Best GPS trackers and devices for kids in 2023

We picked the best GPS trackers and devices for kids that can help find your extact kid's location.

Regardless of whether you're close, the best GPS tracker for youngsters can prove to be useful for your kid when he goes out.

Regardless of whether its school or your children simply needs to get some air, providing them with a tracker let you know their locations at any moment, who doesn't worry about their young kids?.

Regardless of whether you pick a child watch or something that clasps to a backpack, search for a gadget that gives you precise updates about your kid's location when you need them.

Other features like SOS alarm that alerts parents or other family members if something happens or two-way calling — can separate the best GPS trackers for youngsters from the also-rans.

Here's the recommended list for the best GPS trackers for kids.

What is the best GPS tracker for kids in 2020?

We recommend Jiobit as the best GPS tracker for youngsters. It's a child- proof tracker that can pairs with the all of your kid's cell phones. That lets you know the location of your kid as well as who they're with too — a significant feature if you depend on a caretaker or babysitter and need to monitor how they're doing.

PocketFinder had been one of our number one GPS tracker for youngsters, and it keeps on offering great power management features. But the supporting app for the refreshed PocketFinder+ isn't that good and may be frustrating for parents to use.

The Apple Watch SE is a fascinating alternative since Apple has launched a Family Setup feature which lets you track the location of somebody wearing an LTE-empowered model. But the Apple Watch is expensive, though, we'd just recommend it for older kids and elders who would benefit from a GPS tracking device and need something stylish.

You may think you get a standard GPS tracker instead of one designed explicitly for youngsters, bur we disagree with that. The best GPS trackers for youngsters are designed explicitly to be worn and in manipulated by kids. Dedicated GPS trackers, which might be completely featured, can be overpowering for youths to utilize. For instance, the Spot Gen3 offers pinpoint exactness in a solid gadget, however younger children would struggle knowing which button was which — including an alert button that sends location information to security and rescue personnel.

The best GPS trackers for youngsters you can purchase today

Try our pick from amazon for smartwatches for kids

1. Jiobit

The Jiobit is small and light, around 2 x 1.5 x 0.5 inches and 0.6 ounces, with a loop that lets you attach it to a backpack, shoe, belt, keychain or accessory.

With no screen, mic or speaker, the Jiobit feels entirely durable. It's stun safe and waterproof with an IPX8 rating — I doubt a kid could destroy it without a significant effort.

The best part for parents is the means by which the Jiobit app for iOS and Android tells you where your child is as well as who he's with. If your kid has various guardians, and they all use the Jiobit app, the tracker and the guardian's phone will connect with Bluetooth whenever they're close. That way, you can find out in the app that your child left school at, accompanied by his father, or his mom, or whoever was supposed to get him.

What is better is you're not advised when your kid shows up at or leaves a trusted place with you. In fact, you needn't bother with a message pop-up to inform you that you just picked up your child from school. However, you do need a notification when he or she leaves school alone or with another person. Trusted areas are anything but difficult to set up in the app, and you can decide to be advised when the tracker enters, leaves or both.

You can add various caregivers to your team by phone number. They'll get a link over SMS to download the Jiobit app, and after setting up an account, they enter their own number. Care Team individuals can decide to be notified when the Jiobit enters and leaves the designated place you've set up, and they can see the Jiobit on the map and which one is in range. They can't set up extra trusted places or change any of the Jiobit's settings.

With a mix of Bluetooth, GPS/GLONASS and Wi-Fi, the Jiobit got a good signal inside and outside — the app consistently discover it a second or two after launching. Tapping the top of the smartphone screen lets you enter the tracking mode, where location updates on the map as the tracker moves, drawing tracks between points. Live tracking for long drains the Jiobit's battery, so the app asks whether you need to keep tracking or return to the map, which still refreshes location every few seconds when the tracker is on the move.

Despite the fact that Jiobit's app looks good, it could have a couple of more options. It does not show History about tracker's locations during the day. Nor does Jiobit provide an SOS button your kid can press if there's an emergency. PocketFinder, another GPS tracker that is comparable yet marginally bigger than the Jiobit, provide an SOS button, the app looks dated but can replay its movements from any point as expected. Besides, PocketFinder has a web app, which Jiobit doesn't.

The Jiobit costs $149, with service contract accessible for $14 per month. you bring down the expense to $9 a month if you signup for 2 years. (You get your first 30 days for free). The tracker uses AT&T's and T-Mobile's networks to send GPS data.

The Jiobit is the best GPS tracker for children, with a long battery life and a simple user-friendly app that make this gadget simple to recommend. The way Bluetooth paring works is great, telling you who your kid is with and where they are.

2. Lil Tracker Kids' GPS Tracker SmartWatch

The Lil Tracker is a full of options GPS watch focused on kids, however it could be a bit full-featured once you check the app. You need to use your own SIM card, but that activate GPS monitoring and tracking, and two-way voice calls, texts and one way calls where you can simply listen to what exactly's going on at your kid's location.

Weighing just 1.5 ounces, the watch is light, with an agreeable silicone band and a metal clasp. It has a 1.2-inch color touch screen. It's rough and splash-proof, and there's likewise a totally waterproof form for $20 more. Battery life relies upon the duration you use the gadget, however the Lil Tracker is intended to last 12 hours, It needs to be recharged every night.

The coolest feature of Lil Tracker is its two-and one way calling. The watch only accepts calls initiated by pre-authorized numbers configured by you in the app. Youngsters can call those approved contacts as well, for kids to call those numbers, they swip and tap the screen. Or holding down the SOS button on the watch will call up to three preprogrammed numbers, in order until somebody answers.

Parents use the app to call the watch, they hear what's happening around it, yet the watch doesn't ring or make any sign that somebody is listening.

The app is called SeTracker2, not Lil Tracker, on iOS and Android, it has various different options, as well. Some are much more significant than others. Helpful features incorporate the capacity to set different geo-fences, track route histories and eliminate identification alerts. The watch also monitor steps and distance, calculate calories consumed, it even counts how often your kid turns over in his or her sleep. You can send texts to the watch and even emojis, but the child can't text you back.

Here are some problems with the app:

• It is full of spelling mistakes and messages that make no sense.
• The time zone is confusing as you need to calculate it manually
• a full page ad is often displayed every time you launch the app even when you launch it from a push notification.

The watch runs on the 2G network, or GPRS in the U.S, but 2G is being shutdown which means a 3G or 4G release is a must, for SIM card any cheap SIM will work.

The Lil Tracker watch is moderate — and reasonably priced — however the application is not that good, and slow down the experience.

You can't easily find Lil Tracker on online retailers like Amazon, but you can generally purchase it straightforwardly on Lil Tracker's website, Lil Tracker, has currently a 4G version available for $129.

3. Apple Watch SE

Get an Apple Watch to use as a GPS tracker for a youngster is not an easy task. However, two recent developments have made this a more appeal option for teens.

To start with, Apple added a Family Setup option to set up and manage the watch for someone else, similar to a kid or parent.

Second, it delivered the Apple Watch SE, a more affordable form of its top-end Apple smartwatch.

The Apple Watch SE comes in an aluminum case with silver, gold and space gray completions, and it comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes. Same as the Apple Watch Series 6, the SE version comes with accelerometer, gyroscope, and altimeter. As opposed to the considerably less expensive Apple Watch 3, you have fall detection, noise tracking, international emergency calling and critical situations SOS (Most parents sees this feature as tracking device).

To use Apple Watch as location tracking device, you need to purchase the LTE version, which costs $329 for the 40mm model and $359 for 44mm model (without the monthly fee for your phone carrier). With Family Setup activated, you can monitor and track the person wearing the LTE Apple Watch SE. You can likewise set fitness objectives, and limit some features during school hours through Family Setup.

The Apple Watch SE just guarantees 18 hours of use. That implies you'll need to charge the Apple Watch SE every day. The Apple Watch also offers more features than the standard kid trackers, including activity monitoring, you benefit from updates too, as you may get more features.

4. PocketFinder+

The PocketFinder+ is a basic device, it comes with a single silver SOS button. It connects with a smartphone app, it has useful functionalities. The setup isn't pretty, but it works for the most part.

PocketFinder+ measures 3 x 1.6 x 0.6 inches and weighs 1.7 ounces. With the joined keychain, the device is hookable to a bag or belt loop. It's a bit bigger than the Jiobit device, the PocketFinder+ has an SOS button on the front, unlike the Jiobit. By pressing and holding SOS button you send notifications to emails and SMS phone numbers indicated in the app.

PocketFinder's battery life depends on how frequently the gadget sends location to the server, a recurrence which is modifiable. When the tracker sends location every 10 seconds for 3 minutes when it's on the move, after that it takes a 10 minutes break. PocketFinder gets idle when it's not moving.

You can activate the tracker by pressing Track Mode in the app's Power Management menu to wake and begin tracking. To save battery life you can set an interval of tracking.

The bad thing about the PocketFinder+ is the app interface that looks a bit dated. Menus include unavailable features such as surpassing a specific speed limit alerts. Some features are hard to find or not managed well, hence, the user experience is bad.

You can show history of locations during a period of time on the app as well as in the web app, you can even download the history as a PDF or a CSV file. This equivalent component works in the web application, where you can likewise download the set of experiences as a PDF or CSV document. You can monitor or track the device on the web app too, set up zones, see alerts and access User accounts.

PocketFinder+ requires a service plan of $12.95 per month, purchased through the company, and the tracker costs $159. That's more than the similar Jiobit tracker. But PocketFinder has some extra features that Jiobit lacks, like the SOS button, web app and History feature.

PocketFinder+ has every feature you'd want in a pocket-size tracker, but the experience is marred by the clunky smartphone app.

PocketFinder+ costs $159 in addition to a service plan of $12.95 every month. That is more than the comparative Jiobit tracker. In any case, PocketFinder has some additional features that Jiobit needs, such as the SOS button, web app and History.

PocketFinder+ has everything you need in a pocket-size tracker, however the app user experience is not that good.

How to choose the best GPS tracker for kids

Here are some criteria to help you choose the best GPS tracker for your kids:

Features:

• Location tracking.
• one-and two-way calling.
• set up geofenced zones that notify you when your kid has left an assigned area.

Performance:

• Accurate GPS tracker that precisely shows an individual's location.
• frequent updates when moving.
• In general GPS trackers work well in wide and open areas and less in dense and closed areas because of bad GPS signals.

Design:

• The size of the GPS tracker.
• The durability and toughness.

Ease of use:

Find the device that is easy for kids to use, and also for parents to configure and manage.

Cost: in general you pay the device cost and maybe a monthly service fee, some devices offer the first year of service free or at lower price.

Security: Check what security conventions your GPS tracker follows. Also, when configuring the gadget, change any default passwords or usernames.

Are GPS trackers suitable for adults and pets?

Kids are not the only ones to be monitored. You may also track adults as well as pets. There are plenty of GPS trackers that are suited for older people and pets too.

For example you can use Jiobit's tracker, as it looks sufficiently standard as either children or grandparents can wear it, thus Jiobit sells similar gadget at similar cost for everyone adults or youngsters. For pets, you just need to attach it on them.

Lil Tracker's watch for adults costs a bit more than kids version. 4G Lil Tracker watches costs $129 for adults and kids.

The Apple Watch SE has a stylish look that attracts adults, the LTE version of the smartwatch cost is similar regardless of whose wearing it.