"Where is my baby?" - from such a question can simply take your breath away. But as is often the case, children can get lost in the bushes, on beaches, while visiting attractions, cinemas and many other crowded places.
For the safety of nerves, peace of mind, and at the same time he alth, many parents can be helped by new technologies in the face of a lightweight GPS tracker that can work on one battery for up to two days, sending you geo-zone notifications about your child.
The tracker can look like a child's watch, a GPS phone, or a small unit that can be easily attached to a backpack or clothing. Let's try to choose the most successful and up-to-date model of a children's GPS locator, identifying the advantages along with the disadvantages of a particular model.
Criteria for the best tracker
In order for the picture to be complete and unbiased, several of the most successful and popular tracker models were tested based on the following characteristics.
- Functionality. Children's watches with a GPS locator, in addition to their main function, can perform other important tasks such as voice calls or the ability to installgeofencing in place. That is, after the child crosses such an invisible zone, a message about “violation of boundaries” is immediately sent to the parent. In general, we will consider devices that are not limited to the basic functionality, i.e. those in which add-ons are fully implemented.
- Work. At this point, the tracker watch must clearly determine the location of the child and correctly provide data on the movement of the object.
- Design. Here, weight is taken into account so that it is easy for a child to carry the device with them, as well as durability - not all gadgets can withstand adventures on the playground.
- Ergonomics. Children's watches with GPS should not put the child into a stupor with their bells and whistles, but be as simple and understandable as possible. It is desirable that the activation of the gadget and its further configuration do not cause confusion or unnecessary questions for moms and dads.
- Cost. The price of the device itself should be optimal for the cost / quality ratio, otherwise (the choice of a tariff plan and an operator) is up to the parents themselves.
So let's get started: ranking the best GPS watches for kids according to the above criteria.
PocketFinder Personal GPS Locator
The company's gadgets have always been distinguished by an unusual and unusual assortment, but this is not so bad. The watch for a boy or girl offered by the company is difficult to call a watch, but the gadget performs its functions 100%. This minimalistic device perfectly locates the child and is great for any age group.
The gadget is very conveniently placed in any child's luggage or firmly attached to clothing with a simple lock. Here you can add sensible device support - the product has its own website and special applications that are easy to learn and you will spend no more than five to ten minutes studying them.
Package set
Together with the tracker comes a convenient docking station for charging, powered by the mains through the USB connector. In addition, the device is equipped with two cute silicone cases in white and green colors, which, using special holes, can be attached to the strap of a backpack, handbag or trouser belt.
Functionality
There are no buttons or any other control on the device, so it makes sense to get it and “disturb” it only during recharging, which the gadget needs about once every two weeks. The battery life of the device is exceptional, and it takes just four hours to charge a children's GPS watch.
Another important feature of the gadget is its weight (only 51 grams). But this is a double-edged sword: on the one hand, the weight of the device will not burden your child in any way, and on the other hand, you may not notice how the tracker falls out of the backpack or unfastens from the strap. Users in their reviews have repeatedly complained about the lack of fasteners, which are not firmly fixed on thin straps. In other cases (fastening on the arm, on a thick and medium belt), no problems were noticed.
But the most important advantage of the device is a website for working with the gadget and related applications. The device itself does not have any indicators or sensors, so you can see the full operation of the tracker only on a special website.
After registration, you will have access to a very solid set of functions and device control levers. After a little study, you can immediately go to work with the main application, where you can see the coordinates of the tracker, the battery charge level, the availability of the GPS signal, the estimated address (Yandex and Google maps) and other interesting information.
After studying the functionality of the site, you can fully customize the operation of the device to suit your specific needs. For example: set up to receive a notification when an object that is being tracked moves at a speed that is out of range (say, accelerates from 30 to 70 km/h). The device will record all this and send you a message.
You can also manage food, view your travel history, there is even a page where you can enter all the necessary medical data like blood type, allergens, full home address, means of communication in emergencies, in general, everything you need to know emergency services.
Children's watches with GPS PocketFinder initially work with a pre-installed SIM card from the European operator AT & T, but in the user reviews there were no complaints about any serious difficulties with replacing a SIM card with a local connection.
The model proved to be very good and, although the creation of geofences on the site and in pre-installed applications causes some difficultiesafter complete configuration, the device correctly displays all information about entering or leaving the controlled area. Notifications arrive after 30-40 seconds, so tracking the movement of the child and responding to the situation in time is quite realistic.
The only thing that users note in their reviews as a significant drawback is the inability to send SMS or make emergency calls, but otherwise the model pleases with its accuracy and unpretentiousness.
FiLIP 2
Children's GPS watch BabyWatch has got a new line "Philip". Looking at FiLIP 2, there are some similarities with Apple products, but, unlike the "apple" giant, the Philip device does not have the function of a smart watch, although it has many interesting features that most parents will surely like and will be useful.
Completeness
Watch for girls and boys "Philip 2" comes with a charging adapter and a USB cable, so you can charge the device directly through a computer, or as usual through a power outlet. On the back of the cable is a magnetic sensor that allows you to attach it to the back of the watch.
Included is a comfortable and thin strap of the selected color. The material from which the bracelet is made looks monolithic and does not lend itself to deformation. BabyWatch "Philip 2" children's GPS watches are designed to be worn on the wrist only, no other alternative wearing options, the design does not provide.
Device functionality
Likethe rest of the company's products, Philip is initially activated on the AT&T website. Registering a gadget will be much faster and easier if you are already a client of this company, but in any case, user reviews indicate that there are no serious problems with activating the device.
As soon as the children's GPS watch is activated, a message should be sent to the smartphone confirming the phone number that is installed in the gadget, the rest of the product registration is easily done through a special mobile application.
During the setup, you can enter all the necessary data of the child: date of birth, photo, home address, parent's phone number and other information that may be needed by emergency services. The geofence border is easy to set up and the only thing that watch owners complain about in their reviews is the too long response time (2-3 minutes).
By themselves, the Philip BabyWatch Classic series is great for any child, regardless of age group. The data that is shown on the display has a large font and is easy to read (see) even in dim lighting.
Watches for girls and boys "Philip 2" have only two buttons, but they are quite enough. Each key is programmed to call certain numbers via two-way communication. There is also an emergency notification button, by pressing which, the sending of SMS messages to all numbers entered in the memory is activated.
Ease of calling and instant sending of user-defined messages isthe strengths of "Philip 2". Weaknesses, judging by the reviews of the owner, also have a place to be: the signal quality and two-way communication are not sufficiently developed, the interlocutor is sometimes very hard to hear. Also, some users complained about poor quality service and support service, which can be silent for several days. Otherwise, the Philip 2 children's watch is a good and inexpensive option for monitoring children and their environment.
FixiTime Caref GPS by Gator
As in the previous case, the Karef model strongly resembles an "apple" smart product. The gadget, of course, does not reach such a level, but in its segment this is one of the best options for controlling a child.
Packaging and contents
The FixiTime Caref comes in a clever box with a very original internal distribution of accessories. The kit comes with a white charger (almost like iPhones) with a USB adapter, and during charging, the gadget's cable starts to glow blue, regardless of whether you recharge it - from a computer or from the network.
Features and features
Many users in their reviews note the difficulties with setting the clock, pointing to a rather confusing and very complicated activation process. But after a little familiarization with the instructions and a few steps on the gadget's website, you can start working directly with the device.
To synchronize with a smartphone, you will need to install a special application from the AppleStore, and immediatelyit is worth noting that the desired program is called MyCaref, and not just Caref, so you need to properly configure the soft search.
Children's watch, together with a customized application, will open access to message management, object movement history, customizable geofences and many other functions. After the main functionality has been configured, you can proceed to the choice of the tariff you like (there are only three of them).
Tariffs differ in cost, where the main criterion is the number of included voice minutes and short messages. Regardless of the chosen tariff, it is unfortunately impossible to change the periodic update (10 minutes) for any location. The gadget is equipped with a built-in SIM card and cannot be removed, so local operators will have to connect through pre-installed software, which is sometimes not very convenient.
As a direction finding for the location of an object, the watch - for a boy or a girl - "Karef" uses combined access points - GPS signals and the nearest cell towers. Due to this, the results of the work exceed all expectations: the location was determined with very high accuracy and a very short response time.
The gadget weighs only 40 grams, the same as a similar electronic watch, so it will not burden the child. Although the screen resolution does not shine with pixel values, the image is quite readable and it will not be difficult to familiarize yourself with it.
Two-way communication, as well as short messages, work fine, complaints and any problems in this regardwas not noticed. There is an alarm button, after pressing which the set numbers from the contact list begin to be dialed one by one until someone answers the call. The quality of the sound during communication was very pleased with many owners of the gadget, as evidenced by numerous positive reviews.
Unlike other, more expensive models, "Karef" is not striking, and by the appearance of the watch you can't even tell that this is a GPS tracker (only the ringtone, very similar to a lullaby, gives itself out). The battery lasts for the whole day, so there are no questions about autonomy, the only thing to warn future owners of the gadget is that the watch is not protected from water, keep this in mind during outdoor activities.
The model has many advantages, but it also has its drawbacks. The main points that the owners of the gadget complain about are the difficulties in setting up and activating the watch, and the instruction manual could be more detailed and understandable for ordinary people. Otherwise, this is an intelligent tracker watch, convenient for children and understandable for parents (after reading the manual). They give a sense of calm and control on the playground, at school or on vacation.
