Best Smart Watch for Kids

Kids smart watches can help you stay connected with your kids without getting them a cell phone before they're ready. But there are a lot of kids smart watch options out there. Parents, if you're in a  pickle choosing the right kids smart watch, it's time to relax and exit out of that overwhelming Amazon search page. We slogged through it for you to find the kids smart watches that are actually worth your time and money. We tested the most important features to be absolutely, positively sure they work—from GPS tracking to voice calling to screen locking.

The Angel Watch is best for emergencies with its SOS call feature, Verizon's GizmoWatch is great if you're already a Verizon customer, and Gabb Watch 3 is coming in hot with easy setup, incredible deals, and the cutest digital pet this side of 2020.

AngelSense has a simple take on kids' watches with outstanding GPS tracking features, and our testers really liked the TickTalk 4 with some hard-to-find features (like voice-to-text) that both kids and parents love. Those aren't the only top kids smart watches with unique features. Check 'em out below.

After 10-plus years of testing and wearing family safety devices, we know what makes a kids smart watch stand out (or not). Here's a peek into our process and features to look for when picking the best kids smart watch for your family.

• Price and monthly costs
• GPS tracking
• SOS call button
• Durability
• Parental controls
• Connectivity
• Ease of use
• Video calling
• Fun games or activities 

In addition, it's important for parents and caregivers to have an open, ongoing dialogue with the children in their lives about the goals for getting a smart watch and how to use and take care of it responsibly. 

The Gabb Watch 3 is an affordable and simple watch with no camera, but a digital pet helps motivate kids to stay active and complete chores. Plus, the latest model (Gabb Watch 3) includes IP68 water resistance and an ultra-strong Gorilla Glass 3 screen to withstand whatever kids put it through.

Our testers said it was one of the easiest kids smar twatches to set up since it comes with its own SIM card.

The parents we talked to felt satisfied with the Gabb Watch's features: location  tracking, safe zones, to-do lists and reminders, and easy text or voice communication.

There's no video calling, no 911 option, and no discreet audio check-ins, which help keep the price affordable and the battery chugging along. 

Check out the details—including more of our test group's opinions and images—in our full Gabb Watch review. Or get all your questions answered on our Gabb Watch FAQ page.

Because the new Verizon Gizmo Watch 3 combines the best features of the GizmoWatch 2 and the Disney Edition, it easily became our favorite kids smart watch from Verizon. Plus, there are new features on the Gizmo Watch 3 that make it more competitive against other kids smart watches in general, like location history reports, Bluetooth compatibility for earbuds, and more than 3.5 days of standby battery.

There are some pockets of the country where the TickTalk4 won't work because it uses the AT&T cellular network. If you live in a Verizon-network-only area, this is the best kids smart watch for you. Plus, it's super easy for existing Verizon customers to add it to their plan so there's still just one family cell bill to worry about.

Parents can switch the GizmoWatch to quiet mode or vibration mode via the app. This allows incoming calls to show up on the screen but silences the ringtone and any of the watch’s sound effects. You can also set up specific quiet times to ensure, for example, your child’s ringtone doesn’t disrupt their class. 

Another neat feature is “auto answer.” After parents toggle this setting on the GizmoHub app, the watch will automatically pick up your call after ringing for ten seconds. This lets you listen in to check on your child or talk through the watch in an emergency.

Learn more in our full GizmoWatch review or compare the GizmoWatches to the ever-popular Gabb Watch in our head-to-head review: GizmoWatch vs. Gabb Watch.

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The COSMO JrTrack 3 was designed by a father with the needs of both parents and kids in mind. It combines safety features with cool colors, comfortable straps, and the convenience of a full-size keyboard.

We like that it has all the features you need (GPS tracking, safe zones, SOS button, two-way talk) plus nice extras like a camera. Best of all, COSMO Membership plans are simple, straightforward, and affordable. 

With COSMO you get to talk, text, and share photos as much as you want—everything is unlimited. It's a huge relief to not worry about data limits when you need to stay in touch with your little ones.

COSMO Plans: Get unlimited 4G talk, text and data.

• $19.99/mo. No contract, month-to-month
• $16.99/mo. Pre-pay for 6-months, device insurance included
• $14.99/mo. Pre-pay for 12 months, device insurance included.

Like the Angel Watch, AngelSense is a kids GPS tracker, health tracker, and phone service. The difference is that AngelSense is for parents who want a watch that is simple, game and video-free and easy to use.

Like the TickTalk4, the AngelSense Watch includes video calling and a listen-in feature, but it has fewer contact slots and zero entertainment for your kid. (Which can certainly be a good thing, depending on what you're looking for.) It works with either AT&T or T-Mobile networks.

AngelSense goes beyond the usual GPS tracking by getting to know the wearer's routine. Imagine if little Jimmy takes a different route to school—AngelSense will send you a heads-up. It's like having an extra pair of eyes on your loved ones.

Remember those hide-and-seek games in store clothing racks? With AngelSense, those mini heart-stopping moments can be a thing of the past. Can't spot your little adventurer nearby? Just trigger the watch's alarm and follow the sound straight to your cheeky hider. Plus, you can share a temporary tracking link with friends, family, or even the police to help locate the watch wearer quickly.

For those with loved ones on the move, AngelSense's Live Safe Ride Transit Tracking is a gem. It lets you check if the vehicle they're in is going a bit too fast—super useful for keeping an eye on teen drivers.

Curious about your child's activity levels? AngelSense can tell you if they're really joining in during PE class or if they are sitting on the sidelines.

And here’s something truly reassuring: fall detection. In case of an accident, you're alerted instantly, so you can swiftly get help.

One small thing to note: to keep this constant tracking going, the watch needs regular charging. We found that a daily charge is best to avoid any gaps in coverage and keep the insights coming.

Learn more in our full AngelSense Watch review.

The Angel Watch is a kids GPS tracker, health tracker, and phone service rolled into one. We’re especially impressed with the Angel Watch’s SOS feature, which activates after a three-second press and calls three designated contacts in a loop until someone picks up.

Like the TickTalk4, the Angel Watch includes video calling and a listen-in feature, but it has fewer contact slots and zero entertainment for your kid. (Which can certainly be a good thing, depending on what you're looking for.) It works with either AT&T or T-Mobile networks.

The Angel Watch also helps parents monitor the health of their child via a vital sign sensor that rests against the skin. The watch can detect four vital signs:

• Body temperature
• Blood pressure
• Blood oxygen
• Heart rate

As neat as this sounds, the Angel Watch Company warns that these readings may not always be accurate. It’s also totally up to the parents to monitor vital signs and take action if needed. This device won’t send out an alert if there’s a worrisome deviation from the norm.

The Angel Watch also counts your kid’s steps and estimates the total distance covered and calories burned. If your child wears this watch to bed, it will also track sleep quality.

Learn more in our full Angel Watch review.

The TickTalk 4 keeps parental anxiety at bay with location tracking and an SOS button. And it caters to kids by streaming music or stories through iHeart Radio Family. The main downside is its price tag: around $200.

We love that the TickTalk 4 isn’t just a smart watch for parents—it includes features that kids enjoy too. Your child can choose how to communicate, whether it’s through video calls, voice calls, voice messages, preset text messages, voice to text, emojis, GIFs, or photos. It’s just enough variety to allow them to explore some creative expression, but they won’t have access to a full keyboard.

Kids can also use the TickTalk 4’s camera to take pictures, selfies, or videos. Other features include a step counter, do not disturb/school mode, and a reminder list.

We had to see if the TickTalk4 performed well in the real world before crowning it a best kids smart watch. So, we asked a mom and her kids to put it through the ringer. 

As we expected, the kids loved playing music, making video calls, sending each other greeting cards, and engaging with all of the other kid-centric features of the watch. Mom, on the other hand, appreciated the safety side of things, like the closed communication network and listen-in function.

We don’t think the SyncUP Kids Watch is quite ready to knock our top five faves out of position. It has a few flaws:

• Available to existing T-Mobile customers only
• Available in stores only
• No video calling
• The 911 option can’t be toggled off in the parent app
• Camera quality is poor

The SyncUP Kids Watch retails for about $175 and requires a $10 monthly subscription through T-Mobile. Check back as we continue to test the SyncUP and share the good, the bad, and the ugly.

With Xplora's Goplay platform, your child earns one coin for every 1,000 steps logged on the watch. Coins can be redeemed on the Goplay platform to play virtual games or purchase products.

Physical fitness aside, we think this is a great incentive for kids to wear this GPS-tracking watch at all times.

This smart watch includes a 2MP selfie camera and stores around 1,000 photos and videos. We’re impressed by the video and audio quality. In fact, we expected video calling to be included in this smart watch since it has such a nice camera. But that’s the major downside of the Xplora X5 Play; you can’t hop on a video call with your kid. 

The Xplora X5 works best with the T-mobile network and does not work with Verizon, Sprint, or U.S. Cellular. You’ll also need to purchase a SIM card separately.

Learn more in our full Xplora X5 Play review.

This isn’t a GPS smart watch, nor does it support texting or calling. That’s probably because it’s meant for kids as young as four years old, who probably remain under direct supervision anyway. But if your little one feels super left out when their older sibling gets a cool new gadget, this is what you could give them to keep them entertained.

This watch features a camera and impressive storage. Your budding photographer can store up to 30 minutes of video footage or 3,000 pictures. They can also add stickers to their photos.

Tobi also includes some basic games and an activity tracker/fitness tracker. If one of your kid’s friends also has a Tobi watch, they can send each other photos or emojis. 

The good news is that you don’t need to purchase a monthly cellular plan for this watch because it can't make phone calls.

Learn more in our full Little Tikes Tobi Robot review.

We decided to use price as a tie-breaker, and the VTech Smartwatch Kidizoom DX2 lost out because it costs more than double the Little Tikes Tobi Robot.

But we do love that there are plenty of extra learning games you can add to this smart watch via the VTech Learning Lodge. Your kid won’t get bored if you add a new game to the watch every so often. And they might learn some neat skills like telling time.

If you want a kids smart watch that helps you watch out for your kids without distracting bells and whistles, then AngelSense is your best bet. Otherwise, the Angel Watch is best for emergencies with its SOS call feature and earned our vote as the best smart watch for kids because it includes virtually every safety feature that parents want in a kids smart watch. It's compatible with AT&T or T-mobile. If you use Verizon, then the Gizmo Watch is the one for you.

Although we wish it had a camera for video confirmation of your kiddo's whereabouts, we think the accessible price tag makes Gabb Watch the a good budget pick. And because Gabb designed its device with safety in mind, we're confident in its closed network to keep kids safe from cyber dangers.

We ultimately came up with a list of 43 criteria for comparing kids smart watches and sussing out the top candidates. We also read hundreds of user reviews to evaluate each contender’s performance and customer service.

We tested several watches including the TickTalk4, Gabb Watch, Cosmo, Angel Watch, Xplora, Apple Watch, AngelSense Watch, and also collected feedback from parents with experience using top kids smart watches on the market. We're always trying out new watches as they hit the market, and are currently testing the Gabb Watch 3 and T-Mobile SyncUP to see if they can beat out any of our current faves.

Learn more about how we rank and review.

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• AngelSense GPS Tracker Review
• OurPact GPS Tracking Review
• iGPS Wizard Watch Review