Best Kids' Smartwatches

Buying guide for shopping guide for smartwatches for kids

While smartwatches can be helpful to adults for so many reasons, they’re also great accessories for kids.

If you’re thinking about buying a smartwatch for a special child in your life, you may want to consider one that has been specially designed for children.

If you’re struggling to figure out where to begin your search, we invite you to check out our product picks for smartwatches for kids.

No products were donated or given to the company during the review process. This is our policy in order to avoid bias and create the most trustworthy documentation possible.

If you’d like to learn more about smartwatches, please read our helpful buying guide.

If you buy a kids’ smartwatch for your child with the intention of being able to connect to it from your smartphone, make sure your do your homework first to be sure the two devices are compatible.

The pros and cons of smartwatches for kids

We’ve come to think of smartwatches as an “adult” thing, but let’s face it: some kids want in on the high-tech fun.

Here are some of the pros and cons of giving a child a smartwatch.

Pros

• If the smartwatch has GPS, you may have an easier time locating your child. This could be particularly helpful in the event of an emergency.

• If the smartwatch syncs with your phone (and many do), you can contact your child via phone as needed.

• Smartwatches made specifically for kids are designed with kids in mind. They are typically quite durable and able to withstand some rugged wear and/or abuse.
   

Cons

• A smartwatch is yet another device to which your child would be connected. For people trying to minimize their dependence on technology, a smartwatch could feel like a burden.

• The child may dislike the fact that he’s being “tracked” via GPS. Furthermore, the GPS on kid’s smartwatches is not always reliable. In general, these are less-costly watches with features that are less sophisticated.

• The watch could be stolen at school or in another area where the child is unsupervised.

An important feature of a kid’s smart watch is Bluetooth functionality. This will allow your child to connect to their phones or headphones with minimal issues, which is something we consider.

A kid’s smart watch will typically go through a lot more wear and tear than an adult’s. We assess how durable each product is and whether it can be used in various situations.

Certain kids’ smart watches may be able to receive text messages, which enable parents to communicate with their children. We research how well this feature works for these products.

If you are concerned about your child's health, then having a fitness tracker on a smart watch may help provide peace of mind. We investigate how well this type of app performs and if it is easy to access.

Certain kids’ smart watches are designed with parents in mind. We investigate whether there are features to track your child so that you know where they are at any given time.

An important aspect of any smart watch is emergency information. We look into kids' models that include this feature so that you can be contacted if your child is hurt or lost.

Some kids’ smart watches may include unique features such as educational games. We do a deep dive into these specific apps to see how well they work and if they serve as a distraction.

Certain kids’ smart watches are designed to withstand drops and water for added durability. We assess how well they are protected from these types of hazards.

The band of a kids’ smart watch is an important feature if you are worried about comfort. We research how well the band will hold up to wear and tear and if it is easy to put on.

Kids’ smart watches are often loaded with important features that help parents tailor everything to their discretion. We investigate these parental controls and how easy they are to access.

Smartwatch features

The features on kids’ smartwatches can be broken down into two categories: those that are found on a regular adult smartwatch and those that are specific to smartwatches for kids.

You can find the following features on adult smartwatches as well as some (but not all) smartwatches for kids.

• Bluetooth: This feature allows the watch wearer to connect with other Bluetooth devices.

• Texting: A child with a text-enabled smartwatch can receive texts from Mom and Dad.

• Camera: Some smartwatches have forward-facing cameras, meaning kids will have fun taking selfies as well as videos.

• Fitness/activity tracker: A child wearing a smartwatch with fitness-tracking abilities may be able to tell you how many steps he took at school today.

• Media player: A smartwatch with a media player delivers the entertainment goods. Music, TV, and movies are all within reach on some smart watches. Notably, this could be a distraction for a child in school.

• Calendar: Using a built-in smartwatch calendar, a child can track sports practices, homework due dates, and more. Of course, she might still need some reminders from Mom and Dad.

• GPS: The benefit of having GPS around your child’s wrist is a good one, indeed. But as mentioned above, this feature is not always 100% reliable.

• Emergency information: You can load emergency information onto a smartwatch. This allows the wearer to be identified in case of an emergency.

Kid-specific smartwatch features

Not all kids’ smartwatches will have the following features, but they are certainly nice to have.

• Fun, educational games: Some watches feature games that help entertain the wearer during downtime.

• Connection to parents’ phones: Lots of kids’ smartwatches today can be connected to a parent smartphone. Parents appreciate the ability to easily contact the child at any time.

• Durability: This is an important one for all wearers of smartwatches, but for kids in particular. The most durable kids’ smartwatches are scratch resistant and splashproof.

• Fun designs: Smartwatches for kids are made with kids in mind. Many can be customized in various ways. For example, you might be able to swap out bands or personalize the screen.

Perhaps most important of all – at least to the child – is the “cool” factor. Many kids want their own smartwatch simply because it makes them look cool and/or they think it’s cool to own one.

FAQ

Q. Can kids just wear an adult smartwatch?

A. A child could certainly slip an adult smartwatch, but this brings about a few questions. First of all, will it fit? Many of today’s more adult smartwatches are too big for kids. Second, do you as a parent or guardian want to send your child into the world wearing a highly expensive piece of technology on her wrist? Many parents don’t. A smartwatch made just for kids is a low-risk, viable alternative for kids who really want this technology.

Lastly, a smartwatch for adults may not have the same apps or games that a smartwatch for kids does. Check the specs before investing in any type of smartwatch to make sure it has what you want.

Q. Are smartwatches allowed in schools?

A. Some schools allow kids to have smartwatches in class and some don’t. The same is true for smartphones. Some adults worry that in addition to interfering with classroom activities, a smartwatch in the classroom could allow a student to cheat on a test.

Q. How often do smartwatches need to be charged?

A. It all depends on the individual smartwatch and how it’s being used, but keep in mind that the more features a watch has and the more often it’s used, the shorter the battery life will likely be. In general, you can expect a smartwatch charge to last from a few hours to a few days.