The Best Kids GPS Trackers and Wearables

As kids grow, they want to explore, push boundaries, and make their own rules. Whether your child is on a family outing, at an amusement park, or on a school trip, tracking devices for kids give you one less thing to worry about. And whether your child is starting kindergarten or is in middle school, kids’ GPS watches and other wearable GPS technology help you keep track of your child’s day without being too intrusive—giving you the peace of mind that every parent dreams of. We’ve compiled a list of the best GPS trackers for kids on the market today, so you can find the right fit for your kid’s lifestyle.

Compare Best Kids GPS Trackers

Data effective 05/02/2019. Offers and availability subject to change. All of the top five kids’ GPS trackers require a monthly service plan.

Kids putting the Relay to the test for our review.

Being a parent is hard. Being a parent to a child with a disabilty 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.

With AngelCall two-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. Plus, you can see what your child has been up to with diary logs that input data every 30 seconds.

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.

Read one mom’s full review of the AngelSense Kids’ GPS Tracker.

If you want the convenience and reassurance of a smartphone without all the distractions, then this is the solution for you—and you can get it for around $50. This innovative take on a kids’ smartphone delivers GPS tracking, nationwide coverage, and one-touch communication. But one thing it doesn’t have is a screen, so you won’t have to police screen time with this nifty device. It also includes customizable channels that let you set up individual or group chats. That means your child can reach Mom, Dad, or the whole family with the touch of one button. And there are a few fun features like a music player and a voice changer with sound effects.

There are no long-term contracts with the Relay, so you pay for service only as long as you want it. The customized channels make it easy for your child to stay in touch with everyone. If you have more than one child with a Relay, you can set up chats with each of them individually or create a group to call them all in for dinner with the touch of one button.

You don’t have to worry about screens distracting your kid at school or at home with the Relay. This kids’ smartphone is stripped down to include only the most essential elements that deliver the communication and peace of mind you need. One downside is that the Relay isn’t wearable. Your child will have to carry it with them in a pocket or backpack, which means you have to count on them to remember it wherever they go.

Standout Feature: One-Touch Talk

The Relay operates like a walkie-talkie. All your child needs to do to connect with you is hit one button. And this feature works between Relay devices or with your smartphone via the Relay phone app.

“My son loves his Relay! I can see where he is on a map, he can call when he wants, and there is no problem with any games. He’s too busy playing with friends.” —Scott B., Relay customer

The GizmoWatch lets your kids stay in touch with you, even when they’re off doing their own thing. The simple design makes it easy for younger kids to use, and automated alerts let you relax more when you’re not with your kiddos. Your child can call up to 10 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.

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 if you’ve got a wanderer. Because this GPS watch comes with the entire Verizon network at your disposal, there’s a two-year contract attached. So you 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: Fitness Tracker

This watch lets you keep an eye on your children and gets them excited about fitness. The GizmoWatch makes it easy for kids to set exercise goals, count steps, and schedule reminders for activities like sports or dance lessons.

“We bought a Gizmo for our eight year old about a month ago. It has been perfect for us. It reports his location accurately, and call quality is very good. The battery lasted through two nights of forgetting to charge it, and silent mode means that he can wear it at school.” —Parent review on verizonwireless.com

Kids love rewards—and now their GPS watch can help you promote good behavior. The AmbyGear Wizard 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.

Your kids collect points for activities you set up (like waking up on time for school), and they can exchange their earned points for rewards. The device comes equipped with a wide range of learning activities that teach kids to be more responsible. But keep in mind that with so many fun things to do on this device, your child might get distracted and lose focus on priorities. We like that the Wizard includes a quiet time feature so you can control how much time your kids spend playing around with the watch.

Standout Feature: Up to Eight Watches Supported

If you’ve got multiple kiddos to keep an eye on, AmbyGear’s got you covered. You can simultaneously monitor up to eight smartwatches from one app.

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 extra reassurance 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 long battery life—up to five days—so you won’t have to worry about the device dying while your kid is away.

You can set up as many safety zones as you need for your child, giving them more freedom and fewer restrictions. 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. But it’s not a wearable, your kid will have to remember to pack it in their backpack before starting their day.

Standout Feature: Accuracy

With three different types of tracking—map, compass, and radar—you’ll be able to locate your kid practically anywhere.

“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

More Kid Trackers That Are Worth a Look

My Buddy Tag Bluetooth Wristband

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 near a pool or body of water.

This safety device is one of the most affordable on the market—you can buy it for about $40. That makes it easier on your wallet if you have several children to keep track of. Best of all, you can set up multiple tags in the app to simultaneously track more than one child at a time. The lithium battery is designed to last a full year, so you don’t have to worry about the extra cost of buying new batteries often. The biggest drawback is the limited range of the Buddy Tag. The device’s range is 40 feet indoors, and 80–120 feet outdoors.

Standout Feature: Water Alerts

The My Buddy Tag includes a special alert that lets you know if it’s been submerged in water for five seconds, which is a huge advantage when your kids are playing at the beach.

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.”

Amber Alert GPS Locator

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’s address, so you can potentially prevent a crime before it takes place.

You can program up to 20 safe zones to monitor your child’s whereabouts. 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. To prevent distractions during school, you can place the device in silent mode. All of these features come at a price, though—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

Amber Alert GPS is the only device that alerts you if your child is close to a registered sex offender’s address.

“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

DokiWatch

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.

Doki’s virtual pet makes fitness fun by tracking steps, distance, and calories. But the DokiWatch also offers parents and kids some serious support. When your child activates the SOS mode, the watch sends emergency notifications, recordings of your child’s surroundings, and location status updates to the entire contact list.

Plus, setup is a breeze. With three simple steps, the device is ready to use: insert the SIM card, download the app, scan the QR code—and start tracking. If your child is friends with another DokiWatch user, they can connect through the device. The one drawback is you can’t monitor their friends list.

Standout Feature: Video Calling

If your child is in trouble, seeing your face will reassure them, while also helping you assess the severity of a situation.

Jiobit

Designed by a father who had a scare when he lost track of his young son at a local park, this is one of the smallest child location trackers we’ve seen. The Jiobit is lightweight and about the size of an AA battery—making it easy for little ones to wear all day. And the secure attachments aren’t easy to remove, so it can stand up to even the most fidgety kiddo. But there’s no way to call or listen in with the Jiobit, so if two-way communication is a must-have, this device won’t fit the bill.

Jiobit offers a risk-free, 30-day trial, so you can find out if this device works for you and your kids before committing. And if you do decide to keep it, Jiobit offers no-contract options on monthly service. Depending on the age and activity level of your child, the Jiobit can go up to three weeks without charging. But even with daily use on vacation or at school, the battery can last up to seven days. This means you don’t have to worry about charging it daily, which gives you one less thing to worry about before bed every night.

Jiobit offers a number of attachment options to help you find the best fit for your child. You can choose from a built-in loop, waistband clip, secure loop, strap clip, or an outer sleeve attachment. Depending on your child’s preference and activities, this gives you plenty of options to ensure that the device stays put (and doesn’t bother your little one).

While the Jiobit offers accurate GPS tracking, it doesn’t provide any way to communicate with your child. There’s no speaker, so your child can’t call for help and you can’t listen in to make sure they’re okay.

Standout Feature: Self-Learning

One of the coolest things about Jiobit is its learning technology. The device will learn your child’s routines, routes, and regular locations. That means you don’t have to program your kid’s habits into the device—it will learn them on its own. It also means that it will know when to alert you to a change in routine.

Smart B’zT

This wearable child tracker is one of the most unique we’ve seen—and it’s so discreet that your kids (and any suspicious characters) won’t be tempted to tamper with it. The B’zT Patch can be added to any item of clothing or a backpack to give you extra eyes on kids that like to wander. It’s ideal for outings to amusement parks, the beach, or the grocery store. The patch uses a proximity-based Bluetooth chip that can withstand a turn in the washer and a tumble in the dryer. When your kiddo wanders out of range, you get an alarm that lets you know instantly.

Because it’s not a smartphone or a smartwatch, the B’zT Patch comes with a cheap price tag. You can pick up one patch for around $25, which makes it affordable for families that need to protect multiple children. The app lets you register up to five kids, and you can track them all at the same time.

This is the sneakiest of all the child trackers we’ve seen. It doesn’t look like other wearables, so it hides in plain sight. This provides the extra comfort of knowing that the device would likely go unnoticed in an attempted abduction, so the bad folks couldn’t disable it. And the battery should last up to 10 months—but the lifespan can vary depending on how often it’s worn and the number of washes.

The B’zT Patch uses Bluetooth instead of GPS, so that limits the tracking range. The company claims that it works up to 130 feet, but walls and other obstructions can interfere with that range. And each patch can only be paired to one phone at a time, so if you want to hand off tracking to another caregiver, you need to disconnect your phone and then have them connect using their device.

Standout Feature: Fun Designs

Your kids will be excited to pick out their favorite patch design, which should help you avoid fights when it’s time to wear patch-adorned clothing. Patches come in a number of brightly-colored patterns that feature outer space themes and animals.

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 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.

Geofencing

You get extra peace of mind when you can set safety zones and perimeter alerts with a virtual fence. Geofencing 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 on only 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 10 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. Look for a device that meets your needs for indoor tracking, especially if your child will be spending a majority of time indoors.

More Resources to Keep Your Family Safe

• Best Nanny Cams
• The 50 Safest Cities to Raise a Child
• 5 Ways You Can Help Your Kids Stay Safe at School