There are probably those parents who wonder why fitness watches – also known as fitness trackers or activity trackers – are produced for children at all.
Children are in most cases healthy and well, first and foremost because they are so young, of course, so why not just leave the kids to play and sports and everything will be just fine?
A fine argument, but the thing is that children of today face a different kind of challenges than children did just a few decades ago, in part because the digital age has changed the world completely in so many ways.
The Context
When the Internet became available to common man in the mid-1990s, communication and exchange of information became easier than it had ever been before. Unfortunately it also helped create a generation of sedentary young people.
Even in the early 1980s when game consoles and personal computers became the favorite toy of many teenagers, a culture developed where young people would sit for hours in front of the computer or TV screen and play computer games, drink cola and eat sweets and chips until bedtime, just to get up the next day going to school and spending most of the day sitting on a chair at a desk to learn algebra and arithmetic!
Of course, not all children and young people lived such an extreme lifestyle, but the problem of lack of physical activity was something that affected many families as digital technology created solutions that made everyday life easier for parents and more fun for children.
Therefore, the 1980s was also the decade when there was a lot of focus on both physical and spiritual awareness, general public health and eating habits, and health and fitness became a major topic of conversation then and has been ever since.
The Best Activity Trackers for Kids
As smartwatches began to become popular, manufacturers decided to take advantage of the new options to also integrate a fitness part into the watch.
Apple has done this with their Apple Watch and Samsung has done it with their Galaxy Watch.
However, it is neither Apple nor Samsung we are going to talk about today. The market for fitness watches is clearly dominated by Fitbit and Garmin when it comes to fitness watches for kids.
There are several manufacturers of activity trackers, but Fitbit and Garmin are some of the absolute best and most popular brands and today we will dive into Fitbit’s latest activity tracker for children, Fitbit Ace 3.
Fitbit the Company
Fitbit was founded by James Park and Erik N. Friedman in 2007 with the ambition of “building products that help transform people’s lives”.
Fitbit’s philosophy is that health and fitness can be serious business, but the idea is to create products that will help people reach their goals through fun and positive encouragement.
And Fitbit has been able to create many exciting products over time and most likely has a watch that will fit any fitness freak’s special needs.
Just take a look at all their products here.
Fitbit Ace 3
Let’s just get the message out there right away:
The Fitbit Ace 3 is a super sensible choice if you intend to buy an “Activity Tracker” – as Fitbit prefers to call it – for your child.
Design, colors, features and specifications all go together in a quite harmonious way with this model.
The color options are few – 3 to be exact – but the ones that are available are super cool. Young and fresh without being too ‘childish’ or aggressive.
And best of all is the price. $80 retail price, but Fitbit sometimes offers this model for as low as $60, so keep an eye on that.
Let’s take a deeper look into what you actually get for this kind of money.
There are a few features of the Fitbit Ace 3 that are worth mentioning right away:
Water resistance to 50 m: A huge advantage which means that the watch can withstand direct contact with water. It is not advisable, but this watch can actually survive a swim in the pool. A good thing if the child should forget to take the watch off before bathing.
8 days battery life: Yes, you read that right! Once the Fitbit Ace 3 is fully charged, the battery can last for up to 8 days depending on usage, and this is of course a great advantage, especially with a watch intended for children who may well forget to get the watch charged once in a while.
Specifications In Detail
Ace 3 lets you know if kids are getting the rest they need since good sleep habits play a big role in their health and well-being.
Use the Fitbit app to schedule bedtime reminders and silent alarms that gently wake kids with quiet buzzing on their wrists.
Since Ace 3 is water resistant, spills and splashes don’t stand a chance and kids can wear it in the pool and ocean.
In the app, parents can set friendly on-wrist reminders for kids to move and stretch their legs if they’ve been sitting still for too long.
Ace 3 tracks all-day steps, and Active Minutes show how every move, skip and jump adds up to a healthier, more active life.
Parents set up a family account and create child accounts. In Parent View, they can easily see kids’ activity and approve their connections.
Parents have the option to set up accounts for their kids and enable Kid View, where kids can see their stats, badges and clock faces.
Ace 3 connects to 200+ Android and iOS devices so parents can get a full picture of kids’ health and wellness.
Kids who own a smartphone will love getting notifications on their wrists – and parents will love how much easier it is to get in touch.
With up to 8 days of battery, Ace 3 lets kids spend less time charging and more time moving.
With virtual badges, animated clock faces and personalised avatars, kids have motivation to get moving with the family and find ways to best their buds.
Use Timer & Stopwatch features right on kids’ wrists to guide homework time, any “race you to the end of the block” invitations and more.
Kids can see their key activity stats for the day right on their wrist, helping them stay in the know while they’re on the go.
Designed with kids in mind, Ace 3 was built for up, down, all-around action with a comfortable silicone band and secure, adjustable clasp.
Kids can choose from fun clock faces right on their wrist – a rocket, a bunny, Minions and more – that animate as they make progress toward their goals.
Kids can express their unique style by switching out their band with interchangeable accessories like mischievous Minion bands.
With a sleek, streamlined design and backlit display, it’s easy for kids to navigate and see stats.
Conclusion
Fitbit Ace 3 is a great activity tracker for children. We are particularly attracted to the fact that the watch is water resistant to 50 m and that a fully charged battery can keep the watch going for up to 8 days depending on how it’s used.
Colors and designs are well thought out and executed with care – child-friendly, but without being ‘childish’.
The same goes for icons, animations and graphics – clearly done from a child-friendly point of view, but without overdoing it.
The silicone band is one-size and the secure, adjustable clasp makes sure that the watch stays on the kid’s wrist.
The functions are well chosen. The watch does not have as many options as Fitbit’s advanced smartwatches, but they weren’t designed for kids in the first place.
All in all we think the Fitbit Ace 3 is a hit. A really cool watch for kids.
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