2018 Best Wearable GPS Trackers for Kids Buyers Guide
Best Kids GPS Trackers of 2018
AngelSense Kids GPS Tracker Read Review- AngelCall 2-way voice
- Listen-in
- 30-second updates
- High Monthly Fees
Weenect Kids GPS Child Tracker Read Review- Long battery life
- Unlimited number of zones
- Unlimited GPS tracking
- Not wearable
- Not available in U.S. or Canada
My Buddy Tag Bluetooth Wristband Read Review- Affordable price
- Simultaneous tracking
- Long battery life
- Limited range
Lineable Smart Wristband for Kids Read Review- Affordable price
- Long battery life
- Bright colors
- Limited tracking
Amber Alert GPS Locator Read Review- Safety zone setup
- Frequent location updates
- Silent mode
- Expensive
Trax Play GPS Tracker for Children Read Review- Small and lightweight
- Pet tracking
- Flexible settings
- No two-way communication
GizmoPal 2 Kids GPS Watch Read Review- Two-way communication
- Affordable Price
- Real-time tracking
- Bulky
TickTalk Touch Screen Kids Wearable Tracker Read Review- Two-way communication
- Pay-as-you-go plan
- Comfortable fit
- Not durable
Things to Consider in a Kids GPS Tracker
Finding the right GPS tracker for your child can be a challenge. It’s helpful to understand what features are most vital to you and what limitations will be a deal breaker. Whether you’re looking for a kids GPS watch or a GPS tracking device you can conceal in a pocket, you need to know that the child tracking device will deliver. Here are the top things to consider before deciding on a kids GPS tracker for your family.Ease of Use
When you’re looking at GPS for kids, it’s important to make sure that the tracking device is comfortable and easy for your child to use.Age Range
Many trackers have recommended ages for use. In addition to those guidelines, consider how big the buttons are, how easy it is for little fingers to respond to you or reach out for help, and whether or not they can put it on and take it off on their own. If you’re concerned about them removing the tracker, look for one with anti-tamper features.Battery Life
The best-case scenario is a GPS tracker for kids that holds a charge for a few days. The more high-maintenance a tracker is (requiring daily charging), the more likely you are to leave home without it or end up with a dead battery.Comfort
You don’t have any chance of tracking down your child if they’re not wearing the tracker. Make sure the material is flexible and non-irritating to tender skin, as well as adjustable enough to ensure a secure, but comfy fit.Durability
Because your child will be taking the GPS tracker with them on all their adventures, it needs to be able to withstand a good amount of punishment.Design
Seek out durable material that can take whatever your kid can dish out. Solid band construction and a protected or shatter-proof face can stand up to roughhousing, sports, and the wear and tear of daily use.Water Resistance
Kids are always getting their hands dirty, which means they need to wash up regularly. While few GPS devices are totally waterproof, a quality tracking device should be able to handle incidental water and splashing.Features
Kids GPS watches and trackers come with a wide variety of bells and whistles, so it helps to cut through the razzle-dazzle and identify the features that really keep your child safe.Geo-fencing
You get extra peace of mind when you can set safety zones and perimeter alerts with a virtual fence. Geo-fencing lets you know your child is where they’re supposed to be and warns you if they leave the boundaries you’ve established.Range
Whether you simply want to track your child around the neighborhood or keep tabs on them during a cross-country visit to Grandma, you need a GPS tracker that will work for the range and distance you require. Keep in mind that devices that rely only on Bluetooth often have limited range, so these are best for close-proximity tracking.Alerts and Notifications
Kids GPS tracking devices come with different alert and notification settings. Some update location only every five minutes, and others let you check in every ten seconds. Consider how often you want updates and how much flexibility you need for different circumstances.Panic Button
If your child is lost or scared, all they have to do is hit the SOS or panic alert button to immediately let you and other emergency contacts know they need help. For children that spend time on their own after school or on the way to extracurricular activities, this feature can make both you and your child feel safer.Two-Way Communication
Sometimes all you need is the location of your child, but other times you want to be able to talk to them. If communication is important, a GPS wearable with two-way talk can be the perfect safety solution.Games
One of the best ways to ensure your kid will keep their tracker on is to make it fun to wear. Some GPS devices for kids have games and reward systems to keep youngsters engaged and willing to sport them on a daily basis. Just make sure the games aren’t so distracting that it gets them in trouble at school.Accuracy
A child-tracking device doesn’t do any good if it can’t accurately tell you where your child is. Look at how well a kids GPS tracker can pinpoint the child’s location and if there are any limitations on how often it updates or whether wearing it indoors inhibits accuracy.Real-Time Tracking
When you need to know where your child is right now, there isn’t a moment to spare. If monitoring your child in real time is important, make sure the wearable you choose offers that feature and delivers reliably.Indoor Use
It can be difficult to get a good read on locations when children are inside a building. Make sure the device you select meets your needs for indoor tracking, especially if your child will be spending a majority of time indoors.Best GPS Trackers for Kids
Being a parent is hard. Being a parent to a child with autism or other disabilities can be even harder. There are many known cases where children with disabilities will wander away, often getting lost. AngelSense was created with one purpose in mind: to help protect these children. Beyond the plethora of tracking capabilities—from safety-zone setup to 30-second updates—AngelSense’s Listen-In function lets parents listen to how their child’s day is going, ensuring they’re not mistreated, neglected, or lost.
Read one mom’s full review of the AngelSense Kids GPS Tracker.
- AngelCall 2-Way Voice You can talk to your child at any time, and they don’t need to worry about buttons or clicking on anything to chat.
- Listen-in Function The device lets you listen in on your child’s day to hear what’s happening around them.
- 30-Second Updates See what your child has been up to with diary logs that input data every thirty seconds.
- High Monthly Fees AngelSense’s great features do come at a price. Plans start around $30 and go up from there, depending on whether you pay up front or in installments.
Standout Feature: Made for Kids with Disabilities
“AngelSense has provided me with the ability to locate my son at any time, even in the densely crowded landscape of New York City. Every day I listen-in to hear his interaction with his teachers and friends at school. Once he’s home, we go over the diary together and I show him the Google map pictures of where he’s been that day; it’s a special time where we talk about his day together.” —AngelSense review
Your little ones are the biggest part of your life, but you can’t be with them at all times. From daycare to after-school activities, your kids have a life of their own. The GizmoWatch lets your kids stay in touch with you, even when they’re off doing their own thing. The simple design and functionality make it easy for younger kids to use, and the automated alerts (if your child leaves your pre-set GPS boundaries) let you relax more when you’re not with your little ones.
- Step Tracker This watch lets you keep an eye on your kiddos and gets them excited about fitness. This GPS tracker makes it easy for kids to set exercise goals, count steps, and schedule reminders for activities like sports or dance lessons.
- Two-Way Communication Your child can call up to ten programmed numbers in case of an emergency, or just to check in. And if you need to get in touch, you can either call or send a text message.
- GPS Boundaries The GizmoWatch makes it easy to know where your child is. In addition to regular GPS tracking, you can set GPS boundaries to keep your kids safe. If they cross a boundary, you’ll get an automatic alert. This feature is especially handy i f you’ve got a wanderer.
- Two-Year Contract Because this GPS watch comes with the entire Verizon network at your disposal, there’s a two-year contract attached. So you’ll end up paying for the watch plus a monthly fee for data usage and other services. Be sure that your child will be able to use this watch for the full two years (or pass it down) before you sign up.
Standout Feature: Can Be Used with All Carriers
“The concept behind the hereO watch is certainly one any parent can get behind, and the design and size are ideal for children, unlike other personal GPS locators.” —Michael Radon, 2014
Kids love rewards—and now their GPS watch can help you promote good behavior. The AmbyGear Smartwatch does more than track your kids—it keeps them busy throughout the day with fun games and learning activities. Every time your kid does something right, the watch rewards them with positive reinforcement and points. And unlike other tracking devices for kids, this locator lets your kids track you too. This feature can come in handy anytime your child feels panicked or scared.
- Reward System Your kids can collect points for activities you set up, which they can later exchange for rewards.
- Calendar App Set up reminders for your kid so they’re always on time.
- Learning Activities The device comes equipped with a wide range of learning activities that teach kids to be more responsible.
- Distracting With so many fun things to do on this device, your child might get distracted and lose focus on priorities.
Standout Feature: Parent Tracking
“AmbyGear’s watch is aimed at children ages three to eleven—when they’re too young to have a smartphone of their own, but at an age where they may either wander off, or still need to be in touch with their parents somehow.” — TechCrunch review, 2015
Weenect works in over 100 countries; however, it’s not available in the US and Canada. But this locator’s advanced tracking capabilities grabbed our attention. With a live map, compass, and distance countdown tracking, the Weenect child GPS tracker delivers unmatched location accuracy, which provides strong peace of mind if you’re on vacation or live outside the US or Canada. Along with safety zone setup, a panic button, and two-way calling capabilities, this device covers all the must-haves that a kid needs to feel safe. It also comes with a long battery life—up to seven days—so you won’t have to worry about the device dying while your kid is away.
- Long Battery Life Weenect Kids has a longer battery life in comparison to other wearable devices, so you won’t have to stress about charging it daily.
- Unlimited Number of Zones You can set up as many safety zones as you need for your child, giving them more freedom and fewer restrictions.
- Unlimited GPS Tracking With this kids GPS tracker, you won’t have to worry about distance limits or time spent in real-time mode when locating your child.
- Not Wearable Because it’s not a wearable, your kid will have to remember to pack it in their backpack before starting their day.
- Not Available in US or Canada Unfortunately, Weenect isn’t currently available for use in the US or Canada, but it does work in more than 100 countries across the globe.
Standout Feature: Accuracy
“I can whole-heartedly say any parent wanting to keep tabs on a child who might not quite be ready for a phone, will find an excellent solution in Weenect.” —Customer review, 2017
Sometimes the only thing your kid wants to do is jump in the pool—but pools can often lead to accidental drownings. That’s where My Buddy Tag comes in. Like many other tracking devices for kids, My Buddy Tag helps you track your child when they’re out of sight. But one of the features that makes it stand out is its alert system. When the band is submerged in water for five consecutive seconds, it sends out a notification—helping to keep your kid safe when they’re playing in the pool.
- Affordable Price This safety device is one of the most affordable on the market—you can buy it for about $40.
- Simultaneous Tracking If you have several children, you can track them simultaneously and identify each tag by name using the application.
- Long Battery Life The lithium battery is designed to last a full year.
- Limited Range The range for the device is forty feet indoors, and 80–120 feet outdoors.
Standout Feature: Waterproof
Willie Wu, creator of My Buddy Tag, had this to say: “My Buddy Tag helps prevent accidental drowning. There is no other device out there can also alert you when your child accidentally falls into a pool or lake.”
Parenting and budgeting often go hand in hand. Lineable is a budget-friendly GPS tracker for kids, but it comes with no additional features. One of the most unique things about this device is its crowdsourcing GPS. Anyone with the Lineable Application, within range of the device, can assist parents in locating their missing child. While this is a unique and trailblazing function, it works only if people actually download the app.
- Affordable Price The low price of this GPS tracking device helps it stand out from the competition, offering an extremely economical solution if you’re on a budget.
- Long Battery Life You won’t have to worry about the battery dying with this wearable device—it’s built to last for an entire year.
- Bright Colors A wide variety of colors make it fun for kids—they can choose from light blue, white, pink, or orange wristbands.
- Limited Tracking The tracking range of the smartband is somewhat limited, as with other Bluetooth devices. You can locate your child within sixty-five to ninety-eight feet, depending on environment.
Standout Feature: GPS Crowdsourcing
“The crowdsourcing GPS feature Lineable uses as its working system encourages not only the parents but also the general public to actively engage in making a safer world for kids by simply using the Lineable app.” —Jane Kim, Lineable Marketing Manager
As a parent, you do your best to keep your children safe, but you can’t anticipate everything. Sometimes the unexpected happens—and child GPS trackers like Amber Alert can help reduce the chances of worrisome scenarios. With impressive features like location tracking, alerts, and speed detection, the Amber Alert GPS locator helps you keep tabs on your child’s whereabouts at all times. It even taps into the National Sex Offender Database to show whether your child is within 500 feet of a sex offender, so you can potentially prevent a crime before it takes place.
- Safety Zone Setup You can program up to twenty safe zones to monitor your child’s whereabouts.
- Frequent Location Updates This tracker updates your child’s location every five minutes, which is often enough to know what’s going on, but not so frequent that it causes the battery to run low.
- Silent Mode You can place the device in silent mode to prevent distractions when your kid is at school or asleep.
- Expensive The Amber Alert GPS Locator is one of the most expensive devices on our list. An activation fee and a monthly subscription are also required.
Standout Feature: Sex Offender Detection
“Given that our society has changed so much, with dual working parents and the emphasis on child safety, we hope to bring a little peace of mind to parents and a little bit of freedom to youngsters who are too young for a cell phone.” —Mary Anne Keegan, CMO of Amber Alert GPS
There you are, enjoying the day at a theme park, when you turn around to see your child is missing. You frantically scour the area as panic begins to set in. Crowded areas are one of the toughest places to find a child—especially if they’re too young to talk. If you have a toddler that just started walking, Trax Play is the solution for you. With simple features and functionality, Trax Play is a no-frills option for finding your child. It can easily be clipped onto a belt loop or slipped into your child’s pocket for all-day wear. However, since it doesn’t offer two-way communication, it’s best for checking in on younger children.
- Small and Lightweight This kids GPS tracker weighs only 0.8 ounces and is approximately 55 x 38 x 10 mm—so you can fit it just about anywhere.
- Pet Tracking Not only can you use this device to track your child, but its size and shape make it easy to use for pets as well.
- Flexible Settings You can customize the frequency of tracking from every ten seconds to five minutes, which will help extend battery life.
- No Two-Way Communication You can’t talk to your child with this device, which can be limiting in the case of an emergency.
Standout Feature: Augmented Reality
“I really liked the idea that I could ‘follow’ my son to school and also LOVED the geo-fence idea. It sends me a notification when my son enters and exits the zone I created. It gives him a huge sense of independence and me comfort knowing where he is.” —Customer review, 2016
Most kids like imitating grownups—and the GizmoGadget allows them to feel a little more like an adult. Out of all the GPS tracking devices for kids on this list, the GizmoGadget is the closest to resembling the look and feel of an Apple smartwatch. With this GPS watch for kids, your kiddo can send texts and emojis and add up to ten contacts. Note that the GizmoGadget does not include any distractions because, as your kids will soon learn, being an adult is not all about fun and games.
- Two-Way Calling Not only can your child receive calls if you’re trying to reach them, but they can call you as well with updates.
- Fitness Tracker The device lets you track your child’s steps and reports how active they were throughout the day.
- Personalized Text Your child can personalize their message with emojis, making the experience more fun and incentivizing for kids.
- No Games Although this might be a good thing for some parents, kids are more likely to wear this kids GPS watch if it’s engaging and fun to use.
Standout Feature: Sophisticated Design
“The GizmoGadget has a ton of cool features. You can control its features from an app. You can even have it auto-answer after ten seconds…too many features to list” —Customer review, 2016
Your little ones are the biggest part of your life, but you can’t be with them at all times. From daycare to after-school activities, your kids have a life of their own. The GizmoPal 2, the sibling of the more sophisticated GizmoGadget, lets your kids stay in touch with you, even when they’re away. The simple design and functionality make it easy for younger kids to know exactly what buttons to press if they need to reach you.
- Two-Way Communication Your child can call up to four numbers in case of an emergency, or you can call them to check in on how their day is going.
- Affordable Price This kids GPS watch comes at a very affordable price for all the features and tracking capabilities it provides.
- Real-Time Tracking If you’re curious about your kid’s whereabouts but don’t want to disturb them in the middle of the day, you can easily track them in real-time to see what they’re up to.
- Bulky The design and fit of the GIZMOPAL 2 is bulky for young children, making it uncomfortable for all-day wear.
Standout Feature: Touchscreen
“I use GizmoPal for my five-year-old. It has held up for two years and is still perfect for him.” —Customer review, 2015
Losing a child is scary—losing a child abroad is a parent’s worst nightmare. And while most GPS wearables work well at home, the KiGO Watch stands out with the capability to track your child abroad. Not only is the lightweight, small design easy and comfortable to wear—you can now feel at ease while letting your child go sightseeing and explore the world.
- GPS/Wi-Fi Positioning Enables you to stay connected, whether your child is inside or outside a building.
- SOS Mode Your child can activate the SOS trigger, which will cause the GPS watch to start calling a set of pre-programmed contacts.
- Easy Setup This device is one of the simplest to set up and sync with the companion app to start tracking your child.
- Battery Life The battery life of this device will last for only about a day with normal wear.
Standout Feature: Works Well Abroad
“The glass on the front of the screen is made with Corning Gorilla Glass 4, which is very resilient and scratch-resistant. My daughter has been using it for about three weeks now, and there aren’t any scratches on it yet.” —Customer review, 2017
Nothing is more reassuring to a lost child than seeing their parent’s face. And the dokiWatch is the first smartwatch for kids to make that possible. The built-in camera and integrated video calling capabilities make it easy for parents to see their children, no matter the distance. Your kids will also appreciate the virtual pet, which grows in strength the more active and healthy your kids are throughout the day.
- Electronic Pet Doki is a virtual pet—think Tamagotchi—that makes fitness fun by tracking steps, distance, and calories.
- SOS Mode Once your child activates the SOS mode, the watch will send emergency notifications, recordings of your child’s surroundings, and location status updates to the entire contact list.
- Easy to Use With three simple steps, the device is ready to use: insert the SIM card, download the app, scan the QR code—and start tracking.
- Add Friends Feature If your child is friends with another dokiWatch user, they can connect through the device. And although you can monitor their friends list, it can be a troublesome thought that someone you’re not familiar with has access to your child.
Standout Feature: Video Calling
“We recently backed a Kickstarter project called dokiWatch that offered all the things we were looking for in a safe tracker, phone plus one-button SOS, a kids fitness tracker, and more…very excited about all the features the watch offers.” —Customer review, 2016
TickTalk is a cellphone and child locator in one. Unlike most other trackers on our list, this GPS wearable can be used independently of a smartphone or other mobile device. Best of all, the calling interface is ideal for little fingers to operate, so it’s easy for your child to call for help if they need it. TickTalk also supports voice and text messages, and the band is comfortable enough for kids to wear in the classroom or on the playground.
- Two-Way Communication This wearable device works just like a regular cellphone. Call quality is clear on both ends, and operation is simple enough for kids as young as four.
- Pay-as-You-Go Plan This is one of the only GPS watches that doesn’t require a monthly contract. Instead of being tied into a set payment, pay only for the minutes and data you need, which is handy if you need more coverage during a vacation or to check in on kids left at home while you’re on a business trip.
- Comfortable Fit Designed with smaller wrists in mind, the TickTalk fits better than many other kids watches. Straps are made of flexible silicone that is nontoxic and less irritating than hard plastic.
- Not Durable Even though parents and kids both report loving the design, several ran into trouble with the wristband breaking.
Standout Feature: Location Mode
“By far the best feature of the phone is being able to listen in on your child without them knowing. This is great for situations where they are being babysat or are in class at school and you wish to listen to what is going on.” —Customer review, 2016
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