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A great advantage of giving a child an intelligent watch is that it saves you from having to buy a smartphone While providing your child a direct line. This can be particularly useful for parents who manage the logistics of collection and deposit or to count on other caregivers for transport. Young children, in particular, can benefit from avoiding distractions that come with a phone. The fact that a watch is attached to their wrist is also a bonus, given the number of water bottles and fleece sweaters are regularly found in the lost and found. This can also be a great motivator for children who need an additional thrust to stay active, offering a gamified experience thanks to follow -up and fitness challenges.
The term “smartwatch” is used very freely with regard to children. A quick Google or Amazon search will give a wide range of results, from a digital watch of $ 25 with a few games to an Apple watch of $ 300 which can follow the vital and call the 911 in an emergency. For this guide, we mainly focus on smart watches that help parents stay connected with their children – rather than Tylike watches designed for entertainment or dedicated fitness groups that do not have double -meaning communication. These are much simpler in terms of features and tend to be cheaper, making the decision process simpler than choosing from the GPS smartwatches rich in functionalities which require greater parental involvement and even a distinct cell plan.
Smartwatch for children vs regular intelligent watch
Although both can share several of the same functions, children’s smart watches generally have fewer features than intelligent full -fledged watches designed for adults. A child may not need an electrocardiogram function, for example, but GPS monitoring and access to emergency contacts are essential. Children’s watches are also delivered with integrated railings that the parent can personalize from a companion application on their phones.
Intelligent children’s watches are also designed with their needs and their interests in mind. Physically, they tend to be larger, more colorful and have larger pimples and screens for easier navigation. Even the traditional smartwatch functions such as follow -up of fitness are adapted to children, with more feasible stage objectives and activity options that line up with the lifestyle of a child, which makes monitoring of exercises more engaging.
GPS monitoring in real time and two -way communication with parents are key features that we are looking for in a smartwatch for children.
Things to consider
Age group
This is one of the most important factors in the choice of an intelligent watch, as it determines the type of functionalities your child will need. Watches designed for children aged 5 and generally under physical buttons, single icons and minimum screens to navigate, which makes them easy to use without requiring a complex reading or scanning. This ensures that children cannot accidentally send a foreigner or call 911 while trying to play the snake. An example of a simple device with limited features is the Gabb Watch 3rd.
Older children can benefit from more advanced features, such as bidirectional calls, SMS, more robust fitness monitoring and even mobile payments. Options like the Apple Watch is or the Fitbit ACE offer more features while offering parental checks to manage and monitor use.
GPS
If you are looking to follow your child with precision and in real time, we recommend a children’s smartwatch with GPS. For me, it is a non -negotiable feature when buying a children’s watch. Some popular brands, such as Vtech and Garmin, offer GPS versions of the smart watches of their children designed for entertainment or follow -up of fitness. So make sure that the model you plan to specifically call on GPS follow-up.
The follow -up of the location in real time is particularly useful if you want to keep an eye on the school of your child from the school. It also allows you to configure geofencing alerts, which inform you if your child is moving away beyond an approved path or location. Keep in mind that GPS follow -up generally requires a cellular connection and is delivered with additional monthly costs of your wireless supplier.
Parents can use geofencing to get an alert when their child leaves an designated location.
Connectivity
Cellular service is a must, not only for GPS follow -up, but also to make calls and SMS contacts and emergency services. You will have to decide whether the watch allows you to add the monthly costs to your existing telephone plan or if you have to go with another operator completely. This could exclude specific devices to carriers such as Gizmo Watch 3which is exclusive to Verizon.
Then there are watches like the Gabb Watch 3rd, which are completely agnostic of the carriers and offer their own cellular plans that you can buy monthly or in a contract of one or two years.
Budget
Be sure to take into account all the extras in your budget, including monthly service costs and all activation costs. You can expect to pay between $ 100 and $ 300 for the device itself, plus $ 10 at $ 20 per month for cellular service.
If you have a tight budget and everything you really need in the children’s smartwatch is GPS follow -up, consider a dedicated tracker like Apple Airtag. At around $ 25, it offers a year -long battery life, and you can buy an accessory to let your child wear it on the wrist. However, the AirTag only works for the follow -up of the location if there is an iPhone nearby or finds my device and that it does not replace traditional GPS monitoring. Apple designed the Airtag to follow the objectsNot people, so he has a number of alerts and systems to prevent unwanted follow -up.
Fitbit ACE LTE is an excellent alternative for children.
Marks
Another consideration when you look at your budget. Although there are many inexpensive options in less known companies that can offer similar features, it is important to be cautious because they may not be as sure in terms of confidentiality for your child. These affordable devices could even include integrated cameras, which could present additional concerns if they are poorly used.
A safer bet would be to stick to established brands like Garmin, Apple, Fitbit or models that have been examined and verified by renowned sources, such as Ticktalk, Bark Watch or Gabb Watch.
Entertainment
Your child could be enthusiastic about playing games on his watch, but you could be less than delighted when your child is stuck to the device all time. To avoid another fight in screen time, we recommend that you opt for a watch with the least “entertainment” possible “, especially with regard to social media.
If the watch has additional games or features like an integrated camera, make sure that there are parental commands that can limit the time of use, so that you do not send your child to school with a permanent distraction attached to their wrist. Although the novelty can lower, expect your child not playing games during school hours is unrealistic. In fact, some schools prohibit these devices for this very reason.
A Kaiju golf game on Fitbit ACE.
Screen protectors
Although most of these watches are designed with children in mind, not all have an integrated screen protector or a thick blanket. It is worth investing in a kind of protection to increase the chances of a smart watch surviving the wear of childhood.
End
There is no unique solution when it comes to choosing a smartwatch for your child, but you can considerably reduce your options by including the features that meet your needs. In the end, you must select a smartwatch that offers the features that you, as a parent, must remain connected, while offering something that motivates your child. With the right watch, you can even delay the smartphone conversation for a few more years.
