Which smart watch for 14 year old dd?

[tianieeeee]

Dd is turning 14 in October and has asked for a smart watch for Christmas but doesn't really know what she wants. She goes running and plays tennis, she also cycles to school. She likes the look of the apple SE and also entry level Garmin's although latter is quite big.

There have been so many smart watches e.g. Fitbit and similar but which watches are worth it now. At school she isn't allowed phones out but many students do wear fitness tracker type watches. They need to be taken off for PE.

I would wait until the new school year as lots of changes are happing in schools regarding mobile policy and where smart watches fit into all of this.

Then focus on what she wants it for - is it fitness tracking, or getting messages etc…

School confirmed they are allowed next school year /in general.

It's primarily for fitness tracking and telling the time. Not interested in messages and it would all need to be silenced in school. So messages are secondary for sure but accurate fitness tracking would be preferable. Dd likes the look of SE but Garmin seems the better tracker?

What phone does she have - assuming an iPhone if she's considering the Apple Watch? Phone compatibility is probably the most important thing for syncing the tracking data etc.

What about a Fitbit Inspire 3? It is just a fitness tracker not a full smart watch. There are other versions of the same concept.

I’m not a fan of smart watches, in general but particularly for teens, being constantly connected isn’t good for you.

I agree with the messages, too much too soon. She is very into her sports and would like to track.

Garmin is regarded as better than Apple for sports and GPS tracking. A lot of the Fitbits don't have built in GPS so they're cheaper but if you want to track runs then you need to use your phone. The entry level Garmin forerunner watch is a good starting point. I would wait for Black Friday or when the models change you can often get the previous one well discounted.

If she's into sports then Garmin is the way to go. We have all had Garmin watches, DH and DD use them for swimming. DH used to use his for running and cycling also and they are more accurate then other makes, they should be compatible with all phones as well.

She will not be allowed to wear it for exams, they aren't allowed any smart watches during exams.

Garmin, but get one with a smaller screen (43mm and less) as otherwise it will probably be too big for a teen. Not sure how much you’re looking to spend but the Venu 3 or 4s would do everything she needs and I think it looks nice too.

Around 150 tops