Best Fitbits for kids & teenagers – guide, recommendations

In this article we provide a selection of Fitbit devices for your kids and teenagers. These wearables only focus on fitness tracking so lack safety tracking functionality that can be found in certain other devices. Fitbit is yet to come out with such a device, or a smartwatch for kids for that matter. It is rumoured to be working on one, though.

Introduction – why get a fitness tracker for your kids?

Activity tracking devices for children may not yet be as commonplace as they are for adults, but perhaps they should be. Childhood obesity is a serious problem. In the US, nearly a third of youths are overweight or obese.

Fitness trackers for kids motivate your child to move more by creating a sense of achievement. They also turn fitness into a fun game and encourage healthy competition.

By teaching your children about their activity levels, it helps to make fitness a habit, not a chore. Kids and teenagers learn about the benefits of movement and activity, which makes it more likely they will stay fit long into their adult lives.

On top of all of this you can be sure that using a fitness tracker will be excellent for you as a parent. You will know when to reward effort, and when to push for more, just by glancing at the stats. And hey, it might even motivate you to get off that sofa!

Until a few years ago Fitbit did not have activity devices solely designed for kids. Now it has.

The most recent addition to the range is the Fitbit Ace 3. As its name implies, this is its third fitness tracker for children. But some of the company’s other wearables can be used by kids and teenagers, too. And if you have a Fitbit yourself, this means you can promote a bit of friendly competition. Encouraging one another is a great way to stay motivated.

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Related reading

• Best fitness trackers for kids
• Best smartwatches for kids
• Fitbit Ace 3 vs Fitbit Ace 2: what’s new and different?
• Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 vs Fitbit Ace 2: the battle of the kid friendly fitness trackers

Table of contents

What is the best Fitbit for kids and teenagers?

• Fitbit Ace 3 – the best Fitbit for younger kids
• Fitbit Ace – the best Fitbit for older kids
• Fitbit Ace 2 – outdated, but you might be able to pick it up at a discount
• Fitbit Inspire 3 – entry level choice for teens
• Fitbit Luxe – a feature rich option for teens
• Fitbit Charge 4 – for those more serious about tracking fitness
• Fitbit Charge 5 – for those that want all the bells and whistles
• Fitbit Versa Lite – a lightweight smartwatch that won’t break the bank
• Fitbit Versa 3 or 4 – a more spec-heavy smartwatch for older teens

FAQ

• The bottom line – which Fitbit should I choose for my kid?
• How does a Fitbit family account work?
• Does Fitbit have a fitness tracker for kids with built-in GPS?
• Does Fitbit make a kids smartwatch?
• Legality issues and Fitbit for kids and teenagers – the small print

What is the best Fitbit for kids and teenagers?

Fitbit Ace 3 – the best Fitbit for younger kids

Ace 3 is designed for children 6 and up. To serve this purpose it comes with a much more rugged design than the first generation along with better water resistance (5 ATM). So there’s great durability there. You can view Ace 3 as an iterative upgrade on Ace 2. It pretty much makes the second generation redundant.

The wearable has a large screen, so much so that it looks more like a smartwatch than a fitness tracker. The bumpers around the display are designed to protect the wearable during playtime.

In terms of activity, Ace 3 tracks all-day steps and active minutes, sleep, there’s a 1-hour active minutes goal (as per WHO recommendations), virtual badges and more. Kids can make the tracker their own with bands and accessories. There are also lots of clock faces, including some that are animated and change throughout the day.

Battery life is a decent 8 days between charges. That is one of the biggest upgrades over Ace 2 which only has 5.

Parents will be happy to know there’s a family account which allows them to safeguard their kids’ privacy and stay on top of their activity. The Parent view in the Fitbit app lets you navigate between your view and your kid’s view to check on their activity and progress. It also provides you with a means to manage who your children connect with and what information they see on the OLED display.

Best features

• Family account
• Water-resistant (5 ATM)
• 8 day battery life
• Daily steps, activity, sleep tracking
• Lots of watch-faces some of which are animated

Recommended age: 6+

Bottom line: This is the best choice if you’re looking for a Fitbit for younger kids. It comes in a rugged design and has all the benefits of the Family Account. Other than that you get decent battery life, daily steps/activity/sleep tracking and more.

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Fitbit Ace – a great choice for older kids

For those with a good memory this fitness tracker resembles the old Fitbit Alta. The device has been discontinued but Ace lives on. 

The tracker is specifically designed for kids 8 and older. The showerproof device automatically tracks steps, active minutes, sleep and provides encouragement to be active. It has up to 5 days of battery life and comes in two vibrant colours.

Because it has an OLED tap display, your kid can see their progress in real time. The tracker dishes out rewards for moving with celebratory messages and fun, collectible badges.

The Ace is a one size fits all affair. It is meant for wrists measuring between 125mm and 161mm in length. The width of the tracker is only 15mm.

Best features

• Suitable for older kids
• Family account
• 5 day battery life
• daily steps, activity, sleep tracking
• Small form-factor

Recommended age: 8+

Bottom line: This is the choice for slightly older kids. It resembles an adult fitness tracker while still working through the Family Account. This leaves parents in control. Battery life is up to 5 days and it’s only splash-proof.

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Fitbit Ace 2

This is Fitbit’s first activity tracker for young kids. The device is very rugged and has excellent water-resistance.

In essence, Fitbit Ace 2 comes with most features that you will find on the third generation. However its battery life is shorter. You only get 5 days as compared to 8 days on the latest device. It also misses out on some watch-faces and the display quality is a tad bit lower.

We’ve pulled together a detailed comparison between Fitbit Ace 3 and Ace 2 in case you are interested in all the minute details.

The price difference between the two wearables is only $10. So in our mind, there’s no real reason to purchase the old device instead of the new one. Particularly as we suspect Fitbit will phase out Ace 2 in the coming months. However, there might be some great deals on the second generation Fitbit to be snapped up! 

Best features

• Family account
• Water-resistant (5 ATM)
• 5 day battery life
• daily steps, activity, sleep tracking
• You might be able to pick it up at a nice discount

Recommended age: 6+

Bottom line: The device has been made redundant by Fitbit Ace 3. It lacks certain features as compared to the new generation, plus battery life is only 5 days. You might be able to find good deals on the tracker, though. In terms of features, the difference between this one and Fitbit Ace 3 is not huge.

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Fitbit Inspire 3 – entry-level choice for teens

A interesting addition to Fitbit’s range, this is a fitness tracker for adults that can also be used by older kids and teenagers due to its lightweight, slim design.

A clip-on accessory is available so you don’t need to wear it on your wrist. This is to cater for those who would previously have opted for Zip. Mind you, it will not track your heart rate from that position.

Inspire 3 does not come with anything revolutionary. Rather, it repackages Fitbit’s existing technology into a more modern form-factor, and makes it affordable to the masses.

The device is a good option for adults starting to track their fitness or teens as it covers the basics without overloading you with data. It’s currently one of the best value for money fitness trackers in Fitbit’s range.

Best features

• AMOLED display
• Water-resistant (5 ATM)
• 10 day battery life
• Weighs only 20 grams
• Heart-reate monitor, SpO2
• Good value for money

Recommended age: 13+

Bottom line: Fitbit Inspire 3 has a very small form factor – great for small wrists as it’s also lightweight. It also has the addition of a heart rate sensor for complete tracking – along with steps, activity and sleep tracking.

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Fitbit Luxe – a feature-rich option for teens

A new device, this one comes in the form of a discreet activity band but it offers a lot. In fact you get most health and fitness tracking functionality that you get on the company’s smartwatches. The only thing that is missing is built-in GPS – you get Connected GPS, instead.

A highlight of the device is its beautiful AMOLED display. Water resistance is also great.

Parents might be happy to know there are some more advanced health tracking functions. This includes blood oxygen and skin temperature variation monitoring. These types of metrics might be useful in these covid times as they can be an early indicator of illness.

Best features

• Lots of fitness tracking and health features
• Beautiful AMOLED display
• Water-resistant (5 ATM)
• SpO2, skin temperature tracking

Recommended age: 13+

Bottom line: If your teen is not ready for a smartwatch but wants lots of health and fitness tracking smarts, this is the one to go for. For some, the large number features might be overkill.

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Fitbit Charge 4 – for those more serious about tracking fitness

If you’re a Fitbit fan you’ll have probably heard of Charge 4. It is one of the most popular fitness band manufactured by the company.

A great choice for adults, it can also be used by older teens due to it’s small form-factor. We would not suggest using it for those that are younger as it is an adult fitness band.

An important upgrade over Charge 3 is that Fitbit Charge 4 has built-in GPS – so no smartphone needed for detailed tracking of some outdoor exercise modes. Teens are unlikely to use this so you might save a few bucks by opting for the third generation device. Its other features are nearly identical to the latest iteration.

The fitness device tracks all the important stats around the clock. This is coupled with decent week-long battery life and some smart functionality such as notifications, alarms, stopwatch, timer and alerts. All things considered, this a nice little package that doesn’t break the bank. Check out our full review of Charge 4 to find out more.

Best features

• Popular fitness tracker for adults
• Water-resistant (5 ATM)
• 7 day battery life
• Built-in GPS
• SpO2

Recommended age: 13+

Bottom line: The most popular fitness tracker for adults is also a great option for teens. Fitbit Charge 4 comes with all the Fitbit fitness tracking bells and whistles including built-in GPS, pulse Ox, one week battery life, waterproofing and more.

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Charge 5 – for those that want all the bells and whistles

Charge 5 takes across everything Charge 4 has on offer and adds a ECG sensor along with an EDA sensor for tracking stress. It might seem like overkill to get a device for a teen with all of this but the price difference between the two is not that big.

The built-in GPS is still there. Mind you, this cannot be used for safety tracking – only for activity tracking. Which is not too useful for most teens apart from older ones serious about their athletic pursuits.

The other big upgrade between generation 4 and 5 is the AMOLED screen that can be found on the new tracker. It is a thing of beautify and makes Charge 5 look really nice.

Best features

• Packs a plethora of fitness and health tracking functions
• 1.58 inch AMOLED display
• Water-resistant (5 ATM)
• 7 day battery life

Recommended age: 13+

Bottom line: This device is one of the most fully featured health and fitness bands in existance. It is for those that want something attractive with all the bells and whistles.

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Fitbit Versa Lite – a lightweight smartwatch that won’t break the bank

Moving onto smartwatches. Until recently Fitbit didn’t have any smartwatches. This has now changed. We are still waiting, though, for the company’s first smartwatch for kids. But some of the existing devices can be used by teens.

Top of this list is Fitbit Versa Lite. The wearable is light on price but not on features. We’ve included this device rather than the first or second generation Versa as we feel it’s more suitable for teenagers.

Why you ask? Well, Lite is a stripped back version of those devices.

It lacks the physical buttons for navigating the display, an altimeter for counting floors, on-board storage for music, NFC for contactless payments and a few other extras. But this makes it quite affordable. So you don’t need to worry if you’re teenager damages the watch or looses it!

Best features

• Great value for money
• Has all the activity tracking essentials
• Water-resistant (5 ATM)
• Weighs only 38 grams
• 4 day battery life

Recommended age: 13+

Bottom line: At the moment, this is probably the most suitable Fitbit smartwatch for teens. The device is lightweight on price but covers the fitness tracking essentials. Worth noting is that battery life is only around four days.

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Fitbit Versa 3 or 4 – a more spec heavy smartwatch for older teens

This is close to the top of the range as far as Fitbit smartwatches. The only device that surpasses are in the Fitbit Sense range.

Instead of Versa 4, you could go for Versa 3. There is very little difference between them. It pretty much ends with a slightly sleaker look and a few more workout options. The benefit of going for the third generation tracker is that you are more likely to find good discounts.

If, however, you want top of the line – you won’t go wrong with Versa 4. And hey, if you kid doesn’t like it – you could always wear it yourself!

The device has a lot to offer. It’s worth noting, some of the more advanced functionality sits behind a pay-wall. With a Fitbit Premium Account you also get access to the Health Metrics Dashboard. That comes with the addition of Breathing Rate, heart rate variability, skin temperature and more. 

If your teenager wants a great smartwatch, Versa 4 is a great option. It might also be a good choice for older teens that are into athletics and other sports pursuits. 

Best features

• One of the most feature-packed Fitbits out there
• Has both basic and advanced fitness and health tracking
• Water-resistant (5 ATM)
• contactless payments
• 6 day battery life

Recommended age: 13+

Bottom line: A serious smartwatch with lots of fitness tracking smarts. Opting for a Premium Subscription will unlock even more health tracking functionality. Could be suitable for older teens.

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FAQ

Hopefully, this guide has helped you narrow down the device that might be suitable for your little ones. There’s a nice selection of Fitbit devices to choose from and it’s only going to get better from here.

The bottom line – which Fitbit wearable for kids should I choose?

To recap, for younger kids the latest Fitbit Ace 3 is the device of choice. It is suitable for those 6 and above, it comes with lots of features and a very sturdy design. The third generation pretty much makes the second generation redundant.

Those slightly older should opt for Fitbit Ace. The device looks like an adult tracker but works through the family account, so their parents can keep a tab on things.

Teens can always opt for a device for adults. Inspire 3 is the most discreet option and suitable for those with small wrists. For a more serious device, Charge 4 or Charge 5 are the way to go. The first doesn’t have built-in GPS the second does. Your child probably does not need built-in GPS as this is for more serious tracking of outdoor exercise.

As far as smartwatches, Fitbit does not make a dedicated smartwatch for kids. At least not yet (see below). So you’re only choice are those that are built for adults such as a watch from the Versa line.

How does a Fitbit Family Account work?

Fitbit provides a Family Account designed to give parents peace of mind. It allows them to safeguard their kids’ privacy and stay on top of their activity.

They can control who their kids connect with, and what information they see on the display. Parents can also check to see how active their kids are. Kids, on the other hand, can access their account through a secure Kids View.

Only a Guardian can create and delete child accounts. They are the one that creates the Family Account in the first place. A family can assign multiple Guardians, all of which need to be over 18 years old.

You will need to have a Family Account the first time you set up device from the Fitbit Ace range. After that add your child and set up their profile. Then sync the Ace tracker with the Fitbit app on the phone or table your child will be using to see their fitness stats. From that point on they are good to go.

Does Fitbit have a fitness tracker for kids with GPS?

At the moment Fitbit does not have a fitness tracker for kids with GPS. This is because it is focusing on fitness tracking rather than safety tracking.

Kids devices with GPS typically use the satellite signal for this purpose. We are still waiting for a Fitbit for kids with GPS, so you will have to look for other options.

Having said that, Charge 4, Charge 5 and a few Fitbit-made smartwatches do have built-in GPS. But these are only utilised for outdoor activity tracking. You can not use them to monitor the location of your little ones. At least, not yet.

Does Fitbit make a kids smartwatch?

Fitbit is reportedly building a smartwatch for kids with 4G connectivity. These are all rumours for now. But to make the job easier, the company has taken under its belt Hong Kong-based Doki Technologies. If you’ve not heard of them, the Hong Kong-based startup made the world’s first kids video watch a number of years back.

The latest addition to its arsenal was unveiled in July 2019. Dubbed dokiPal, it comes with 4G LTE connectivity, location tracking, video calling AI voice assistance, fitness tracking and more.

Fitbit bought Doki Technologies on October 22nd 2019, which is shortly before the Google acquisition of Fitbit went through. Which means it was a last minute deal that could have easily gone awry.

Fitbit will reportedly use Doki’s platform and hardware knowhow to conjure up a 4G kids smartwatch. This will likely take on other functionality from the existing Doki offering.

When are we likely to see this watch? In 2020 there was talk it would be out by the end of the year. Now that Fitbit is under Google’s belt, it might delay things further. It’s only a matter of time, though, until Fitbit does come out with a smartwatch for kids. It is an untapped market – there are a few players but not many big names such as Apple, Garmin and others.

Legality issues and Fitbit for kids and teenagers – the small print

A few years ago there were no fitness trackers for kids. This has all changed now. But of course there are legality issues.

Fitbit prohibits anyone under the age of 13 (or the minimus age in the country where the person resides), to use the Fitbit Service unless they have their parents consent. So teenagers do not need this permission, but kids do.

Hence the Family Account described above and the fact that Guardians (parents) need to set up the account so that their little ones can start using the Ace fitness tracker. This way the parent gives consent in accordance with applicable laws.

There is Privacy Policy for Children’s Accounts that explains what information Fitbit collects to set u kids accounts, what information they use for the children’s use of their services, and how they share that information. You can read more about it on the Fitbit Legal – Kids’ Privacy page. The most important thing to know is that Fitbit does NOT gather location tracking data from your child.

When the child turns 13, then they can create their own Fitbit account the same way as an adult would do. In this case they don’t need their parents permission any more.

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