After all, you don't need a push notification to tell you that you just picked up your kid from school. We threw it on the ground, stepped on it and left it on the driveway during a rain shower, and it kept working just fine.Įven better, you aren't notified when your child arrives at or leaves a trusted place with you. It's shock-resistant and waterproof with an IPX8 rating - I doubt my 6-year-old could destroy it without a dedicated, sustained effort. We plan on testing the device.Īs for the original Jiobit, with no screen, microphone or speaker, it feels very durable. Support for low-power wide area networks should help the Jiobit Next perform better in areas without great cellular coverage. The makers of Jiobit have rolled out a new version, the $129 Jiobit Next that promises better battery life and more accurate tracking, thanks to a new antenna design. A loop lets you attach the tracker to a backpack, shoe, belt loop, keychain or necklace, and we found we only had to charge it every five days or so. Our pick for the best GPS tracker for keeping tabs on kids, pets and older adults has been the Jiobit (opens in new tab), which is small and light (2 x 1.5 x 0.5 inches, 0.6 ounces). The best GPS trackers for kids you can buy today That tracker's use of Ultra Wideband may make it tempting to use with kids or pets, but the range isn't as good as a dedicated people tracker what's more, Apple discourages that kind of use case. Likewise, we'd steer you away from using Apple's AirTag to track anything other than objects. Dedicated GPS trackers, such as the very accurate Spot Gen3 (opens in new tab), can be overwhelming for youngsters to use. The best GPS trackers for kids are designed specifically to be worn and sometimes operated by children. You may be thinking about trying out other options like a standard GPS tracker instead of one designed specifically for kids, but we'd caution against that. Given the Apple Watch's cost, though, we'd only recommend it for older kids or aging parents unless you can find it on sale through one of the best Apple Watch deals.
While not a traditional kid tracker, the Apple Watch SE is an intriguing option thanks to Apple's Family Setup feature for tracking the location of someone wearing an LTE-enabled model of the smartwatch. If you prefer a watch to a clip-on tracker, Lil Tracker is not only comfortable for kids to wear, it's also affordable, though its app is pretty confusing.
The original Jiobit worked seamlessly with the smartphones you or a caregiver might carry around, so you not only knew the location of your child but who they're with - a valuable feature if you rely on a nanny or babysitter and want to check in on how everyone is doing. Jiobit has been the best GPS tracker for kids, thanks to a kid-proof design that can withstand the elements, though the company has started taken orders on a new version. We also look at the ongoing cost of kid trackers -besides what you pay for the tracker itself, you generally need to also pay a monthly fee for network connectivity. When we look for the best GPS trackers, we consider how easy a device is to use, how comfortable it is to wear and what kind of information it provides parents. (Many of the best GPS trackers for kids that we've tested double as wristwatches.) No matter what design you choose, a top GPS tracker should be easy to operate, with some devices capable of letting your kids send out alerts to you and other care-givers if there's trouble. Trackers also give your children the freedom to roam freely, while giving parents a way to check on their whereabouts for that extra peace of mind.Įquipping your children with a tracker is as easily as clipping it onto their backpack or fastening it to their wrist. Should your child get lost in a crowd, you're able to pinpoint their location just by glancing at your phone. The best GPS trackers for kids come in handy throughout the year, though - not just at school time.