Best GPS Trackers and Tracking Devices for Kids in 2026

 The AngelSense GPS tracker is our winner for best overall kids GPS tracker, thanks to its unique emergency and recovery features. If you're looking for something a little more versatile, consider the Bark Watch for location tracking, secure messaging, and fun fitness games.

Rounding out our list are the budget-friendly Tack GPS Plus, the international Tracki, and the screen-free BoT Talk.

GPS trackers help keep your little one safe at school, play, and everywhere in between. They allow you to keep tabs on your kiddos and ensure their safety with location tracking and timely alerts. The best kids GPS trackers—including all the options on our list—also include an SOS button so your child can ask for help in an instant. Let's take a look at what else they can do.

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After 10-plus years of testing and wearing family safety devices, we know that a good kids GPS tracker does more than pinpoint your child's location. Consider these factors when choosing the best GPS tracker for your family.

AngelSense is our pick for the overall best GPS tracker for kids because it's the only device that combines accurate location tracking with timely alerts and emergency recovery tools.

AngelSense uses artificial intelligence to learn the child's typical routine and alerts parents when they go somewhere unusual. If your child does go missing, you can instantly talk to them thanks to automatic call pick-up. Live tracking mode provides location updates every 10 seconds, and you can share a tracking link with law enforcement, family members, school staff, or anyone else on the lookout. 

• Go ahead and buy AngelSense if your child has previously gone missing or is at a high risk for elopement.
• Keep shopping if you need to keep monthly costs low.

We've tested several generations of the AngelSense tracker, including the AngelSense Watch. Our team has always been impressed by their quality, comfort, and accuracy. The brand also offers a helpful onboarding call to introduce each feature and answer any questions you may have

We like the variety of alerts AngelSense can send, including transit alerts that tell you when your child is on the bus or in a car, how fast they're going, and when they're expected to arrive. You can also set up safe zones and get notified when your child leaves that area, but AngelSense takes a lot of the guesswork out of this by intelligently analyzing your child's routine and sending you alerts when they leave a particular place earlier or later than usual.

During our testing period, we appreciated the consistent updates that AngelSense sent throughout the day via push notification, text, and email. AngelSense logs location data in a diary so you can see where your kid has been throughout the day.  We found the AngelSense parent app easy to use thanks to intuitive navigation.

AngelSense’s great features do come at a price, however. Plans start around $45 and go up from there depending on whether you pay up front or in installments. You don't have to pay for the device itself, but there's an activation fee of $19 or $59 depending on the plan. 

To learn more, check out our full reviews of the AngelSense GPS Tracker and AngelSense Watch.

The Bark Watch is our pick for best GPS kids smartwatch because it gives you two powerful safety nets in one: it protects your child online and keeps you in the loop about their real-world whereabouts.

• Go ahead and buy the Bark Watch if you want to monitor both your child's online interactions and their real-world movements.
• Keep shopping if you want to keep upfront (and ongoing) costs low. 

The Bark Watch delivers a lot more than a simple GPS tracker, but those extras come at a higher price point — especially if your top priority is simple location tracking.

Location tracking: With GPS, Wi-Fi, and LTE, the Bark Watch lets you check your child’s location in real time, review where they’ve been, and set up safe zones (like home or school) to get instant alerts when they arrive or leave. Parents can also request quick check-ins for peace of mind, whether kids are biking to a friend’s house or walking home from school. When we tested the Bark Watch's location tracking, we were impressed by how accurate it was and how quickly it notified parents about safe zone exits.

Cyberbullying protection: Bark is the only kids smartwatch that alerts you to problematic messages and photos, making it a strong defense against cyberbullying and online threats.

Social media monitoring: Because the Bark parental control app is built in, the Bark Watch also offers the most robust social media monitoring you can find. Bark can help you monitor messaging on more than 24 social media apps, including Kik, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Roblox, Reddit, and more.

This combination of GPS tracking and online protection makes Bark Watch a standout choice for families who want more than just a communication device — it’s a true safety companion.

The Tack GPS Plus is our pick for the best budget-friendly kids GPS tracker because its monthly rates are well below $10. In fact, it costs up to 95% less than AngelSense. The $60 device fee is middle-of-the-road compared to other options on our list, but we think the monthly savings makes up for it.

Fortunately, affordable doesn't mean "cheap." Tack GPS Plus offers high-quality location tracking, even in tricky areas like indoors. 

• Go ahead and buy Tack GPS Plus if you need to prioritize low monthly fees or indoor tracking.
• Keep shopping if two-way talk is important to you.

We noticed this GPS tracker trades some of the more kid-focused features for advanced locating capabilities. Along with GPS tracking, it also works with Wi-Fi and IoT to keep it accessible indoors and in areas with a poor cell signal. That IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity keeps the battery drain to a minimum, stretching it to 30 days between charges. 

It doesn't have two-way talk, but the Tack GPS Plus still offers essentials like an SOS button, safe zones, and location history. From the Tack app, you can share your child's location and permissions with trusted adults such as your spouse, their grandparents, and other guardians. 

One major downside is the location update interval. If your child is missing, every second counts, but Tack GPS only updates every 60 seconds emergency mode (Premium plan required). Other devices update more frequently, such as every 10 seconds with AngelSense. 

On the positive side, the Tack GPS Plus works in more than 120 countries. Note that there's a more basic version (Tack GPS) that works in 30 countries and doesn't include indoor tracking. We recommend spending $20 extra for the Plus device. 

Get more details in our full Tack GPS review.

 We chose Tracki as the best kids GPS tracker for international use because it works in around 190 out of 195 countries worldwide. It's a fairly no-frills tracker, but it comes with essential features like safe zones, an SOS button, and high-speed movement alerts.

• Go ahead and buy Tracki if you need a tracker that can keep up with your family's travels.
• Keep shopping if two-way talk is important to you. 

It's small enough to fit inside a child's pocket, or you can attach it to the included lanyard, keychain, or belt clip to turn it into a wearable tracking device for kids. The Tracki also comes with a silicone cover to protect it from water damage.

From your online account or companion app, you can set up geofence zones and change the frequency of location check-ins. The Tracki's battery lasts up to 72 hours with minute-by-minute check-ins. If you check in once a day, the battery can last more than a month. You can also purchase replacement batteries as needed. 

The Tracki itself costs around $60—but it's often available on Amazon for around $19. You'll pay an extra $20 each month for service; however, if you pay annually, the price lowers to around $10 per month. 

Get all the details in our full Tracki review.

Screen-free GPS trackers are getting a little hard to find these days, especially those designed for kids. Fortunately, there's a new addition to the line-up: BoT Talk. 

Popularized in Japan and now available in the US, BoT Talk is a square, pocket-sized speaker with a button in the middle. Kids press and hold the button to record messages for their parents, or they press and release the button to listen to messages. Ringtones are optional. 

• Go ahead and buy BoT Talk if you don't want your child to have a smartwatch or phone but you value two-way talk.
• Keep shopping if you want more robust emergency features.

BoT Talk combines two-way talk and GPS tracking in a simple device that's neither a smartwatch nor a phone. So, if you're trying to keep your kid away from screens but feel like the AngelSense is a little too robust for your needs, BoT Talk could be a great solution.

Like AngelSense, BoT Talk uses AI to learn your child's typical routine. If they deviate, you'll get an alert so you know to check in. 

But that's where the excitement stops. Here are a few big caveats to be aware of:

• Message delivery is delayed by about one minute.
• Although the voice button can double as an SOS button, there's no way for parents to know it's an emergency communication. It would be easy to miss an important notification.
• If you cancel your subscription, the entire device becomes useless. You would need to buy a new device (about $60) to restart the subscription. 

That said, this could be a great tracker to put in a kindergartner's backpack to make sure they get on the right bus and make it home safely. It's simple, affordable, and distraction-free.

In May 2024, we surveyed 1,000 parents about their top kids safety concerns. Abduction was the most worrisome issue for parents, while getting lost and accidental injury were less concerning. Kids GPS trackers can help in all of these scenarios, but only if they have the right features and a high level of accuracy.

Therefore, we started our research by looking for GPS trackers that include an SOS button, safe zone alerts, and two-way talk. We compared products across more than a dozen specs to find the right balance of features and price. 

We also tested the location tracking accuracy and battery life of AngelSense. For trackers we didn't personally test, we relied on customer reviews to help us make a judgment call. We're currently testing the Bark Watch and will update with our real-life results of its GPS tracking capabilities. Over the years, we have also tested trackers that are no longer available, including Jiobit, Relay, and Samsung SmartThings Tracker. 

Learn more about how we rank and review.

AngelSense is our top pick for the best kids' GPS trackers. We love its features for parents and kids with special needs, like the sensory-sensitive design. But it's also a handy device for anyone watching over small children or even older adults. Although its monthly price is the highest of the bunch, that price includes the confidence of constant location updates and quick access to your loved ones. 

Our other picks — Tack, Tracki, and BoT Talk — are small but mighty. They all offer accurate location reporting using multiple methods beyond GPS, geofencing, and a mobile app to manage your settings. 

And if you want to track more than your child's location, we recommend the Bark Watch. It helps you keep kids safe in real life and online.

So whether you're sending your kids off to school on their own for the first time or going on a family outing together, GPS trackers are handy for parents with youngsters who are too little for their own devices. 

Want to keep track of more than just your kids? Check out our full lineup of the best GPS trackers for any situation.