The 7 Best Wearables for Kids in 2021

Best Overall: Garmin Vivofit jr. 2

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Garmin is one of the biggest names in fitness tracking and wearables. Disney is one of the biggest names in kids entertainment. Put them together and you have a wearable company literally designed for kids. These wearables are perfect for kids' wrists. Of course, the trade off is that the screen is tiny, sporting only an 88 x 88 pixel resolution. It goes without saying that if your child isn't down with one of Disney's properties like Mickey, Minnie, Marvel, or Star Wars, you'll be out of luck. 

Assuming one of those properties works for you, this wearable is great for kids because it's waterproof, and it lasts for an entire year with no charging. The app that goes with it is available on iOS and Android, and it features some rewards that kids can earn by doing chores or completing up to one hour of activity.

Best Fitness: Fitbit Ace

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Fitbit is synonymous with fitness trackers, and the Fitbit Ace is designed for kids.  The wristband and screen are very slim which is great for small hands and wrists. The wearable tracks steps, active minutes, and sleep, so you can get them off the couch when they need it and back on the couch when they need it. The Fitbit app has 10 watch faces the kids can pick from, and the watch even allows kids to challenge each other and send messages to each other.

The watch is limited to a black and white display, and it comes in only two colors, both of which are on the masculine side. Also, the 5-day battery life isn't the best. But if you're looking for a slim watch that you can use to track your kids' activity, Fitbit is one of the best out there.

Best For Games: VTech Kidizoom DX2

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VTech kids is making a name for itself in the kids wearable space. The KidiZoom from VTech is a great choice for kids. It comes in five different colors, has a color screen and two built-in cameras. Kids can choose from up to 55 watch faces to find one that they love, plus the watch is full of games and fun activities. Kids can play Monster Detector, which gives them an AR view of monsters they can catch around them. Plus they can add funny effects to their photos with the Silly Me app.  That's just two of the many games they can play.

That's a lot of fun, but it comes at a cost. The company lists the battery life at three days, but testing suggests that it's closer to a single day under heavy use. When it comes to charging, the company specifies that it should only be charged using a USB port on a laptop as opposed to the third party adapter. Typically, that means the battery needs to charge slowly, which may not be great for an impatient child. VTech is also light on publishing specifications for various components like the cameras or the screen. That's usually not a good sign.

Best For Young Kids: LeapFrog LeapBand

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LeapFrog is a company built from the start for childhood development and this is their first wearable designed specifically for kids. However, the LeapFrog the company and LeapBand the wearable are both designed for very young children. The wearable itself is large and cartoony which older kids will definitely not enjoy. LeapFrog says the wearable is designed for ages 4-7 and that seems to be about right.

The LeapBand is also very large, which makes it easy to see and navigate but makes it ungainly on a child's wrist, especially a child aged 4-7 years. The physical buttons are also nice for a small child to navigate. There are over 50 games that your child can play to help keep them moving.

Best Cellular Watch: KKBear 3G GPS Smart Watch Phone

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KKBear designed its watch for kids and for the elderly, and when you think about it, the needs are very similar for the two groups. At the risk of sounding like a cliche, both groups need easy functionality, and possibly some location tracking as well. The KKBear 3G GPS Smart Watch uses cellular connectivity to report back a user's location and allows them to contact you if necessary. But, that means that you need to have a cellular plan for the watch, and it cannot be on Verizon's network because the watch does not support Verizon.  The good news is, that plan can be a voice only plan which tends to be less expensive than data plans.

The watch will keep a log of movements over the span of three months so you can see where the wearer has been. Calling is limited to who is in the phonebook, so you can dictate who your child is able to call. That's always a wise precaution. Finally, this watch looks very nice; it doesn't look like a "kid's watch." It just looks like a watch, which is a nice change from the others in this list.

Best GPS Tracker: Jiobit Location Tracker

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The Jiobit Location Tracker is a "wearable" in the sense that it's something you carry with you at all times. Unlike the rest of the items in this list, this is a tracking tag that you can attach to your child's clothes or bag to keep track of them.  Think of it like a LoJack for your child. There is a certain relief to that. You don't have to worry about who your child is talking to, or maintaining a connection with a phone. This tag just goes everywhere and tracks them.

But it's very expensive for what it does. Other wearables on this list have similar functionality, and also have a watch face on them and activities. Plus, the connection requires a subscription service to Jiobit to actually track the tag. It's nice because that subscription includes all the necessary connectivity you need to be an excellent tracker; cellular, GPS, and other connectivity is included in that monthly price. This tracker will give you the peace of mind knowing where your child is without having to worry about setting up different permissions or controls.