Can you remember the first-ever watch that you owned? Getting your first wristwatch as a kid is a memory inscribed deeply in your mind. As a kid getting your first watch is a great deal and excites you in various ways. You might have definitely flexed your new watch as a kid to your friends in school and blabbered about its features. For instance, this rare feature in early 2000 had a compass on the watch’s belt. This attracted many kids and made it a fascinating watch to own. In a way, it established a good status in front of your friends as a kid. However, things have significantly evolved from the past, especially in technology and wearables. So, if you seek to buy your kid a watch and want to buy the best one, you are in the right place.
There are many attributes that one needs to look for while selecting a watch. It is also vital not to focus on the watch’s design but its functionality and durability. There is a lot of difference between choosing an adult watch and a kid watch. Here are some of the top attributes you need to look for while selecting a watch for your kid.
Durability
The first and foremost attribute that you need to check for while buying a watch for your kid is its durability. You will know it better than anyone about how kids handle new stuff. They are rough and often end up breaking things. However, it is a part of being a kid, and one needs to embrace it. That’s right, every adult who was once a kid has gone through this face. Kids tend to break a thing or two as they do not understand the value of things.
Therefore, when you buy a new watch for your kid, it is essential to check its durability in terms of its screen and built. Additionally, one needs to check if the watch is waterproof & shockproof, allowing your kid to use it without compromising their notorious habits.
Analog/Digital watch
Watches are meant to converse with your brain to indicate time. Ever since the rise of digital technology, analog watches have been less preferred than digital watches. Many kids find it difficult to read time from analog watches and ask their parents to purchase them a digital watch. It is easier to read time in digital watches, but your kid will never learn to read time from an analog watch.
Therefore, if your kid doesn’t know to read time from an analog watch, buy an analog watch to learn reading time. However, if your kid knows to read the time on analog watches, you can consider giving them a digital watch. This narrows down your search to select the best watch for your kid.
Design & pleasing clock face
Kids love flexing their watches and depicting their favorite color and cartoon character. Hence, while choosing these aspects, remember to take the opinion of your kid. Additionally, the design of the watch matters while selecting the best watch. For instance, some prefer more oversized dials while others don’t. Check out for such aspects, and remember to keep your child in the loop because ultimately, your kid will be wearing the watch.
These days, there are many different watch styles, helping you find the right one that matches your kids’ fashion and preferences.
Watch strap/belt
Choosing the correct watch strap in your kids’ watch is essential as it can lead to problems like contact dermatitis. For instance, if you have a rough strap, it might irritate the skin and cause pseudo eczema conditions. Additionally, studies have also shown that nickel straps cause irritation. Fortunately, nickel straps are not found in kid’s watches.
Instead, the recommended material for kid’s watch straps is silicon, leather, and rubber, which offer comfort and ease of wearing. Hence, when you select a watch for your kid, remember to check for the belt material, avoiding opportunities for irritation on your kid’s wrist.
Tracking technology/GPS
These days many kid’s watches include GPS features and SOS functions. This will allow you to track your kid and surveil them when they are away from you or when they go to playschool. While doing so, you will be assured about your child’s safety and monitors your child’s location in real-time.
Furthermore, there are added features that include fencing capabilities that notify you whether your kids have arrived safely at school or their friends’ houses. Of course, it goes without saying that this is a feature that cannot be ignored, especially in kids below 10 years, as their safety is essential. Hence, check out whether the watch you select has this feature or not.
Price Value
While selecting a watch for your kid, it is also essential to establish a budget range. Sometimes, parents tend to spend a higher value on the kid’s watch just to know that it gets lost at the end. Therefore, depending on your child’s maturity and age, one needs to set the budget accordingly. The average cost of a kid’s watch in the US is around 100 to 150 dollars. Hence, if your kid even tends to lose their watch, you will not have financial regrets.
Parental Controls
Software advancements in wearables allow you to have added features that are derived after careful testing. Such added features have also reached the domain of kid’s watches. One of these features that are developed for the betterment of your kid is parental control. Parental controls allow you to keep your child drifting away from restricted sites and manage screen time. This will help you keep your kids in check and, at the same time, keep them updated with technology. Therefore, while selecting a watch for your kid, ensure that it includes the parental control feature.
In addition, some kids watch also have a reward system that allows your kids to stay motivated, which is a psychologically tested principle called positive conditioning.
Battery life
No matter the type of watch you select, a watch should have an excellent battery life, and it should not be compromised. There are watched who have a battery life of one year and are non-rechargeable. Other rechargeable kid’s watches can last for up to two to three days. Rechargeable batteries can charge faster and are highly preferred. Good battery life is vital in a kid’s watch as it powers the system.
If the battery fails, the watch switches off, and you will not have your kid’s whereabouts. This is just one example of how battery life impacts daily scenarios. Hence, look for a kid’s watch with good battery life while selecting one
Conclusion
Choosing the right watch for your kid also depends on their age group. However, the most important attributes that one should find in the best kid’s watch are listed above. There are many kid’s watch brands that you can choose from, and there are platforms that allow you to compare various brands based on customer reviews and models. Once you know the crucial features to look for in a kid’s watch, you can easily select the best one in the market and make your kid happy.
