The 8 Best Wearables for Kids

Best Overall: Garmin Vivofit jr. 2

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Garmin is well-known for crafting top-shelf smartwatches and fitness tracking devices for the athlete on the go, but they have expanded their selection into the world of kids wearables with the Garmin Vivofit jr. 2. It’s a kid-modified variation of the company’s standard Vivofit fitness tracking band and allows both parents and kids to keep an eye on their activity level. Sporting several different designs from the Disney enterprise, including Marvel, Star Wars, and Minnie Mouse, kids can pick a band that not only works great but looks cool, too.

The Vivofit jr. 2 can be outfitted with either stretchy or adjustable bands and is water rated up to 50 meters. The watch features a built-in clock and can track steps and sleep patterns. Kid activity features allow for them to be reminded of chores and other alerts directly from their wrist. But perhaps most fun for kids is that they can keep track of everything in the included iOS app. It features interactive games that encourage them to be active: These particular models have a Minnie Mouse or BB-8 adventure game with hour-long daily goals to meet. And you can expect an entire year of battery life with no charging needed.

Best Fitness: Fitbit Ace

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When it comes to fitness, there is no wearable more synonymous with the word than the product offerings by the team at Fitbit. While the company has had offerings that could be considered kid-friendly, the Fitbit Ace is their first official watch aimed directly at kids. For parents who want their kids getting involved in exercise and a healthy lifestyle, the Fitbit Ace tracks steps and sleep patterns, it's showerproof, and the battery lasts up to five days.

A variety of different band sizes are available with colors including purple and blue. Kids can even swap out the clock face between different designs and colors. Parents who have the Fitbit app already installed can keep track of their children's progress to ensure everyone is staying active. The kid's version of the app also displays stats and allows comparisons and challenges with friends, where they can earn rewards, achievements, and badges. It all syncs wirelessly to both iOS and Android devices if you want to follow along.

Best Budget Fitness: Letsfit Fitness Tracker HR

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Tracking your child’s fitness doesn’t always need to break the bank. The team at LETSCOM has developed a high-tech fitness wearable that is excellent for older kids and boasts a wealth of features. In addition to step counting and sleep tracking, this fitness tracker can deliver real-time heart rate monitoring during a workout and records calories consumed. The Letsfit Tracker HR can also use the phone's GPS to display run statistics while passing on caller-ID and text messages from a smartphone. It even vibrates when you're sitting for too long with a sedentary alert.

The included app used to track information from the wearable isn't aimed at kids, so a bit of learning will be required for its use. As such, we don't recommend this budget pick as a choice for any younger children who may find themselves confused by the application. The IP68-waterproof Tracker HR comes in eight different vibrant colors like coral, black, blue, and purple. It lasts up to seven days on one full charge.

Best For Games: VTech Kidizoom DX2

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VTech has been designing electronics and other products that encourage kids to learn and be creative for quite a long time. And now the company officially has a smartwatch for kids: the Kidizoom DX2. While other wearables tend to focus on fitness, this fun smartphone for children is focused entirely on play-time. Kids can play built-in logic puzzles and download additional games from VTech's Learning Lodge. The DX2 also features two built-in cameras, allowing kids to capture selfies and videos on the playground. Don't worry though, if you want to get your kids moving, the included Monster Catcher game does entice them to walk to find and discover cool new creatures.

Included are a motion sensor, a pedometer, some cool sound effects, parental settings to limit play time, and the ability to upload photos and videos. Kids can customize their watch with over 55 different digital and analog faces designed especially for them, or they can set their favorite picture as the background. The VTech Kidizoom DX2 is available in a variety of different colors, including blue, purple, pink, and black, with plenty of additional patterns available.

Best For Young Kids: LeapFrog LeapBand

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Are you looking for the perfect wearable for a young child? LeapFrog's LeapBand might be the best choice, designed with kids in mind as young as four years old. This fun wearable focuses on getting kids moving through fun and interactive games. Following the old-school Tamagotchi model, the LeapBand features an interactive pet that kids need to look after. Kids can choose and customize pets, including pandas, unicorns, cats, penguins, monkeys, dogs, and more. By playing games and keeping active, the pets remain happy, while your kids stay healthy.

If your child doesn't read yet, no worries there, as the watch provides audio instructions to pre-readers who need to follow along. Parents can also set it in school mode or quiet time mode on the device to keep kids focused during specific times of the day. Best of all, with a water-resistant, durable design, you won't stress about the watch breaking. The LeapFrog LeapBand comes preloaded with an accelerometer, 50 challenges and games, and is available in four different colors: green, blue, pink, and orange.

Best Cellular Watch: KKBear 3G GPS Smart Watch Phone

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The KKBear 3G GPS cellular watch features a stylish design for kids, keeping them connected with their parents at all times. Thanks to its cellular 3G ability, guardians can contact children by way of the watch's two-way calling feature, built-in HD camera, and remote messaging. The watch contains a GPS chip to help pinpoint the location of your child in an instant and only requires a Wi-Fi connection or SIM card. A routed history is also available so you can see where your child has been within the last six months.

Don't want your child wandering off? You can set up a geo-fence for an automatic alert if your child leaves a location such as a school or home without permission. An included mode is available for preventing children from being disturbed when they are at school, so there is no worry of the watch getting in the way of your child's day.

Additionally, if an emergency occurs, the watch features a one-key SOS button for immediate help. The KKBear 3G GPS watch comes in three colors for kids: blue, white, and pink. A larger sized watch is available for the elderly in black.

Best Budget Cellular Watch: Owl Cole Smart Watch for Kids

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If you want to provide your kids with a smart wearable that also enables you to keep an eye on their location at an affordable price point, you may want to pick up the Owl Cole Smart Watch for Kids. Merely purchase a micro SIM card and insert it into the watch to remain connected with your child wherever they may be located. Thanks to the smartwatch's cellular capabilities and touchscreen, parents can check in on their child's location with the use of the supplied app and GPS positioning.

Since the device operates on a mobile network, it's also possible to reach your child or view what the device's camera is seeing. The remote camera and voice monitor work in tandem with the SOS button to make sure security and safety are always the top priority.

If you think a cellular smartwatch might be something your child would be too distracted by in the classroom, you can utilize the built-in parental controls to employ restrictions. Other features include an integrated camera for taking photographs, a built-in pedometer, as well as an integrated flashlight. This model of the Owl Cole is only currently available in a yellow/red color, although a more expensive sky blue model exists.