How to choose the best smartwatch for kids

At a glance

• Start with connectivity: Find out whether the watch uses cellular, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and what happens when your child is away from home.
• Make sure parents control who can call or message the watch.
• Compare battery life, durability and location features before getting distracted by games and extras.

“Best” can mean a lot of things when it comes to smartwatches for kids. For most parents, it comes down to this: Can I stay in touch with my child and feel confident they’re safe without giving them a phone too soon?

That’s why smartwatches have become a useful first device. A kids’ smartwatch can help kids feel a little more independent, while parents can see their kids’ location. The Verizon Gizmo Watch 4, for example, is designed around those first-device needs without adding social media or an open web browser.

So what should you actually look for before you buy one?

What can a smartwatch for kids actually do?

Most kids’ smartwatches focus on three things: communication, location and simple daily tools like timers and to-do lists. With Gizmo Watch 4, kids can call or message a small group of approved contacts, while parents can use location and safety features from the Verizon Family Plus app.

• Alert parents if the watch is removed
• Call or message approved contacts
• Share the watch’s location with parents
• Notify parents when a child enters or leaves a GPS Safe Zone
• Use an SOS feature to reach preset contacts
• Set alarms, reminders and other simple tools

5 must-haves for kids’ smartwatches

Every family has different needs, but for ages 3 – 11 (the general age range for a kid-friendly smartwatch), there are five key features parents should seek:

1. Can my child reach me? Some kids’ watches run on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or a cell connection. That means coverage matters. If the device struggles to connect, calling, messaging and location updates become unreliable. Ideally, the kids’ watch has its own secure number and a strong cell connection — the same one you trust with your smartphone.

2. Can I use location sharing when I need it? Location sharing can help parents check the location of the watch their child is wearing, like when they’re walking home from school, heading to a friend’s house or taking a bus. With Gizmo Watch 4, GPS Safe Zones can notify parents when the watch enters or leaves places they choose, such as school or home.

3. Can I control who my child can call and text? A good kids’ smartwatch should allow parents to control who their child can communicate with. The Gizmo Watch 4 supports up to 40 approved contacts, and parents can add or remove contacts from the Verizon Family Plus app on their phones.

4. Will it survive a kid’s life? Kids are hard on devices. Watches get dropped, splashed, forgotten in backpacks. Kids may also forget to charge their devices at regular intervals, so look at the battery life and the charger setup.

5. Will my kid actually wear it? Kids want a device that’s fun to wear. Features like step challenges, customizable watch faces and simple games help make the device feel like it belongs to them.

How to keep your child’s smartwatch working for your family

A kids’ smartwatch works best when parents stay involved. So a quick check-in now and then can make a big difference.

• Keep software and security features up to date.
• Avoid connecting to public wireless networks if possible.
• Regularly review new device features to understand their capabilities.
• Limit downloadable applications’ access to personal information.
• Take time to configure parental controls, alerts, safe zones and location sharing.

Finally, ask your kids what they want when you’re picking out the best smartwatch.

Choosing the right smartwatch for kids often becomes much easier when you get kids involved in the buying process. The more kids feel like they’re part of the process, the more likely they’ll be to actually wear and use the device.

Quick checklist for parents and kids. Choose a device that:

• Lets you call or message your child easily
• Runs on a reliable cellular network, not Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
• Includes GPS location tracking
• Allows you to control contacts
• Can survive everyday kid life

School-ready, parent-approved: Verizon Gizmo Watch 4.

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