Getting kids up and about isn’t just good for them, it can build a routine that can keep them healthy for life. Easy right? Not quite. As parents, we’ve got our work cut out. Gaming? Phones? Tough to compete with. One thing that can help is grabbing one of the growing range of fitness trackers out there, like the popular FitBit Ace 2 (Available on Amazon).
But what other activity trackers are out there? Today, we’re hunting out the best Fitbit alternative for kids. Which of the competing fitness bands are actually good, or better than the Ace 2?
The best child’s Fitbit alternative we’ve found is the Garmin Vivofit watch. Kids will love the licensed Marvel and Disney designs. It’s packed with features to keep children active and establish healthy routines. See it at Amazon
#1 – Garmin Vivofit Jr. Daily
In answer to the age-old parent’s riddle: how the heck do you get a child to tidy their room? comes Garmin’s Vivifit Jr – a bright and attractive alternative to the Fitbit. It’s chore, activity and fitness trackers reward children for making progress on fitness and little jobs they’d normally kick up a fuss about.
A fitness tracker with designs kids will love
The Vivofit JR has a choice of skins, including a cool Minecraft one, and licensed bands featuring Marvel’s Captain America, Spiderman, Frozen 2 and loads more. You’ll easily find a theme that fits whatever your child is into.
This fitness tracker has a crisp, colour screen that gives all the necessary info, without being too much of a distraction for a child.
Like the Fitbit, there’s a host of fitness features to help promote healthy habits for kids. These include a chore tracker which rewards them in virtual coins for doing things like tidying up, or even feeding a pet.
Why is it a good Fitbit alternative?
- Awesome designs – Including StarWars, Marvel and Minecraft
- Task timer – Counts down how long is left on the current task
- Parent-controlled app – track what they have achieved and reward them
- Comfy strap – can be worn while child sleeps
- Long battery life – lasts 1 year
Find out more here
#2 – Honor Band 5 Fitness Tracker
More suitable for older children, the Honor Band 5 is well worth a look, especially at it’s budget price point. You can track steps, calories burned, miles walked and heart rate, and see it all together on the free app.
This tracker has a good quality colour screen
The Honor Band has a colour screen with a sharp resolution that’s view-able in even sunny days.
This fitness tracker is a good buy if your child is into swimming, as it tracks strokes they make in the water and is resistant up to 50m. You can also monitor other important stats such as calories, steps, heart rate and more.
Why is it a good Fitbit alternative?
- Continuous heart rate tracker
- Track calories – See what you’ve burned off
- Count steps – built in pedometer
- How’s your sleep? – Keep track of total sleep and sleep quality
- Water resistant up to 50m – Good choice for kids who love swimming
#3 – moreFit Kids Fitness Tracker
Throwing aside monochrome screens in favour of a bright colour one, moreFit’s Fitbit alternative is packed with cool fitness features and has an appealing, modern design. It’s comfortable to wear and has a number of cute colour faces to choose from.
This is the best activity tracker for a teenager
The moreFit tracker has a wealth of metrics it can track, including blood pressure and blood oxygen levels, sleep, and number of steps. To make tracking activity easier, there’s custom sport modes.
The app is compatible with Andriod and iOS and is easy to see all the data the watch gathers. Like most modern fitness trackers, it’s all controlled with one single button. However, unlike a lot of fitness trackers, it’s got a wallet-friendly price tag.
Why is it a good Fitbit alternative?
- Slim, modern activity band – in one of 5 bright colours
- Detailed colour screen – Shows steps, time, date and more
- IP67 waterproof – Washing hands & swimming
- Sports tracking – running, cycling, climbing
- Android & iOS – Free app lets you track all the data easily
Find out more here
#4- Aupalla Kids Health Tracker
Aupalla’s Kids activity tracker is another good alternative fitness band which comes in at around half the price of the Ace 2. You get to choose from 4 snazzy colours, including a bright pink and very Batman-like Black.
This activity tracker is a great budget buy
It’s suitable for all ages and is packed with good features. All the important stuff is done well here, including heart rate, sleep tracking, steps distance, alarms. You can also get call notification, or messages.
The colour screen is bold and bright and kids will love keeping track of all the stats. There’s cool goal setting and rewards for completing them. A well-rounded budget-priced fitness tracker for kids.
Why is it a good Fitbit alternative?
- Tracks all the important stuff – heart, sleep, distance & more
- Goal completion – Rewards children for completing tasks
- Big, bright colour screen – Easy to make everything out
- Comfy strap – fits children of all ages
- App integration – Download the app and track activity
Find out more here
Kids activity tracker buyer’s guide
What to look for, what they can do & more!
In this speedy fitness tracker guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know to get the best fitness tracker for your little one. You don’t need to splash out on the latest Fitbit tracker for your child to get something amazing, that will get them in shape.
Kids fitness trackers are not the same as smart watches
One main difference with fitness trackers is that they have a smaller, more watch-like display. No colour touchscreens here. Some children’s smart watches do have fitness and task timers built in, but it defeats the object of getting them away from screens, if they can do everything a smart phone can do!
Simple one-button controls
One good benefit to this kind of minimal screen is that you don’t need to charge them up each day, as they have regular watch batteries that last up to a year. And another common feature with children’s fitness bands and bracelets is there’s no complex controls. A simple, single button toggles between options.
What kinds of things can actually be tracked?
Your child’s fitness tracker will do a lot more than just track their fitness. While the functions you’ll get from each child’s tracker will differ between bands, here’s some handy time-savers and helpful stuff you can expect:
- Tooth brushing / chore timer – When it comes to brushing teeth, kids tend to start… and done! While you can stand over them, counting down the seconds like some evil overlord, using a smart band can save you the hassle, and also makes it more fun for the little ones.
- Working in conjunction with an app – Most kids fitness watches will have some kind of app integration, where the parent can track progress, how much they’ve done, and also reward the child for following their routine.
- Heart rate (pulse) monitoring – Any good fitness tracker will have a proper heart rate monitor. It’s at the ‘heart’ of everything from checking your child’s calories burned, to monitoring how much quality sleep they’re receiving. There’s plenty of good Fitbit alternatives that do just the same, but cost a lot less.
Quick gotchas to look out for
So what can catch you out when you’re picking out one of these fitness trackers? It’s easy to send stuff back on places like Amazon, but it saves time if you don’t have to. Here’s some quick-fire tips to getting it right first time.
- Battery life – look for a watch that’s either rechargeable via USB, or has a batter life of at least 12 months.
- Water resistant – It’s hard enough to get kids to wash their hands, without getting them to be careful not to get their fitness tracker wet. Look for a watch that’s at least water resistant, and preferably one that’s OK to wear in a swimming pool.
- Bath time blues – Oddly enough, a lot of Fitbit alternatives in the kids activity tracker department are perfectly happy in the swimming pool, but will break if taken a warm bath. Check if your watch can go in the bath before taking the plunge.
Resources and further reading
Related to kids fitness trackers
- The NHS website has some really good info on the levels of physical activity young people should undertake.
- Similarly, the World Health Organization has a handy fact sheet on sports and exercise advice for 5 – 17 year olds.
- If you missed it, there was a really helpful guide in the Telegraph about whether or not you should make your child wear a fitness tracker.
- Kids Health have some excellent information on taking your child’s pulse (something all these Fitbit alternatives do), including what is considered a normal heart rate.
If you’re looking for a fun workout video to put those new fitness trackers through their paces, check out this one on youtube:
