Best Smartwatches for Kids (2026)

What are the best smartwatches for kids in 2026?

Summary

The outlets that tested kids' smartwatches this year do not agree on one best watch. SafeWise, which had five families test them and ran its own battery and GPS tests, makes the Bark Watch its overall pick; Android Central's best overall is the original Garmin Bounce, and it notes that it has not reviewed the newer Bounce 2. Our top pick is that newer Garmin Bounce 2, because it adds what the original lacks, two-way phone calls and a full keyboard, and the two full reviews of it we read, TechRadar's and T3's, rate its calling, tracking and parental controls highly for children of about 6 to 12; Mother & Baby's UK tester liked it too, with reservations about signal and price. All three found it expensive, and TechRadar found its battery short; we say so below. [src1, src8, src5, src6, src7]

The device price is never the whole cost. Every watch on this card needs a monthly plan to call, text or report its location, from $9.99 a month for Garmin's and Google's plans to $24.99 for COSMO's month-to-month plan, and Bark sells its watch only on monthly payments plus its plan. [src5, src15, src1, src19]

Several of these watches are hard to buy new right now, and we say so in each section rather than re-rank them: Amazon had no purchasable offer for the Bounce 2 in our recent checks, although Garmin's own store had it; the Fitbit Ace LTE was out of stock at Google's store; and TickTalk's store had sold out of the TickTalk 5 and was selling its successor, the TickTalk 6, instead (Garmin's, Google's and TickTalk's stores checked on 2026-10-10; Amazon in our 2026-10-09 price check). [src13, src15, src18]

The myFirst Fone R2 is the value pick: video calling, a camera and, of the watches on this card, the second-longest battery in SafeWise's tests, for $79.99 at myFirst's store (checked 2026-10-10). The Fitbit Ace LTE is the pick for children who need a reason to move. Behind them, the original Garmin Bounce costs half as much as the Bounce 2 but only sends voice messages and preset texts; the TickTalk 5 lasted longest in SafeWise's battery test; the COSMO JrTrack 5 is SafeWise's pick for kid-friendly apps; the Gabb Watch 3e is SafeWise's first-watch pick; the Verizon Gizmo Watch 3 Adventure is its budget pick; the Pinwheel Watch suits older children; and the Bark Watch adds monitoring of the child's messages. [src1, src8, src16, src2, src11, src12, src22]

For older children in iPhone families, TechRadar recommends the Apple Watch SE 3 as the more capable alternative, set up under a family plan. SafeWise, which tested an older Apple Watch SE, ranks the Apple Watch toward the bottom of its list for kids, among other reasons because children can leave its Schooltime mode themselves. [src5, src3]

Top 11 Models Compared

Device prices are what we found where and when the cell says; the picks table at the top of this page carries the current Amazon price and stock for each linked listing. Monthly plans are the makers' or the testing outlets' figures, in US dollars a month. Battery figures are the maker's claim, then what the named outlet measured. Specs are the testing outlets' figures, from the sources cited in each section.

Best for Each Use Case

Top Pick: Garmin Bounce 2 — Check price

TechRadar's reviewer gave the Bounce 2 to his 10-year-old son for about two months and concluded that "if you're looking for a locked-down smartwatch for your pre-teen, then it doesn't get much better than the Bounce 2"; T3's reviewer gave it to his 12-year-old and calls its LTE calling, GPS tracking and parental controls excellent. [src5, src6] Over the original Bounce it adds two-way phone calls with parent-approved contacts, texting with a full QWERTY keyboard or voice-to-text, a round 1.2-inch, 390 x 390 AMOLED and offline Amazon Music, in a 40.4 g, 43 mm fibre-reinforced polymer case rated 5 ATM. [src5, src6] Parents see its location in the Garmin Jr. app and get alerts when the child enters or leaves a geofenced area; the child can send their location to approved contacts, unlock games by meeting activity goals and earn coins for chores. [src5, src6] Mother & Baby's tester says her 10-year-old stopped asking for a phone once he had it. [src7]

Every review marks it down somewhere. It costs $299.99, plus Garmin's LTE plan at $9.99 a month or $99 a year, which TechRadar says "quickly adds up". [src5, src6, src13] TechRadar got "just over a day" of battery against the two-day claim, with charging needed most nights, and several times could not find its location in rural areas; Mother & Baby's tester, in the UK, found her son never received her texts when he was out of the house. [src5, src7] It has no heart-rate sensor, it charges on a proprietary cable rather than USB-C, and anyone who wants to call or text it needs the Garmin Jr. app. [src5, src6] T3 judges it best for younger children rather than tech-savvy teens. [src6]

Amazon's listing for the Slate Gray model this card links had no purchasable offer in our daily price checks through 2026-10-09; Garmin's own US store listed the Bounce 2 in stock in all three colours at $299.99 when we checked on 2026-10-10. That is a note about where to buy it, not a change to the ranking. [src13]

Best Value: myFirst Fone R2 — Check price

Android Central's best watch for young kids, for ages 5 to 12, with voice and video calls, GPS and a camera; SafeWise's pick for photo sharing and its 2026 award winner for chatting with friends. [src8, src1] It makes voice and video calls, sends voice messages, quick texts and emojis, and shares photos from its 5MP camera to myFirst Circle, a private feed parents moderate; it is rated IPX8. [src1] Its battery is the surprise: myFirst claims 16 hours, and it lasted 67 hours in SafeWise's test, second on this card only to the TickTalk 5. [src1] The limits: there is no keyboard or voice-to-text, and in SafeWise's location tests its geofence alert was extremely delayed and its position in an open field was about 50 feet off. [src1] SafeWise lists it at $139 plus a plan that is free for the first month, then $12 a month or $118 a year; myFirst's US store had it at $79.99 in all five colours when we checked on 2026-10-10, the lowest price of any watch here with video calling. [src1, src16]

Best Fitness/Fun: Fitbit Ace LTE — Check price

SafeWise named it the best smartwatch for keeping kids active in its 2026 awards, Android Central calls it the best Fitbit for kids, and Good Housekeeping says its kid and adult testers both loved it. [src2, src8, src10] Its games make children move to play, such as casting a fishing line with a throw of the arm, and the tickets they earn decorate a virtual home; Android Police says it "absolutely shines" at making exercise fun and found its Gorilla Glass 3 screen still unscratched after drops. [src2, src9] SafeWise found its location accurate to within about 15 feet in all three of its tests and its call audio clear, and two parents can manage it. [src2]

It is less of a safety watch than the others here. It has no geofencing and no location history, and contacts, up to 20, must use the Fitbit Ace app with a Google account that is not a supervised child's, so friends under 13 cannot call it. [src2] SafeWise's SOS button and school mode did not work until a software update arrived about a week into testing. [src2] Battery is the other weakness: Google claims 16 hours, SafeWise got 60 hours with limited use, and the son of Android Police's reviewer got no more than 10 hours with moderate use. [src2, src9] It runs on Google Fi's network with the Ace Pass plan, $9.99 a month or $119 a year. [src2, src15]

Google's store listed the Ace LTE at $179.95 and out of stock in both colours when we checked on 2026-10-10, and Amazon had no in-stock offer for it in our 2026-10-09 price check. If you cannot find one, SafeWise suggests the Gabb Watch 3e, below, as a compromise that adds geofencing to fitness motivation. [src15, src2]

Cheaper Garmin, Messages Only: Garmin Bounce — Check price

The original Bounce is Android Central's best kids' smartwatch overall and SafeWise's pick for active kids. [src8, src1] Android Central's tester found setup easy and the Garmin Jr. app well designed, with geofencing, real-time location, school mode and text and voice messaging, and charged it about twice a week; SafeWise likes that it tracks running, biking, walking and swimming. [src8, src1] What it lacks is calling: SafeWise notes it cannot make or receive phone calls, only voice messages, preset texts and emojis with up to 20 contacts, and it has no camera. [src1] It uses the same Garmin LTE plan as the Bounce 2, from $10 a month or $100 a year, and Garmin's US store listed it in stock at $149.99 when we checked on 2026-10-10. [src1, src14]

Best Battery Life: TickTalk 5 — Check price

SafeWise's battery winner: it lasted 98 hours in testing, the longest of any watch in SafeWise's battery tests. [src1] It makes voice and video calls, sends voice messages and voice-to-text, takes photos with a 5MP selfie camera, can call 911, streams music, and is rated IP67; it has no games, no QWERTY keyboard and no geofencing. [src1] SafeWise lists it at $159.99 plus a plan of $9.99 to $19.99 a month. [src1] TickTalk's own store said "TickTalk 5 is sold out" in every colour and network version when we checked on 2026-10-10, and pointed buyers to the TickTalk 6, which we have not yet seen reviewed by the testing outlets we rely on; the Amazon listing this card links, the AT&T version bundled with a charging base, had no in-stock offer in our 2026-10-09 price check. [src18]

Best Apps and Music: COSMO JrTrack 5 — Check price

SafeWise's pick for kid-friendly apps and "a top contender" for its overall pick; Tom's Guide's tester, after months with her daughter, calls it "one of the best choices on the market" as a first device for elementary and middle schoolers. [src1, src11] It has voice calls, a full keyboard and talk-to-text, a 2MP selfie camera, a 911 option and curated apps including Spotify Kids and Calm, but no video calling. [src1, src11] Its location was exact in all three of SafeWise's tests, and Tom's Guide found its tracking faster and more accurate than its predecessor's, but its geofence alerts were extremely delayed in SafeWise's test. [src1, src11] Battery is the weak point: 29 hours in SafeWise's test, and Tom's Guide had to recharge before bedtime on days of heavy GPS and calling. [src1, src11] SafeWise lists it at $149.99 plus a plan of $10.99 to $24.99 a month and a $14.99 activation fee; COSMO's own store had it at $79.99 when we checked on 2026-10-10. [src1, src17]

Best First Watch: Gabb Watch 3e — Check price

SafeWise's best first smartwatch and its 2026 award winner for first and second graders; Android Police calls it "a great solution" for younger kids. [src1, src12] Its GabbGo digital pet rewards steps and chores, children can text by keyboard or speech, and its location was exact in all three of SafeWise's GPS tests, which placed it third in SafeWise's location-tracking ranking. [src1, src12] Android Police found calls clear on one or two bars of signal and got almost 48 hours of battery; SafeWise got 34. [src12, src1] It has no camera, no 911 option and no location history. [src1] SafeWise lists it at $149.99 (Android Police: $149), with plans from $12.99 to $17.99 a month; the Amazon listing this card links was priced at $229.99 in our 2026-10-09 price check. [src1, src12]

For Verizon Families: Verizon Gizmo Watch 3 Adventure — Check price

SafeWise's budget pick and its 2026 best-value winner, second in its location tests: $99 for the watch plus a $40 activation fee and a $10-a-month Verizon plan. [src1] It makes voice calls, sends voice messages and voice-to-text, has math and memory games and a nightstand clock mode, and lasted 43 hours in SafeWise's test against an 86-hour claim; it has no camera and no 911 option, and SafeWise lists it as not waterproof. [src1, src4, src21] Verizon's page was still selling it when we checked on 2026-10-10. [src21] Verizon has since announced the Gizmo Watch 4, at $179.99 plus $10 a month; SafeWise's tests cover the Watch 3 models, not the 4. [src4]

Best for Older Kids: Pinwheel Watch — Check price

SafeWise's pick for children from about 9 or 10, because of PinwheelGPT, a kid-safe AI chatbot that needs good reading skills. [src1] It has front and rear cameras, a full keyboard with talk-to-text, 911 as an optional contact, more than one parent admin, and per-contact controls over group texts and photos; SafeWise's tester's 11-year-old preferred it to the Gabb Watch for the camera and assistant. [src1] It has no video calling, SafeWise lists no geofencing among its drawbacks, and it lasted about 24 hours in SafeWise's test. [src1] Its location was about 50 feet off in SafeWise's open-field test and did not load in the car test. [src1] SafeWise lists it at $159.99 plus $14.99 a month. [src1]

SafeWise's Overall Pick: Bark Watch — Check price

SafeWise's overall pick, and the only kids' watch it tested that alerts parents to problematic messages, photos and videos; contacts must be approved but need no app to call or text it, and it has a 911 option, but no games and no video calling. [src1] Bark now builds the watch on the Samsung Galaxy Watch8, with 5ATM and IP68 ratings and no camera. [src19] SafeWise's roundup put the Bark Watch first in its location tests; its separate review of the Galaxy Watch8 model found geofence alerts delayed, locations several feet off and call audio muffled, but 43 hours of battery, and calls it an excellent kids' smartwatch, especially for its monitoring features. [src1, src22] Because the Watch8 was not designed for children, answering a call takes a tap and a swipe, and there is no voice assistant. [src22] Bark sells it for $12 a month over 24 months plus a $15-a-month plan that includes its monitoring service for the family's other devices. [src19, src22]

For iPhone Families With Older Kids: Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS + Cellular) — Check price

TechRadar recommends the Apple Watch SE 3 to parents who want more features than the Bounce 2 at a similar price: it has health tracking and more longevity and can be set up under a family plan, but it is "much more distracting for a younger child". [src5] Apple lets any GPS + Cellular Apple Watch be set up for a child without their own iPhone, giving the child a phone number; the SE 3 is rated to 50 metres of water and up to 18 hours of normal use. [src20] It must be the cellular model, and on the same carrier as the parent's iPhone; SafeWise lists the SE 3 among the models U.S. carriers support for this. [src3] SafeWise tested an older Apple Watch SE and ranks the Apple Watch toward the bottom of its list for kids: children can leave Schooltime by holding the Digital Crown, location was about 100 feet off in two of three tests, geofence alerts need the child's permission, and there is no SOS that reaches a parent without also calling 911. [src3]

Key Market Trends (2026)

• New models are arriving faster than reviews: Verizon announced the Gizmo Watch 4, TickTalk sells the TickTalk 6 in place of the sold-out TickTalk 5, and Bark rebuilt its watch on the Samsung Galaxy Watch8, which SafeWise has already reviewed. [src4, src18, src19, src22]
• Garmin moved from messages to calls: the original Bounce sends voice messages and preset texts; the Bounce 2 adds two-way calls and a full keyboard, at twice the price. [src1, src5, src13, src14]
• The plan is the real cost: every watch here needs a monthly plan, from $9.99 a month (Garmin, Google) to $24.99 (COSMO month-to-month), and Bark's watch itself is paid monthly. [src5, src15, src1, src19]
• Tested battery life varies fourfold: from about 24 hours (Pinwheel Watch) to 98 hours (TickTalk 5) in SafeWise's tests, and claims mislead both ways: the myFirst Fone R2 beat its claim by 51 hours, the Gizmo Watch 3 fell 43 hours short. [src1]
• Play is the hook: Fitbit's movement games, Gabb's digital pet and Garmin's chore coins all reward activity or tasks. [src2, src1, src5]

Important Caveats

• Device prices on this card are the prices we found, with where and when; the monthly plan comes on top, and two years of a $9.99-a-month plan adds about $240.
• Each watch runs on one network: Garmin's own LTE plan for both Bounces, Google Fi's network for the Fitbit Ace LTE, Verizon's network and $10 plan for the Gizmo watches, AT&T or T-Mobile versions of the TickTalk 5, and the parent's own carrier for an Apple Watch. Check coverage where your child goes. [src5, src1, src2, src4, src18, src3]
• Some watches limit who can reach them: anyone calling or texting the Bounce 2 needs the Garmin Jr. app, and the Fitbit Ace LTE's contacts need Google accounts that are not a supervised child's. [src5, src2]
• Location and signal vary by place: TechRadar lost the Bounce 2's location in rural areas, Mother & Baby's tester's texts did not reach it outside the house, and SafeWise's tests found some watches tens of feet off. [src5, src7, src1]
• Battery claims are not test results; see the table for what the outlets measured.