Best Smart Watch for Kids

In today’s digital world, it is increasingly important to ensure that our children remain safe and connected. Smartwatches offer parents the perfect tool for staying in touch with their kids while also helping them stay safe by monitoring their location or providing access to emergency features.

With so many options out there though, it can be difficult to decide which smartwatch is best suited for your child in 2024. In this review, we will look at the top-ranked smartwatches on the market and discuss what makes each one unique so that you can select the ideal model for your little one!

If you're pressed for time, here's my top picks of the best smartwatches for kids:

Table of contents:

• Best Smart Watch for Kids - Buyer's Guide
• Best Kids Smartwatch: TOP 5
• Best Smart Watch for Kids: Comparison
• VTech KidiZoom Smart Watch DX4
• Accutime Spider-Man Kids Smartwatc
• XPLORA X6 Play Smartwatch Phone
• Little Tikes Tobi Robot Smartwatch
• Garmin Vivofit jr. 3 Fitness Tracker for Kids
• FAQ about Smartwatches for Kids
• Best Smartwatch for Kids: Conclusion

Best Smart Watch for Kids - Buyer's Guide

Drawing from my experience, when searching for the best smartwatch for your child, it's essential to consider several key factors that align with your child's needs and your family's lifestyle. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you make an informed decision:

Age Appropriateness

• Features: Choose a watch with features suitable for your child's age. For younger children, look for simple games, basic educational apps, and large, easy-to-use interfaces. Older kids might appreciate more advanced functions like fitness tracking or more complex apps.
• Design: Younger kids might enjoy watches with themes of their favorite cartoon characters, while older children might prefer a more mature look.

Durability and Water Resistance

• Materials: Ensure the watch is made from durable materials that can withstand rough play. Rubber and plastic are common in kid's watches for their durability and comfort.
• Water Resistance: If your child enjoys activities like swimming, consider a water-resistant or waterproof watch.

Safety Features

• GPS Tracking: Some smartwatches come equipped with GPS tracking which can help parents keep tabs on their child’s location.
  
• SOS Button: An SOS button is crucial for emergency situations, allowing your child to alert you when they’re in need.

Educational Value

Look for watches that include educational apps that can help with learning numbers, words, or even foreign languages.

Battery Life

A long battery life is essential to avoid daily charging, especially for active kids or during trips. Some models offer batteries that last several days or even weeks on a single charge. For example, Garmin vivofit jr. 3, Fitness Tracker for Kids up to 1-year Battery Life.

Parental Controls

Ensure the watch has a robust set of parental controls that allow you to manage contacts, control app usage, and monitor activity levels.

Connectivity

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: These features enhance the usability of the watch by syncing data with a smartphone or connecting to the internet under safe conditions.

Entertainment Value

Kids will want fun features like cameras for taking photos or videos, customizable watch faces, and interactive games that keep them engaged.

By carefully considering these factors, you can find a smartwatch that not only entertains and educates your child but also integrates seamlessly into your family’s routine, ensuring connectivity and safety wherever your child goes.

Best Kids Smartwatch - TOP 5

Now that I've covered what to look for in a smart watch for Kkds, let's dive into my top recommendations:

Best Smart Watch for Kids: Comparison

Let's take a closer look at each of my selected smartwatch and see why they stand out:

VTech KidiZoom Smart Watch DX4 Review

Editor's Choice

The VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch DX4 is a remarkable device designed for kids aged 4 and up, blending technology with fun and learning. This smartwatch impresses with its dual cameras, allowing kids to capture photos, add effects, and even create videos, fostering creativity and interactive play. The large, high-resolution screen showcases the media and 50 vibrant clock faces, which can be further personalized with additional downloadable designs.

Its premium metal body ensures durability, while the splash-proof feature makes it suitable for everyday adventures without worry. With built-in games that promote physical activity and a music player for entertainment, the DX4 is more than just a watch; it’s a multifunctional tool that encourages kids to move, explore, and learn.

The composer app is a standout, offering kids a unique opportunity to dabble in music creation. Additionally, the feature to shake the watch to hear the time aloud not only adds a fun twist but also aids in teaching time management skills.

Battery life is reliable, powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, though it's essential to use the included micro-USB cable for charging to ensure safety and longevity of the device. Overall, the VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch DX4 is an excellent choice for parents looking to provide their children with a playful, educational, and robust gadget.

Summary: As indicated by my tests, the VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch DX4 is a versatile smartwatch designed for kids aged 4 and up. It features dual cameras, interactive games, and a music player, housed in a durable, splash-proof metal body. With 50 customizable clock faces and educational tools like a time-telling feature, it encourages both creativity and physical activity. The watch is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and is charged using the included micro-USB cable.

Accutime Spider-Man Kids Smartwatch Review

Best Overall

The Accutime Spider-Man Kids Smartwatch is the perfect gift for any young superhero fan! This stylish smartwatch has a range of kid-friendly features such as a camera for taking photos, photo album viewer, video player, voice recorder, calculator, alarm clock, step counter, a variety of games and interchangeable watch faces.

The watch is designed to keep your child entertained while ensuring their safety. With a long-lasting rechargeable battery and USB charging cable, you don't have to worry about replacing batteries. Plus, the watch features the design of everyone's favorite Spider-Man character!
The model is presented in different colors and styles.

Summary: My findings show that, the Accutime Spider-Man Kids Smartwatch is a perfect gift for young superhero enthusiasts. It offers multiple features like a camera, video player, voice recorder, games, and interchangeable Spider-Man-themed watch faces. Available in various colors, it includes a rechargeable battery and USB charging cable, providing a fun and practical accessory for kids.

XPLORA X6 Play Smartwatch Phone for Kids Review

Premium Choice

The Xplora X6 Play smartwatch offers an impressive blend of communication and safety features for kids. It allows voice calls, texts, and messages with pre-approved contacts, enhancing security. The SOS button is a key safety feature, enabling children to alert emergency contacts with their location in a crisis. It also includes GPS tracking and Safety Zones around critical areas like home and school, providing parents with real-time location updates.

Equipped with WiFi and broad network compatibility, it ensures reliable connectivity. However, the lack of text messaging capabilities and non-waterproof design are minor drawbacks. Overall, the Xplora X6 Play is a practical choice for keeping young ones connected and secure.
The model is presented in different colors.

Summary: Based on my observations, the Xplora X6 Play smartwatch is designed to keep children connected and safe. It allows kids to make and receive calls and messages, but only with pre-approved contacts, ensuring security. The watch also features an SOS button for emergencies, GPS tracking, and Safety Zones to alert parents if the child leaves predefined areas. Equipped with WiFi and broad network compatibility, the watch maintains effective communication. However, it does not allow text responses and is not waterproof, which could be limitations for some users. 

Little Tikes Tobi Robot Smartwatch Review

Best Budget

The Little Tikes Tobi Robot Smartwatch is the perfect way to enhance your child's smartwatch experience. With advanced graphics, a motion activated selfie camera, interactive robot features and great games, this kids smartwatch will keep your child entertained while they learn and move.

It also comes with two built-in cameras for taking photos and videos, a pedometer for tracking steps and a parental control feature to set limits. Interactive robot features that speak gibberish, giggle, and cycle through more than 100 expressions.

The splash-proof Tobi 2 Robot Smartwatch is easy to use with its adjustable wristband, built-in battery and micro-USB cable for charging and transferring content. It's the perfect way to combine learning, movement and play together!

Summary: The Little Tikes Tobi Robot Smartwatch is a dynamic tool for kids, combining entertainment with educational features. It boasts advanced graphics, a motion-activated camera, and dual cameras for capturing moments. The watch encourages physical activity with a built-in pedometer and offers interactive robot functions that display over 100 expressions. Equipped with parental controls, a splash-proof design, adjustable wristband, and rechargeable battery, it's an engaging accessory that promotes learning through play.

Garmin Vivofit jr. 3 Fitness Tracker for Kids Review

For Sport with APP

Garmin vivofit jr. 3 is a swim-friendly fitness tracker for kids that offers up to 1 year of battery life and an interactive app experience. It includes multiple watch faces, and uses colorful adventure-themed apps to motivate kids to achieve active minute goals. Parents can use the Garmin Jr. App to assign tasks, schedule alerts and alarms, and reward kids for good behavior. The tracker also tracks steps, estimated sleep, timed activities and distance during playtime.

Plus, the ICE (in case of emergency) widget quickly accesses your kid’s emergency contact information. With Garmin vivofit jr. 3, you can keep track of your kid’s progress and have peace of mind knowing they’re safe. The model is presented in different colors.

Summary: The Garmin vivofit jr. 3 is a kid-friendly fitness tracker that's swim-proof and features a year-long battery life. It motivates children through adventure-themed apps and customizable watch faces, encouraging them to meet activity goals. Parents can use the Garmin Jr. App to manage tasks and rewards, while the tracker monitors steps, sleep, and playtime distance. The ICE widget enhances safety by storing emergency contacts. Available in various colors, this tracker is designed to keep kids active and give parents peace of mind.

FAQ about Smartwatches for Kids

Here are answers to some common questions:

At what age can a child manage a smart watch?

The description of each model usually indicates the starting age at which it is appropriate to give such a thing to a child. For most models, it starts with 4 years, because the interface is very clear. Of course, the kid should be able to read at least a little - to select from the notebook whom he calls. Otherwise, he will only be able to use the SOS button, and for mom, the key functions will be the GPS tracker and auto-dial.

Watches equipped with a variety of games and camera, such as VTech Kidizoom, will be useful from 7 - not only because the development of your baby to get the most out of the gadget, but also because its level of consciousness will protect him from the unnecessary and inappropriate use of watches - for example, during a lesson or crossing the road.

Is it compulsory to insert a SIM card into a child's watch?

Yes, and by the way, it is obligatory to monitor the timely recharge of the child's account. Today all the major mobile operators offer convenient and inexpensive packages specifically for fitness bracelets and children's watches. Without a SIM card it will be impossible not only to call your child, but also to track his location, because this requires Internet access, provided, in most cases, by the mobile operator's network. 

Does the child's number have to belong to the same mobile operator as the parent's number?

No, but it's more advantageous this way - most operators within their network either do not limit calls at all or give some free minutes - depending on the package. But even if the child's number belongs to a different network - it won't affect the quality of the GPS tracker.

Best Smartwatch for Kids: Conclusion

In conclusion, when selecting the best smartwatch for kids, the options range from character-themed models to more sophisticated fitness trackers, catering to a variety of needs and preferences. The VTech KidiZoom Smartwatch DX4 is perfect for budding photographers and creatives.

The XPLORA X6 Play excels in communication and safety with its call features and SOS button. The Accutime Marvel Spider-Man watch offers a fun and interactive way for fans of the superhero to tell time and enjoy multimedia features. The Little Tikes Tobi 2 Robot Purple is ideal for engaging young tech enthusiasts with its playful robot expressions and educational apps. Meanwhile, the Garmin vivofit jr. 3 stands out for its durability and fitness tracking, designed to keep up with active children.

Each of these models provides unique benefits, from enhancing safety and connectivity to encouraging physical activity and creativity. When choosing the best smartwatch for your child, consider their individual needs, interests, and your family's lifestyle to find a model that offers the right balance of fun, function, and safety.

Go Deeper:

• Best Walkie Talkies for Kids
• Best Drones for Kids
• Best RC Cars Under $200 Review
• Best Star Projector for Room