However attentive you may be, many of us have experienced that horrible moment when we lose sight of our child for a split second, and our heart jumps out of our chests. All any parent wants to do is keep their little one safe (whether that be through baby-proofing kits or stair gates), or by investing in a GPS tracker, especially for children.
Black Friday 2024: The best deals on GPS trackers
There are still some Black Friday sales available with some great savings on the best deals on handy GPS trackers that you can safely use for your kids.
Save 20% Apple AirTag - Was £35, Now £28
Save 20% Tile by Life360 Mate - Was £27.99, Now £22.39
A GPS tracking device offers extra peace of mind when with your child in a busy place such as a shopping centre or festival, should you lose each other. Plus, it offers real-time tracking, meaning that you can pinpoint the exact position of your child at that very minute, using a map on your smartphone or tablet so you can quickly get to them.
Best GPS trackers for kids at a glance:
• Best overall GPS tracker for kids: AngelSense Personal GPS Tracker, buy on here from Amazon
• Best small GPS tracker for kids: Weenect Kids, buy on here from Amazon
• Best GPS tracker for older kids: Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen, 2023), buy on here from Amazon
To make picking the right GPS tracker for your child easier, we've rounded up our favourite GPS trackers on the market. In our roundup, we've also included children's smartwatches, which have GPS features, as well as other settings.
How we tried and tested these GPS Trackers for kids
When selecting the best GPS tracker for kids, we have a number of ways to make sure that what we’re recommending is the best available for you and your little one. By combining real-world testing from our burgeoning army of mum testers, the extensive knowledge of our experienced editorial team, and insights from our thriving mum community on our Facebook group #mumtribe, we’re able to discover the products mums really like best and why, helping us highlight those that meet what you really want.
For the essential products, our annual Mother&Baby Awards shortlist the top products tested, and you can find full reviews from our mum testers provided on the product page. The winners and runners-up for each category then appear in our top picks article for that product, along with other products that were rated highly by our team. Find out more about how we test and what considerations we take into account in our testing process.
Testing the best GPS tracker for kids
To fully put these GPS trackers through their paces, we called on our team of mum testers to try them out over the course of a few weeks with their children. We asked them to consider various factors that we know to be important to parents when they’re looking for the best GPS tracker for their little ones. These included how accurately they located the child, the ease of use and how intuitive they were to use, their durability, accuracy, battery life and value for money. We also asked them to give each a score out of 5, and score each of the criteria individually.
By thoroughly testing and reviewing these key aspects of a GPS tracker, we’ve been able to compare and contrast each to be sure that you’re getting the most in-depth and firsthand feedback from parents just like you, helping you to make an informed decision when buying a GPS tracker for your child.
Choosing the best GPS tracker for your child is likely to be based on your personal priorities. For instance, the Weenect and AngelSense GPS trackers scored highly with their testers for accuracy and tracking but are more functional than fun. Conversely, the KiDSnav watch is less reliable as a tracker but more fun for little ones as a first smartwatch. You should also consider the subscription costs - Weenect and AngelSense both have subscriptions but AngelSense is a higher charge per month. However, AngelSense often offers a free device when you take out a subscription so it's worth seeing if this offsets the payments for your needs. If you're an iPhone user, the Apple Watch is a pricier option but doesn't require a subscription and would reliably track older children while being something they actually want to wear. If you just want to track your kid's belongings, the Apple AirTag comes highly rated by our testers.
The best GPS trackers for kids 2024
Best overall GPS tracker for kids
Offering all-day monitoring and Advanced Safeguard GPS for accurate location tracking, the AngelSense assistive speakerphone allows you to talk to your child or listen in to make sure they’re ok, with an SOS call button for them to press when they urgently need you. Included with your purchase is a soft, sensory-friendly sleeve and non-removable pins that allow you to attach the device anywhere that is comfortable. AngelSense also lets you see a detailed location history of your youngster's whereabouts for each day.
The AngelSense tracker was tested by Mother&Baby's Laura Healy who rated it highly overall at 4*. "I tested it with my 8-year-old daughter, who is not obviously old enough to go anywhere alone, but I was able to track her on a family day out when she was with other family members, and the device was accurate, even working within buildings if it can pick up a WiFi signal," she said. She felt it was accurate and provided reassurance, "It seems to be incredibly accurate and lets you see where your child is with regular updates to your phone (although you can reduce these in settings to save the battery). I like that despite it being GPS you can also track indoors because it searches for WiFi signals."
Laura found it easy to set up and noted the AngelSense service was excellent, saying, "It is easy to set up, and the App is quite self-explanatory. That said, AngelSense is incredibly helpful and provides excellent customer service if you have any questions. They also have lots of useful ‘how-to’ videos for you to follow. My daughter is only 8, and she understands how it works." AngelSense notes that their customer service is staffed with "parents to children with special needs, so each of us on the team understands the significance of choosing the right help for your loved one."
Like the Weenect, it has an 'SOS button to allow your child to call you if needed. "It has some great functions such as 2-way voice call so my daughter can press an easy-to-reach button in the centre, which (perhaps alarmingly) is called the SOS button, and it triggers a call to my phone so she can speak to me immediately. There is also an option for parents to trigger a 1-way call, which activates the device so you can hear where your child is and what is happening around them, but they will be unaware you can hear," said Laura. She did note that you can make it suitable for school and times they don't need to be disturbed, saying "I liked that you can set a schedule to disable voice calls during certain hours, for example, school hours, so it won’t disturb lessons with any unexpected alarms."
She found the battery life was one downside as it needed charging after 24 hours, saying, "The battery does drain quite quickly if you use all the functions; however, because we have not used it for long journeys and we haven’t needed the voice calls, the tracker lasts 24 hours. This is good, but inconvenient that you need to charge it daily. I like that you can set a reminder for each evening that will notify your phone to remind you to charge it when your child is in bed."
Read our full AngelSense GPS Tracker review
Pros
- It comes with a sensory-friendly sleeve, which is soft and designed to be comfortable for children.
- It offers nationwide coverage, providing peace of mind on your child's whereabouts.
- A detailed history of your child's location throughout the day is provided.
- It has a built-in speakerphone that allows you to talk to your child.
- The tracker has an SOS button, which will alert you when it has been pressed.
- A SIM card is included, making it ready to use out of the box.
Cons
- The battery life needs improvement, as it needs charging frequently.
- It costs 29.99 per month with a 1-year contract, to be able to use the SIM card and device.
Supscription required: | Yes, £25 a month with a 1-Year Contract. |
Dimensions: | 4.39 x 6.1 x 1.6 cm |
Weight: | 20g |
- Live GPS location
- One and two-way voice
2.
Weenect Kids
Best small GPS tracker for kids
This compact, no-frills GPS tracker is a simple-to-use gadget that our mum tester, Mother&Baby's Digital Writer, Rebecca, found offered peace of mind. It allows you to track your child's location from your phone and our tester found that this placed them swiftly and accurately. You can see where your child has been during a time period of 1, 3, 6 or 12 hours, or set a customised time period. Rebecca was also impressed with the 'Superlive' setting, which "lets you see where your child is going and has been in real-time with a series of dots."
Our mum tester, Rebecca, found the app easy to set up - "it's easy to set up - you just set up an account with your email address and choose your subscription. It took a little while for my phone to locate the tracker for the first time, but this is just a case of leaving the phone and tracker next to each other." The SIM card is included, so there's no need to buy this or source it separately, which makes setting up the tracker even easier. The subscription choices are €9.99 a month or €69.99 a year, which are lower than some of the other trackers with subscription services we tested.
Rebecca felt it could be improved by the ability to turn on the Weenect GPS tracker remotely. For instance, if her son managed to turn it off while out and about, there's no way of turning it back on or tracking them. Rebecca thought the battery life and general design of the GPS tracker were good, saying, "It feels exceptionally sturdy, and I loved the little padded pouch with a clip which allows you to pop it onto their bag or belt strap." Rebecca also thought there was potential to use this for a longer period, noting, "I could see myself using this with elderly relatives in a few years time, once my son is older and I'm more confident about him being out and about."
In the event of a problem, your child can alert you by pressing the SOS panic button on their tracker. Rebecca found the battery life to be good. With average use, it lasted a few days before it needed charging.
The Weenect tracker works on a 2G network, and this is due to be phased out in 2033, so it's arguable that the Weenect in its current guise has a time limit, but Rebecca felt it still provided value for money for this period of time as it's a reasonably priced product.
Read our full Weenect GPS Tracker review
Pros
- There is no limited distance coverage between the tracker and the parent's phone.
- It comes with a storage pocket.
- The battery life lasts up to seven days on a full charge.
- It comes with real-time tracking, which updates every 10 seconds.
- It includes an SOS button, which allows your child to alert you in case of an emergency.
- The tracker allows your child to contact you directly, providing you with reassurance.
- A SIM card is included, making it ready to use out of the box.
Cons
- It's not pocket-sized.
- As it comes with a SIM card, there are ongoing data plan costs.
- It only works on 2G, and this is due to be phased out in 2033.
Subscription required: | Yes, starting at £3.50 per month |
Dimensions: | 6.5 x 1.8 x 4 cm |
Weight: | 55g |
- 7-day battery
- SOS panic button
- Emergency telephone
SAVE £20
Best GPS tracker for older kids
Although it's not specifically designed to be a GPS tracker, the Apple Watch has some easy-to-use tracking features. It's more suited to older children due to the other features and settings that can be accessed, although you can use Apple's Family Setup feature to remotely control the device for someone else.
Our reviewer, Mother&Baby's Rebecca, found this watch to be ideal for her older son. "While it needs to be paired with an iPhone for full capability, it can easily be used as a GPS tracker and allows him to track his activity/steps, etc, without having access to social media or any of the elements of a smartphone." By simply having the Apple Watch app on your phone, you can easily and accurately use 'Find my Watch' to locate it and the child.
If being able to call or send messages is needed, the Apple Watch SE (2023) GPS + Cellular might be a better option, but this will require a monthly charge.
Of course, Apple products aren't renowned for their long battery life, and the Apple Watch SE is no exception, "I had to charge this every other night but as long as you get into the routine of charging it, you shouldn't find it dies when your child is out and about", says our tester, Rebecca.
As Rebecca said, "While it's undoubtedly an expensive product for a child, for older children and teens, it's an understated and subtle way of being able to locate them if needed, without making it obvious that this is the intention."
Rebecca tested it on her 10-year-old and felt that the 40mm watch and S/M strap are fine for an older child, though it would be quite large on a younger child's wrist.
Read our full Apple Watch SE review
Pros
- It is water resistant and swimproof, making it suitable for water-related activities without the risk of damage.
- The straps are customisable, allowing you to change them to your preferred design.
- The Apple Watch offers reliable location tracking through its built-in GPS and Find My app.
- There is a family setup option allowing you to set up and manage their watch, ensuring safety.
- Besides GPS tracking, the watch offers other features like health and fitness, communication and safety tools.
- It also includes an emergency SOS feature, alerting you if it was activated.
- The watch itself comes in different screen sizes to suit your wrist.
Cons
- The watch requires an iPhone to connect to for setup and use.
- It costs more than other alternatives.
Subscription required: | No |
Dimensions: | 40mm |
Weight: | 36.20g |
- Emergency SOS
- Fall and crash detection
- 18-hour battery life
- Bluetooth
5.
Apple AirTag
SAVE 20%
Best tracker for kids backpacks
While Apple doesn't recommend this product for tracking children, it is ideal for keeping track of their possessions, which we all know have a tendency to go missing regularly! They work with Bluetooth rather than GPS, so they can only provide a more limited search capacity, bouncing off other Bluetooth users in the vicinity to pinpoint the location of the AirTag.
Using Apple's 'Find My' App, you can keep track of the AirTag, allowing you to see its location. You can set it to notify you if it leaves a known location, and if your child's bag or possessions are lost, you can put it in Lost Mode on the app. This starts tracking its location and sends you a notification when it pings the network. Our Dad tester, Matt found it reassuring to know that he could track his son's bag if he left it anywhere. "My son, like most children, is easily distracted, and I generally have to remind him to get his bag if we're leaving the park, for instance. Now he's getting a bit older and will be heading out on his own soon, I find it reassuring to know that I can put this tag on his bag and will be able to find it if he leaves it anywhere."
The AirTag runs on a button battery, so it would need to be kept away from small children. The battery should last a year with moderate use, and our tester found it easy enough to remove the battery but then found that it lost connection with his phone and needed to be reset. Our tester did point out that the small size makes it easy to lose, saying, "The AirTag is very compact, so it would be easy to misplace, especially for a child." He goes on to note that this is easily solved by using one of the many AirTag accessories, including keyrings and pouches that keep it safe.
There's no subscription needed, but as this is an Apple product, it requires you to have an iPhone SE, iPhone 6s or later, or iPod touch (7th generation) with iOS 14.5 or later, or iPad Pro, iPad (5th generation or later), iPad Air 2 or later, or iPad mini 4 or later with iPadOS 14.5 or later.
Pros
- While not recommended as a kids tracker, it's ideal for keeping track of kids' bags and belongings
- Works with Apple's 'Find My' app to pinpoint the item it's attached to
- The tracker is lightweight and compact and can be attached to various items for convenience
- No subscription required
- The AirTag can be used with various mounts, such as a belt clip, key ring and lanyard for different uses
Cons
- Works on Bluetooth so not as reliable as a GPS tracker for kids
- Best as a tracker for kids' belongings as there's no SOS button or way of communicating
- Very small so it would benefit from a case to avoid losing it
- It uses a button battery so it should be kept away from babies and small children
Subscription required: | No |
Dimensions: | Diameter: 31.9 mm <br>Height: 8.0 mm |
Weight: | 11g |
- It can be used on a belt clip, lanyard or keyring
- Works on Bluetooth, not GPS
- Use to find and keep track of belongings such as kids' backpacks
Can I put a GPS tracker on my child?
There's no law that states you can't use a GPS tracker on your child. If you are the legal guardian or parent, you are legally allowed to track your children if they are under the age of 18. They can be used to effectively locate a child in a serious or potentially life-threatening situation.
However, it is a morally grey area, as some people consider it to be an invasion of their privacy, especially when they get to the teenage stage and start going out with friends and spending more time away from their homes and parents. Many parents respect their child's boundaries and use GPS tracking purely in emergency situations only, such as when their child goes missing or doesn't return home on time. As our expert, Gaël Duval said, "Using a GPS tracker for your child can be a valuable tool for ensuring their safety and providing peace of mind. However, it's crucial to balance this with respect for their privacy and fostering their independence. Open communication with your child about its use can help mitigate potential trust issues."
We recommend having an open conversation with your child to let them know that you intend to use a tracker on them and the reasons why. Make sure that it is age-appropriate, or use terminology based on their level of understanding.
What is the best GPS tracker for my child?
There are many factors to consider when purchasing a GPS tracker for children; it's not a one-size-fits-all decision. The two main types of trackers are apps and physical trackers. Physical tracking devices must be attached to your child in some way, whether that be on their clothing or in items they own (such as shoes, rucksacks, schoolbags or toys, for example). Other devices include kids' smartwatches, which have access to GPS tracking and emergency calling or messaging. Tracking apps, on the other hand, can be accessed using a mobile phone, tablet or adult smartwatch.
There are pros and cons to each style of GPS tracking, so we have broken it up into categories, hopefully making your decision easier for you.
GPS tracker device
Operation: GPS trackers give out precise locations as they operate using global positioning of satellites (hence where the acronym comes from). Plus, you don't need to have active data to access these locations.
Age suitability: A physical GPS tracker can be used on most children no matter their age (although some are very small and could pose a choking hazard for babies and toddlers). Some smart devices have certain features or access to internet browsing that cannot be turned off and, therefore, could be dangerous.
Battery life: Generally speaking, GPS trackers have long battery lives of at least a few days and some companies even offer users the chance to purchase add-on batteries to extend this further.
Subscriptions: To access premium features like two-way calls or unlimited messaging, you may need to pay a monthly or yearly subscription fee.
GPS tracking app
Operation: Reliant on mobile phone signal and Wi-Fi, you may get slightly inaccurate readings as signals tend to go weak quite often. Make sure you have a strong internet data service if you want to use tracking apps.
Privacy considerations: Gaël also notes that you "should evaluate the app's privacy requirements and permissions before using it to track your child. What sort of data is the app collecting? What trackers are present in the app?"
Age suitability: More suited to parents of children who have a smartphone or device that connects to the Internet. However, there are several kids' watches and trackers that have limited browsing access. They can be used through 4G, and you can link them to certain parenting apps.
Battery life: Most mobile phones will need charging at least once a day, and they are not specifically designed to purely keep GPS running for long periods of time, so using an app for extended periods is likely to drain the battery.
Subscriptions: Some apps want you to pay a monthly or yearly subscription fee to utilise additional features.
About the expert
Gaël Duval is a software developer of almost 30 years and is passionate about data privacy and keen to educate parents about data-sharing for themselves and their children. He's the founder of /e/OS, a non-profit, open-source Android operating system that does not collect user data and gives users control over their own data for third-party apps using its Advanced Privacy feature.
Arabella Horspool is a Commercial Content Writer for Mother&Baby and Yours at Bauer Media. She's a bookworm who enjoys cooking and spending time with her many pets.