The Best Phones for Kids

The kids smartphone scene absolutely exploded in the last couple of years, starting with the launch of the kid-safe Pinwheel operating system in 2020. 

We like the new Bark Phone best of all, but Pinwheel is a close second and actually works with Bark's parental controls for an added layer of protection. 

Let's dive into the differences and find the kids phone that fits your parenting style and budget.

As we mention in our review of the best parental controls, Bark takes a unique approach to digital safety. Your child's right to privacy is prioritized by Bark, so you don't get to be as hands-on (some might say micromanage-y) in controlling everything your child does, reading all of their texts, viewing their browsing history, or seeing their location with out their knowledge. 

That's why we think it's best for teens, but it could work for younger kids too—you just need to be extra proactive in talking about the dos and don'ts of digital safety and screen time usage. Bark does a good job of letting you know if there's a problem and even provides talking points to facilitate those conversations. 

Have a text-happy kid? Worried about cyberbullying? Did you agree to let your kid join Instagram and then instantly regretted it? Bark's got your back. It's the best (and often the only) platform for monitoring messages of all kinds—whether it's texts, emails, or social media DMs.

Because this is such a rare feature among other parental controls—even those associated with kids smartphones—we can overlook Bark's high price.

The major disadvantage of a Bark Phone is its high service price. You're required to use a Bark Wireless plan, which costs $49/mo. for a zero-data plan. That means your child can only use their phone's internet features when connected to Wi-Fi. While that naturally restricts their screen time, it's a huge buzzkill. No one spends all their time near Wi-Fi, including kids.

To get 4GB of data, Bark's monthly plan increases to $59/mo. Paying $69/mo. gets you 8GB of data. Every Bark plan has unlimited talk and text.

There's no discount for adding a second Bark Phone to your account, and since you can't switch to another service provider, you're not able to shop around for a better price if your circumstances change.

Here's the good news: your Bark Phone purchase includes a Bark Premium subscription ($99 value) so you can put parental controls on every other device your child uses, like tablets and computers. And at least you don't have to shell out for the cost of the phone.

Learn more in our full Bark Phone Review.

We also like that Pinwheel makes it super easy to adjust the parental controls depending on your child's age. Let's say you have a 9-year-old, 11-year-old, and 14-year-old—you could get them each a Pinwheel phone and fully customize their settings for the right mix of guidance and independence.

For example, there are three ways to handle contact management: do it for your child, approve your child's additions, or give your child full control. Similar stages of control are available for apps, call and text monitoring, screen time schedules, and group or photo messages.

While other kids phones offer customizations too, Pinwheel impressed us the most in this category. With so many adjustments at your fingertips,  you don't have to worry about getting a totally new phone for your kid if you need more or fewer restrictions in the future.

Pinwheel phones are compatible with the Bark parental control app. This is excellent news since Bark's message monitoring is the best in the biz. That said, you can read the full content of your child's text messages in the Pinwheel parent portal. Bark gives extra protection for messages that may be sent on other platforms. 

It costs about $5/mo. to add Bark monitoring to each Pinwheel phone. Just select that option at checkout. We hope this partnership continues even though Bark just launched its own phone. 

The only bummer here is that the Pinwheel phones themselves can be pricey, but you do get a discount if you order them in groups of two.

Your child will get the best experience with the $329 Pinwheel Plus 2, since it's the only one compatible with 5G. They'll be stuck with Wi-Fi-only access with the Pinwheel Slim 5 ($199) or the Pinwheel Rugged 3 ($249).

Pay attention to carrier compatibility too—you're welcome to use your own SIM card, but only the Pinwheel Plus 2 works with all major carriers. Double-check compatibility if you're a Verizon or AT&T customer. 

Learn more in our full Pinwheel review.

The Gabb Phone Plus gives your child the ability to make phone calls, send messages, access kid-friendly apps, and listen to kid-safe music without exposing them to the internet at large. 

The only apps available for download on the Gabb Phone Plus are those carefully screened by the experts at Gabb. This company takes the "closed network" concept very seriously, right down to making its own map app and powerful content filters. 

All in all, the Gabb Phone Plus is a great starter phone for kids around the age of 9 and up.  Learn more in our full Gabb Phone Plus review.

The original Gabb Phone—the Z2—doesn't allow parents to add third-party apps. It also won't be compatible with the upcoming Gabb Music Plus service. Those are the major differences, and if you can do without extra apps and music, you can save about $5 a month by choosing the Gabb Z2 (now just called the Gabb Phone).  

Our fave from Troomi's lineup is the Samsung A13 5G. It's perfect for kids who like to take pics, whether it's selfies or more artistic shots. They'll love the triple-lens rear camera, featuring a 50MP main lens, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. Plus, there's the standard 5MP front-facing camera for selfies. 

Or, your child might prefer the camera options on the Samsung A13 LTE: a 50MP main lens, 5MP wide-angle lens, and 8MP front-facing selfie cam. Parents usually prefer this model too since it's the most affordable option from Troomi.

Finally, there's the selfie-taker's dream in the Samsung Xcover Pro: it has a 13MP front-facing camera, but the rear-facing camera is less impressive at 25MP in the main lens. But it does have an 8MP wide-angle lens too. It's the only waterproof (up to 4.5 feet) option available from Troomi, and it's also the most expensive at nearly $400.

Like Pinwheel, Troomi's KidSmart OS is designed to grow with your child. It has no internet browser by default, but with the Discover plan (about $30/mo.) you can add the KidSmart Safe Browser if you feel like your child is ready for a little more online freedom.  

You can also manage their contacts in the beginning and then ease up your involvement as they get older. We like that you can limit the Troomi phone to text-only messaging or allow group chats and photo messages. You get to read the full content of all texts too.

There's no app store on a Troomi phone, but you can add some kid-friendly apps to your child's phone through the parental portal. There aren't as many apps to choose from compared to Pinwheel, but you can view a full list on the Troomi website before you buy. This feature requires the Discover plan too. 

The VTech KidiBuzz 3 doesn't make phone calls or track your child's location, but it gives your kid a smartphone-like device to use just like their older siblings. Because it doesn't connect to a cellular network, you don't have to worry about paying a monthly fee.

You can set daily screen time limits and download music or videos to the device if you need to keep your kid extra entertained. There's even a headphone jack to give you some peace. 

The Palm Phone is a tiny smartphone with powerful features. Just like an iPhone or Android phone, the Palm has apps, social media, and internet-browsing capabilities. 

You'll need to pair the Palm Phone with a parental control app to protect your child, but it's one of the few options they'll be able to fit in their pockets or hands. 

Learn more in our full Palm Phone review.

The Wisephone caters to adults who need to cut down on their screen time. It calls, texts, takes pictures and includes only the bare-minimum apps necessary for modern life: maps, clock, and calculator. 

There's also a family portal that lets parents keep an eye on their child's call history, texts, and location. But we hesitate to recommend the Wisephone as a kids phone. Kids need guidance, and the Wisephone simply restricts all access. It may jibe with your parenting style, but it's a pricey option for a phone that does very little.

We also considered the Lightphone for our lineup of kids phones. Like the Wisephone, the Lightphone is mainly for adults to get away from endless scrolling. There are no parent-friendly features, so your child could end up texting and calling anyone and everyone.

But that's the only real mischief they could get into. There's no internet and no games. The Lightphone doesn't even have a camera.

It does play music and podcasts, so it's not totally boring. But for $300 upfront and at least $30 a month, you don't get much bang for your buck.

Teracube's claim to fame is its environmentally-friendly smartphone. We tested the Teracube Thrive—which is just the normal Teracube 2e paired with Teracube's parental control app—and weren't impressed.

It has excellent app management, but the SPIN browser did nothing to curb our mature searches. Worse yet, none of our web activity showed up on the parental dashboard. There was a frustrating lack of customization options or reports.

At this point, the Teracube Thrive is just getting a participation trophy. Steer clear. 

We're ready to pounce on any new kids phone that hits the market so we can compare it to our current lineup. A prominent brand on our radar is Cosmo. The makers of one of our favorite kids smartwatches, Cosmo is set to release its Startphone in 2023. We'll let you know more as the details become public.

While there aren't very many kids phone options on the market, the few models that exist are all high-quality. We like the Bark Phone best thanks to its laundry list of parental controls and message monitoring, but it's admittedly expensive—especially for more than one kid.

Thankfully, budget-friendly options like Pinwheel and Gabb also shield children from the uglier side of the internet while teaching them responsible device usage. And Troomi introduces some incredible cameras with a kid-friendly operating system. 

• What Age Should Kids Get a Phone?
• Guide to Parental Controls
• Dangerous Apps for Kids
• How to Keep Your Teen (or Tween) Safe Online
• Best Kids GPS Trackers and Wearables