A smartwatch for children? One can certainly argue about that. Children these days grow up with technology and get used to the digital world we live in. The modern technology of the parents is of great interest to the youngsters. This not only applies to tablets, smartphones, and PCs but also smartwatches. The advantage for parents is that they always know where their children are if they wish. Yamuna Gibson, a coupon and savvy shopping expert at Wadav has an overview of four models at different prices for you.
A children’s smartwatch can be helpful for concerned parents. With GPS tracking, you can always see where your little ones are, and all you need is an app for Android or iOS. In addition, smartwatches for children offer fun applications that make everyday life easier, encourage creativity, and train memory. The offspring can learn, for example, to set an alarm clock or to plan appointments and – in the case of smartwatches with cellular communications – to stay in contact with their parents. Even if parents don’t want to buy their children a smartphone right away, a smartwatch could be a practical interim solution.
For this reason, we have browsed the bestseller lists of the shipping giant Amazon for smartwatches suitable for children and give you an overview of our recommendations below. Then we go into the individual models in more detail and check the quality of the devices based on test reports and user ratings. General tips on buying and everything about the current legal situation can be found at the end of the article.
The current leader of the Amazon bestseller list of children’s smartwatches comes from the manufacturer Prograce. The “Kids Smartwatch” (view on Amazon) equipment is somewhat limited. Although the watch has a swiveling front camera for photo and video recordings and a 3.8 cm LC touch display, GPS location or even an LTE connection is not possible here. In addition, there is no app for parents to monitor usage, and an SOS function has also been saved here. But the watch is already available for around 35 dollars and offers playback of music and FM radio via the internal speakers or connected headphones. A stopwatch, a step counter, and small games are also on board.
The watch comes off quite well on Amazon, with an average of 3.9 out of 5 stars from 543 reviews. In addition to the quick-reacting touch display, users especially praise the long-lasting battery and the surprisingly good quality of the camera. The price-performance ratio is also good, even if the customer reviews occasionally criticize the imprecise step counter and occasional defects.
The Kidizoom Smart Watch DX2 is also available for a few dollars more (view on Amazon) from the manufacturer VTech in there. This also offers a colored LC touch display with a slightly smaller diagonal of 3.6 cm. However, the children’s smartwatch also dispenses with location and radio options such as GPS, LTE, or parents’ companion app. The dual camera is interesting here, as a result of which there is a lens on the upper edge of the display and the front edge of the watch.
These have a resolution of 0.3 megapixels and enable videos with 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 pixels. In addition, the watch offers parental control, is splash-proof, and offers various functions such as a voice recorder, alarm clock, small games, stopwatches, or the step counter. Thanks to the integrated motion sensor, three-movement challenges have also found their way onto the children’s watch.
With an average rating of 4.4 stars from over 700 reviews, the watch is very well received by Amazon users. The sharp display and the excellent camera are often praised here, but you shouldn’t expect too much from such a watch. Furthermore, the watch is pleased with its robust construction, and parents praise the integrated control function. The memory, which is very limited at 256 MB, and the recording time for videos, which is limited to 10 seconds, offer cause for criticism.
As the name suggests, the whole family should benefit from the TCL Move time Family Watch (see Amazon). The focus here is mainly on the safety of the little ones. Unlike our previous recommendations, the TCL model has LTE via nano-SIM and GPS. With the latter, parents can determine the current location of their child, even if this function should only be used with care and consideration for the child’s privacy.
Finally, there is also an SOS button, which alerts parents via the app when pressed and provides them with the location of the child. The said app can also be used to define safety zones and activate school mode. In addition, the kids can make phone calls and send (voice) messages – this can also be done from watch to watch, provided that the children use the same model. In the first contact with emojis, they come directly and make your messages a little more lively. With the TCL Move time, you don’t have to do without entertainment: You can also play small games or take photos and videos with the integrated camera in addition to an alarm clock and a chat function.
Although the review pool with ten customer ratings is still not very meaningful, an average rating of 3.9 stars already suggests the excellent quality of the watch. Users praise the stylish touchscreen and the ease of use. However, some parents criticize the parent app and want more functions or encounter errors. The battery life can drop to less than a day, depending on usage, which was also negative.
Also, with the Anio 4 Touch (view on Amazon), safety is the top priority, but this smartwatch is only suitable for slightly older children (from around seven years of age). Like our previous recommendation, the watch offers an SOS button, which notifies the SOS numbers stored in the app after pressing it for three seconds. The associated app can also be used to determine the wearer’s location, whereby you can also define safety areas here. If your child leaves this, you will be notified accordingly via the app. Otherwise, certain time intervals can also be selected at which the child’s location is automatically sent to the parent’s smartphone.
The possibility of sending text or voice messages to the child is also useful – suitable rest periods can be set for the school. Incidentally, a micro SIM card is required for the mobile phone function. The Anio 4 Touch is protected from moisture but should be taken off before swimming while it should survive a shower.
In the Amazon ratings, however, the smartwatch for “older children” only gets moderately good – the average rating is 3.3 out of 5 stars with 27 ratings. Cheap-looking craft, imprecise localization, and a battery life of sometimes only half a day are particularly criticized. Significantly more positive reviews, however, make quite the opposite statements. Long battery life and precise location, and appealing appearance are praised here.
If you as a parent are looking for a smartwatch for your little one that is suitable for children, there are a few things you need to consider beforehand. In contrast to a full-fledged smartwatch from large manufacturers such as Apple or Co., points such as screen resolution or brisk performance only play a minor role here. To make a child of preschool or elementary school happy, the clock must be aimed at the appropriate age group – but functions that contribute to the safety of the offspring are also welcome.
These include, above all GPS tracking. Even if the continuous tracking of children is a questionable issue from an educational point of view, fast and accurate tracking can be worthwhile, especially in emergency situations. Some manufacturers also define certain security zones, which enable push notifications on the parents’ cell phone when leaving. However, if you don’t want to restrict the child’s freedom too much, you tend to concentrate on an SOS function. Some models have buttons on the housing that can be used to send a call for help directly to parents or other SOS contacts. Ideally, the current location of the child is pinned to these messages.
Since the possibilities with children’s smartwatches are usually quite limited, you don’t have to worry too much about your data volume or long phone bills. While GPS tracking is generally permitted, watches with eavesdropping functions that allow parents to access the watch’s microphone unnoticed are prohibited.
In addition to smaller games, this can include a camera. Unlike conventional smartwatches, these are often on board with children’s smartwatches, but they only offer poor resolutions or restrictions on video recording. Smaller children, in particular, shouldn’t attach too much importance to the image quality and are happy to be able to take photos with their friends at any time. Features such as a music player, movement games, or a step counter can also be fun, so discussing this with the child himself is worth discussing.
In terms of price, the watches are usually under 100 dollars, but they can also end up in the three-digit range for more technically mature functions. Our four examples show how a higher investment can significantly increase the functionality of a smartwatch. If you are primarily looking for a watch as a toy, models for less than 40 dollars are already possible, while the desire for GPS tracking or emergency call buttons can drive the price higher. When buying, it is generally worth looking at the user ratings and their assessments of the price-performance ratio.
You can find detailed advice on buying normal smartwatches such as the Apple Watch, Huawei Smartwatches or the Samsung Galaxy Watch here, but our clear smartwatch list of the best can also inspire.
Also Read: How to Unpair Apple Watch?
