The best kids' smartwatches
A first watch that counts steps, wakes them for school and keeps them busy, or a phone-watch that lets you call them and see where they are.
Kids' smartwatches come in two kinds, and it's worth knowing which you're after. Most are fitness-and-games watches: steps, sleep, alarms, a torch and a few games. They work on their own, but you can't call them or see where they are.
The other kind is a phone-watch. It takes a nano-SIM, makes calls and video calls to contacts you approve, and shows where it is on your phone, so it needs a SIM plan too. Four of our five are the first kind and one is the second; the GPS and Calls rows in the table show which is which.
What matters
- GPS and calls, or just steps, sleep and games.
- Battery life: a watch that needs charging every night gets left on the side.
- Water resistance for hand-washing, bath time or swimming lessons.
- School controls: games that lock, or a class mode.
#1 of 5
Best overall
kaacly Kids Smart Watch with 18 Games
£10–£20 Price range
A simple first watch that younger children can manage on their own, with a torch, an alarm, 18 games, a step counter and a sleep tracker. The alarm is a gentle start on getting up for school by themselves.
What owners say: Owners call it a lovely first watch that children can use by themselves, with games that are fun and educational, good step and sleep tracking and impressive battery life for the price.
A closer look: The frame is aluminium and the strap soft silicone, and it charges from the USB cable in the box. Set the language and the 12- or 24-hour clock before wrapping it.
- 1.83-inch colour touchscreen
- 18 games
- Step counter and sleep tracker
- Alarm, torch, stopwatch and calculator
- 3–5 days a charge
Best for: Younger children
- GPS tracking
- No
- Calls (SIM)
- No
- Battery
- 3–5 days
- Water resistance
- Water-resistant (no rating given)
- Games
- 18 games
#2 of 5
Best for sporty kids
BIGGERFIVE Vigor 3 Kids Fitness Tracker Watch
£30–£50 Price range
Swim-proof to 3ATM, with a bright AMOLED screen, it's made for active kids: 10 sports modes, heart rate, a nightly sleep score and a virtual pet that grows as they move. It works straight out of the box, with no phone or app.
What owners say: Owners find it easy for children to use and handy for learning to manage their time, and active youngsters love it.
A closer look: Habit reminders nudge them for homework, meals and exercise, and the vibrating alarm wakes them without waking the house. It's made for ages 5 to 15, and BIGGERFIVE says a charge lasts up to ten days.
- 0.95-inch AMOLED screen
- 3ATM water resistance, swim-proof
- Heart rate, steps and sleep score
- 10 sports modes
- Habit reminders and a virtual pet
Best for: Sporty kids and swimmers
- GPS tracking
- No
- Calls (SIM)
- No
- Battery
- Up to 10 days
- Water resistance
- 3ATM (swim-proof)
- Games
- 3 mini-games and a virtual pet
#3 of 5
Best GPS phone-watch
imoo Z3 4G Kids Smart Watch with GPS
£129.00 RRP
The one to choose if you want to call them and see where they are: 4G voice and video calls, GPS and Wi-Fi location on a map, and safe zones that send an alert when they reach school or the park. Only contacts you approve can get through.
What owners say: Owners find it excellent for children and value the GPS tracking, which shows where they are in real time.
Heads up: It needs a nano-SIM with a data plan and VoLTE calling, not included; imoo lists EE, O2 and Vodafone.
A closer look: There are no games on it, which keeps it a tool rather than a toy at school, and Class Mode silences it during lessons. Expect up to 48 hours of normal use between charges on the magnetic charger.
- 4G voice and video calls
- GPS and Wi-Fi location
- Safe zones with arrival alerts
- Class Mode for school hours
- Water-resistant to 20m (IP68)
Best for: Calls and GPS tracking
- GPS tracking
- Yes
- Calls (SIM)
- 4G voice and video
- Battery
- Up to 48 hrs (7 days standby)
- Water resistance
- IP68, to 20m
- Games
- None
#4 of 5
Best for tweens
BIGGERFIVE Brave 2 Kids Smart Watch
£30–£50 Price range
A proper-looking smartwatch for older kids, with a big 1.8-inch screen, 80 sports modes and heart-rate and sleep tracking. Load one of their own photos as the watch face through the app.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to use and good value, especially for children around nine, like the step, sleep and heart-rate tracking, and say it charges quickly.
A closer look: It works on its own, but pairing it with the free BIGGERFIVE app (Android 6.0 or iOS 9.0 and later) adds 100-plus watch faces and lets you lock the games during school hours or all the time.
- 1.8-inch HD touchscreen
- 80 sports modes
- Heart rate and sleep tracking
- 5 puzzle games, lockable for school
- IP68 water resistance
Best for: Tweens who want a 'real' smartwatch
- GPS tracking
- No
- Calls (SIM)
- No
- Battery
- 5–7 days
- Water resistance
- IP68
- Games
- 5 puzzle games (lockable)
#5 of 5
Best with a camera
YEDASAH Kids Smart Watch with Camera and 18 Games
£10–£20 Price range
A camera on the wrist and 18 brain-teaser games make this the fun one, and it tracks sleep stages and steps as well. The bright 1.83-inch screen sits on a light watch made for little wrists.
What owners say: Owners call it a brilliant watch for young children, with lots of games that keep them entertained for hours, and find it easy for seven-year-olds to use.
Heads up: Charge it from an ordinary 5V USB plug: the maker warns that fast phone chargers can damage the battery.
A closer look: Their photos can be looked back through in the watch's gallery, and there are three themes and custom watch faces to choose from. The sleep tracker shows deep sleep, light sleep and waking time, a gentle nudge towards a regular bedtime.
- Built-in camera
- 18 learning games
- Sleep and step tracking
- 1.83-inch colour touchscreen
- Torch, alarm, stopwatch and calendar
Best for: Photos and games
- GPS tracking
- No
- Calls (SIM)
- No
- Battery
- Up to 7 days
- Water resistance
- IP68
- Games
- 18 games
How they compare
| Feature | #1kaacly | #2BIGGERFIVE Vigor 3 | #3imoo Z3 | #4BIGGERFIVE Brave 2 | #5YEDASAH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best for sporty kids | Best GPS phone-watch | Best for tweens | Best with a camera | |
| Picked Rating | 9.1 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.4 |
| Price | £10–£20 Price range | £30–£50 Price range | £129.00 RRP | £30–£50 Price range | £10–£20 Price range |
| GPS tracking | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Calls (SIM) | No | No | 4G voice and video | No | No |
| Battery | 3–5 days | Up to 10 days | Up to 48 hrs (7 days standby) | 5–7 days | Up to 7 days |
| Water resistance | Water-resistant (no rating given) | 3ATM (swim-proof) | IP68, to 20m | IP68 | IP68 |
| Games | 18 games | 3 mini-games and a virtual pet | None | 5 puzzle games (lockable) | 18 games |
| Best for | Younger children | Sporty kids and swimmers | Calls and GPS tracking | Tweens who want a 'real' smartwatch | Photos and games |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
Swipe sideways to see all 5.
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