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We tested a bunch of smartwatches to see which ones are worth the hype — here’s the verdict

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A few of the watches I tested. Clockwise from the top: Sony Smartwatch 3, Apple Watch, Pebble Time Steel, Samsung Gear S2, Asus ZenWatch 2, LG Watch Urbane.Business Insider / Ellen Hoffman

I believe in smartwatches. Yes, they look dorky. Yes, they’re luxury purchases for privileged people. Yes, most of them are overpriced for what they can do. Yes, strangers are going to stare at you for using one.

But those strangers aren’t playing music from their wrist. They still strap their phones to their arms whenever they work out. When it’s cold or their hands are full, they still fumble through their pockets to see that email they were expecting. When they go to check that email, they probably get sucked into another vortex of attention-mauling apps for 15 minutes.

It’s easy to understand why people think smartwatches are silly. We’ve all been overexposed to tech for the last many years, and on a base level, the only "problem" a smartwatch solves is saving you the trouble of picking up your smartphone. That’s not worth hundreds to most people, and understandably so. Again, luxury and privilege.

At some point, though, I give in. To borrow an old Louis CK riff, being aggressively cynical about smartwatches is like getting irritated about a delayed flight. You can talk to your watch now, and it will respond to you. This is a Cool Thing. Even if the category hasn't reached its full potential, smartwatches work, and they’re getting better. 

Yet, as always, some are better than others. So, to find which smartwatches are actually worth your trouble, I scoured the web for relevant reviews and tested out a bunch for myself. I then made a short list of the best ones, which you can find below. I calculated a BI Rating for each one after that.

There are a few more things to note before we jump in. First, the vast majority of smartwatches skew masculine. And by “skew masculine,” I mean “completely ignore many women.” Most of these machines are big and bulky, and very few manufacturers tailor their gear toward more feminine wrists. That’s dumb.

Second, for most people, a smartwatch won't be as stylish as a regular timepiece at the same price. I own a $40 Timex, for instance, and I’m pretty confident it looks better than all but a couple of the $250-400 smartwatches I’ve tested. They’re improving, but any high-end style you get from a smartwatch is a bonus at this point.

Finally, there are plenty more smartwatches on the way. I didn’t get to try every one on the market, so when new contenders come to light, I’ll update this guide accordingly.

What you’re looking for here is something that tells the time, looks and feels good on the wrist, and extends a smartphone’s abilities in some capacity. For the most part, they’re meant to be alternative watches, not alternative smartphones. Look at them as such and you'll have an easier time finding the value.

With all that said, here are the best smartwatches you can buy today.

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My favorite smartwatch: Pebble Time Steel
$199.95

BI Rating: 7/10

Pebble Time Steel (Gold), $249.99, available at Amazon.Best Buy

The Time Steel isn’t terribly impressive from a technical standpoint, but, for now at least, I think Pebble still has the best approach to what a smartwatch should be. Of all the devices I tested, it’s the only one that felt like a smarter timepiece more than a dumber smartphone.

Before anything else, the Time Steel is just a good watch. It’s sturdy, light, and comfortable to wear. It’s small enough to fit well on most wrists. The colors on its e-paper display are much more muted than what you’ll find on any of the devices below, but the screen is always on, it’s clear, and it isn’t obnoxiously large. It doesn’t call attention to itself. It reads fine in sunlight, too.

The Time Steel isn’t ugly, either. It’s still got that nerdy, Casio-esque vibe that Pebble watches are known for, but I review tech for a living, so I go for that. Here, its aluminum frame is soft and polished, and its default leather strap is gentle. The whole timepiece is also water-resistant, which is comforting.

There’s no touchscreen, but the four-pack of side-mounted buttons are clicky and responsive, and using them doesn’t scream “GAZE UPON MY SCREENS” the way swiping through a bigger, brighter panel does.

The big thing is battery life. Whereas most smartwatches are lucky to get a couple of days of juice, that e-paper display lets the Time Steel last well over a week between charges. You should never have to doubt if your watch will be able to tell you the time, and that fear is non-existent here.

The Time Steel works with both iOS and Android devices, but it can’t do as much as most of its competitors. It isn’t as accurate at fitness tracking, it’s largely useless without your smartphone, and the apps it has typically aren’t as robust as their counterparts on other platforms.

What the Time Steel does very well is notifications, which are still any smartwatch’s bread and butter. It neatly presents your texts, emails, calendar events and the like, then lets you dismiss, open, or, in some cases, respond to them with a couple of button presses. It’s not fidgety about it. There’s also a mic built in that lets you respond to texts and such with your voice.

It has a truckload of custom watchfaces beyond that, as well as a useful “timeline” feature that culls your calendar, relevant sports scores, weather alerts, and the like into a tidy little schedule. It’s all simple to navigate, and the transitional animations in its UI are nice touches.

There’s just a low-key feel here that I appreciate. The Time Steel feels like it wants to fit into my day, not force me to make room for it. It reliably tells me the time and explains why my pocket just buzzed. It’s comfy and handsome enough on top of that. It understands it’s a watch. That’s all I really want.

The only significant issue is that the other Pebbles still exist, and they can do many of the same things the Time Steel does for far cheaper. The regular Time usually costs $50 less, but has flimsier hardware. A forthcoming Time Round costs the same and has a better-looking build, but drastically cuts down the battery life.

Meanwhile, the older Pebble Steel and original Pebble carry black-and-white displays, but have the same updated software and are way more affordable. Ultimately, the Time Steel is the best Pebble, but I wouldn’t fault you if you tried one of those less expensive options to see if smartwatches are for you in the first place.

Pros:

• Top-notch battery life
• Comfortable and well-built
• Not ostentatious

Cons:

• Dim display
• Fitness tracking isn't fully reliable
• Older Pebbles are arguably better values

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The best for iPhone owners: Apple Watch Sport$349.99

BI Rating: 8/10

Apple Watch Sport (Antique White), $349.99, available at Best Buy.Best Buy

For better or worse, the Apple Watch is really your only choice if you own an iPhone. Outside of its shape, Apple’s first wearable is about the total opposite of the Pebble. It tries to do, and can do, much more than the Time Steel, but its blend of style, functionality, and overall smoothness is superior to most other smartwatches with that mindset.

For one, the Watch just looks and feels nice. Its screen is crisp and vibrant, and its cool metal build feels like something that was pored over for many months. Even the flexible “Sport band” on this entry-level model refuses to feel cheap. It’s gorgeous, and it all comes in a huge range of colors, too.

As you might expect from an Apple product, the Apple Watch has lots and lots of third-party app support. Twitter, Google Maps, Instagram, Tinder, whatever — if you’ve heard of it being on a wearable, it’s probably here. Problem is, a good chunk of them haven’t been any good. This should keep getting better with time, especially with the changes that came with the recent watchOS 2 update. And the fact that its most developers’ first choice among wearables gives it a leg up in the future.

For now, though, you’re still best off using the Watch in conjunction with Apple’s own iPhone apps, to quickly check notifications, and as a basic fitness tracker. It works well for all of that — you can take calls, dictate texts and emails, use its surprisingly decent heart rate monitor, quickly buy stuff through Apple Pay, and so on. (Check out our review for more.) There’s a fair amount of attractive watch faces too. The “digital crown” and range of gestures needed to navigate watchOS has a bit of a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it it’s all smooth.

Outside of its still-improving app selection, there are a couple of other concerns. The first is battery life. It’s not great; I’d suspect you’ll have to charge yours every night if you take the plunge. The second is price. There’s no getting around the fact that this thing is expensive, especially for a device with obvious room to improve.

But while I can’t explicitly say anyone needs an Apple Watch, I can say that it’s supremely well-constructed, and that it’s hands-down the best choice if you’re an iPhone owner. That’s in large part because it’s the only choice, but I digress. If you know you’re down with smartwatches, and you’re not expecting a wrist-worn iPhone replacement, there’s still plenty to like here.

Pros:

• Superb design
  
• Deep integration with iPhones
• Widest app support

Cons:

• Pricey
• Middling battery life
• Requires iPhone 5 and up to work

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The easiest to use: Samsung Gear S2
$299.99

BI Rating: 7/10

Samsung Gear S2 (Dark Grey), $299.99, available at Amazon.Amazon

Our friends at Tech Insider very much enjoy the recently releasedSamsung Gear S2, and I can only share their enthusiasm. It’s a wonderfully comfortable wearable, and while I wouldn’t call it outright stylish, it’s cleanly put together, with a classic round face and steel case setup.

Its 360x360 OLED display is sharp and colorful, and its battery lasts a little over two days per charge, which is decent. It also houses a capable heart rate monitor, which helps it serve as a serviceable fitness tracker, and an NFC chip, which lets you make easy mobile payments (through Samsung Pay, at least).

What’s most notable about the Gear S2 is that it runs on Tizen, Samsung’s oft-neglected OS, instead of the usual Android Wear. In hindsight, that was an excellent decision — this is the single most intuitive interface I’ve seen on a smartwatch yet.

The key is the Gear’s bezel, which cleverly rotates to move you between menus. You simply keep clicking it over to get to your music, notifications, weather alerts, step counter, and so on, then tap the screen when you want to dig deeper. And when you’re in, say, your calendar, that bezel allows you to scroll vertically as well as horizontally.

A back button returns you to your last screen, while a home button brings you back to the watch face. There’s a tidy app hub to access all your stuff at once, too. It all works, and it feels like you have more control here than you do in Google, Apple, or even Pebble’s alternatives. The watch itself runs briskly throughout all of this.

There are a couple things keeping me from recommending the Gear S2 over the Time Steel, though. For one, it doesn’t support iOS. It connects over Bluetooth 4.1 to any device running Android 4.4 and up, but if you have an iPhone, you’re out of luck.

Secondly, Tizen’s app support is mediocre. There are only a handful of worthwhile third-party programs here — there are zero for music streaming, for instance — so be prepared to get familiar with Samsung’s own software.

Regardless, Samsung has the frame of something wonderful here. If you have an Android phone and don’t plan on using your watch on its own, the Gear S2 is a pleasure.

Pros:

• Excellent interface
• Solid battery life
• Good display

Cons:

• Lacking app selection
• No iOS support

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The best Android Wear watch: Huawei Watch
$349.99

BI Rating: 7/10

Huawei Watch (Stainless Steel/Black), $349.99, available at Amazon.Amazon

This was a nice surprise. Huawei isn’t a household name — though it’s getting there — but among the many like-minded Android Wear devices, its aptly-named 'Watch' was my favorite.

That’s mostly because it’s very good looking: Its round steel face, leather band, and simple crown give it the look of a higher-end product. "Classy" isn’t a word I’d use to describe most smartwatches, but that’s what this is. People won’t gawk at you here the way they do with an Apple Watch.

It’s big, but not huge, and it feels just as nice as it looks on your wrist. It has just the right amount of heft to it, for me at least, so it never comes off as an expensive toy. It’s splash-resistant as well. There's no GPS — and the heart rate monitor isn't automatic — but this is a luxury watch, not a fitness one, so I didn't mind.

Beyond that, 1.4-inch, 400x400 OLED display is super sharp, bright, vivid, and perfectly round. (There’s no auto-brightness functionality, though, which can be a pain.) Unless you do nothing for 30 minutes, it constantly stays on — no awkward wrist flicks or button presses just to see the time here. It’s also made of sapphire crystal, which makes it virtually impenetrable to everyday knocks and dings. Huawei has 40 mostly good-looking watch faces onboard as well.

Unlike regular Android, Android Wear is more or less identical on every device it’s on. It’s convenient enough most of the time, especially if you use Google’s app suite. You can fully read and respond to texts and emails, peruse a fair number of simplified third-party apps, control music playback, and the like. When you’re connected, you can give the usual “Ok Google” command and use your voice to take a note, set a reminder, tell you the weather, and so on. There are many nice watch faces to download through the Android Wear app, too.

A recent update allowed devices like Huawei’s to connect to WiFi on their own, which gives them a modicum of functionality independent of the phone. If your watch has storage space, for instance — and this one does — you can sync songs from your Google Play Music library and stream them through Bluetooth right there. Alerts will show up as well, but you’ll still want your phone on you most of the time. That update also added iOS support (for v8.2 and up) for newer devices like this, but it’s mostly limited to the basics.

My issue is that all of this isn’t implemented as cleanly as it could be. Android Wear reallywants Google Now to be the anchor of your day: Everything is presented through various “cards,” much like the ones you see whenever you swipe right on an Android phone. If you’ve used that before, you know that Now can be useful, but often too irrelevant for comfort.

So, as I keep swiping down on my Android Wear watch, I’ll see a text I haven’t checked yet, a Gmail, a bunch of calendar alerts, a step counter via Google Fit, and the weather in New York. That’s all fine! It’s all easily dismissable as well, though there’s a lot of swiping involved here.

But in between that, I’ll see a bunch of sports scores I don’t care about. Sure, I once told Google that I liked baseball, but I don’t need to know that the Mets beat the Cubs three days ago every time I check my email. You can dismiss cards like that repeatedly, but they’ll keep coming back until you go through Now and change your preferences.

Those cards are also huge, and they chew up a ton of screen space over your chosen watch face by default. Again, you have to go through your phone’s settings to make Android Wear get out of its own way.

Still, it’s functional enough, and the Huawei Watch runs it all with aplomb. That high-res screen means it can only do that for about a day and a half, though, which is eh.

There are alternatives in the high-end Android Wear bracket. The LG Watch Urbane is similarly stylish — our resident style guru Ellen Hoffman even said it “wasn’t too bad” — but it’s enormous and has a stiffer leather band. The new Moto 360, meanwhile, started the round-faced trend among smartwatches, but stubbornly refuses to make its display a perfect circle. Ultimately, style separates these things, and I think the Huawei Watch is the best-looking for the most people. Relatively speaking.

Pros:

• Elegant design
• Wonderful display
• Comfortable

Cons:

• Expensive
• Android Wear is a work in progress
• No auto-brightness

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A solid budget choice: Asus ZenWatch 2
$129.99

BI Rating: 7/10

Asus ZenWatch 2 (Silver/Taupe), $129.99, available at Best Buy.Best Buy

Huawei's watch is pricey, though. The Apple Watch appears to have raised the cost of flagship smartwatches as a whole, and $350 might be too much for some to drop on a still-developing platform.

If you want a taste of Android Wear without breaking the bank, try the Asus ZenWatch 2. It doesn’t have the round display or all-metal build of more premium options, its leather band is a little stiff, and its bezel is bigger than I’d prefer. You’ll notice it when it’s on.

For $130, though, it’s perfectly serviceable. It’s thin and not-ugly, and while that rectangular display is a bit techy, I don’t think it’d look out of place on anyone’s wrist. Its 320x320 (or 280x280 on the smaller model) OLED screen is fine, and its battery got me a little over two days on average, which is good for a non-Pebble watch. It also charges quickly.

On top of that, the ZenWatch does all the same Android Wear things as models three times as expensive. The same issues remain, too, but at this price they’re easier to be patient with.

The other relatively affordable Android watch I like is Sony’s Smartwatch 3, which retails for about $170. It’s a bit boring, at least with its default rubber band, but it has built-in GPS, a solid two days of battery life, and a decent display. It’s comfortable and waterproof as well. That GPS is the key— it makes the Smartwatch 3 much more capable as a fitness tracker than the ZenWatch 2, and lets you track your jogs with accuracy. If you’re looking for a sportier option, that’s the pick.

Pros:

• Affordable
• Good battery life
• Same Android Wear as more expensive options

Cons:

• Stiff wristband 
• Oversized bezel
• Unreliable as a fitness tracker

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Business Insider's Insider Picks team. We aim to highlight products and services you might find interesting, and if you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners, including Amazon. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Have something you think we should know about? 

8 ways smartwatches will knock your socks off

When it comes to smartwatch, new features—including Android Wear’s intuitive operating system—mean there’s a ton of cutting-edge things to try out.

Sleek, stylish and doggone handy, here are eight reasons why a wrist near you might enjoy wearing a smartwatch:

1. Get directions

With the car packed and your crew buckled up, get turn-by-turn directions (as long as your phone is in the car with you).

How it works: Just say “OK Google, navigate to” and state your destination. Turn-by-turn navigation such as “turn right on Washington Street in 50 feet” will appear.

2. Connect to your phone from afar

You can connect your phone to any of the smartwatches with the latest version of Android Wear, even when they’re miles apart. If your smartwatch is connected to Wi-Fi while your phone is connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network, you can send messages and access email on your smartwatch.

How it works: Make sure your Wi-Fi password is already loaded on the smartwatch. If you’re going to a new place and a Wi-Fi password is needed, your phone must be present to key in the password (but only once). To connect your compatible smartwatch to Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi must be set to automatic in its Wi-Fi settings. You also need to make sure Android Wear cloud sync is on. On your phone, open Android Wear, touch the settings icon, touch cloud sync, and move the switch to the on position.

3. Use voice search

Ask a question or text a friend hands-free, all while buying movie tickets or waiting in the checkout line.

How it works: To activate voice search, just say “OK Google,” which tells your smartwatch to start listening. Ask anything, such as “Will it rain tomorrow?” You can even set reminders, such as “Remind me to call Jill at noon.” Need to text a friend you’re running late? Just speak into the smartwatch, and what you say will be converted into a text that you can send. You can also start an app simply by saying “OK Google, open,” and then the name of the app.

4. Send “hand drawn” emojis to your pals

You can reply to your friends using Facebook Messenger, “canned responses” or texts by sending emojis.

How it works: Simply draw them with your finger on your smartwatch screen. Suppose a friend texts: “drinks or a bike ride after dinner?” Just swipe your smartwatch until you see “reply,” then select “draw emoji.” When you start to sketch a cocktail glass, for example, the smartwatch recognizes it and gives you a list of emojis to choose from. Just select the one you want to send and, voila.

5. Stay informed

Get alerts about breaking news and weather, great for helping make sure your travel plans don’t hit any unexpected roadblocks.

How it works: With Google Now cards, your information is automatically organized into simple cards that appear when needed. Just sign in and adjust the settings to determine what info you want and when without having to search for it. Google Now will also give you info you didn’t realize you needed, such as “leave now for your 10 a.m. meeting,” while factoring in traffic, weather and location. View the list of cards now available.

6. Play music, shop, book a flight and more

Customize your smartwatch with thousands of Android Wear apps that let you do everything from making an airline reservation to changing your font size for a more stylish look.

How it works: Visit the Google Play™ store, then download apps to your smartwatch. There’s one that lets you shop on Amazon. Another lets you use Pinterest (the app will alert you if you’re near a place you’ve pinned). You can even track your steps or distance traveled. Use your smartwatch as a remote to play music on your phone or you can download music to your smartwatch and listen to it through a Bluetooth® speaker or headset.

7. Respond to messages on the fly

Access emails and messages and reply to them right from your smartwatch.

How it works: Digging for your phone to thumb out a reply can take more time than you have—and often isn’t necessary. Ping them with a pithy response from your wrist by using your voice, a canned response or a few emojis.

8. Dress it smartly with different watchbands

Bring a sense of personal style to your smartwatch by swapping out the band with one that better suits your tastes.

How it works: When it comes to replacing your smartwatch band, choices you’ll have include material and style. So what kind of options are out there? 

Walmart Swears Your Kids Want This New Smartwatch for Christmas

Lots of kids will have smartwatches anyway—and they’ll get them even before their parents are noodling around excitedly to see what their own Apple Watches can do. According to Wal-Mart, which just released its “Kid-Approved Holiday Toy List,” one of the top gifts young children crave under the tree come December 25 is something of a knockoff of Apple’s hot new gadget. The VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch just entered the marketplace, and after consulting hundreds of children, Wal-Mart claims that it will be one of the hottest toys of the season. VTech lists the product as best for kids ages 4 to 7, and it sells for the comparatively low price of $60.

What does VTech’s Smartwatch do? Mostly, it takes photos and video and can be used for a few games. It has a touch screen, and, yes, it has a clock (50+ different designs) with an alarm and a timer. It doesn’t have Siri or the ability to track your heart rate or communicate with others, so there shouldn’t be any confusing this watch with the Apple offering.

Early reviewers of the device—many of them mommy bloggers who say upfront that they were given one free to test and write about—rave about it, for the most part. A PCMag.com review rated the Kidizoom at four out of five stars, with strong marks given because it’s easy and fun and takes decent videos and photos, but it loses a few points because of limited memory (a few minutes of video and you’re tapped out) and battery life that didn’t live up to what’s promised.

Yet all things considered, there’s good reason to be a little skeptical that kids will make this one of the hottest toys of the season. And if it does wind up being a hot holiday gift, who knows how long this device will actually hold a child’s interest?

Then again, who knows about any of this? A few years back, there was plenty of skepticism about the idea of buying tablets for kids, but before you knew it gadgets like the Leapfrog LeapPad tablet were in high demand around the holidays.

Bear all of this in mind when determining whether or not to purchase the supposedly “Kid-Approved” new smartwatch as a holiday gift. And if you do buy one, good luck convincing your kid that the VTech smartwatch is just as good as Apple’s when its smartwatch goes on sale to the public a few weeks after Christmas.

Play time: The best smartwatches for kids

We all know that some parents want to slap a wearable on their kids purely so they know their GPS location at all times. And that's useful for the adults (who also happen to be the ones paying for the thing). But what about the kids? Smartwatches for children can be fun too.

Check out our real life test: Parents and kids review GPS trackers

So, here's our pick of the best smartwatches for kids. Some of them also handle activity tracking or GPS, but all of them provide something extra that will keep everyone happy.

Omate Wherecom K3

The upcoming Wherecom K3 (on sale now but with a wider launch July) looks like a funky all-rounder with a bright yellow, blue or pink plastic case and rubber band. There's GPS, a microSIM card slot, a mic and 3G to keep your 6–10-year-old connected without the need for a smartphone. Plus as well as a pedometer and Android 5.1, there are pre-installed games which can be played against other K3 owners over Bluetooth. The price isn't bad either.

Read this: Omate Wherecom K3 first look

$129, omate.com

VTech Kidizoom DX

At the budget end, we have the Kidizoom DX. It wants to get kids active and tries to do so with a selection of motion-based activities, but there are also extra features like maths challenges with a digital owl. Available in a range of colours, the main appeal here is that the smartwatch features a built-in camera with fun photo effects, frames and filters to choose from. Aimed at 4–9-year-olds.

$75.45, vtechkids.com | Amazon

No grown ups allowed

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1

2

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DokiWatch 

The self proclaimed 'most advanced kids smartwatch' (and joint most expensive choice here) was a Kickstarter success and is now available to pre-order. It's true that it basically has everything – GPS, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, built-in camera for video calling and Tamagotchi style activity games via a feature called DokiPet. There's also a colour touchscreen (pretty standard) plus text and emoji messages and an SOS alarm for safety.

Safety first: The best kids trackers

It's IP65 water resistant, available in yellow, pink, blue and dark grey with cute DokiWatch charms available to customise it and lots of watch face wallpapers too. This is suitable for 6–12 year olds.

$179, doki.com

Editor’s picks

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hereO

This friendly kids smartwatch puts safety first, but it's also small and light at just 40g so your kid shouldn't mind wearing it. Plus thanks to an e-paper screen, the battery lasts for up to 60 hours – much longer than colour touchscreens. As well as GPS location tracking and a panic feature, hereO watches let children send messages to family members with one click. For ages 3 and up.

$179, hereofamily.com

A shout out for the XTC Y01

This is unlikely to be a helpful recommendation unless you're reading this from China. But we're including it here because this budget kids watch was actually estimated to be the fifth bestselling wearable in the world in the third quarter of 2015, according to IDC's tracker.

It costs ¥796.00 (about $125) and includes GPS, a nano SIM slot and for fun, micro chats so that kids can stay connected to their friends. We'll let you know if the Y01 goes international anytime soon.

9 Awesome Options for the Best Kids Smart Watch

I’ve had one of these ‘smart watch’ things strapped to my wrist for a little over two years now. Purchasing the Pebble as more of an experiment than an impulse, I wanted to see if this wearable fad was really worth all the hype. Well, two years later and with a Pebble-shaped tan line embedded on my skin, I can honestly say my wrist shall never be bare again.

So what kind of options are out there for the best kids smart watch? Well, that’s going to depend a lot on the kid who is going to wear it… Is your child likely to break an expensive timepiece? Are they sporty? Are they super sociable? There’s a lot of different factors to take into account. So here are some of the most popular smart watches for kids to make the search that bit more simple.

Best Kids Smart Watch

1. LeapFrog LeapBand

LeapFrog make a huge selection of child-friendly devices and the LeapFrog LeapBand is one of their most popular. Created to encourage children to be more active, this kids smart watch presents wearers with fun active challenges and customizable play. Children can personalize their very own pet pal for an active playmate who’s always on hand and parents can choose from 50 different downloadable challenges to keep their child wiggling, dancing, hopping and having fun.

Ages: 4-7 years

Battery life: 1 day

Recommended for: Young Children, Fitness, Fun

2. VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch DX (2nd Generation)

The featureful VTech Kidizoom is a fantastic starter smart watch for kids. It can take photos and videos with a 0.3 megapixel camera, has more than 50 clock face designs and has an inbuilt voice recorder with some pretty wacky voice-changing effects. It’s equipped with an alarm, timer, stopwatch,calendar, calculator and motion sensor and also comes loaded with eight games (with more that can be downloaded from VTech’s Learning Lodge). Definitely a watch for fun more than function.

Ages: 4-7 years

Battery life: 2-3 days

Recommended for: Young Children, Multimedia, Fun

3. Pebble Smartwatch

The Pebble Smartwatch is still the most popular smart watch option for kids on the market. At a very reasonable price and with massive feature list, it’s the perfect balance of bang vs buck. Compatible with both Apple and Android devices the Pebble lets you view notifications from email, SMS, Caller ID, calendar and your favorite apps. Kids can download different watch faces and apps to suit their style and interests and the best part is that the rechargeable battery lasts 5-7 days on a single charge.

Ages: 8+ years

Battery life: 5-7 days

Recommended for: All Rounder, Low Cost, Battery Life

4. Pebble Time Smartwatch

With all the specs of the original Pebble and more, the Pebble Time brings a color screen, water resistance and a slick new interface for only a fractional increase on the cost. With a 7 day battery life, loads of customizable watch faces, fitness and sleep tracking, and an always on e-color display, this watch is my pick for bang for your smart watch buck.

Ages: 8+ years

Battery life: 7 days

Recommended for: All Rounder, Great Value, Battery Life

5. Martian Notifier Smartwatch

The Martian Notifier Smartwatch is a brilliantly unique player in the smart watch space, and is an especially great value piece of kit for kids. Functioning as a completely independant analog watch, the clock face has a 2 year battery life. The small notifier screen connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth and has a 6 day (I get more though) rechargeable battery. This watch is perfect if you want the benefit of notifications without all the additional battery-sapping “smart watch” features.

Ages: 8+ years

Battery life: 2 years (6 days smart watch)

Recommended for: Basic, Low Cost, Battery Life

6. Fitbit Charge 2

The Fitbit is all about staying active and tracking every aspect of your health and fitness. If your child is looking to take their sport or training that bit more seriously then the Fitbit is the place to start. Monitoring stats like steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, stairs climbed, heart rate and active minutes the Fitbit is a great motivator for any aspiring athlete. The device can even be worn in bed to monitor sleeping patterns. While it is limited in functionality compared to some of the more full-featured smart watches, it has been designed for fitness and does that job extremely well.

Ages: 8+ years

Battery life: 5 days

Recommended for: Fitness, Sleep, Basic

7. Microsoft Band 2

The Microsoft Band is another smart watch that focuses on fitness but it does boast a more extensive feature set than the Fitbit. The band has eleven sensors, including inbuilt GPS, heart rate monitor, UV monitor, barometer, and more. With the ability to track heart rate, steps, calorie burn and sleep quality the Band is an excellent activity companion, but it does offer a few more ‘smart watch’ features. Linking with Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone, the Microsoft Band shows email previews, calendar alerts, incoming calls, texts, and more all from the bright, full-color touch screen.

Ages: 8+ years

Battery life: 2 days

Recommended for: Fitness, Sleep, Touch Screen

8. Samsung Gear S2 Smartwatch

The Samsung Gear S2 is a full-featured high-end smart watch. Given the price and complexity of this device it is definitely an older kids smart watch though. With a large AMOLED touch display, all notifications such as texts, phone calls, and third party application notifications are clear and easy to see. The watch can take voice commands, track fitness and comes with very neat wireless charging dock to make boosting battery hassle-free. An amazing piece of hardware, the Gear S2 comes in a range of styles with the added ability to swap and change bands to complement your kids personal style or look.

Ages: 8+ years

Battery life: 1-3 days (depending on display settings)

Recommended for: High End, Samsung/Android Phone Users

9. Apple Watch

You knew it was coming, and while it may be a huge jump in price, the Apple Watch is always going to be the top of the line smart watch option. Whether you are going for the ‘cheaper’ Sports models ($269+) or all the way up to the Edition modes ($10k+) you will want to make sure this kids smart watch is going to get some really good use. With features ranging from a flexible Retina screen to the ability to pay for goods and services using Apple Pay, the Apple Watch certainly packs a punch. While it is still early days, there is no doubt with Apple’s track record, this device will be the one to watch (no pun intended).

Ages: 12+ years

Battery life: 18 hours

Recommended for: High End, iPhone Users

If you are looking for any easy answer, my top pick is still the Pebble Smartwatch. I have been wearing it for over two years now and love it! It’s the right balance between functionality and price, which makes it the perfect kids smart watch option before jumping in the deep end with a super high-end device.