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Our Top 3 Picks for Best Fitness Trackers for Kids
Budget choice
Top choice
Best bonus features
Most parents are worried about their children’s activity levels, especially in our tech-obsessed world. Many are so glued to their electronic devices that getting them off the couch is quickly becoming a cause of concern.
However, one of the best ways to encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle is to make them aware of where they stand when it comes to healthy living — something which a fitness tracker can help with.
There’s been a lot of debate regarding the use of fitness trackers and whether they promote an unhealthy obsession with exercise and weight from a young age. Even so, there’s still a positive impact these devices have on users when it comes to making them more conscious about how they live their life, as long as they don’t overdo it.
If you want to introduce your kid to the world of active living, keep reading as we discuss the best fitness trackers for kids that you can try. Fun, attractive, and effective, you’re sure to find a perfect match below.
The Top 5 Best Fitness Trackers for Kids
Best overall (including for swimming & for older kids ages 8+): Fitbit Ace 2
Fitbit dominates the fitness tracker market due to its high quality and innovative products. The company’s latest offering for kids, the Fitbit Ace 2, is an excellent purchase for parents who want to keep their kids active and track their activity levels.
It keeps track of every move your child makes to promote a healthier and active lifestyle. It provides vital information that includes sleeping patterns, number of steps, and active minutes.
Similar to the adult version, the Fitbit Ace 2 has an interactive app where kids can find motivational challenges. This also gives adults complete control over the majority of the content. You can use the app to create a minimum time period of physical activity to encourage your kids to stay active for at least that many hours.
You also have the option to set up different family accounts and child accounts. The “Parent View” setting allows you to monitor your kid’s activity and approve their connections.
The Fitbit Ace 2 also works great for swimming since it’s water-resistant up to 50m. Your child can wear it in the shower or take a dip in the pool. So have no fear of accidental splashes and spills!
To make things even more interesting for the kids, the Fitbit Ace 2 has fun badges and avatars as rewards to encourage them along their fitness journey and help them adopt a more healthy lifestyle.
A five-day battery life ensures the tracker stays on your little one’s wrist most of the time instead of being charged. You have the option to customize the fitness tracker with different straps, but you‘ll have to purchase those straps separately.
- Has syncing range up to 6m
- Links to an interactive app that includes fun challenges
- Allows separate family accounts and child accounts
- Battery life: Up to 5 days
- Waterproof: Up to 50m
- Age suitability: 6 years and above
Best budget choice: BIGGERFIVE Fitness Tracker Watch
Designed for kids and teens, the BIGGERFIVE Fitness Tracker Watch offers basic features like counting steps, mileage and calories, without breaking the bank.
There are 3 colour combinations to choose from, and you get two different-colored bands in each option. The bands are made out of TPU material, which is both flexible and durable. They’re super lightweight and slim and do not contain any harmful elements.
Help your kids start their day right. The sleep tracker and vibrating alarm clock functions allow you to keep track of their sleep patterns and wake them up gently without disturbing others.
The BIGGERFIVE Fitness Tracker Watch also has a built-in USB design, which makes charging easy with no need for any extra cords. It also has a longer battery life — it can last for nearly a week after just 1-2 hours of charging. You also get a 12-month product warranty and a 60-day money-back guarantee in case anything goes wrong with the device.
Just keep in mind this fitness tracker doesn’t support games, allow kids to set task reminders or have other bonus features like reward systems. If you want a no-frills fitness tracker, this is definitely what you should get.
- Comes with two high-quality TPU straps
- All the activity tracking
- Has a built-in USB
- Battery Life: Up to 7 days
- Waterproof: Up to 1m
- Age Suitability: 4-15 years
Best bonus features (& best designs!): Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2
After a successful entry into kids’ fitness trackers, Garmin has upgraded it to the Vivofit Jr. 2 — the kid’s version of the Vivofit 4. With its attractive and comfortable design, this device is perfect for children to wear on a daily basis.
The Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2 is swim- and shower-safe, along with being water-resistant up to 50m. It can count steps, monitor sleep patterns, and track active minutes when the child is on the move.
You can get a summary of your kid’s progress towards achieving their daily 60-minute activity goal through the interactive phone app. And when they do hit the goal, Garmin rewards them with a fun themed game and story for some extra motivation.
In addition, new watch faces and badges can be unlocked if they keep achieving their daily activity goals consistently.
You can also set up daily or specific household tasks as reminders. Chores can include brushing teeth, getting dressed in the morning, taking a bath, or anything you would want. Kids earn a coin for every chore completed that can be redeemed later for rewards of their choice.
Despite the wonderful bonus features of the Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2, it’s the eye-catching themed design that will make it your child’s favorite fitness partner. Themes include Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel, with every tracker having its own unique band and watch face. Children can also pair the tracker with a phone to play a themed adventure app.
This is the only fitness tracker on this list with a non-rechargeable battery, which lasts for about a year. It uses the standard coin cell battery, so you can get it replaced easily.
- Keeps track of steps, active minutes, and sleep patterns
- Available in fun Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars-themed designs
- Can sync with a mobile app for easy chore management and scheduling
- Non-rechargeable battery
- Battery Life: 1 year
- Waterproof: Up to 50m
- Age Suitability: 4-7 years
Best for young kids: LeapFrog LeapBand
With its fun colors and cheerful design, the LeapFrog LeapBand is perfect for children between ages 4 to 7. It comes in a wide range of colorful bands and color screens to appeal to them. The wallet-friendly price makes it attractive to parents too.
Not only does the device allow kids to look cool on the playground, it encourages them to take part in physical exercises and eat healthily to win exciting virtual prizes. The interactive app educates young minds about health and nutrition-related facts.
Children can choose from up to 50 active challenges, ensuring they stay on the move.
There’s also the option to personalise a virtual pet and buy pet toys in exchange for points, which can only be earned through physical activity. All these extra bonuses will encourage your kid to become more physically active in a stimulating and creative way.
- Allows children to choose up to 50 different creative challenges
- Comes with eight virtual pets
- Offers USB connectivity and parental controls
- Water-resistant design
- Battery Life: 3-4 days
- Waterproof: Yes, but depth not specified
- Age Suitability: 4-7 years
Best for teenagers (ages 13+): Fitbit Charge 3
Buying fitness trackers for teenagers is a different ballgame than when buying for younger children. Teenagers need less incentives and rewards when it comes to staying fit and keeping track of their activity levels, and they’re likely looking for more stylish options.
Keeping this in mind, the Fitbit Charge 3 is just right for teens and children who are in middle school. It’s one of the brand’s top-selling products and it’s easy to see why.
The device has everything you would want in a fitness tracker, with its 24/7 heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, and step-counting features. There’s also the ability to track the menstrual cycle if your child is getting to that age. The design is swim-proof, which can help it last longer.
The Fitbit Charge 3 comes pre-programmed with about 15 exercises, such as biking, swimming, or running. Interestingly, this fitness tracker was made to be more advanced than other devices to make children more conscious about the different aspects of their fitness levels.
Do note that the Fitbit Charge 3 isn’t an appropriate purchase for young children and would look rather out of place on their tiny wrists. It’s our best choice for older kids, and it’s designed accordingly.
- Comes with 15+ programmed exercises
- Provides sleep tracking, burnt calories measurement, and heart rate tracking facilities
- Supports Bluetooth compatibility
- Battery Life: Up to 7 days
- Waterproof: Up to 50m
- Age Suitability: 11 years & above
A Guide to Buying the Best Fitness Trackers for Kids
How to choose the best fitness tracker for your kid
Every year brands come up with new models of fitness trackers. While this constant innovation is great, it makes things confusing when you’re choosing the right device for your child.
To make things easier for you, we have compiled a list of the most crucial factors you should consider before settling on a particular product.
Display
It’s best to buy an advanced tracker that can clearly display recorded data, including numbers, words, and symbols. You can opt for a simple LED display, which when synced to a smartphone or computer, gives you a detailed analysis of your child’s activity levels.
In addition, if the device is compatible with an app, make sure you download and check the app before buying the device to see if it has the features you want and is worth your money.
Style
Since kids are involved, you have to look for kid-friendly designs when buying fitness trackers. While most traditional fitness trackers are designed to be worn on the wrist, you can also find pendants or clip-ons. The idea here is to choose a model that would be most functional for your child.
You should also consider the color, shape, and material on the fitness tracker. While animations and cartoons would be more suitable for young children, you can opt for sleek and solid color bands for teenagers.
Accuracy
We hate to tell you this, but fitness trackers aren’t completely accurate.
Yes, they have sensors and algorithms that allow them to keep track of footsteps, sleep patterns, and heart rate, along with other aspects of your child’s lifestyle — but they’re not foolproof.
If you want something that’s 100% accurate, we would recommend you to look for other devices. But if a little imprecision isn’t a dealbreaker for you, fitness trackers are your best bet.
Battery Life
Battery life is very important when it comes to buying fitness trackers, at least for us. After all, what’s the point of having a fitness tracker if it has to be left on the table for the majority of the day for charging?
Luckily, you’ll find plenty of devices that offer a longer battery life, ranging from a full day up to a year. Trackers which have more sensors and a touchscreen will need to be charged more frequently as opposed to one with a simple design.
Make sure you check whether the battery is rechargeable or non-rechargeable. There’re a few models that run on coin cell batteries that are commonly used in traditional cameras and calculators.
Water Resistance
If your child is a budding swimmer or loves to spend time by the pool, it would be best to look for water-resistant or waterproof models. While some models are merely splashproof, other have a greater resistance and can survive a dip in the pool or a hardy shower.
Compatibility
We would highly recommend opting for fitness trackers that are compatible with your personal smartphone and computer.
Some models can only be synced with Apple’s iOS, while others might only support Android. If you use Windows, you need to be extra careful since most fitness tracker models aren’t compatible with it.
At what age can kids start wearing a fitness tracker?
If you thought that fitness wearables are only for adults, think again.
Parents have started to buy fitness trackers for children as young as four years old to make them more aware of the benefits of healthy living. Moreover, physical inactivity is a common problem among children, with the World Health Organization (WHO) calling it one of the leading risk factors of death.
Whether or not you want your child to wear fitness wearables, there’s really no harm in encouraging them to increase their activity levels to keep them fit.
How do fitness trackers work? Are they safe for children?
Fitness trackers come fitted with sensors that can monitor your movements. These devices are connected and synced with mobile phones, tablets and computers to store data about your day-to-day routine.
Furthermore, different fitness trackers can monitor different types of activities, including the number of hours slept, heart rate, skin temperature, the number of steps walked, perspirations levels, and so on.
They use the following sensors to give you a (nearly) accurate reading:
- Heart rate monitor to track pulse throughout the day
- GPS to track your child’s location
- Gyroscope to determine the kind of activity your child does.
- Barometer to measure altitudes, which is useful to calculate the number of flights the child has climbed.
As you may have realized, fitness trackers don’t really have anything that could be potentially harmful to your child. On the contrary, they do show immense potential when it comes to ensuring your child starts becoming more health-conscious — even if it’s temporary.
Are there any cons to giving my kid a fitness tracker?
Yes, as mentioned above, it could promote an unhealthy obsession with calorie counting and being of a body image that conforms to society’s views of how an ideal body should look like. You should stress to your kids not to be too concerned with these things, and that the fitness tracker is only to track their physical activity throughout the day, to ensure they’re not staying sedentary for too long in front of the phones or tablets.
Final thoughts
There’s no doubt that fitness trackers can be a great purchase for kids. Not only are you able to keep track of your child’s movements, your kid also becomes more conscious about what they eat, how they sleep, and most importantly, how active a life they live.
The Fitbit Ace 2 is definitely the winner in our research with its combination of durability and functionality — all of which are available without you having to break the bank. You can also consider our other top picks, the BIGGERFIVE Fitness Tracker Watch and Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2, that offer great features and style.
Irrespective of the choice you make, you can rest easy knowing getting any of these best fitness trackers for kids could be helpful to encourage your child to live a healthier life.
Now you can find out how much physical activity your kids get up to with these best outdoor toys for 10-year-olds, and these best nerf guns and laser tag guns for the whole family!