Children’s smart watch recommendations? 🎄

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I’m wanting to buy all my kids a smart watch this year for Xmas, I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations?
Tracking is a must, ideally to call or text specified contacts too.

Bump - I’ve been looking at Imoo and Xplora, does anyone have any feedback about either of these? There’s so many smart watches out there.

Theyll be against school rules/schools are not permitted to allow them since the Law changed, so you won't be able to use those features for the time they're away from you most.

My son got an Xplora when he was 8 and it’s been glitchy but fine. The tracking isn’t exactly moment to moment tracking, it doesn’t always ring when I call him and there’s a weird glitch where it doesn’t always charge. It’s expensive for being so glitchy but it has gotten us to 10 without a smart phone so it served its time. Mostly we wanted him to have a way to call us on his mile walk to school and a way to call him home when he plays out. He also calls to check if he can bring a friend home after school now and again.

He has to put it in the box with all the phones at the start of the day now so also regularly forgets to bring it home. He will get a phone at the end of this school year.

Smart watches aren’t mentioned at all at the primary, some of their friends wear smart watches to school.
At the secondary they’re allowed them but if they’re used for anything but telling time in school hours will be confiscated.

Phones are to stay in bags for both schools.

So locally, I know it will be fine.

Thank you, that’s really useful. I’ll rule out the Xplora!!

Best solution I've seen from a friend is an apple watch with a standalone account. I 'think' you need an iphone yourself to link it? Not really sure of the setup but it's the one that's usually working properly!

I hadn’t considered an adult smart watch - I’ll need to look into them and parental controls.
I don’t have an iPhone so I don’t think an Apple Watch will work for us.

Both my boys have Lagenio ones. I've been really pleased with them.

I like the Xplora

We had Xploras for our children and as PP said they were good for filling the gap between wanting independence/too young for a smart phone- I found the tracker a bit glitchy too (tbf they have smart phones now and the trackers on those are better but not fool proof so might be signal depedent rather than the device) but they were generally reliable and the calls/messanger function worked well. They also had a function where you could be alerted if the child left the area which was good on holiday at campsites etc as we could discus where they were allowed and set it accordingly. We handed one down to our nephew after a few years. so it was pretty durable and I think the newer models have had some of the glitches ironed out. I agree they are expensive for what they are but that they do the job well.