So your child has announced they want a Smartwatch or Fitness Band? Yeah as a parent I get this, it’s hard to keep up. Phones are common amongst school kids and smartwatches are quickly catching up as the must-have playground wearable. In this article, I will cover what these technologies are so you can make an informed decision about your purchase.
What Is A Smartwatch?
A Smartwatch is a wearable technology that commonly has one or more of the following features:
- Colour Screen
- Touch Screen
- Apps
- Bluetooth
- GPS
- Camera
- Speakers
- Health Monitors / Sensors
A smartwatch is sometimes called a fitness band they have similar features but different styling.
Smartwatch vs Fitness Bands
Smartwatches are Fitness Bands can get confusing. They look different but they do the same thing? Yes and No.
Smartwatches are more focused around communication, for example, reading email and apps.
Fitness bands are focused around health monitoring like steps taken, heart rate and fitness goals.
It can easily get confusing because the features overlap, for example, some smartwatches have good fitness apps and sensors whereas some fitness bands can read emails.
What Can My Child Do With A Smartwatch?
This really depends but I’m going to give some solid examples of the type of thing your child can do with a smartwatch.
Take the popular Garmin Vivofit Jr. this is a smartwatch specifically aimed at young children. With the Vivofit you can:
- play a range of games
- tells the time (with learning feature)
- step counter (to encourage fitness)
- Parental controls
Another example is the PHRToy Smartwatch this smartwatch has a slightly different set of features because you can put a sim card in it meaning it can:
- Make Phone Calls (limits contacts)
- Call emergency and SOS contacts
- To do list
- music player
As you can see there are lots of options depending on the device. I have put together a list of the best smartwatches for kids. Please check this article for the full list to find out more about what kids can do with smartwatches.
Can A Smartwatch Help My Child?
A smartwatch can be a valuable device to a child, a smartwatch can (depending on features):
- Help Children Learn
- Encourage Play
- Great for imagination (taking pictures)
- Keeps them safe (Voice and Emergency Calls)
- Know the child’s location (GPS)
Is a Smartwatch Expensive?
A top-end adult smartwatch like the apple watch is expensive. But a smartwatch designed for a child is not expensive. In terms of cost, I would say a budget of $60 (£50) is a good starting point for a good smartwatch. I have put together a complete guide on smartwatches for kids.