Kids’ SmartWatch - looking for recommendations

[AmyFarrahFowler1]

My daughter (9) is just starting to go out and about a little bit. I don’t want her to have a phone. Her pal has a SpaceTalk watch which has calls, texts, GPS tracker. This is what I’d like to get for her.

Is the SpaceTalk Adventurer the best watch to buy? The reviews are not brilliant. Any other good ones?

Anyone?

It's been a long time since my eldest had a kids smart watch (she had a Moochies one which was possibly one of very few on the market at the time). Looking with interest for my son. I can't seem to find everything I want in one watch:

• analogue clock face option
• voice calls (no video calling)
• no camera
• no games
• location tracking
• steps/fitness tracking, but not a game changer

Loads have video and camera functions along with games, which I don't really want.

Or get a dumb phone that she only has access to when out alone?

The xplora watches are pretty good for this. The GPS is OK, but the 'safe zones' which you can define are purposefully massive, to avoid alerts from positional noise locating the watch outside the 'safe zone'.

DS10 has had an Apple Watch SE for several years. Got a data plan so he can text/call me. I can track him and he can use it to monitor his runs/bike rides etc.

FITBIT have just brought a new one out for kids, with phone functions.

Remembering fitbit are now part of Google I'd think that is worth a look.

I think we might go down this route with a 'family' phone, that doesn't belong to any one of the children, and has no apps on it, just a phone that can be taken out when needed. We have plenty of old phones that could be used with a cheap sim only tariff.

Thanks for the info, I'd discounted as I thought it needed connecting to it's own phone but I see you can use Family Setup and have it linked to a parent. That's really useful and you're right that it's a nice 'adult' looking watch which should last for quite some time. Too expensive for my 9yo but definitely worth looking into for secondary school.

My parents have a dumb phone that costs £4 a month with ASDA. They have limited clue how to use it, but it has an Emergency button that texts and rings family if they push it.

@NonStopMoaning no worries :) he loves his watch and it's not showing any signs of being replaced. I think it's 2 years old now? Yes, more expensive, but he wears it without a fuss and does everything he wants and needs :)

One advantage to a watch type phone is it's on their wrist. Less chance of it getting lost / falling out a pocket when they are out playing.

The first person I knew with an Apple watch was a young teen who had broken a couple of phones by them falling out his pocket when on his bike.

Also kids clothes don't always have pockets suitable for phones, leggings, joggers, t-shirts. Which means taking a bag.

I actually think we're going to go down an Apple Watch route now, thanks so much for mentioning it. You're absolutely right that it might be more expensive but it looks much more 'adult' and will last. And now I know he doesn't need his own phone to pair with it but can link it as a family, it's a great compromise.

It's a shame that my son can't walk home from primary school (no crossing patrol for the very busy main road), so for now he just doesn't need an expensive watch. However we would definitely look again at Apple watches for the start of secondary school.

In fact we've been delighted with my husband's Apple watch which we bought for the falls protection (he has a chronic health condition and couldn't be left alone). He watch has been such a peace of mind, knowing he can always call if he falls as his 'phone' is now on his wrist. No clue why I didn't even think of it for kids/teens.

presumably the dumb phones don’t have a GPS tracker though? Or do they?

Love the Apple Watch idea but suspect it might be quite an expensive option. I’ll have a look into it

Look at the Fitbit kids watch too.

yes I definitely will. Thank you!

Apple watch is on series 10 at the moment; anything back to series 4 is entirely fine to use and the 4 goes for about £150 refurb or £50 normal 2nd hand. No camera, no games. You need to get the one with the cellular option, and it'll need a cellular contract to match if you want to be able to GPS track the kid. And it will need a parent iPhone to be set up to.

Do the Fitbit watches text and make/take calls? I might be looking at the wrong one

New kids fitbit

It looks really clever to me, and just out.

I've just realised that it might not be available in the UK.

https://kidsnav.com/catalogue/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3bm3BhDJARIsAKnHoVXqX-T6eyDfqGRXXDIe3UfmM2xr7_lDItMh7KUNiU5pqcr9z23VISUaArarEALw_wcB

Have one of these (it's really one model and straps only change) because I wanted the not able to use in school hours mode but I think Google Fitbit thing looks good and want available when I bought