"Where is my child?" - From such a question it can simply take your breath away. But as often happens, children can get lost in bushes, on beaches, when visiting attractions, cinemas and many other crowded places.
To preserve nerves, peace of mind, and at the same time health, many parents can be helped by new technologies in the face of an easy GPS-tracker, which can work on one battery for up to two days, sending you geozonal notifications about your child.
The tracker can look like a children's watch, a GPS phone or take the form of a small block that easily attaches to a backpack and clothes. Let's try to choose the most successful and relevant model of a children's GPS locator, identifying the advantages along with the disadvantages of a particular model.
Top Tracker Criteria
In order to make the picture complete and unbiased, several of the most successful and popular tracker models were tested based on the following characteristics.
- Functionality. Children's watches with GPS-locator, in addition to its main function, can perform other important tasks such as voice calls or the ability to install geofences in place. That is, after the child crosses such an invisible zone, a message is immediately sent to the parent about the “violation of borders”. In general, devices that are not limited to the basic functionality, that is, those in which add-ons are fully implemented, will be considered.
- Work. At this point, the watch tracker must clearly determine the location of the child and correctly display data on the movement of the object.
- Design. It takes into account the weight so that it is easy for the child to carry the device with him, as well as strength - not all gadgets can withstand the adventures on the playground.
- Ergonomics. A child’s watch with GPS should not enter the child into a stupor with his bells and whistles, but be as simple and clear as possible. It is advisable 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 price / quality ratio, otherwise (the choice of the tariff plan and the operator) is the business of the parents themselves.
So, let's get started: ranking the best watches with a GPS locator for a child according to the above criteria.
PocketFinder Personal GPS Locator
Gadgets of the company have always been distinguished by an unusual and unusual assortment, but this is not so bad. It’s hard to call a watch for a boy or girl that the company offers, but the gadget performs its functions 100%. This minimalistic device perfectly determines the location of the child and is perfect for any age group.
The gadget is very conveniently placed in any children's baggage or is firmly attached to clothes with a simple lock. You can add sensible device support to this - 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 on them.
Contents of delivery
Together with the tracker, there is a convenient docking station for charging, working from the network through the USB connector. In addition, the device is equipped with two cute silicone cases of white and green colors, which, with the help of special holes, can be fixed on the strap of a backpack, handbag or trouser belt.
Functionality
There are no buttons or any other controls on the device, so it makes sense to get it out and “disturb” only during recharging, which the gadget needs about once every two weeks. The battery life of the device is simply exceptional, and a children's watch with GPS is charged in just four hours.
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, and on the other hand, you may not even notice how the tracker falls out of the backpack or comes unfastened from the strap. Users in their reviews have repeatedly complained about the lack of fasteners, which are not firmly fixed to thin straps. In other cases (fastening on a hand, on a thick and middle belt), no problems were noticed.
But the most important advantage of the device is its gadget site and related applications. The device itself does not have any indicators or sensors, so you can see the full work of the tracker only on a special site.
After registration you will be available a very solid set of functions and control levers of the device. After a little study, you can immediately start working with the main application, where you can see the tracker coordinates, battery charge level, GPS signal availability, estimated address (Yandex and Google maps) and other interesting information.
Having studied the functionality of the site, you can completely adjust the operation of the device to your specific needs. For example: to configure receipt of notification when the object that is being tracked will move at a speed that is beyond the established range (say, it will accelerate from 30 to 70 km / h). The device will fix all this and send you a message.
You can also manage food, view the history of movement, there is even a page on which you can enter all the necessary medical data like blood type, allergens, full home address, means of communication in unforeseen cases, in general, everything that emergency services need to know.
A children's watch with GPS PocketFinder initially works with a pre-installed SIM card of the European operator AT&T, but in user reviews there were no complaints about any serious difficulties with replacing the SIM card with local communication.
The model showed itself from a very good side, and although creating geofences on the site and in pre-installed applications causes some difficulties after full configuration, the device correctly displays all the information about entering or leaving the controlled territory. Notifications come after 30-40 seconds, so it’s quite realistic to track the child’s movement and respond to the situation on time.
The only thing that users note in their reviews as a significant drawback is the lack of the ability to send SMS or make emergency calls, but otherwise the model pleases with its accuracy and simplicity.
FiLIP 2
Children's GPS watches BabyWatch have acquired a new line of "Philip". Looking at FiLIP 2, there are some similarities with Apple products, but, unlike the apple giant, the Philip device does not have a smart watch function, although it has many interesting features that will surely be pleasant and will be useful for most parents.
Completeness
Watches for girls and boys “Philip 2” are equipped with an adapter for charging and a USB cable, so that you can charge the device directly through a computer, or as usual through a wall outlet. On the back of the cable is a magnetic sensor that allows you to attach to the watch at the back.
The kit includes a convenient and thin strap of the selected color. The material from which the bracelet is made looks solid and does not lend itself to deformation. BabyWatch “Philip 2” GPS watch is intended only to be worn on the wrist, there are no other alternative wearing options, the design does not provide.
Device functionality
Like the 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 note that there are no serious problems with activating the device.
As soon as the children's watch with GPS passes activation, 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 passed through a special mobile application.
During the setup, you can enter all the necessary data for 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 easily configured and the only thing owners of the watch complain about in their reviews is the response too long (2-3 minutes).
By themselves, the BabyWatch Classic Filip series is perfect for any child, regardless of age group. The data shown on the display has a large font and is easy to read (see) even in dim light.
Watches for girls and boys "Philip 2" have only two buttons, but they are quite enough. Each key is programmed to call specific numbers on a two-way communication. There is also an emergency alert button, by clicking on which, SMS messages are sent to all numbers entered into the memory.
Ease of call and instant sending of user-preset messages are the strongest points of Philip 2. Weaknesses, judging by the owner’s reviews, also have a place to be: the signal quality and two-way communication are not well developed, the interlocutor is sometimes very hard to hear. Also, some users complained about the poor quality service and support service, which may be silent for several days. Otherwise, children's watches “Philip 2” are a good and inexpensive option for monitoring children and their environment.
Gator FixiTime Caref GPS
As in the previous case, the Karef model closely resembles an apple smart product. The gadget, of course, does not reach this level, but in its segment it is one of the best options for controlling a child.
Packaging and completeness
The FixiTime Karef watch comes in a smart box with a very original internal distribution of accessories. The kit comes with a white charger (almost like with iPhones) with a USB adapter, and during charging the gadget cable starts to glow blue, regardless of how you charge it - from the computer or from the network.
Functions and Features
Many users in their reviews note difficulties with setting the clock, indicating a rather confusing and very complicated activation process. But after a little familiarization with the instructions and several steps on the gadget's website, you can proceed directly to work with the device.
To synchronize with a smartphone, you will need to install a special application from AppleStore, and it’s worth mentioning right away that the program you need is called MyCaref, and not just Caref, so you need to configure the soft search correctly.
Children's watches 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).
Tariffs differ in cost, where the main criterion is the number of included voice minutes and short messages. Regardless of the selected tariff, changing the periodic update (10 minutes) for any location, alas, is impossible. The gadget is equipped with a built-in SIM card and you cannot remove it, so local operators will have to connect via preinstalled software, which is sometimes not very convenient.
As a direction finding of the object’s location, the watch - for a boy or 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 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 sparkle with pixel indicators, the image is quite readable and familiar with it is not difficult.
Two-way communication, as well as short messages, work fine, there were no complaints or any problems in this regard. There is an alarm button, after clicking on which the set numbers from the contact list begin to be dialed alternately until someone answers the call. The sound quality during the communication was very pleasing to many owners of the gadget, as evidenced by numerous positive reviews.
Unlike other, more expensive models, “Karef” is not striking, and you cannot even tell by the appearance of the watch that it is a GPS tracker (it only gives out a ringtone very similar to a lullaby). The battery lasts for a whole day, so there are no questions about autonomy, the only thing worth warning 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 are the difficulties in setting up and activating the watch, and the instruction manual could be more detailed and understandable for ordinary people. The rest is an intelligent tracker-watch, convenient for children and understandable for parents (after reading the manual). They give a feeling of calm and control over what is happening on the playground, at school or on vacation.