Published on February 16th, 2020 | by Sunit Nandi

Kids Smartwatch – Features & Buying Guide

Toddlers are under the care of their parents. But little ones grow, and you do not see the time pass by. Before you know it, the children grow bigger, and new wishes and aims develop. What to do if your child wants to play alone with friends? If you can not or do not want to prevent the freedom and independence of children?

All parents experience such situations sooner or later. But today there are progressive developments that make this important step easier: a children’s smartwatch. But with this large selection, you’ll quickly wonder which smartwatch is best for kids. In our comprehensive Kids Smartwatch Test, we have selected several test winners and found one or two of the best kids smartwatches for you. In this article, we inform you comprehensively, which characteristics are important with Smart Watches for Kids. Then you can select the watch with the features that are more important to you.

How useful is a children’s smartwatch?

Many parents asked this question that whether buying a smartwatch for children makes sense. The manufacturers of these gadgets give a recommended age for each model. Some models are suitable for six to twelve year old children while some products can also be used at the age of 14. But we suggest you to buy boys smartwatch for teenagers. The age information provided by the companies is only a recommendation.

Also, personal factors are important when buying a smartwatch for the kid. There are differences in the design for boys and girls. Girls usually opt for models in red, pink or purple and boys mostly choose colours like black, blue or green.

In our opinion, the decisive reason for the purchase of a Kids Smartwatch is to cater to the security needs for the little ones.

Differences between smartwatches for children and adults

The most obvious difference among the kids and adults smartwatches is the look. The children’s models have a child-friendly design and the display shows cute and colourful graphics. This does not mean that there are no coloured models for adults. However, the designs are significantly more sophisticated so it can match with adult’s personality.

Certainly, there are also many differences in the functions. But if you look closer, the differences of the current smart wristwatches for children with good equipment are not so significant — modern smartwatches for kids that are well-endowed offer quite a bit. Therefore, a device for children with SIM card, call function, installable apps and a pedometer is no longer a rarity.

In the foreground are smartwatches for children even more clearly the safety precautions with SOS button, GPS tracker, GeoFence functions and more. Therefore, fitness features are not paramount in children, as is common with adult models. In addition, a smartwatch for the child is often made robust, because children claim and burden the devices while playing even more.

Features

Kids smartwatches not only offer increased security but also many other useful features. Below you will find an overview of the various functions and features.

Time: Of course, a smart wristwatch for children also shows the time. The child also has a learning effect when it is possible to set an analogue time display instead of the digital display.
Calendar: It would be desirable that the children’s diaries are not too full, but a calendar function is always meaningful so that the little ones can learn to handle it playfully.
Alarm clock: Alarm clock can not only wake the children in the morning but also remind the little ones while playing that it is time to go home.
Pedometer: A kid’s smartwatch with a pedometer motivate the children to move more. In addition, the kids are introduced to fitness and sports in a playful way with a fitness watch for children.
Recording device: If the smart wristwatch for children has a recording feature, the little ones can first record voice messages and then save them. On some models, kids can even send or receive voice messages.
Address book: If an address book feature is available in the smart wristwatch, telephone numbers can be stored there. Depending on the model, the scope may differ. Some devices can also differentiate between regular phone numbers and SOS numbers.
Flashlight: If the smartwatch for kids is equipped with a flashlight, this can bring light into the dark.
Text Messages: If the Smart Watch for children can receive text messages, this is something like a device with Whatsapp. Then messages can be sent and receive on the smartwatch through bluetooth connectivity. Moreover, standalone smartwatches with sim allows the children to send and receive the messages without phone.
Camera: Some smartwatch for kids has a camera. However, the quality of the recordings is not outstanding.
Apps: Some children Smartwach already has preinstalled apps, such as small games. Whether it is optimal that the little ones already have such functions, the parents decide.

Security Features

To help you understand the important security features of a smart wristwatch for children, here are four particularly important features of these devices.

GPS tracker: The coordinates of the current location of a children’s can be checked by a smartwatch, which is equipped with a GPS tracker. The location coordinates of the watch with the tracking function can be viewed via SMS or via GPRS (General Radio Packet Service).

Security Zone: The GeoFence feature in some models allows you to create and save security zones for your child. You determine the size of the safety zone yourself. Such an area can be, for example, the school or the house of the grandparents. When the child leaves the security zone, the child’s smart wristwatch will immediately send you notifications.

SOS button: In unpleasant situations, the child can immediately draw attention to himself. However, within the different brands, the operation of the SOS button is different. For example, after pressing the SOS button, some smart wristwatches will call up all phone numbers stored on it. On other models, however, you can save specific number and it will be notified immediately in an emergency.

Buying Criteria

The following purchase criteria should be considered before buying a smartwatch for children, so you make the best possible purchase decision.

Age Group

A smartwatch for children is divided into different age groups. Therefore, choose a suitable model according to the age of your child. This affects not only the functions but also the operation. These should be as easy as possible, especially for small children. After all, the child should be able to use smart wristwatch as easily as possible and not be overwhelmed.

Battery life

For a smartwatch for children, battery life is an important factor. The longer the battery lasts, the better it is. The time span of one day is the minimum requirement. However, many models last much longer. This point is so important because, in an emergency, the battery must not be empty. Therefore, in addition to having enough battery life, it is also important to check regularly if the battery has been charged. Children can often forget that and not think about it.

Compatibility

For the children Smartwatch, there is generally an app that you can install on your tablet or smartphone. The app gives you access to many features, and most of the time, you can set up your child’s smartwatch there. But the app should be compatible with your smartphone or tablet. Most manufacturers, therefore, offer apps that are compatible with the most widely used Android and iOS operating systems.

Robustness

Until a certain age, kids often do not know that you should be careful with technology equipment. Or they forget the caution at the next busy game round. For this reason, children’s smartwatch should be waterproof. There are different classes of water protection. Most devices are at least splash-proof. This is basically sufficient because this model should protect in the rain. For swimming, a smart wristwatch is usually not suitable anyway.

Equipment

Before you buy smartwatches for kids, you should also pay attention to the accessories, which is included in the price, so you will not regret the purchase later because of the missing key. For example, there are smart watches for kids that have a SIM card with data volumes and free minutes. Your child needs the SIM card so they can make phone calls and receive messages from you. On the mobile network also uses the GPS back. If you do not have a SIM card, you should check with which mobile service providers the device works before making a purchase. The charger is also an important purchase criterion. Finally, some models come with a charger or it is at least possible to charge the device via USB.

Tags: buying guide, features, kids, smartwatch, wearable

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.