’s understandable, but you still want to stay in touch and monitor them closely. The solution could be wearable gadgets and smartwatches designed for children. They offer a solid balance between freedom and fun, with parent-friendly features that help keep them safe.

With the right cellphone, you can track or check your children’s location, send secure messages or call them, and even let them interact with trusted contacts like grandparents or other family members. You probably shouldn’t drop an AirTag in your child’s shoes, but a kids’ smartwatch can serve a similar purpose. On the kids’ side, handheld devices can offer fun games, unique activities, attractive designs, and a host of features they’ll love. You probably don’t want to go too far looking for additional features. A common mistake people make when shopping for a smartwatch is looking for features they won’t actually use, and that’s certainly relevant here with wearables and kids’ smartwatches. Tracking, reliable battery life, communication and connectivity, minor entertainment if that happens, and that’s all a kids’ smartwatch really needs.

But as with any wearable device, not all devices are equal. Some do exactly what they set out to do, and better than others. And that’s why we’ve put together a reliable list of the best portable gadgets for kids, based on user reviews and top recommendations.

The Bark Watch offers a host of features that set the bar for what a kids wearable should be. It supports limited talk and text over LTE, 24/7 location tracking, and has an SOS emergency alert button. You have full control over who and who your children can talk to. It’s an easy way to stay connected with your little ones and stay informed about their whereabouts with GPS monitoring and real-time alerts. Bark can ping you when your kids get home from school. The system will even scan messages for signs of bullying, predators, and dangerous language – like suicidal thoughts – between your child and their contacts, and send you alerts.

The watch is water resistant with an IP68 rating and rugged enough for kids’ adventures, with a 1.6-inch touchscreen, 700mAh battery for around two days of use per charge, and HD voice calls. A built-in 5-megapixel camera can be used to take photos. There are no video calls, no web browsers, no distractions and no games on board. However, your children can follow in their footsteps.

Starting at $15 per month, the accompanying wireless plan includes talk and text, free access to Talkspace Go, and full access to the app and parental controls. The watch is available for $169 via Amazon or official channels. On Amazon, it has over 350 reviews with a rating of 4.2 stars out of 5. It’s a Safewise Top Pick with a high rating of 4.7 stars, and customers generally speak highly of it. They called it the “perfect smartwatch for kids” and say it offers “great peace of mind for parents.” although others have raised concerns about battery life.

The Verizon Gizmo Watch 3 Adventure is advertised as having around three days of battery life per charge, which is confirmed by user reports. It’s also one of the most affordable monthly options at $10 per month with an initial cost of $149 ($100 for the watch with a $40 activation fee). The data plan includes SMS, chat, and location tracking. As a parent, you will use the GizmoHub app to manage the device and check in with your child.

There is no camera at all in Gizmo Watch 3 Adventure. This makes it a solid option if you don’t want your child to have access to a camera. It has a 1.6-inch AMOLED touchscreen, IP68 water resistance rating, and an SOS button. You can expect full location tracking with safe zone support, step tracking, full parental controls with silent mode, and it comes in a few colors.

The Gizmo 3 Adventure is one of Safewise and Wirecutter’s top picks, earning four-star ratings and high marks on both sides. Meanwhile, on Verizon, it has over 400 reviews and a 4.1-star rating, with most users saying they’re happy with the watch. Some said it was a “great starter device,” was “very convenient,” and a “great tool” for staying connected with your kids. However, a few detractors say it’s not worth it, and the charger’s proprietary design could make it nearly impossible to find a replacement if yours breaks.

You may notice that a few guides recommend the Apple Watch for older kids and teens, usually a cheaper model like the Apple Watch SE. It’s a valid option, but if you’re looking for something between a full-fledged smartwatch and a more technically limited kids’ version, the TickTalk 5 is a good choice. It’s available on T-Mobile or AT&T networks, unlike Verizon with Gizmo, and has an upfront cost of $160. Plans start at $10 per month for talk, text, location tracking and video calling.

It uses real SMS and secure messaging, like a phone, with group chats and text chat support. Additionally, it has precise location tracking via Google Maps and TickTalk’s “smartpin” location tagging. Parental controls, tracking and devices are managed through the TickTalk app. The TickTalk 5 also offers games for kids, supports music playback, and has a step counter. So in the end, it’s much more fun and better suited to older children with a little more room to maneuver.

The watch is IP67 water resistant and looks more like a conventional smartwatch than a brightly colored children’s watch. This is good news for tweens and teens who care about style and design. On Amazon, it has over 3,200 reviews, by far the most reviews on this list, with a rating of 4.2 stars out of 5. TickTalk 5 is highly rated by Forbes and earned the title of “best battery life” from Safewise. Customers praise the brand’s product and customer service, noting that the device is easy to set up and just as simple for kids to use. However, negative reviews point to battery issues, poor performance, and potential overheating. This doesn’t seem to be the norm, but it’s worth noting.

As a parent of two children, I understand the importance of checking out new technologies that you might introduce to your children. For this reason, all portable devices offered have a reasonable set of parental controls and security settings to keep your children safe, such as the ability to limit who or who your children can message. Additionally, each wearable device received high ratings from reputable technology companies, such as Wirecutter, and users who shared their hands-on experiences.

There are also many generic and unnamed options, which have been omitted because brands with unknown backgrounds pose an increased risk to user data protection. It’s hard enough determining whether big brands can trust user data, let alone sensitive data collected from children. That’s not to mention that spyware can track everything you do on Android and iPhone devices, and can spread to other smart devices, like tablets and wearables. The fact is that this is a sensitive area of ​​modern technology and the goal was to stick to more reputable options. This does not mean that these devices and manufacturers can absolutely be trusted and others cannot. This simply means that these are the most relevant options for the guidelines.