FitBit Ace LTE Review︱Hands-on Expert Insights

The Fitbit Ace LTE is made by one of the biggest names in tech (Google), and I often see it listed as the best kids smartwatch on other websites. But I've been skeptical since it launched in 2024. It doesn't offer the same safety features as some of my favorite kids smartwatches, and Google makes it tricky for kids to connect to friends their own age.

After several parents commented on the SafeWise YouTube channel to ask if I'd tested it, I decided it was finally time to buy the Fitbit Ace LTE for a hands-on review. Initially, I ran into some glitches. I was on the brink of exchanging my dud device for a new one when a miraculous software update improved its performance. 

In this review, I'll cover what's missing in the Fitbit Ace LTE, how it compares to other kids smartwatches, how it performed during testing, and what makes it unique. Let's figure out if it's right for your family. 

Does the Fitbit Ace LTE offer the features you expect? Let's take a look. 

Communication features:

• Phone calls
• Voice messages
• Emoji library and quick menu
• Preset texts
• Full text keyboard

Emergency features: 

• SOS button
• Continuous SOS calling
• Off-wrist information

Location-tracking features:

• Location tracking

Fun and practical features:

• Step counter 
• Gamified activity (movement quests and games)
• Alarm
• Stopwatch
• Timer
• Digital wallet (Greenlight integration)

Parental control features:

• No incoming or outgoing communication with unknown numbers
• School mode schedules

The Fitbit Ace LTE is missing quite a few features that are found in other kids smartwatches. It's not necessarily less safe for kids, but you'll have fewer resources for checking on them. 

And because people need to download an app to call or message the watch, it may be tough for your child to connect with friends who also use smartwatches or kids phones.

I've summarized unavailable features in the table below. 

Yes, the Fitbit Ace LTE is easy to set up straight out of the box. You don't need to install or activate a SIM card. Just charge it and follow the on-screen prompts.

You'll download the Fitbit Ace app, pair the watch, and set up a profile for your child. 

After you hand the watch to your child, it will take them through four tutorial quests that explain how everything works. Some areas of the watch will be locked until the child completes certain quests.

One involves logging 500 steps. Your child won't be able to see Bit Valley, an area where they can decorate virtual rooms with items they "buy" with tickets, without completing this quest. Tickets are earned by completing fitness quests and games.

The watch itself is easy to use with some practice. There are two navigation buttons on the side, and you can access other areas by swiping down or to the right. The Fitbit Ace parent app is also well-designed, and it's easy to find what you're looking for. 

Yes and no. I had major problems with two features during my tests: SOS and school mode. These issues were resolved, but it wasn't easy.

I also wasn't able to add my partner to the app because he doesn't use Gmail. 

On the plus side, GPS tracking was accurate, call audio sounded clear, and the games worked well.

By pressing and holding the top (green) side button, kids can pull up a menu that allows them to power off the watch, restart the watch, or call for help. But "call for help" wouldn't appear for me. 

I did some troubleshooting on my own but couldn't figure out the problem. A software update might've fixed the issue, but I couldn't get the software update to work either. It would reach 100% and then say the update failed. 

So, I contacted Google customer service. We tried restarting the watch, resetting its WiFi connection, and even doing a full factory reset. Nothing fixed the watch's SOS error or the software update issue. 

Then suddenly, it worked. I think the software update finally went through overnight about one week after I began testing. One morning, I noticed a new Wallet option in the watch's menu. Realizing a software update must've happened, I tried the SOS button, and "call for help" finally appeared.

Here's how SOS works when a child selects "call for help":

• The watch vibrates and starts a five-second countdown. 
• Kids can cancel before the call goes through.
• The watch displays who is being called.
• The first emergency contact's phone gets a call. It's clear the call is coming from the child's Fitbit Ace LTE, but it's not clear it's an emergency. 
• If the first emergency contact doesn't answer the phone, the watch rings the next emergency contact.

Like any good kid's smartwatch, the Fitbit Ace LTE includes a school mode so kids aren't distracted by calls, messages, or games during class.

At first, school mode worked perfectly. I toggled it on in the app, and the watch quickly blocked most interactions with a message that said something along the lines of, "Learn now, play later." 

I even liked how parents could allow kids access to the watch during their lunch period, and that the app reminds parents not to call the watch because it's in school mode. 

While preparing this review, I realized I never took photos or videos of school time in action. I wanted to document exactly what kids could access (like messaging a parent) and what they couldn't (like games). So, I turned school mode on again. But this time, it didn't work.

From the parent app, everything looked as it should. School mode was toggled on, calling was disabled, and orange text across the bottom of our message thread informed me that the watch's notifications were silenced. 

But from the watch itself, I was still able to use every feature like normal. I could play a game, send a message, or visit Bit Valley. At first, I thought there was a communication lag and that the watch would update in a couple of minutes. But the watch never went into school mode for the rest of the day. 

I attempted to force a connection between the watch and the parent app by checking its location and sending a message from the watch to the phone. Nothing spurred school mode into effect. 

(This glitch happened before the software update finally went through. The day after the software update, school mode worked as expected.)

Here's some good news — the Fitbit Ace LTE offers accurate GPS tracking. It marked the map within about 15 feet of my exact location, which is about as good as it gets. If you're looking for a kids smartwatch to tell you where your child is in a crowded location, this could do the trick. The parent app will even pull up directions to your child's location.

Geofencing isn't available in the Fitbit Ace LTE, which isn't much of a loss in my book. In my experience, geofencing technology is usually imprecise and prone to false alarms. There are only a few devices that do it well, namely the Bark Watch, Gabb Watch 3e, and Verizon Gizmo Watch 3. 

But you also won't get location history, which I know a lot of parents look for. And while there's technically no live tracking feature (you won't see the marker move on the map in real-time), you're able to refresh your child's location as often as you like.

Two parents can be added to a Fitbit Ace LTE account. They share full permissions on the app. This isn't a common feature in kids smartwatches, as most only allow one parent to have full access to account settings.

But you're limited to just two parents, which may not work well for blended families.

The other roadblock is that both parents (and all contacts for that matter) have to use a Google account.

I didn't realize this when I tried to add my partner as a parent. He's a long-time Hotmail user with no interest in switching to Gmail. The Fitbit Ace LTE app allowed me to send a parent contact invitation using his hotmail.com address, but it never arrived in his inbox. 

I'm sure this is a rare situation these days, but bear in mind that if you aren't a diehard Google family, this watch may not work for you. 

The Fitbit Ace LTE stands out for its fun virtual reality fitness games. Kids have to get up off the couch and move the watch to fully explore game environments. You might have to turn 180 degrees to reveal the next part of the game menu. 

Games incorporate movement in other clever ways. The Smokey Lake game, for example, has kids "cast" a fishing line by throwing their arm out. Then you wait for the watch to vibrate (a fish is on the hook!) before pumping your fist toward your shoulder (like you're doing a bicep curl) to reel it in. 

Every game gives your child an opportunity to collect new items for their Bit Valley rooms, and new games are released all the time.

Note that it's not exactly a fitness tracker because you can't log specific activities like swimming or running. The Fitbit Ace LTE focuses on logging steps, but it will also show minutes of light activity and minutes of active activity. Parents can track all of this on the app.

Kids can also see their heart rate in beats per minute and measure the day's elevation in flights of stairs. Parents can't see these two metrics on the app. 

I encountered a lag in the parent app while reviewing my step data. The watch had logged 1,449 steps, 2 minutes of light activity, and 13 minutes of active activity. Meanwhile, the parent app showed 0 steps, 2 minutes of light activity, and 0 minutes of active activity. (This occurred after the software updated successfully.)

The Fitbit Ace LTE currently retails for $179.99 on the Google Store, but you can sometimes get it for less on Amazon. It used to cost about $225, but Google (the parent company of Fitbit) dropped the price in April 2026. 

Both Google and Amazon offer financing plans for the Fitbit Ace LTE.

• Google: $15/mo. for 12 months
• Amazon Visa: About $30/mo. for 6 months 
• Affirm (through Amazon): About $45/mo. every two weeks for eight weeks (four payments total)

The monthly payment may cost less if the watch is on sale. 

You'll also need a data plan to use the watch. You must purchase this directly through FitBit/Google. It's called the Ace Pass, and it costs $9.99 per month. 

You can choose to pay an extra $29 for a two-year device protection plan called Pixel Care+. It offers unlimited repairs for accidental damage and unlimited $0 claims for post-warranty malfunctions.

Extra accessories are also available. The following prices are for official products sold through the Google Store:

• Bumpers (two-pack): $19.99
• Wristbands: $34.99
• Screen protectors: $19.99 or $39.99
• Extra charging cable: $29.99

You can often find compatible alternatives on Amazon for a steep discount.

The age restriction is a major sticking point for parents who want a smartwatch that allows their child to safely call or message friends. Here's how it works:

• Parents can invite up to 20 people to call or message the Fitbit Ace LTE.
• Each person must download the Fitbit Ace app and create an account with a Gmail address that isn't supervised. In other words, the Google account can't be for someone younger than 13. 

Because there's no phone number associated with this watch, no one can call or text your child through a dial pad. That also means friends' parents can't add your child's number as an approved contact on their smartwatches or smartphones. 

The Fitbit Ace LTE isn't alone in requiring all communication to happen through an app, but it is the only one with an age restriction. Other kids smartwatches that use an app for messaging and calling include: 

• Gabb Watch 3e
• Verizon Gizmo Watch 3
• myFirst Fone R2
• TickTalk 5
• Pinwheel Watch

If this is a dealbreaker, consider watches that communicate through regular SMS text messages and don't require a separate app:

• Bark Watch
• COSMO JrTrack 5
• Xplora X6Play and X3Go
• Apple Watch with Screen Time

Note that your child can connect with friends who also have a Fitbit Ace LTE, but this only allows them to send each other Bit Valley gifts and to see each other's "eejie" characters. They can't call or message each other. To pair friends, their watches must be next to each other. Remote pairing isn't available. 

If the Fitbit Ace LTE has everything you're looking for, I think you'll be happy with how it ultimately performs. It can be hard to find a kids smartwatch with GPS tracking as accurate as the Fitbit Ace LTE's, and its fitness games are second to none. However, I recommend attempting a software update right away to fix any lingering bugs, and thoroughly testing all features before turning your kid loose with it.

But for some parents, the Fitbit Ace LTE lacks some critical functions. A good compromise might be the Gabb Watch 3e, which blends fitness fun with decent geofencing. If you'd rather prioritize safety features and friend connections — even if it means no fitness games — try the Bark Watch.