Best smartwatch for kids 2023: Top child smartwatches to buy today

Smartwatches built for kids are here and they want to give your little ones many of the features included in the ones built for adults, with a more playful approach to design and the smarts that come packed into them.

These are smartwatches that can also track activity, let you see phone notifications, handle calls and even include things you actually won’t find on more grown-up equivalents like cameras.

There’s a growing amount of smartwatches out there now that are built specifically with being on the wrists of smaller ones of all ages and there are some good and not-so-good ones. We’ve picked out the standout ones that we think are worth considering.

So whether you don’t want to dish out a smartphone just yet or you like the idea of some of the safety features included on some, these are the best ones to take a look at. Plus don’t forget to check out our lists of the best smartwatch overall as well as the best GPS watches.

All the best kids smartwatch options to buy today

Spacetalk Adventurer

The Spacetalk Adventurer is a full-featured kids’ smartwatch that ticks off offering something that can handle taking calls, help parents know their child is safe and there’s some smarts to have fun with too.

Those features are all packed into a design that offers some resistance against water with the OLED touchscreen display firmed up with some Gorilla Glass to give it an extra layer of protection.

For parents, it can be used as a GPS tracker to monitor location of the wearer along with creating safe zones they can stay inside of, with 4G connectivity and the ability to send text messages also supported.

For the kids, there’s a 5-megapixel camera to snap pics with, a heart rate monitor and step counter to keep active, plus a school mode that strips back those features so they can only be distracted by checking in on the time.

Verdict

★★★★☆

A kids smartwatch that offers something for the users and the parents to help justify spending on the subscription and SIM to make the most out of it.

Specs: Platform – iOS and Android | Waterproof rating – IP67 | Display – OLED | Camera – 5MP | GPS – Yes | Battery life – 36 hours | Connectivity – 4G/LTE

Vtech Kidizoom Smart Watch D

Vtech’s smartwatch sits at the more fun end of the kids watch spectrum and is aimed at users aged 4-12 and comes in your pick of just pink or blue case looks.

That case is only splash proof, so not fit to go for a dip in the water but does host a good-sized, 1.44-inch LCD display that is the touchscreen kind little fingers can prod at.

The fun stuff includes a dual camera to drop effects onto images and videos, playing augmented reality games and being able to personalise watch faces. There’s even some onboard memory for a voice recorder feature.

It lacks big safety features found on other smartwatches but does include the ability to track daily activity if that’s something that’s important to you. Ultimately though, this is a smartwatch that’s a good pick for much younger users that want something on their wrist that has a more playful feel.

Verdict

★★★★☆

A smartwatch that’s all about fun with a design that definitely feels better suited to younger ones.

Specs: Platform – iOS and Android | Waterproof rating – Splash proof | Display – LCD | Camera – 0.3MP | GPS – No | Battery life – Up to 2 days | Connectivity – No

Apple Watch SE

The Apple Watch SE is primarily designed for adults, but with the addition of Apple’s new Family Setup feature, it’s one that can feasibly work for older kids too as opposed to the ones that are still running rings around you.

Using that Family Setup means an adult can let their child use the Watch to receive notifications, make calls and share location, putting some of its typical features off limits in the process.

If you’re worried they might go on an App Store spending spree you can set it up so you have approval on app and game purchases and when they wander to school with it you can set up the Schooltime mode to stop them from being pestered by notifications until they’re out of the school gates at the end of the day.

So they get one of the best smartwatches available and you can keep in control of the big Watch features they’re using and when they’re using them.

Verdict

★★★★★

The best smartwatch with Apple’s latest family-friendly features combine to offer a great option for older kids.

Specs: Platform – iOS | Waterproof rating – Up to 50 metres | Display – OLED | Camera – No | GPS – Yes | Battery life – Up to 18 hours | Connectivity – 4G/LTE

Xplora X6 Play

Another kids smartwatch that aims to offer plenty of grown-up smartwatch features along with one’s parents can put to good use from a far, the R1 is equipped with 4G/LTE connectivity to handle calls uses that onboard connectivity along with GPS to locate the position of the wearer and includes a class mode to turn off distracting features.

It’s been given a raised edge design to help protect the display from damage, has a splash proof as opposed to a swim-friendly design and does let you change the straps if they start to get a bit grubby.

You can snap pictures with a 2-megapixel camera, pile on up to 500 songs to turn it into a music player and include fitness tracker smarts to help make sure your little ones are not sitting staring at a screen for most of the day. It’s a good-looking kids smartwatch with plenty of strong features that do inevitably push the price up.

Verdict

★★★★☆

A feature-packed kids smartwatch that feels more like a grown-up smartwatch but comes with a cheap smartphone price tag.

Specs: Platform – iOS and Android | Waterproof rating – Splash proof | Display – TFT | Camera – 2MP | GPS – Yes | Battery life – Up to 2 days | Connectivity – 4G/LTE

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