We all love to stay connected and tracking our activity is a nice plus to smartwatches. As parents, we want our teenagers to stay safe, connected, and active, too. One way to achieve this is by getting them a smartwatch that can help them monitor their health, track their fitness goals, and stay in touch with family and friends. We will help you narrow down your options and find the best smartwatch for your teenager.
Let’s look at some of the best smartwatches for teens that can help support a healthy lifestyle.
GRV Smart Watch for iOS and Android Phones
This is the best affordable smartwatch for teenagers. The popular, and waterproof smartwatch that comes with a lot of great features like accurate fitness tracking with 9 sport modes to choose from, 24/7 heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, and female cycle tracking. The watch can last up to 7 days on a single charge and comes with practical features like alarm clock, music control, stopwatch, timer, deep breath guide, and sedentary reminder. It’s a great smartwatch alternative to the Apple Watch at a fraction of the price but you can’t call/text from the watch.
Amazfit Bip 3 Pro Smart Watch for Android iPhone
This is a great, more affordable option than many popular smartwatch brand. The screen is huge and colorful, and it’s got a bunch of watch faces to choose from. The smartwatch for teenagers is water-resistant up to 50 meters and supports 4 satellite positioning systems, perfect for outdoor activity tracking. But the best part of this quality smartwatch is the amazingly long battery life – it lasts for up to 14 days with typical usage! It also has all the health features you could want, like blood oxygen saturation measurement, heart rate monitoring, stress level tracking, sleep tracking, and even female menstrual cycle tracking. And with over 60 sports modes, your teen can track data for all your favorite sports and workouts.
SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch 4 40mm Smartwatch
This galaxy smartwatch is a versatile smartwatch that has some really cool features. For starters, it can analyze your body composition right on your wrist! It can give you readings on body fat, skeletal muscle, body water, basal metabolic rate, and Body Mass Index. It’s a great smartwatch and also is a sleep tracker that monitors your sleep quality and SpO2 levels, as well as ECG monitoring to keep an eye on your heart health. But the best part is that the premium smartwatch is an extension of your phone, so you can put phone features like calls, texts, notifications, and music streaming right on your wrist. And you can even tap into select Google services and apps, like Google Assistant and YouTube.
Fitbit Versa 3 Health & Fitness Smartwatch
This fitness smartwatch has built-in GPS for tracking runs, hikes, and bike rides without needing a phone, and it’s water-resistant for up to 50 meters. And with PurePulse technology, you can track heart rate 24/7. This great fitness tracker also has Alexa and Google Assistant built-in for voice commands and quick access to news, alarms, and smart home controls. The active zone minutes features of the fitbit versa can help your teen make the most of their workouts. And with a battery life of up to 6+ days and fast charging, they won’t have to worry about running out of juice during the day. They will also get text and call notifications to the fitbit smartwatch!
Garmin Forerunner 55 GPS Running Smartwatch
This is the perfect smartwatch for teens who are into running or want to track their fitness progress. With its easy-to-use interface and fitness features, it monitors heart rate, tracks distance and pace with GPS, and offers suggested workouts based on training history and fitness level. It’s the best fitness smartwatch for runners as you can also plan race strategies and get predictions on race time and finish time estimates. The watch also has wellness features, such as intensity minutes, fitness age, all-day respiration, and more. It has a good battery life up to 2 weeks in smartwatch mode and up to 20 hours in GPS mode, making it a long-lasting device. You can also use it to find your phone and see text messages.
Apple Watch Series 7
If you’re looking for a smartwatch that is packed with features and is great for fitness, then this is definitely worth considering. While definitely being an expensive smartwatch, it has been a favorite for iPhone users. It has powerful health tracking innovations, such as sensors to measure blood oxygen levels and take an ECG, and advanced fitness tracking features to help you stay active. Plus, the always-on Retina display makes it easy to use and read, and it’s incredibly durable – it’s even swim-proof! You can customize the look with a range of sizes, materials, and bands, and it works seamlessly with your Apple devices. It’s a great option for teens who want to stay connected, answer calls, and never miss phone calls or other smartphone notifications, track their fitness, and enjoy all the other advanced features of an Apple smartwatch – it’s like a mini iPhone on your wrist.
Things to consider when choosing the best smartwatch for teens
Price: Smart watches can range in price a lot. Consider your budget and choose the right smartwatch that offers the key features you want at a price you can afford. A budget smartwatch will still have a lot of key features your kid will love.
Compatibility: Make sure the smartwatch is compatible with the teen’s smartphone operating system. If they have an iPhone, an Apple Watch may be the best choice. If they are android users, consider a smartwatch for teens that runs on Android or is compatible with Google Wear OS.
Features: Look for a smartwatch with fitness tracker features that your active teen will find useful and engaging, such as a heart rate monitor, fitness tracking, control music playback. Messaging, and voice commands are also popular features. It can be great keeping track of your stress levels and calories burned. Also, consider features that may be important to parents for the best smartwatches. Maybe a gps smartwatch for GPS tracking and parental controls. Some can show phone notifications of incoming calls while with other smartwatches you can actually answer calls. Some are not only an activity tracker and sleep monitor but also show weather updates and other features.
Design: Teens are often very concerned with the look and style of their accessories, so choose a smartwatch for teens that looks good and matches their personal style. A lot of popular smartwatches will have color variants and interchangeable bands so that is always an option, too.
Battery Life: Smartwatches can have varying battery life. Consider how long the fitness watches will last on a single charge and how easy it is to recharge the battery. Some of the best smartwatches for teens have long lasting battery life but it also depends on your usage. Will you teen play music or only use basic features of the fitness watch?
Durability: Smartwatches can be delicate devices, so consider the durability of the watch. Look for watches with scratch-resistant screens and water resistance, as well as those that are built to withstand bumps and drops.
Are there smart watch cons?
Distraction: Smartwatches can be a source of distraction, especially if teens use them to access social media or other non-essential apps during class or study time. The best smartwatches for teenagers that struggle with this, might need to be silent notifications or not get as many.
Privacy and security: As with any internet-connected device, there is always the risk of privacy and security breaches. It’s important for teens to be aware of these risks and take appropriate precautions to protect their personal information.
When choosing the best smartwatch for your teenager, consider their lifestyle, interests, and needs. A watch with fitness tracking features may be a better fit for active teenagers, while a watch with social media apps may be more appealing to teenagers who enjoy staying connected with friends. Whatever your teenager’s needs, there is a smartwatch on the market that can help them stay safe, connected, and active. Hopefully we were able to help you find the best smartwatch for your teen! It’s the perfect gadget to gift a tech savvy teen.