Teenagers are all over the latest tech. If your kids are asking for the most up-to-date devices, it can be difficult to know which to choose. There are lots of models of tablets, phones, computers, and smartwatches on the market today, but not all are ideal for teenage needs. Before we discuss some of the best smartwatches for teens in 2023, we take a look at what makes a smartwatch suitable for a younger crowd.
Young people want access to a fully functioning watch that looks stylish and youthful but still allows them to accomplish all of the activities that they demand.
What to Look for in Smartwatches for Teens
Parents and teenagers may look at different factors when buying a smartwatch. Parents are likely to consider things like price and budget, safety features, GPS features, or connectivity capabilities. Teenagers might look for other factors in their new tech purchase like trends and styles, design, or the smartwatch’s fitness functions.
So how can parents be sure they are buying the right smartwatch for their teenager? Or how can older teens be sure they’re putting their hard-earned part-time dollars in the right smart tech?
Table of Contents
- What to Look for in Smartwatches for Teens
- The Best Smartwatches for Teens in 2023
- 1. Xiaomi Mi Band 6/7/7 Pro – A Smartwatch for Teens on the Go
- 2. Fitbit Versa 3/4
- 3. Apple Watch SE 2
- 4. TicWatch E3 – The Best-looking Smartwatches for Teens
- 5. Fitbit Charge 4/5 – Great for Girls (and also boys)
- 6. Garmin Venu 2 Plus – The Best High-End Smartwatch for Teens
- 7. Honor Band 6/7 Smartwatch
- 8. MorePro F12 – A Smartwatch for Teens on a Budget
- 9. Michael Kors Access Gen 5E
- 10. Apple Watch 7/8
The Best Smartwatches for Teens in 2023
1. Xiaomi Mi Band 6/7/7 Pro – A Smartwatch for Teens on the Go
The Mi Band 6 was (and still is) a popular and inexpensive alternative smartwatch for teens. The newer Mi Band 7 has an even better screen, more fitness features, and is a great smartwatch for teenage hands. The Xiaomi Smart Band 7 Pro has a 50% bigger screen than the 7 and a built-in GPS. All these extras come with an increase in cost but they’re worth it. All Xiaomi models come with lots of cool band colors and options and also feature many of the features you could find on other more expensive smartwatches listed here and elsewhere. Teenagers who choose one of Xiaomi’s smartwatches will have a little fitness assistant on their wrist with the Mi Band App. Some will even prefer the Mi Bands over much more expensive Fitbit devices because you get more features and functions on the watch itself when you compare band for band.
You get a lot of value for a relatively low price with these smartwatches. This makes them just perfect for teens.
The Mi Fitness app is connected to your teen’s watch through their smartphone (via Bluetooth), and can allow them to share activity stats with friends, and store their own fitness or sleep records. The app is also preloaded with tons of workouts for kids to learn and help them find their fitness interests.
The Mi Band 6 featured a large, 1.56-inch color AMOLED touchscreen display with a high pixel density and good brightness. This screen is 50% larger than the previous Mi Band 5. It can track all your fitness activities, control your music devices and connect to your phone via Bluetooth.
You can easily find the Mi Band 6 on either eBay, Amazon or Aliexpress.
Product | Supplier |
Mi Band 7 | AliExpress |
Mi Band 7 | eBay |
Mi Band 7 Pro | Amazon |
Mi Band 7 | Amazon |
With the Mi Band 6, you are able to change your screen skin to pre-built templates or designs and upload your own. It’s a pretty cool watch and you can read all about it in our launch preview. It’s also a relatively cheap and affordable option.
Pricing and feature-wise this could be the ideal smartwatch for youth. It is a very popular choice indeed that is both cool and also a perfect match for a teen watch.
2. Fitbit Versa 3/4
The Fitbit Versa 4 may be aimed at the adult market, but it could be the ideal choice for any teenage boy or girl. Thanks to the array of impressive functions it offers. Its 24/7 heartrate monitoring functionality and sleep monitoring functions are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to tracking your wellness. There are also more than 15 different exercise modes to supply work-out stats in real-time. You may also want to consider the Versa 3 for the right price. We also think for the price difference, it is better to get the Versa 3 rather than the 2 in this case since the price difference is not that big. You can compare the Versa 4 and 3 here.
The Fitbit Versa offers access to a host of finance, fitness, sports, and social apps. Furthermore, the Fitbit App itself allows you to record menstrual cycle details. The battery life is relatively long at around four days, while the case is light and slim making it great for all-day wear. If you have an Android smartphone, you can receive notifications, texts, calls, and respond. It’s water-resistant down to 50m too. You could find good deals on the versa 3 with the recent release of the Versa 4.
3. Apple Watch SE 2
Last but not least we want to mention the Apple Watch SE 2 which is on the high end of this list and covered in a separate review. The SE 2 was just released in September 2022 and is a great (yet expensive) choice. You may want to read more on Apple Watch Alternatives here or compare all Apple Watch models to see if one suits your budget. If your child already has an Apple iPhone the combination works great.
You can easily find the Apple Watch SE on Amazon, eBay or Apple directly.
If you’re searching for the perfect smartwatch for the teenage girl or boy in your life, any of the options showcased here could be the ideal choice for you. Well-designed, affordable, and appealing to the teen market, these devices bring the convenience of wearable technology to the teen market.
4. TicWatch E3 – The Best-looking Smartwatches for Teens
The Mobvoi brand is becoming known for its high-quality, affordable smartwatches and the TicWatch E3 is a great example. This is a robust and long-lasting device with enough design options to keep most teens interested. This watch tracks swimming, running, and sleeping patterns while the integrated heart rate monitor tracks your heart rate 24/7.
Its Wear OS operating system gives the user access to his or her favorite Google Play Store apps, and Google Assistant function can be accessed directly from their wrist. The first app your teen will need is the Mobvoi fitness app which allows them to receive weekly or monthly fitness reports, or compare their health stats among friends/family.
It is resistant to high temperatures, shock, dust and, being water-resistant to 50m, it’s ideal for swimmers. It also comes with inbuilt GLONASS, GPS, and Beidou so the wearer can enjoy receiving real-time statistics of their activities and performance. Heart-rate monitoring is especially useful as it tracks history and can notify its wearer of any unusual heart activity. Alerts can be set for other functions, too, which will help keep teens interested in using the E3 as a fitness friend.
5. Fitbit Charge 4/5 – Great for Girls (and also boys)
Wearables from Fitbit are among the most popular on the market, and the Charge 4 and Charge 5 are no different. Choosing between them is largely a factor of price since the Charge 4 is now older and should be cheaper, or could be found on sale (or find the Fitbit Charge 4 on eBay.)
The GPS tracking feature is a major new feature. For teens (or their parents) who prefer not to run or cycle with their phones, it provides precise tracking and statistics straight from your wrist, as well as enhanced safety features you can’t find on cheaper smartwatches for teens.
Its sensors, data, and utility are superior to those of Xiaomi and Samsung. As part of your teenager’s Fitbit, you can also measure your spO2, or blood oxygen levels, and the amount of oxygen you take in at rest. Though this might not be of too much importance to a teen. One of the Charge’s best features is its sleep monitor, which is fairly accurate if you want to know how much sleep your teen is getting versus what they say they are.
The device will also display other information such as heart rate, resting heart rate, and breathing rate.
The Charge 4 and 5 are water-resistant and have an ATM of 5, making it perfect for recreational swimming. Both Charge 4 and 5 can collect and categorize up to 20 different sports data points.
Overall, if your teen is a health buff, this fitness band is an ideal option.
Compare prices and choose your favorite merchant on the table below.
Product | Supplier | |
Fitbit Charge 5 | Amazon | View Offer |
Fitbit Charge 5 | eBay | View Offer |
Fitbit Charge 4 | eBay | View Offer |
Fitbit Charge 5 | Fitbit | View Offer |
6. Garmin Venu 2 Plus – The Best High-End Smartwatch for Teens
The Venu 2 Plus is the ideal smartwatch for any teenager is concerned about their own health. Garmin Venu 2 Plus precision keeps you informed about anything he needs to know. Since this watch is one of the newest models available from Garmin it has many great fitness features and also a great AMOLED display that is second to none (except perhaps the Apple Watch 8). It’s also got a microphone which allows for making calls through the watch while connected via Bluetooth to your phone.
From heart rates to body batteries and stress levels, the smartwatch keeps track of virtually everything. In addition to being compatible with Android and iPhone, Garmin provides a user-friendly mobile app. Through Garmin Connect, teens can utilize 20 pre-loaded applications, set up their emergency contacts, and set up features like Incident Detection or Assistance.
The Incident Detection or Assistance features are something to appeal to parents, as they are features that can help your teenager in emergency situations.
In terms of design, Garmin’s silicone band makes it pleasant to wear all day. It’s also gentle on skin, so there’s no need to be concerned about allergies or irritations. The watch fits snugly on the wrist to display a larger touchscreen which remains bright and glare-free.
On a full charge, the watch lasts about six days. Overall, the Garmin Venu 2 Plus wristwatch is an excellent choice for adolescents. The unisex watch has a slew of functions that are ideal for teenagers who are worried about their health. The watch is simple to use and features durable construction that prevents scratches and dents.
7. Honor Band 6/7 Smartwatch
The Huawei brand is well-known for its high-tech solutions, and the Honor Band 6 is a lightweight smartwatch for teens that built its reputation on a large and clear display screen. This watch also has a built-in assistant feature that make it one of the best watches to work with your teen’s other smart devices. Thew Huawei Band 7 is very similar in looks and what it offers. The only differences are slightly better looks, better screen and always on feature. Both are a very good choice, yet they sell for more than the Mi Bands which we prefer in terms of functionality and robustness.
It has nearly 100 workout profiles so it’s a great wearable to encourage and support sports. One of the top features of this smartwatch is its running coaching function (which was also available with earlier models). This covers beginner level up to advanced, while the many different sports modes offer more functionality.
Additionally, teens will be able to control other functions on the phones through the Honor Band 6. These are features which teens are likely to use, too, like camera shutter control, music playback controls, and a find-my-phone feature.
Water-resistant up to 50m, this device helps wearers to identify then improve their strokes with a SWOLF score being provided after swimming. When paired with an Android or iOS device, this waterproof watch allows the wearer to receive notifications on their wrist.
Because of the price range, mass appeal, abundant features, and quality design, this smartwatch could be an excellent choice for teenage girls or boys. We’ve written an article just about how to two sixes (above) compare…
8. MorePro F12 – A Smartwatch for Teens on a Budget
The More Pro brand seems like the up-and-coming rising star in the tech world with reasonably priced smartwatches for teens, and for all other ages. The More Pro F12 competes as a lower-priced smartwatch by offering 20 Sport modes, music control, Sleep tracking, and SpO2 sensors.
Parents can enjoy certain features on the MorePro F12, too, like Family Activity Tracking. Members can compete with one another, share stats, and make working out with parents a lot more fun than normal!
9. Michael Kors Access Gen 5E
A Michael Kors wristwatch is perfect for anyone who likes premium brands and wants a watch with many features. With its large and better display, your watch will make you feel like you’re wearing a smartphone.
By downloading the Michael Kors app, you can connect it to your Android device. Other features include NFC, Bluetooth, and a built-in speaker.
You may make and receive calls after linking it to your smartphone. The watch also allows you to use the voice assistant while on the move. MK’s usage of sensors in this watch makes it an excellent option for health-conscious teenagers.
The heart-rate sensor is on all day and provides real-time information on the larger display. Furthermore, the wristwatch allows you to manage music, set alarms, and access the calendar, among other functions.
The interface is fantastic, and even non-geeky teens will have no trouble using the watch. We liked the untethered GPS, which works even if the watch isn’t connected to your phone.
The watch’s battery life is surprisingly good, and it has several settings to extend it. You may even download and save music on it since it has built-in storage.
The MK watch is suitable for both men and women and comes with a variety of watch bands, including metal and silicone. Finally, the watch is extremely water-resistant, and Google Pay may be used to make payments.
10. Apple Watch 7/8
Last but not least we want to mention the full-fledged Apple Watch 7 or 8. This watch is indeed not the best choice for teens, only because of its price tag. Otherwise it’s the most popular, well-known and probably the coolest a teen could get.
The best features are no doubt the seamless integration with Apple iPhones. It’s all connected. You get the most apps and all the health and fitness features that come with an Apple Watch. If you already own the 7 and want to migrate to the Apple Watch 8 or Ultra, why not hand down the 7 to your teen boy or girl? We see that happening quite a lot. It’s ultimately your choice in terms of budget and what your teenager requires.
Compare prices and choose your favorite merchant to buy the Apple Watch
Product | Supplier | |
Apple Watch 8 | Amazon | Check Price |
Apple Watch 7 | Amazon | Check Price |
Apple Watch 7 | eBay | Check Price |
Watch Ultra | Amazon | Check Price |
Apple Watch 7 | Apple | View offer |
Apple Watch 7 | Target | View offer |
Apple Watch SE 2 | Amazon | View offer |
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Last Updated on January 7, 2023
A top of the line copywriter with more than a decade of writing experience with many high-end and diverse multinational clients. Lots of experience and interest in writing about and implementing technology. Scott manages the creation of content for us as a freelancer service and even though he is based in the UK, his writers can adapt and cater to our audience which is mostly US based.
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