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 knowledge plan. It prices $230, and the Ace Go LTE knowledge plan prices $10 a month, or $120 yearly.
• The Fitbit Ace incorporates a wealthy, kid-friendly platform that’s simple to navigate. Additionally, the month-to-month payment is cheap, particularly at 50% off for the annual plan by August. 
• Nonetheless, the watch would not function sleep-tracking insights or help for receiving photos or voice messages. Dad and mom additionally do not get a cellphone quantity with the information plan.

Google just lately launched the brand new Fitbit Ace LTE, a youngsters’ smartwatch that gamifies bodily exercise to encourage motion in alternate for playtime on the system. The good factor about it’s that Google would 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 enormous for a youngsters’ smartwatch however is definitely simply the suitable dimension. All of the video games are supposed to be performed on the watch itself, so the additional display actual property is quickly 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 yr now. It is a $130 youngsters’ smartwatch that additionally requires a month-to-month knowledge subscription and gamifies bodily exercise. Nonetheless, 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 isn’t 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 to be like extra like a grownup smartwatch than one for teenagers, but it surely would not embrace a cellphone quantity with the Ace Go. As a substitute, the watch requires the mother and father 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, knowledge plan, messaging, calling, and extra. 

The Fitbit Ace app lets mother and father see their youngsters’ latest exercise damaged down into “gentle” and “energetic” classes and their steps taken. There is no option to monitor sleep, which is likely one of the options I would prefer to see. The app additionally would not present coronary heart fee knowledge, regardless that it screens it to trace motion and discern from gentle and energetic train. I do not thoughts the dearth of coronary heart fee knowledge through the day, because it varies by age, which may result in false alerts, however I would prefer to see it integrated with sleep monitoring.

Youngsters cannot message anybody they need as a result of the watch has no cellphone quantity connected to the information plan. Solely accredited customers over 13 with the Fitbit Ace app can message the child sporting the Fitbit Ace LTE smartwatch. Dad and mom also can add emergency contacts that may be reached when the watch is ready to high school mode, a option to keep away from distractions throughout a predetermined time. 

The watch lets youngsters name and ship textual content and voice messages, however mother and father cannot ship voice messages, which is a minor inconvenience I would like to see corrected. The messages additionally do not help stickers or photographs, so you possibly can’t ship your child a cute photograph of their pet or a humorous sticker. Whereas youngsters and accredited 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 reward card cash in her pockets so she will be able to try herself at shops.

Utilizing the Fitbit Ace LTE

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

‘Noodles’ or exercise rings

The Fitbit Ace LTE incorporates a pedometer and coronary heart fee sensor to trace steps taken, gentle bodily exercise, and energetic train. Youngsters sporting the smartwatch begin every day with a Transfer Purpose displayed on their display 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. Youngsters can select their most popular Noodle and see an animation when it transforms to an upgraded model after they full their every 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 sporting it reaches train objectives, with new options accessible as the child strikes extra. The watch options video games performed by bodily exercise, like fishing and golf, which require arm actions. My child notably cherished the fishing sport Smokey Lake, which has new areas the place she will be able to attempt catching totally different fish. Nonetheless, these areas 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 Go, so you possibly can’t bypass the subscription to make use of the smartwatch. The Fitbit Ace Go, 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 virtually every day. These video games do not have in-game purchases or should be downloaded; they solely turn into accessible when the kid does bodily exercise.

There are at present 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 objectives. Eejies stay in a home in Bit Valley that youngsters can adorn, unlocking rooms as they progress to totally different ranges. Consider an Eejie as a modern-day Tamagotchi (with out the hatching or dying). 

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If mother and father enable it on the Fitbit Ace app, youngsters can buddy 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 totally 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 totally 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 certainly one of us will overlook to cost it, rendering it ineffective. The Fitbit Ace LTE is the right system to offer youngsters management over their day, join them to accredited contacts, and monitor their location when wanted. 

This summer time, the smartwatch gave me some actionable perception into my child’s exercise degree. When she went to day camp, her every day bodily exercise doubled and typically tripled that of the times she stayed residence. As her mum or dad, this motivated me to get all of them transferring extra through the summer time when it is simple to fall right into a routine of screens and snacks.

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After testing it for a couple of weeks, I discovered that the Fitbit Ace LTE is the one youngsters’ smartwatch I’d wholeheartedly suggest to folks 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 approach that justifies its value and succeeds in getting youngsters transferring. 

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