The best smartwatch for kids that I’ve tested is not an Apple Watch or Garmin

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Fitbit Ace LTE is a youngsters’ smartwatch and health tracker with a proprietary information plan. It prices $230, and the Ace Move LTE information plan prices $10 a month, or $120 yearly.
• The Fitbit Ace contains a wealthy, kid-friendly platform that’s straightforward to navigate. Additionally, the month-to-month payment is cheap, particularly at 50% off for the annual plan by means of August. 
• Nevertheless, the watch does not characteristic sleep-tracking insights or assist for receiving photographs or voice messages. Mother and father additionally do not get a cellphone quantity with the information plan.

Google lately launched the brand new Fitbit Ace LTE, a youngsters’ smartwatch that gamifies bodily exercise to encourage motion in alternate for playtime on the machine. The best factor about it’s that Google does not skimp on the options; it is a good smartwatch by itself, so you possibly can presumably belief it to solely get higher in time, as evidenced by the upcoming updates.

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The brand new Fitbit Ace LTE options a big 41mm by 45mm Gorilla Glass watch face, which appears big for a youngsters’ smartwatch however is definitely simply the precise dimension. All of the video games are supposed to be performed on the watch itself, so the additional display screen actual property is instantly appreciated as quickly as you work together with it. 

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For comparability, I have been testing the Xplora XGO3 for over a 12 months now. It is a $130 youngsters’ smartwatch that additionally requires a month-to-month information subscription and gamifies bodily exercise. Nevertheless, the Xplora XGO3 provides youngsters digital cash in alternate for steps taken, which they will alternate for video games on a cellphone or pill. Whereas it is also very restricted in what youngsters can write — there is not any keyboard within the messaging app — it has fewer options than the Fitbit Ace LTE. 

Fitbit Ace app for grownups

The Fitbit Ace LTE appears extra like a grownup smartwatch than one for youths, but it surely does not embody a cellphone quantity with the Ace Move. As an alternative, the watch requires the dad and mom to make use of the Fitbit Ace app on their iOS or Android smartphone, which provides them full entry to their youngsters’ smartwatch settings, location, information plan, messaging, calling, and extra. 

The Fitbit Ace app lets dad and mom see their youngsters’ current exercise damaged down into “mild” and “energetic” classes and their steps taken. There is not any technique to observe sleep, which is likely one of the options I might wish to see. The app additionally does not present coronary heart charge information, regardless that it displays it to trace motion and discern from mild and energetic train. I do not thoughts the dearth of coronary heart charge information throughout the day, because it varies by age, which may result in false alerts, however I might wish to see it included with sleep monitoring.

Children cannot message anybody they need as a result of the watch has no cellphone quantity connected to the information plan. Solely permitted customers over 13 with the Fitbit Ace app can message the child carrying the Fitbit Ace LTE smartwatch. Mother and father can even add emergency contacts that may be reached when the watch is ready to highschool mode, a technique to keep away from distractions throughout a predetermined time. 

The watch lets youngsters name and ship textual content and voice messages, however dad and mom cannot ship voice messages, which is a minor inconvenience I might like to see corrected. The messages additionally do not assist stickers or images, so you possibly can’t ship your child a cute photograph of their pet or a humorous sticker. Whereas youngsters and permitted contacts can ship emojis, they appear tiny within the cell app and on the watch. 

Google additionally plans so as to add Google Wallet to the Fitbit Ace LTE, letting youngsters use the watch at checkout with tap-to-pay. I can already think about my daughter asking me to place her birthday present card cash in her pockets so she will be able to take a look at herself at shops.

Utilizing the Fitbit Ace LTE

This smartwatch is so feature-rich that I made a decision to interrupt down the most important ones based mostly on my child’s expertise utilizing each:

‘Noodles’ or exercise rings

The Fitbit Ace LTE contains a pedometer and coronary heart charge sensor to trace steps taken, mild bodily exercise, and energetic train. Children carrying the smartwatch begin every day with a Transfer Purpose displayed on their display screen as a Noodle, much like an Apple Watch’s Exercise Rings or Put on OS health tracker. 

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Like most options on the Fitbit Ace LTE, Noodles are customizable. Children can select their most popular Noodle and see an animation when it transforms to an upgraded model after they full their day by day transfer objective. For instance, it may be a cartoon snake getting nearer to a leaf bug because the day progresses. When the Transfer Purpose is reached, the snake eats the bug and adjustments colour because it ‘dies,’ seemingly poisoned.

Fitbit Arcade video games

Video games on the Fitbit Ace LTE are unlocked as the child carrying it reaches train targets, with new options accessible as the child strikes extra. The watch options video games performed by means of bodily exercise, like fishing and golf, which require arm actions. My child significantly cherished the fishing recreation Smokey Lake, which has new places the place she will be able to attempt catching completely different fish. Nevertheless, these places are an X variety of steps away, unlockable provided that she completes the set variety of steps. 

The Fitbit Ace LTE solely works with the Fitbit Ace Move, so you possibly can’t bypass the subscription to make use of the smartwatch. The Fitbit Ace Move, paid month-to-month or yearly, provides the wearable entry to calls, messaging, GPS location, and video games. The video games are a part of Fitbit Arcade, accessible solely with the information plan and up to date nearly day by day. These video games haven’t got in-game purchases or must be downloaded; they solely turn into accessible when the kid does bodily exercise.

There are presently six video games within the Fitbit Arcade, with extra coming quickly.

‘Eejies’ or avatars

Every watch has an Eejie, an avatar that youngsters can customise and make content material by attaining transfer targets. Eejies stay in a home in Bit Valley that youngsters can adorn, unlocking rooms as they progress to completely different ranges. Consider an Eejie as a modern-day Tamagotchi (with out the hatching or dying). 

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If dad and mom enable it on the Fitbit Ace app, youngsters can pal one another in Bit Valley when two or extra Fitbit Ace LTE customers are close by, together with siblings. Their Eejies can work together in Bit Valley however cannot message or name one another.

Interchangeable wristbands

Google sells completely different wristbands in polyester yarn and sports activities finishes. However in contrast to different smartwatches, every band unlocks a brand new Noodle, ranges up their Eejie’s home, and has new decor and outfits for his or her Eejie. The bands every have a theme, just like the Unusual Arcade, Moovin, Spooky Pugs, Glitterbomb Skate, Camp Nightmare, and Courtside. The completely different wristbands solely add to the watch expertise, so youngsters do not lose their Eejie or any progress they made earlier than switching bands.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

I am not able to get my second-grader a cellphone. I simply know she’ll overlook it someplace, or one in all us will overlook to cost it, rendering it ineffective. The Fitbit Ace LTE is the proper machine to offer youngsters management over their day, join them to permitted contacts, and observe their location when wanted. 

This summer season, the smartwatch gave me some actionable perception into my child’s exercise degree. When she went to day camp, her day by day bodily exercise doubled and typically tripled that of the times she stayed dwelling. As her mother or father, this motivated me to get all of them shifting extra throughout the summer season when it is simple to fall right into a routine of screens and snacks.

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After testing it for just a few weeks, I discovered that the Fitbit Ace LTE is the one youngsters’ smartwatch I might wholeheartedly suggest to oldsters with youngsters between the ages of 6 and 14 who can learn and navigate a touchscreen. It is a easy platform, futureproofed by Google in a means that justifies its value and succeeds in getting youngsters shifting. 

The Fitbit Ace LTE does have just a few areas it may enhance, however they are often remedied with future software program updates, and in the end, the professionals outweigh the cons.