Is your kid glued to a screen but the moment you hand them something on their wrist, suddenly that doesn’t count as screen time? Welcome to the parenting paradox of 2025. The good news is that kid-safe smartwatches have come a long way — today’s best models do double duty as fitness motivators and parental control tools. They track steps to encourage movement, give parents the ability to cap watch usage during school or bedtime, and keep kids safely connected without handing over a full smartphone.
Choosing the right one, though, can feel overwhelming. Kids’ smartwatches have become one of the fastest-growing categories in family technology, offering communication and safety features parents need without the pitfalls of handing over a full smartphone too soon. Whether you’re shopping for a hyperactive 6-year-old who needs a ruggedized fitness band or a curious 11-year-old ready for GPS calling features, we’ve done the research so you don’t have to. Here are our top five picks for 2025.
Quick Picks
JrTrack 5 Kids Smart Watch by Cosmo — $79.99
The #1-selling 4G kids smartwatch on Amazon delivers pinpoint GPS, step goals, and a Focus Mode that locks the watch during school hours.
TickTalk5 Smart Watch for Kids with GPS Tracker — $99.99
Trusted by 300,000+ families, TickTalk 5 packs AI-powered GPS, customizable step goals, and an industry-leading parental control app into one durable watch.
Fitbit Google Ace LTE Kids Smartwatch — $179.95
The Fitbit Ace LTE turns movement into playtime — kids literally earn game time by hitting their daily activity goals, while parents track location and manage screen time.
Garmin vivofit jr. 3, Fitness Tracker for Kids — $69.99
No charging worries ever — Garmin’s swim-friendly kids tracker runs for up to a full year on a parent-replaceable battery while tracking steps, sleep, and chores.
PlayZoom 4 Kids Smartwatch — $39.99
A no-subscription, no-internet smartwatch for younger kids that tracks steps and lets parents manage screen time — fun, safe, and easy on the wallet.
| Watch | Best For | Price Range |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmo JrTrack 5 | Best all-rounder with GPS | ~$79.99 |
| TickTalk 5 | Best parental controls | ~$99.99 |
| Fitbit Google Ace LTE | Best for active gamers | ~$179.95 |
| Garmin vívofit jr. 3 | Best no-subscription option | ~$69.99 |
| PlayZoom 4 | Best budget pick (ages 4–8) | ~$39.99 |
Detailed Reviews
🏆 Cosmo JrTrack 5 — Best Overall
Ages 6+ | Requires monthly data plan
The JrTrack 5 is the award-winning first phone and GPS tracker for kids ages 6+ with real calling and texting, parent-approved contacts, customizable controls, and powerful safety features.
What parents will love:
JrTrack 5 comes with all-new HaloGPS technology, powered by a state-of-the-art location chip for pinpoint accuracy and real-time location tracking — the fastest, most accurate available on a kids watch.
It’s equipped with everyday essentials for kids on the go: alarms and reminders, step counter, activity goals, calculator, timer, stopwatch, find my watch feature, and more.
JrTrack 5 comes with Focus Mode, allowing parents to set when and how to lock their child’s device, keeping them focused on what matters most.
Parents can also enable access to music with Spotify and Spotify Kids for age-appropriate listening, from music to podcasts (separate Spotify Family subscription required).
No internet browsing or social media. Parents can select from a growing library of kid-safe apps and simple games — fully parent-administered and removable at any time, with daily time limits.
The bottom line: The JrTrack 5 earned the SafeWise award for Best To Wear at School in 2025, and testing consistently shows it has some of the most accurate GPS seen in a kids’ smartwatch.
TickTalk 5 — Best Parental Controls
Ages 3–12 | Requires monthly data plan
Launched in 2024 and redesigned to be safer, smaller, smarter, and stronger with advanced parental controls and a more durable design, TickTalk delivers the most reliable kids’ smartwatch for safe family connection — with 9 years of expertise behind it.
What parents will love:
Powered by Google Maps and enhanced with TickTalk Location SmartPin, the first AI-powered location correction for kids’ smartwatches in the U.S., providing accurate real-time tracking.
Encourages healthy habits with a built-in activity tracker, customizable step goals, and 3D reminders.
The TickTalk Parental Control app lets you add trusted contacts, block unknown callers, view call logs, set reminders, enable School Mode, and control watch data — all from your smartphone.
Designed with kids in mind, TickTalk 5 includes practical tools like a calculator, calendar, timer, stopwatch, photo filters, and e-greeting cards — no games, no social media.
Certified by an FTC-approved Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Safe Harbor program, giving families the safest kids smartwatch with industry-leading standards to safeguard children’s private information.
The bottom line: With the industry’s most comprehensive parental control suite and AI-assisted GPS, the TickTalk 5 is the top pick for parents who want granular oversight without sacrificing ease of use.
Fitbit Google Ace LTE — Best for Active Gamers
Ages 7+ | Ace Pass subscription required (~$9.99/mo)
The Fitbit Ace LTE is the first-of-its-kind kids smartwatch designed to move the next generation of gamers, keeping them active with fun games and daily goals that reward different types of movement.
What parents will love:
The entire interface centers on activity-based gaming — kids earn game time by reaching movement goals, and the games themselves require physical activity to progress. The “Noodle” activity ring captures more than just steps, recognizing jumping, climbing, and various movements kids naturally do.
School Time lets you limit gameplay on your kid’s watch during the day to help them focus, while still letting them get in touch if they need to.
The Ace Pass runs $9.99/month and covers LTE — no need to mess with a separate phone plan. The app also lets you set “school hours” to pause games and calls during class time.
It’s privacy-conscious too — location history wipes after 24 hours, and activity data clears in 35 days.
Water resistant to 50 meters, made with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and comes with a protective bumper case — built to take on kid life.
The bottom line: If your kid is motivated by games and rewards, no other watch makes the connection between “move more, play more” as brilliantly as the Fitbit Ace LTE.
Garmin vívofit jr. 3 — Best No-Subscription Option
Ages 4+ | No monthly fees required
Kids can explore their world with the vívofit jr. 3 fitness tracker, featuring a swim-friendly colorful display with multiple watch face options — and a parent-replaceable battery that gets up to 1 year of battery life.
What parents will love:
- Zero charging required for a full year — the replaceable coin-cell battery is a game-changer for forgetful families.
Kids can uncover educational, globe-trotting app adventures and mini games by completing 60 minutes of daily activity.
Parents can use the app on their compatible smartphone to monitor estimated steps, sleep, and active minutes, manage and assign chores, set timers, and even give rewards to positively reinforce good behavior.
Toe-to-Toe step challenges let kids sync with nearby friends to compete in friendly step competitions, and a quick-access ICE (in case of emergency) widget stores your child’s emergency contact information right on the watch.
- Available in fun themes including Disney Princess, Marvel Black Panther, and The Little Mermaid — great for kids who want to show off their personality.
The bottom line: With no subscription and a battery that lasts all year, the Garmin vívofit jr. 3 is the perfect low-maintenance choice for families who want simple, effective activity tracking without the ongoing costs.
PlayZoom 4 — Best Budget Pick for Young Kids
Ages 4–12 | No subscription, no Wi-Fi
The PlayZoom 4 offers a safe, controlled learning environment with no internet exposure or distractions — completely offline use with no Wi-Fi, calling, or ads.
What parents will love:
The built-in pedometer promotes healthy movement through daily activity tracking.
Parents can manage screen time and customize settings to ensure a safe, age-appropriate experience, all in a build that’s IP67 splash and dust resistant.
10 audiobooks and 10 sing-along songs are included for screen-free listening and imaginative play.
Includes a 4GB SD card and lasts up to 6+ days on a single charge.
- No data plan, no SIM card, no ongoing costs — ever.
The bottom line: For parents of younger kids who just want a fun, safe intro to wearable tech with step tracking and screen time limits — and zero subscription fees — the PlayZoom 4 is an absolute steal.
Buying Guide: What to Look For
1. Does it need a monthly plan? Most full-featured GPS and calling watches (JrTrack 5, TickTalk 5, Fitbit Ace LTE) require a monthly data plan. Many tracking watches require monthly subscription plans for cellular service and advanced features, ranging from $10 to $20 per month, so factor this into your long-term budget. If you’d rather skip the subscription, the Garmin vívofit jr. 3 and PlayZoom 4 are excellent no-fee alternatives.
2. What age is right for a smartwatch?
For younger kids (ages 5–9), simpler watches like Gabb or similar call-and-text devices work best; tweens (ages 10–12) usually benefit from more advanced features like group messaging or fitness tracking; teens (ages 13+) often outgrow kid-specific watches.
3. Can I actually lock it during school? Yes — and you should look for this feature. The best kids’ smartwatches have DND (do not disturb) or “focus” modes that parents can set, locking the watch during certain hours. The JrTrack 5’s Focus Mode and Fitbit Ace LTE’s School Time are two of the best implementations.
4. What about water resistance?
Swim-friendly models are worth the investment if your child is active in water sports or just prone to forgetting to remove their watch before jumping in pools. The Garmin vívofit jr. 3 and Fitbit Ace LTE (50m rating) are top choices for water-active kids.
5. How do I know my child’s data is protected? Look for COPPA-certified devices. Safety features to look for include SOS buttons, geo-fenced safe zones, school/class modes, and parent-approved contact lists, along with transparent privacy policies that confirm COPPA compliance. The TickTalk 5, in particular, is certified by an FTC-approved COPPA Safe Harbor program.