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Best fitness and activity trackers for kids in 2024
Top wearables for your children.
Tested by Carrie-Ann Skinner
We updated this roundup in January 2024 to guarantee that our best kids' fitness tracker picks are in stock and reflect up-to-date prices.
Using a fitness tracker is an easy way of tracking daily activity and sleep quality – we love them. Strap one to your arm and it records everything you do, whether that is a brisk walk, an impromptu dance or cutting the grass (all of which we count as exercise, by the way). For adults, it’s a great way of making sure that you’re reaching the 150 minutes of weekly moderate-intensity activity that the NHS recommends.
So if you’re already using a fitness tracker yourself, we understand why you may be considering buying one for your child, too. Experts say that young people aged between five and 18 should aim for at least one hour of exercise every day, and the data from these wearables is a simple way of seeing how much they're up to. To help you pick the right one, here are our favourite kids’ fitness trackers in 2024:
Best kids′ activity trackers
How the GH tech team tests activity trackers
This list is compiled based on hands-on testing and rigorous research. For some models we gave a panel of three children – aged six, seven and eight – a fitness tracker and asked them to wear it for a week at a time. With help from their parents, we asked the children to assess how comfortable the trackers are to wear, how easy it is to secure and undo the clasp, and how simple it is to go through the stats on the tracker’s screen. We make sure to try out any extra features, including timers and move reminders, and check how accurate the trackers are when counting the steps children are taking, plus weekly battery life.
Fitbit Ace 3 (Age 6+)
Pros
- Step tracking
- Water resistance
Cons
- Not many colour options
Suitable for ages six and up, the Ace 3 is our favourite kids’ fitness and activity tracker. It tracks every step they take throughout the day, and you can set reminders urging them to move or stretch their little legs if they’ve been sitting on the sofa watching Octonauts for too long. The water resistance means it can be worn while swimming or showering, and we love that the battery lasts more than a week between charges.
You monitor everything from a family account, and this dashboard (accessed via an app) lets you see all of your child’s data, change clock faces and approve any friends that also have a Fitbit and want to message or share stats. Colour options are age appropriate – it comes in bright yellow, blue/green or black/red options – and you can even use it as an on-wrist alarm to help get them out of bed in the morning.
Key specifications
| Works with | Apple iOS, Android |
|---|---|
| Strap material | Elastomer (rubber) |
| Battery life | Up to 8 days |
| Screen size | 0.96-inch |
| Water resistance | Yes |
Garmin Vivofit Junior 3 (Age 4+)
Pros
- Classic watch design
- Lots of colours and designs
Cons
- Screen is slightly dim
Garmin’s latest activity tracker for kids has a nice watch-style design and an adjustable band, rather than being a stretchy bracelet. Just like the Garmin Viviofit Junior 2 below, it’s available in a range of different character designs, including Disney princesses, Black Panther, Iron Man and Spider-Man. The parents of our testers found this tracker is accurate when logging the number of minutes children were active for and the steps they took each day. They were impressed that you could personalise the screen with different images and add a name and phone number marked ICE (In Case of Emergency). All said the screen was a bit too dark, though.
Every time that a child hits their active minutes goal, a section of a story for them to read – along with games that relate to the band’s theme – is unlocked. It’s possible to add alarms to the tracker, activate timers, and there’s a stopwatch. It’s waterproof and Garmin says the replaceable battery lasts for up to one year.
Key specifications
| Works with | Apple iOS, Android |
|---|---|
| Strap material | Elastomer (rubber) |
| Battery life | Up to 1 year |
| Screen size | 0.79-inch |
| Water resistance | Yes |
Pros
- Solid battery life
- Different character designs
Cons
- Fiddly controls
The Vivofit Junior 2 is available with a clasp-style or stretchy bands, making it suitable for a range of ages over four, and it has a slightly smaller screen than its successor. Hitting the active minutes goal on this model unlocks a section of a story they can read and games related to the band’s design. Our testers loved that the screen could be personalised with a name and image relating to the theme of the band.
However, all agreed that the screen was too dark, and that having to push down on the button to light up the screen was fiddly. Once again, the tracker uses a watch battery that Garmin says lasts for up to one year. Just like the Junior 3, this tracker is available in a range of different character designs, including Disney princesses, Minnie Mouse, Spider-Man and Star Wars.
Key specifications
| Works with | Apple iOS, Android |
|---|---|
| Strap material | Elastomer (rubber) |
| Battery life | Up to 1 year |
| Screen size | 0.6-inch |
| Water resistance | Yes |
Nuband Junior Champs (Age 6+) Bundle
Pros
- Value for money
- Screen is easy to read
Cons
- Not waterproof
The most affordable of all the kids’ fitness trackers we tested, this comes with two different bands and a clothing clip – great for when your child gets a bit older. It wasn’t the most accurate of the fitness trackers when it came to logging the steps taken, but our testers found that the 1.5-inch screen is easy to read. Our testers liked the alarm that discreetly vibrates when it’s time to wake up. However, the tracker isn't waterproof and it does track the calories children burn each day (unlike some of the other models we tested), which some parents may feel uncomfortable with. Our testers also found the clasp fiddly to fit, and the tracker's strap popped out on occasions. It comes with a rechargeable battery that lasts up to six days.
Key specifications
| Works with | Apple iOS, Android |
|---|---|
| Strap material | Elastomer (rubber) |
| Battery life | Up to 5 days |
| Screen size | 1.5-inch |
| Water resistance | No |
Fitbit Inspire 3 (Age 13+)
Pros
- Loads of fitness and health modes
- A more grown-up design and build
Cons
- Not designed for anyone under 13
Shopping for a teenager? They’ll want a fitness tracker that’s a little more feature-rich. We recommend the Fitbit Inspire 3, which has a good variety of fitness and health modes, 10-day battery life and a slightly more grown-up design. You’ll get 24/7 heart monitoring, automatic exercise tracking and a daily sleep quality report. This comfy wearable pairs with a phone so your teen sees their app notifications directly on the tracker’s display and it will survive being worn while swimming or showering, too.
The downside? It’s a big one: Only Fitbit’s Ace series can be set up as a child profile in a family account, so you lose parental controls, including the need for your approval to add friends that your child can message via the app. That means your kid has to be aged 13 or over to get their own standard account and use this model, and you’ll need to have a big conversation to stress the importance of staying safe online.
Key specifications
| Works with | Apple iOS, Android |
|---|---|
| Strap material | Elastomer (rubber) |
| Battery life | Up to 10 days |
| Screen size | 0.7-inch |
| Water resistance | Yes |
How do kids’ fitness trackers work?
Just like their adult counterparts, kids’ fitness trackers use a three-axis accelerometer to determine whether your child is standing still, walking or making other movements, as well as recording the number of steps they take.
In fact, both the Fitbit and the NuBand kids’ fitness trackers we tested are actually the same as adult activity trackers already on the market, but with a different child-friendly strap.
Most kids’ fitness trackers do not track calories and don’t log different types of exercise either, such as walking, running or cycling. The majority do track how many hours’ sleep children are getting, though.
The data is synced to a smartphone or tablet (either the child’s own or one belonging to a parent or guardian) to make it easy to see how active they’ve been each day. You can also check fitness stats directly on the activity tracker’s screen.
Kids’ fitness trackers usually offer digital badges and awards when goals are hit, and the ability to compete against friends, along with extra features such as bedtime alerts, reminders to move and even notifications of messages and calls from a phone – although this may be more suited to older kids.
Are fitness trackers safe for kids?
Both Garmin and Fitbit have ensured that their kids’ activity trackers require parents to approve any requests from friends to compete in fitness-based challenges or write messages before they can take part. This is always done through the smartphone app. None of the wearables show the location of the wearer, either.
Can children use an adult fitness tracker?
There are a few reasons why you should buy your child a kids’ fitness tracker instead of a cheaper adult version. Adult activity trackers track calories, which is not a metric many parents will want children should focus on, while most kids' models (aside from those we identified above) do not.
Additionally, kids’ activity trackers have smaller straps with clasps that are better suited to tiny fingers and wrists, so they’ll find it easier to open and close, and there should be a smaller chance of it accidentally slipping off.
Jason Murdock was Hearst UK’s Deputy Technology Ecommerce Editor, contributing to multiple titles including Good Housekeeping, Esquire and Digital Spy, between 2022 and 2023.
With more than eight years’ experience covering tech at publications including Radio Times, Newsweek and the International Business Times, Jason has extensive knowledge of the latest gear and gadgets – reviewing phones, tablets, laptops, headphones, smart home products and more – and covering the biggest shopping events of the year, including Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day.
He won Digital Writer of the Year at The Drum's Online Media Awards in 2017 for his cybersecurity coverage in the International Business Times. When not writing and testing the latest gadgets, you’ll find Jason playing the guitar or learning how to parent his new baby.
Carrie-Ann Skinner is a technology and smart home expert with over 16 years of experience reviewing the latest gadgets and gizmos.
She's tested everything from smartphones, tablets and laptops to headphones, speakers and smart home kit such as wi-fi security cameras and video doorbells, making her best placed to offer advice on the gadgets to buy, how to use them, and how to get better deals.
Carrie once headed up the tech testing team at the Good Housekeeping Institute, and during her nine-year tenure (2011 to 2020) put the latest consumer and home tech through its paces for hundreds of reviews, and wrote detailed advice on how to buy the best tech and get the most out of it.
Carrie is also the former Homes Editor at TechRadar, where she focussed on finding the best kit to automate the home, and she has written for Tech Advisor (when it was known as PC Advisor), Ideal Home and Sound Advice.
When not getting hands-on with new technology, Carrie can be found on Instagram offering up simple tech tips, uncovering the best hidden features in the most popular gadgets at @tech_ing_it_easy, and indulging her passion for baking.
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