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There is nothing more terrifying than the thought of losing track of a child, and this fear can be even more worrisome during the holiday season in crowded department stores, groceries, and airports. Thankfully, expert-tested and parent-reviewed GPS trackers can ensure you know where your child is at all times, no matter how frequently they wander off.
Also: The best parental control apps to keep your kids safe
“As a mother, ensuring the safety and well-being of my child is of utmost importance,” Dr. Kaitlyn Siu, a child neurologist and founder and CEO of Teach Your Kids Code, told ZDNET. “However, I would balance the need for safety with respecting [my child’s] privacy and autonomy, using the tracker as a tool for peace of mind rather than for constant surveillance.”
What is the best GPS tracker for kids right now?
ZDNET spoke to professionals like Siu and parents to determine the best GPS trackers and devices to track your child’s location. Our pick for the best GPS tracker for kids overall is the Apple AirTag since it’s reasonably priced and uses Apple’s comprehensive Find My network for accurate tracking. Read on for other top GPS trackers for kids, including devices from Apple, Garmin, and more.
The best GPS trackers and devices for kids in 2024
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Apple’s AirTags are about the size of a quarter, and there are countless accessories you can use to attach the small tracker to a jacket or backpack—or even slip it into a pocket. There’s no monthly fee, and the battery lasts around a year—after which you can simply replace the CR2032 battery.
As far as performance goes, the AirTag does a solid job. The one caveat is that an AirTag requires another Apple device to be nearby and connected to the internet to share its location with Apple’s Find My network. For example, if your child doesn’t have an Apple device with cellular capabilities, tracking a young child on the school bus requires someone — most likely another student or the bus driver — to have an iPhone or cellular Apple Watch. If there aren’t any Apple devices on the bus, the location can’t update.
Review: Apple AirTag
ZDNET contributor Jason Cipriani tested out placing AirTags on his children’s backpacks and found that he could still track them during a school day. “One backpack was located about 30 minutes prior, and the other had just had its location reported 2 minutes before I’d checked,” he wrote. “Presumably, a teacher walked by their backpack with an iPhone in their pocket, or one of the students’ iPads picked up the tag’s Bluetooth signal and reported it back Apple, which in turn lets me view the location in somewhat real-time.”
96% of customers who purchased an AirTag at Best Buy said they would recommend it to a friend, and the device’s overall review rating is 4.8 out of 5 stars.
Apple AirTag specs: Price: $29 or four for $85 | Battery life: One year | Real-time tracking: No | Monthly cost: None | Connectivity: Bluetooth, Apple’s Find My Network
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Garmin’s latest kids’ smartwatch, the Bounce, offers real-time location tracking, communication features, health and sleep tracking, games, and more. Regarding GPS, parents can use Bounce’s location tracking to view their child’s current whereabouts in the Garmin app and be notified when their child leaves pre-approved areas.
Also: The best Garmin watches
LTE connectivity (which you can purchase from Garmin for $10/month) allows you to text and voice message your kid with up to 20 parent-approved contacts.
You can also track health metrics like sleep, steps, and active minutes to keep an eye on your growing child. Plus, Garmin includes activity-related games within the watch so kids can unlock rewards for meeting their active goals or responsibilities parents set, like completing a chore.
Parents who have bought the watch for their kids say on Reddit that the watch is good with notifications and location updates, especially for school-bound kids.
Garmin Bounce specs: Price: $150 | Battery life: Two days | Real-time tracking: Yes | Monthly cost: $10/month | Connectivity: Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi, LTE
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For kids who are too young for a smartphone but mature enough to care for a gadget, we recommend products like T-Mobile’s SyncUp Kids Watch 2 and the Verizon GizmoWatch (more on that below). The SyncUp wrist-worn gadget costs $174, but if you add a line to your T-Mobile account, you can get the watch for free.
In general, the SyncUp watch has similar functionality to that of a regular smartwatch. It includes a camera, and your child can use the device to send and receive messages. With the task manager, a parent can add chores or other tasks for their child to focus on after school, along with real-time location tracking.
Also: The best smartwatches for kids
The interface is playful and easy for a child to use and includes a “School Mode” that disables extra features during class time to limit distraction.
One T-Mobile reviewer who gave the device five stars said, “The only people allowed to contact the watch are set by you, the parent. It’s a good way to access your kids when they are away, but it also lets them feel like they are growing up some.”
SyncUp Kids Watch 2 specs: Price: $174 | Battery life: 8 hours of talk time | Real-time tracking: Yes | Monthly cost: No | Connectivity: 4G LTE
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The Verizon Gizmo Watch 3 has many of the same features as T-Mobile’s SyncUp Kids watch. You can send and receive messages and take calls, and it even has a built-in camera. You can add up to 10 trusted contacts for your child to communicate with while wearing the watch.
You’ll also get real-time tracking and geofence support to receive alerts when your child leaves or arrives at a specific location. Similarly to the SyncUp Kids watch, you can create tasks for your child and set up school mode to prevent them from using the watch at school and in other activities.
Also: The best kids’ phones for keeping you in touch
“We bought the Verizon GizmoWatch about two years ago for our kiddos, then aged 6 and 8,” said parent Kendra Paulson, who is a freelance writer. “We live on a military base, and while it is pretty safe here, we wanted to have a way to communicate with our girls while they were out riding bikes and playing in the neighborhood. I can glance at the Gizmo map and see where my kids are, and we can text and call back and forth, so it’s like having a starter phone that straps to their wrist.”
Remember that both GizmoWatch models have a one-time $35 activation fee from Verizon. Another downside is that Verizon customers say the battery life is shorter than advertised.
Verizon Gizmo Watch 3 tech specs: Price: $150, plus a $35 activation fee | Battery life: Up to 3.5 days (standby) or 1.5 days constant use | Real-time tracking: Yes | Monthly cost: No | Connectivity: GPS, Cellular (4G)
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The Xplora XGO3 watch uses GPS, active Wi-Fi, and GSM triangulation to provide real-time location tracking. It also offers geofencing, so you can set up safety zones around key locations like home and school. If your child wanders out of these pre-marked areas, you will be notified.
The watch doesn’t have any games, but games are available via the GoPlay app. For every 1,000 steps that your child takes, they will earn one Xcoin, which can be saved up and redeemed for real prizes in the GoPlay store. (For this experience, you’ll need to use a smartphone or a tablet.) Verified customers say it’s an intelligent way to gamify health and fitness for little ones.
Review: Xplora XGO3
ZDNET writer Maria Diaz tested the watch on her daughter and said it gave her peace of mind. “From my testing, the GPS tracking in the XGO3 is reliable, especially because I can set up specific safety zones within the Xplora app, like for home and school, and be notified when my child leaves those areas,” she wrote in her review. “The app also shows historical tracking data, which is handy when you need to recall past activities.”
You’ll also need a SIM card to use the watch’s cellular functions. The SIM card is included with the watch and works with most mobile carriers except Verizon. Keep in mind that the watch requires a minimum one-year $9.99 subscription.
Xplora XGO3 specs: Price: $100 | Battery life: 72 hours (on standby) | Real-time tracking: Yes | Monthly cost: $9.99/month | Connectivity: Cellular (SIM card), Wi-Fi, GPS
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Our recommendation for the best GPS tracker for kids is Apple AirTag. However, any of the options on this list would make good GPS trackers and devices for kids. It just depends on what you want, and which features are a priority to you.
|
GPS tracker device |
Price |
Battery |
Real-time tracking? |
|
Apple AirTag |
$29 |
One year |
No |
|
Garmin Bounce |
$150 |
Two days |
Yes |
|
SyncUp Kids Watch 2 |
$174 |
One week |
Yes |
|
Verizon GizmoWatch |
$170 |
Up to three days (standby) or 1.5 days of constant use |
Yes |
|
Xplora XGO3 |
$100 |
72 hours (on standby) |
Yes |
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|
Choose this GPS tracker… |
If you want… |
|
Apple AirTag |
The best overall tracker for most people. There’s no monthly fee, and the battery lasts around a year. |
|
Garmin Bounce |
A smartwatch loaded with features and real-time tracking. Parents can use location tracking on the Bounce to view their child’s current whereabouts in the Garmin app, |
|
SyncUp Kids Watch 2 |
A wearable watch for kids under T-Mobile. The wrist-worn gadget costs $174, but you can get it for free if you add a line to your account. |
|
Verizon GizmoWatch |
A wearable watch for kids under Verizon. You can create tasks for your child and set up school mode to keep them from using the watch at school. |
|
Xplora XGO 3 |
A GPS watch that encourages kids to play outside. With geofencing, you can set up safety zones around critical locations, like home and school. |
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If you’re buying a GPS tracker for your kids, you should consider the following:
- Privacy: Keeping your child’s information and data is of the utmost importance with any tech device, so we looked at trackers and devices with privacy features like encryption, parental controls, and two-way communication so you can contact your child.
- Real-time tracking: We included trackers and devices that have real-time GPS tracking, which uses satellite signals to determine the precise location of the device, so you know exactly where your child is at any given moment.
- Battery life: A tracking device serves little purpose if it’s out of battery, so we looked at devices with long battery lives so you don’t have to recharge constantly.
- Price: These tracking devices can range dramatically in price, but we tried to keep all products under at least $200.
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When we test smartwatches, we typically follow the same routine for each one to see which performs best when tested in the real world.
- Daily wear: We wear the smartwatch as our primary watch, with communications, applications, and other elements being tested as if it were our only smartwatch.
- Application selection and performance: One aspect that makes smartwatches different than standard watches is the support for applications. We load up the watch with apps and then test the performance and functionality of those applications. For example, Apple particularly excels in the area of third-party application support.
- Workouts: Smartwatch makers have embraced health and fitness so we take smartwatches out for running with GPS, rowing on the Hydrow, biking on trails, and walking with the family. GPS and heart rate data is tracked and then we evaluate the accuracy against proven GPS sports watches.
- Sleep and activity tracking: Sleep tracking has improved with smartwatches over time and we evaluate and compare them to smart rings and other watches. Nighttime is also a good time to charge your smartwatch, so you may choose not to use your watch to track sleep so your watch can serve faithfully all day and into the night.
For a deeper look into our testing process, check out our comprehensive smartwatch testing methodology.
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GPS trackers work like this: The device uses a satellite network to determine its location. A GPS tracker converts these satellite signals into data such as velocity, time, and position so that you can see exactly where the device (and, in turn, your child) is.
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No, Fitbit makes GPS-enabled activity trackers for kids, but not location trackers with real-time location tracking.
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Privacy concerns and ethics are the main concerns about GPS tracking devices in general, especially when it comes to tracking children. ZDNET asked parents how they felt.
“As my daughters grow older and eventually head off into the world on their own, it will cross my mind wanting to know where they’re at and whether they’re safe,” said parent and Ling App co-founder Kanyarat Nuchangpuek.
“On the other hand, it bothers me that I could be crossing a line peeking into their private lives. It’s similar to finding out that your mother read your diary. It’s an invasion of privacy and may also deter my children from experiencing life in their own way. Having to wonder, “Is mommy watching?” shouldn’t be a natural thought.”
Regardless of your choice, it’s a good idea to protect your data, especially when it involves your child’s location.
Also: How to find out if an AirTag is tracking you
For example, when signing up for an account, use a unique and complicated password — preferably stored in a password manager — to add a layer of protection to your account.
If you’re unsure about a product or service, always be sure to read through the company’s privacy policy.
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Unfortunately, many GPS trackers and devices for kids require an additional subscription payment. This is especially true if the device requires an app with advanced features or a wearable that provides LTE connectivity.
Be sure to factor this extra cost into your final decision.
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Other GPS trackers to consider
ZDNET sourced external industry experts for this article. Here is more information about them:
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