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The best kids' smartwatches to buy in 2024
Smartwatches are the newest trend in wearable tech. Whether you’re buying for a toddler or a teen, here are the best kids' smartwatches, as recommended by parents.
By Lucy Cotterill | Last updated Mar 28, 2024
No longer strictly for adults, smartwatches are becoming an increasingly popular gadget among children. For little ones though, the best kids’ smartwatch should be a toy above all else. They will enjoy having a camera to experiment with, fun games to play and tracking their activity. Of course, it will also help them learn to tell the time.
If your child enjoys sports and being active, consider a watch with a built-in fitness tracker. They can hit training targets and take part in challenges with family or other app users, which will inspire them to keep moving.
For teenagers, a more grown-up watch will be a hit. They will enjoy opportunities to communicate with their friends as they become more independent. Look for safety features such as GPS tracking and parental controls.
To help you find the best kids' smartwatch for your child, we’ve looked to tech experts for the latest recommendations, as well as Mumsnet parents for genuine and honest reviews on the products their children love.
Want more kids’ tech inspiration? Take a look at our guides to the best kids’ tablets, best cameras for kids, best games consoles and best laptops for kids.
Related: Looking for a kids' tablet to boost learning as well as keep kids occupied this summer? Read our Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids and Kids Pro Review.
Soft and comfortable material
Customisable watch face
Encourages physical activity
The watch face is light but large and chunky so can get in the way of sleeves
Designed for younger children
Price on writing: £39 | Age range: 4-10 years | Screen size: 1.4 inch | Battery: Rechargeable through USB; battery life not specified | Weight: 200g | Water-resistant: No - splashproof only | Camera: Yes | GPS: No | Compatible systems: Windows, Mac
Winning the top spot for best kids' smartwatch is the VTech Kidizoom DX2 Smartwatch, a fantastic first smartwatch for kids. Both affordable and versatile, it has lots of fun and useful features that will delight little ones and reassure you that learning and physical activity are being encouraged, with a healthy focus on movement.
While it’s a little bulky for those in the lower half of the recommended age group, this splashproof smartwatch is robust and comfortable to wear. The watch face has 55 personalisation options, so it can easily be customised to suit your child’s preferences including both digital and analogue clocks. The full colour touchscreen is easy to use even for younger children - simply slide through menu options and press to confirm.
We like the games, especially Monster Detector, which will inspire kids to hunt for creatures in the garden or park, while the step tracker is accurate and helps children take part in fun challenges. Children will also enjoy the built-in camera, which is easy to use and includes a wide range of filters and stickers to help bring photos to life.
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Tikkers Activity Tracker Smartwatch
Budget-friendly price
Text and call notifications
Motivating pedometer to encourage movement
Can set hydration reminders
Requires compatible app to work
Some reviewers have found the strap a little unreliable
Price on writing: £14 | Age range: Not specified (tweens) | Screen size: 18mm | Battery: 1 Lithium Ion battery required (included) | Weight: 20g | Water-resistant: No | Camera: No | GPS: No | Compatible systems: iOS
If you’re after the best kids' smartwatch for your child that tracks step goals but won't break the bank, they don’t come much more affordable than the Tikkers Activity Tracker.
With a soft silicone strap and slim, lightweight design, this clever watch can track steps, distance and calories burned as well as set goals - motivating and encouraging your tween to get up off the sofa and head outside for some re-energising fresh air and exercise. With a simple-to-use touchscreen interface, it can provide call and text notifications so your child isn’t constantly reaching for their smartphone.
It’s worth mentioning that the Tikkers Activity Tracker does require the use of a compatible app - Reflex Active - and unless you want them to receive all your notifications, they’ll need to have the app installed on their own phone or device.
It also doesn’t have a built-in camera, but it can be used as a controller for your kids’ phone camera, making it handy to have around when snapping a selfie with friends.
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Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 Smartwatch
Lots of colour choices
Sleep tracker helps to create a bedtime routine
Easy to connect to the Garmin app
No camera
Price on writing: From £70 | Age range: 4+ years | Screen size: 14.11mm | Battery life: Up to 1 year of use before it needs replacing | Weight: 25g | Water-resistant: Yes | Camera: No | GPS: No | Compatible systems: Android, IOS
The Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 is probably the best kids' smartwatch in terms of clever features that parents will love almost as much as kids. With a comfortable silicone strap and a small square watch face, it’s a non-bulky smart watch for younger children that's less likely to catch on clothing than other brands. With motivating prompts that encourage an hour of physical activity a day, you can monitor your child's movements, active energy and sleep.
This brightly coloured kids’ running watch has Disney-themed educational games and rewards children when they hit their step count, go to bed on time or complete parent-set chores. There's also a variety of designs to choose from, including Disney and Marvel favourites, which makes this a great birthday present too.
We were impressed with how easy the Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 is to use and like that the battery won’t need charging for at least a year.
Read next: The best kids' camera as recommended by parents.
Focused on encouraging activity
Slimline and non-bulky on small wrists
Kids can earn badges and complete challenges with their friends
Limited to a choice of two colours
Requires a compatible app
Price on writing: £49 | Age range: 6+ | Screen size: 0.96 inch | Battery: Lithium Polymer battery lasts up to 8 days | Weight: 0.2kg | Water-resistant: Yes, Up to 50m | Camera: No | GPS: No
The offers many of the features you may be familiar with from adult Fitbits including a comfortable, slimline strap and the ability to track steps and active minutes. The Fitbit Ace 3, however, is made specifically for kids, encouraging a 60-minute activity goal and 10,000 steps a day target with motivating rewards for achieving their goals.
Lightweight and soft, it’s simple to use and can be connected to the Fitbit app alongside existing devices in the house, allowing everyone to join in family goals and keep each other motivated.
This attractive watch can be worn all the time, including for swimming. As it's water-resistant (up to 50m), aqua-based activities and a little sweat won’t harm it, so it's an ideal choice for active or messy kids.
The battery lasts for ages (eight days of average use) and the watch comes with a handy charger cable. Reviewers also found the features and app easy to set up and use.
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SOS button
School mode
Rewards physical activity
Pricey
Needs a SIM card for calls and monthly app subscription
Battery life could be better
Price on writing: £189 | Age range: 5+ | Screen size: 1.2 inch | Battery life: Not specified | Weight: 58g | Water-resistant: Splashproof only | Camera: No | GPS: Yes | Compatible systems: Android, iOS
The Spacetalk Kids' Smartwatch has a sleek design that older kids and teenagers will like. It acts as a GPS tracker, so you can let your child explore and enjoy their independence without worrying where they are.
The best kids' smartwatch in terms of keeping an eye on where your kids are, it also acts as a a movement tracker, encouraging children to take more steps by rewarding physical activity with a cool chart - ideal if you want to prompt them to get outdoors.
The Spacetalk Smartwatch is also a mobile phone with impressive safety features, including an SOS button and parental control of the contacts who can call or message, although kids can’t access the internet.
Schools will also approve as all features other than the time can be switched off during certain hours, allowing maximum concentration. It may be a pricey smartwatch for children, but we think the extra safety features make it worth it, although a few reviewers think the battery life could be improved.
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Little Tikes Tobi Robot Smartwatch
Comes with a clothing clip and display stand
Soft and comfortable silicone watch strap
Great interactive features designed specifically for little ones
You need to read the instructions carefully to get the most out of the watch
On the large side for small wrists
Price on writing: £40 | Age range: 4+ | Screen size: 1.54 inch | Battery life: Up to two days | Weight: 60g | Water-resistant: Splashproof only | Camera: Yes | GPS: No | Compatible systems: Not specified
The Little Tikes Tobi Robot Smartwatch is the best kids' smartwatch for younger children. The more they play with it, the more fun it is. The watch engages kids by allowing them to capture videos and photos with the two featured cameras, and it has a pedometer along with dance games to encourage movement. It ticks the educational boxes too, including activities that help them learn to tell the time.
Essentially, this watch acts as a wearable ‘friend,’ and we like that your child can use it to pair up with other Tobi 2 watches to compete in games with friends or siblings. In addition, it allows them to send messages to other Tobi 2 watches, so they can still chat to friends if they’re not quite ready for a phone yet.
One of the most popular features of the Tobi is the interaction it allows, displaying over 100 silly facial expressions on its screen.
This quirky watch is comfy to wear but we like that it can also be stood on a desk or table, acting as a bedside clock too.
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Apple iWatch SE (2023)
Mumsnet rated brand
More affordable than some of the latest model iWatches
Accurate tracking of steps and exercise
Wide range of customisation options
Waterproof up to 50m
Lightweight and fully adjustable sports band
Needs charging every day
No ‘always on’ display or ECG functionality than is seen in more expensive models
Price on writing: £209 | Age range: 12+ | Screen size: 759 sq mm display area | Battery Life: Up to 18 hours | Weight: 26.4g | Water-resistant: Yes to 50m | Camera: No | GPS: Yes | Compatible systems: iPhone Xs or later with iOS 17 or later
If you’re looking for a smartwatch for your older child or teen, you can’t go far wrong with the Apple iWatch. While the newer models have additional features that may appeal to fitness fans, the SE models are packed full of impressive functionality but come with a far more affordable price tag.
The lightweight Apple iWatch SE has a fully adjustable sports band and syncs seamlessly with other Apple products including your child’s iPhone. As well as helping them keep track of appointments, reminders and notifications, it offers great insights into their overall health, including a step counter, sleep metrics and workout tracker to record their runs, walks and exercise. It’s even waterproof up to 50m, making it a great choice for teens who love to swim.
On the downside, the 18-hour battery life on the SE models could be better, so they will need to remember to charge it every day to avoid disappointment.
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A good alternative to a smart phone
No internet access or social media
Can make calls to approved contacts only
5MP camera with 8GB of storage
GPS Tracker allows parents to monitor their movements via the Xplora app.
A minimum 12 months subscription is required
Price on writing: £139 (+ subscription cost) | Age range: 4-12 year | Screen size: 1.52 inches | Battery Life: Up to 72 hours in standby mode | Weight: 58g | Water-resistant: IP68 | Camera: Yes 5MP | GPS: Yes | Compatible systems: Xplora's SIM platform, which allows you to connect your Xplora watch with the AT&T or T-Mobile networks
A recent upgrade from the Xplora X5, the Xplora X6 play makes a great alternative to a smart phone for older children and teens, especially those that are walking to school alone. Providing some welcome reassurance for parents, the Xplora X6 Play has built in GPS tracking, allowing you to track your child’s movements on the app and be alerted when they’ve safely made it to their location.
The Xplora X6 Play comes with loads of useful features, including a step counter calculator, calendar and alarm. It can also be programmed with parent approved contacts, meaning they can easily get in touch in case of emergency or chat with friends without some of the challenges of WhatsApp or Snapchat.
Kids will love the built in camera with 8GB of storage, however you don’t need to worry about internet access - this phone is completely free from games and social media.
Long battery life
Works well as a swimming tracker
Movement reminder for gamers
The app can be glitchy
Only suited to older children
Price on writing: £33 | Age range: Not specified, but only suitable for older children | Screen size: 0.95 inch | Battery life: Between six and 14 hours | Weight: 28g | Water-resistant: Yes, up to 50m | Camera: No | GPS: No | Compatible systems: Android, iOS
The Honor Band 5 is a waterproof fitness tracking watch that we rate as the best kids' smartwatch for the swimming pool or running. Your child can manage their training, see their heart rate improve and make sure they are getting enough rest with the sleep tracker.
We were impressed with the design and feel of this watch. It comes in three sleek colour choices and looks much more expensive than its affordable price tag would suggest.
The watch works well without it but, if required, the Honor Band 5 can receive and make calls, send text messages and receive emails. It's also an alarm clock with a choice of traditional tones or gentle vibrations on the wrist.
What features should I look for in a kids' smartwatch?
The best kids' smartwatch for your child will depend on their age and what they want to do with their watch, whether that’s tracking their fitness or communicating with friends. Here are the best features to look for:
Age suitability: A four-year-old and a 14-year-old will have very different needs from a smartwatch. Consider what your child will be using it for and choose something appropriate for their age.
Design: Younger kids will love bright, chunky watches with large, colourful screens that show funny faces and icons. Older children and teenagers will prefer a sleek look with intuitive touchscreen displays.
Health and fitness tracking: If you want to encourage activity, look for a smartwatch that tracks step count and different sports such as running and swimming. If you want more, you can go even more advanced with models that will monitor sleep, heart rate and even blood oxygen levels. Some smartwatches have reward charts, games and challenges to encourage kids to move more for a healthy mind and body.
Location services: Tracking your child’s location with an in-built GPS is a good idea as they start to take steps towards independence. Knowing where they are means you’ll feel more confident about allowing them to walk to the shop or go to the park with friends.
Battery life: A smartwatch that needs charging infrequently is much less faff and will give you and your child confidence that the battery won't die when they are out and about. Some smartwatches can last over a week with average use.
Smartphone connectivity: The ability to connect to their phone and yours will make the watch more fun to use and means you can keep an eye on information such as how much sleep they have had and if more exercise is needed.
Connectivity: Do you want your child to keep in touch with you while they are out playing or on the way home from school? A smartwatch that uses a SIM card will let them send messages and make phone calls to you. In addition, most watches designed for children will include safety features to ensure you know who they are communicating with. Remember if the smartwatch needs a SIM card, you'll likely have to pay a monthly fee for this too.
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Does my child need a smartwatch?
Technology is a big part of our lives, and it can be a valuable tool for parenting in the modern world. Of course, a smartwatch isn’t a necessity, but there are some very good reasons for investing.
A smartwatch with GPS tracking is a great device that will build your child’s confidence and independence while giving you the reassurance that you know where they are. The ability to receive and send messages and calls from trusted contacts and pre-set SOS buttons are also helpful features for peace of mind.
Most children are screen-obsessed and live increasingly sedentary lives. Activity tracking that rewards reaching targets and completing challenges will encourage your child to move their body.
There is no need for a six-year-old to have an expensive Apple Watch. Smartwatches specifically designed for kids are cheaper, durable and have limited functionality so that they won’t be surfing the internet in the school playground.
Which smartwatch is better for kids?
The VTech Kidizoom is our choice for the best smartwatch for kids. It’s well made, easy to wear and has lots of fun features as well as educational games, all at an affordable price point. We also like the safety features, from GPS tracking and SOS buttons to parental visibility and contact controls.
Which smartwatch is best for 7-year-old?
We love the VTech Kidizoom for this age. It features lots of fun extras such as games and a camera, and the tracker encourages plenty of exercise. It's easy to use and includes both digital and analogue clock to help your child learn how to tell the time.
Can my child wear a smartwatch to school?
Different schools have different policies relating to smartwatches, so to avoid disappointment, we recommend you check the rules at your child’s school before you purchase your child a smartwatch.
Some schools will allow smartwatches if they can be put into silent or ‘school’ mode during lessons, and have basic functionality such as step counters and telling the time.
Due to safeguarding, many schools simply prevent the use of smartwatches that have cameras or can make calls or treat them the same as mobile phones. Your child may therefore be asked not to wear a smartwatch to school or hand it in at the start of the school day.
Should I buy my child a smartwatch instead of a phone?
A smartwatch can make a great alternative to a phone for younger children, without the risks of social media and internet access that can be inappropriate for younger children.
That said, if your child is walking to school alone or you want your child to be able to contact you in case of emergencies, you’d need to choose a smartwatch with GPS tracking or the ability to make calls or opt for a more basic mobile phone.
How we chose our recommendations
Our starting point was a deep dive into the Mumsnet forums to find the kids’ smartwatches that real parents rate and have put to the test. We noted the models parents loved (and loathed), researching each model in-depth to check it was up to task.
We then thoroughly investigated smartwatches for children recommended by tech experts, adding the best to our shortlist of watches, combing through authentic customer reviews to determine the advantages and limits of each product. Hours have been spent compiling all of this research, ensuring we are bringing you an honest, useful guide to the best smartwatches for your little ones.
About the author
Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and a Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in baby/child and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products, scrutinising reviews and consumer feedback to help people make confident purchases.
A big fan of wearable tech, Lucy has tried and tested a wide range of smartwatches and loves her Apple iWatch. Her eldest loves tracking her movements on the FItbit Ace 3 and her youngest loves the reactive sceen savers on her Garmin Vivofit Jr 3.
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