While there are many activity trackers for kids out there, the best you can get for your child is inarguably from Fitbit.
Why?
Because Fitbit has become such a powerful household name that designs the best fitness trackers in the world.
Put it on the same table with Letscom and Lintelek and it wins. Compare it with Garmin or Samsung, and you’ll notice that it’s far ahead in the competition. Even entry-level brands are still trying so hard to be as good as Fitbit is.
And do you know what else there is to love about Fitbit?
It’s the fact that its trackers aren’t for men and women alone. Even your kids can wear them and enjoy the benefits, just as adults do.
1.  |
Fitbit Ace 3 Activity Tracker |
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2.  |
Fitbit Inspire 3 |
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3.  |
Fitbit Ace 2 Activity Tracker |
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4.  |
Fitbit Luxe Fitness | |
5.  |
Fitbit Charge 5 | |
6.  |
Fitbit Inspire HR |
How We Tested
Assessing kid-friendly Fitbits started with safety, durability, and adjustability for tiny wrists.
- Comfort: Comfort and security were key, so we eliminated loose bands and heavy models.
- Display: Bright display visuals and animated cues resonated best with kids while keeping metrics basic to prevent overloading them. We assessed child excitement regarding goal progress, avatar personalization, sleep consistency, and getting parents active alongside them.
- Battery and Toughness: Battery lifespan is rated crucial since frequent charging frustrates kids. Plus, we evaluated physical toughness and waterproofing to match playground demands. Their joy and simplicity in using each device ultimately determined rankings.
Best Fitbit Fitness Trackers for Kids and Teens in 2023
If you’re a parent looking to encourage healthy habits in your kids using wearable tech, Fitbit trackers for children can be a fun approach. With child-friendly designs, parental controls, and more, Fitbits provides a great introduction to fitness at any age.
Check out my recommendations based on tests and research:
1. Fitbit Ace 3 Activity Tracker
If you’re looking for a fitness tracker designed just for kids, let’s take a closer look at the popular Fitbit Ace 3. This brightly colored, durable tracker is optimized for little wrists ages 6 and up. It aims to get kids motivated and moving with a fun, interactive approach.
The Ace 3 has a vibrant 1.47” color touchscreen display that brings stats to life with cheerful clock faces and animations. It highlights daily step counts, active minutes, and sleep tracking in a way kids can understand. The bands come in bold, kid-friendly colors too. You can even get fun accessory bands with printed designs to customize the style further.
This tracker is swimproof with water resistance of up to 50 meters, so it can handle splashing, pools, and more with no problem. The Ace 3 challenges kids to meet mini-activity goals through the motivating Fitbit Kids app. All data syncs to a parent’s phone for supervision and encouragement. With up to 8 days of battery life on its use-and-recharge model, juicing it up between playtime is a breeze.
Pros – What I Liked
- Vibrant color display with fun animated clock faces to customize
- Tracks steps, active minutes, and sleep
- Swimproof design for pool time
- Challenges to motivate kids to move
- Up to 8 days of battery life
- Customizable accessories and overprinted tracking
Cons – What I Didn’t Like
- No onboard GPS like some adult models
- Screen is not a touch display
- Sized for tiny wrists – not ideal for older kids
2. Fitbit Inspire 3
The Fitbit Inspire 3 is a versatile fitness band suited for active teens and tweens. It provides robust health tracking in a slim, inconspicuous design. This model works well for those seeking more metrics than just basic step counting.
The Inspire 3 has a slimmer silhouette than kid-focused models, with sleek rounded edges. But it still packs in premium features like a bright color touchscreen, all-day stress tracking, sleep profiles, 24/7 heart rate monitoring, and more. You can even track workout intensity via a dedicated Active Zone Minutes metric.
For added motivation, the Inspire 3 integrates with Fitbit Premium’s guided programs, games, and health insights. It’s swimproof with a battery lasting up to 10 days to cover you even during long active days. With interchangeable accessory bands, teens can customize the style for any occasion too.
Pros – What I Liked
- Slim, lightweight profile
- Vibrant touch screen display
- Advanced sleep and stress tracking
- Up to 10 days of battery life
- 24/7 heart rate monitoring
- Premium accessories available
- Works with Fitbit Premium guidance and games
Cons – What I Didn’t Like
- Lacks built-in GPS
- Monochrome accessory display
- No voice assistant integration
3. Fitbit Ace 2 Activity Tracker
The Fitbit Ace 2 delivers core activity tracking in an affordable, kid-centric package. It’s designed for children ages 6 and up as an entry-level wearable to motivate fitness.
This model uses a simple tap-based interface showing basic stats like step count, hours slept, and time on its grayscale OLED display. The case and accessory bands feature light-up effects and come in fun superhero and space themes little ones love.
By connecting to the parent-monitored Fitbit Kids app, children can participate in family challenges, earn badges for activity milestones, set reminders to move, and more. It’s swimproof to handle energetic youngsters, with up to 5 days of battery life on a charge. If you want to introduce your kids to wearable tech on a budget, the Ace 2 is a solid choice.
Pros – What I Liked
- Encourages active minutes and daily step goals
- Swimproof for pool time
- Tap display shows basic stats like time/steps
- Fun accessory bands and clock face designs
- Up to 5 days of battery life
Cons – What I Didn’t Like
- Very simple tracking without advanced metrics
- Small tap-only display
- Limited smartphone integration
- Less durable than some models
4. Fitbit Luxe Fitness and Wellness Tracker
With its slim jewelry-inspired stainless steel case and AMOLED color display, the Fitbit Luxe offers an elegant take on teen fitness tracking. Beyond just steps, it provides holistic health data like sleep quality, stress management, heart health insights and more.
The Luxe has a vibrant touchscreen tucked into a discreet slim band, ideal for those wanting advanced metrics in a fashionable format. It serves up wellness stats on breathing, heart rate variability, skin temperature along with standard exercise and sleep data to give a comprehensive view of health and wellbeing.
With a battery life of 5 days and 10 minutes of fast charging, keeping it powered is no problem. Teens can further customize the Luxe with a wide range of stylish accessory bands and faces. For the image-conscious fitness enthusiast, the Luxe provides both beauty and brawn.
Pros – What I Liked
- Sleek, minimalist jewelry-inspired design
- Bright AMOLED color touchscreen
- Advanced sleep and stress tracking
- Customizable clock face and accessory options
- 5-day battery life w/ fast charge
Cons – What I Didn’t Like
- More delicate than a sporty kid’s model
- No onboard GPS or voice assistant access
- Hidden display requires a double tap to view
5. Fitbit Charge 5
The Charge 5 is Fitbit’s most advanced fitness-focused tracker, making it a powerful pick for athletic teens. With built-in GPS, EDA sensors, an ECG app, and enhanced sleep tools, it provides deep insights into workout performance, recovery, stress levels, heart health and overall wellbeing.
This tracker captures metrics like V02 Max fitness level estimations, exercise intensity maps, and advanced sleep profiles you won’t find in many competitors. The large always-on touch display lets teens view stats on the move, while SmartTrack auto-captures runs, rides, swims and more to earn proper activity credit.
With Premium integration providing guided workouts, mindfulness content, health coaching, and an overall Wellness Report, the Charge 5 gives teens a motivating fitness and lifestyle companion. If Peak Health stats matter most, the Charge 5 is primed to deliver.
Pros – What I Liked
- Built-in GPS for pace and distance
- ECG and EDA sensors provide fitness insights
- Large always-on touch display
- Multisport exercise modes with SmartTrack
- Premium membership unlocks added guidance
- Up to 7 days of battery life
Cons – What I Didn’t Like
- Most expensive model
- Large for petite wrists
- Advanced sensor data may be overkill for casual use
6. Fitbit Inspire HR
The Inspire HR packs core health tracking into an affordable, inconspicuous wristband. For no-frills 24/7 activity and heart rate monitoring, it delivers everything needed in a slim, comfortable design teens will actually wear.
This lightweight tracker models has a slimmer, more discreet profile than larger fitness watches. It displays simple stats on movement, heart rate and sleep via its tap display. While basic, it provides key metrics teens need to stay active and build healthy habits.
By syncing to the Fitbit app, Inspire HR users can monitor trends over time and participate in challenges. SmartTrack support lets it automatically recognize select workout types as well. With a sub-$100 price, 5-day battery life, and shedding unnecessary bells and whistles, this streamlined tracker focuses on vital health basics in an affordable package.
Pros – What I Liked
- 24/7 heart rate monitoring
- All-day activity and sleep stages
- Up to 5 days of battery life
- Slim, comfortable, low-profile design
- Easy-to-use mobile app
- Budget-friendly price
Cons – What I Didn’t Like
- Very simple display
- Lacks advanced wellness metrics
- Not as durable as kid-specific models
- No Premium membership option
Alternatives – Best Fitness Trackers for Kids (Honorable Mentions)
Fitbit fitness trackers are great for kids. No doubt about that. But if you want to think outside the brand, I did find four more fitness trackers for boys and girls that you might find interesting. Check them out below:
Finding the Right Fitbit for Your Active Youngster – Buying Guide
Fitbit makes several activity trackers specifically for children ages 6 and up that motivate them to move more and nurture healthy habits early on. Models like the Fitbit Ace line have kid-focused features like goal celebrations, family challenges, virtual badges to earn, animated clock faces, and interchangeable accessory bands.
By connecting the tracker to a parent’s phone, you can monitor activity, set controls, and offer your little one some encouragement.
Here are some key factors to consider when choosing a Fitbit for your child:
- Age – Some trackers are tailored for younger kids while others appeal more to teens. Select based on recommended age ranges.
- Durability– Look for waterproof, swim-friendly bands that can withstand active kids. The durable casing protects against bumps.
- Features – Do you just want step/active minutes tracking or more advanced metrics like heart rate data?
- Display – Vibrant color screens appeal to kids. Touchscreens offer more interactivity than tap displays.
- Motivation – Trackers with family challenges, trophies, on-screen celebrations, and goal reminders drive active play.
- Style – Let kids pick bands in their favorite colors. Some Fitbits offer custom-printed or themed bands.
What Age is Appropriate for a Fitbit?
Most Fitbits for children are designed for ages 6 and up. Look for models made specifically for kids under 13 like the Fitbit Ace series. Teens can wear adult Fitbits or versions like the Fitbit Luxe optimized for smaller wrists. Focus on the recommended age ranges for each tracker and your child’s responsiveness and ability to use the device properly.
Is a Fitbit for Kids Different from a Fitbit for Adults?
Yes.
While feature-rich adult trackers like the Fitbit Charge give teens more advanced data, kid versions focus more on encouraging healthy habits with play incentives. Fitbits made for children have a few unique traits:
- Kid-friendly designs like bright colors, animated screens, and printed bands
- Smaller form factors suit little wrists
- Durable, swim-proof construction to handle active play
- Family challenges and avatars promote bonding
- Badges, on-screen celebrations for motivation
- Access requires parental supervision and consent
The Benefits of Using Fitbits for Kids
Fitbit trackers provide many benefits for young users beyond just monitoring their steps, including:
- Achievement of activity goals provides a sense of accomplishment.
- Seeing metrics like step counts encourages kids to keep moving.
- Sleep tracking helps ensure adequate rest for growth and development.
- Friendly competition through family challenges builds bonds.
- Develops an appreciation for technology being used for health goals.
- Makes exercise and getting active each day more fun!
How Fitbit Helps Kids With Special Needs
For children with conditions like autism or ADHD who may have unique sensitivities, Fitbit features can enhance focus, self-regulation, following instructions, making schedules, and reading social cues. The trackers provide metrics to help motivate kids, with the app allowing parents to offer positive reinforcement. This can nurture confidence in children who need extra support and encouragement.
How to Set Up a Child Account and Pair a Fitbit
With you managing their account on your connected smartphone, the Fitbit experience keeps kids active while staying under your watchful eye. To use a Fitbit with your child while maintaining supervision, follow these steps:
- Create your family account in the Fitbit app.
- Add a child account for your kid and enter their profile information.
- Have your child wear the Fitbit tracker to complete the setup.
- From your account, pair your child’s Fitbit device.
- Monitor activity, set parental controls, participate in challenges, and offer motivation!
The Bottom Line
Fitbit activity trackers tailored for kids make getting active fun while also building healthy habits early on. Let your child’s age, interests, and needs guide you in choosing the right model. With kid-friendly designs, motivational features, and parental oversight, Fitbits can foster a lifetime appreciation for health. Just stay involved and let the fitness fun begin!
Common Questions
What is the best Fitbit for a 7-year-old?
The Fitbit Ace 3 is designed specifically for kids ages 6-12 with its durable, swim-proof design, bright animated display, family challenges, goal celebrations, and motivational tools.
What is the best Fitbit for teenagers?
Teens have a few great Fitbit options like the Fitbit Charge 5 for robust fitness tracking with GPS and onboard coaching, the Fitbit Luxe for its stylish minimalist design, or the Fitbit Inspire 3 for advanced health metrics in a slim tracker.
Can a child set up their own Fitbit?
Children under 13 cannot independently set up a Fitbit. A parent or legal guardian must create a family account, add a child account, and manage the pairing and oversight using their own mobile device.
Do I need a phone to use a Fitbit for my child?
You need an adult’s smartphone connected via Bluetooth to configure child accounts, pair devices, and monitor activity. But the child does not need their own phone, just the Fitbit tracker.
How much exercise should a child get according to Fitbit?
Fitbit focuses on step goals, recommending 12,000 for boys and 10,000 for girls based on averages. It also tracks active minutes, aiming for at least 60 per day of elevated heart rate activity for kids and teens.
