(Pocket-lint) – Fitness trackers aren’t simply reserved for adults anymore, with a small sampling of dedicated activity bands now available for kids to track their exercise with. 

• Best fitness trackers: Top activity bands to buy

The features and specs vary slightly depending on which tracker you choose, but the general idea with each is to provide a creative way to keep your child motivated to move regularly.

The good news is what was once a relatively barren area of wearables has now been populated by the likes of Fitbit and Garmin. However, this also means that picking between the ever-improving crop of devices is harder than ever before, which is why we’ve done the hard work and tested the very best on offer to help you decide. 

Best fitness trackers for kids you can buy

Garmin

Garmin VivoFit Jr. 3

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Garmin’s latest and greatest fitness tracker takes some liberties with traditional design and instead gives kids more of a smartwatch-style device to slap onto their wrist. 

Though the design has changed from previous iterations, though, the general premise is much the same; the experience is gamified to encourage kids to unlock new sections of the Garmin Jr app through exercise.

It’s also swim-friendly, features a new color display with plenty of watch faces and a full year of battery life. And, like before, parents can use the app to assign chores and reward children for good behavior. 

As with older models of the tracker, there’s plenty of color options, too – two Marvel and Disney Princess styles are joined by three regular picks, in pink, green and blue. 

Fitbit

Fitbit Ace 2

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Designed for kids aged six and above and our pick for the top kids’ fitness band, the second iteration of Fitbit’s junior tracker is improved greatly by a more playful, waterproof design and, surprisingly, a cheaper price tag. 

It’s able to match many of the typical features found on regular Fitbit devices, with sleep reports, Active Minutes and total steps all logged throughout wear. When added to the animated watch faces, bump-proof design and the ability to switch into different bands as the child gets older, this is a device that ticks pretty much all the boxes – with the lack of heart rate tracking the most glaring omission. 

So parents can keep an eye on just how much activity is being performed, too, anything the device tracks is available to view in the companion app. 

Now, if privacy is a concern, this can also be tinkered with inside the Fitbit app; parents can choose what data is viewable by other Fitbit users and family members. 

Inspiratek

Inspiratek Kids Fitness Tracker

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Inspiratek may not be the household name that Garmin or Fitbit is, but this is still a great consideration for those on a budget.

The company’s dedicated kids fitness tracker is aimed at those between ages 5-16, with advanced features (such as blood pressure monitoring and blood oxygen readings) backed up by the standard step counting, calorie burn logging and exercise tracking. The adjustable bands also mean the child’s wrist won’t quickly outgrow the device. 

Aside from the more advanced, ‘adult-like’ features, the other key advantage it has over the rest of the current competition is the large screen size, with five band colours available to pick between, too. 

Garmin

Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2

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Like Fitbit, Garmin’s second take on the kids’ fitness tracker offers a scaled-back version of the adult tracking experience with a more fun design.

The Vivofit Jr. 2 is available in five different designs from Marvel, Star Wars or Disney, all serving up individual watch faces and themes.

Steps, sleep and active minutes are all tracked when worn and able to be viewed by parents, just like Fitbit, but Garmin has attempted to go a step further by incorporating this tracked activity into a larger game that kids can able to play on an iOS or Android device. 

When kids hit their exercise goals (or even chores set by parents through the companion app), they’re able to progress further in the game and unlock new watch faces and badges. 

All in all, this a top option for kids – especially when you factor in the year-long battery, too. Our only mild concern is whether the more gamified approach can hold kids’ attention in the long-term. 

Biggerfive

Biggerfive Fitness Tracker

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Biggerfive, like Inspiratek, may not be the first name you think of when it comes to kids fitness trackers, but they present a great opportunity for you to pick up a top budget device.

All the basics are here, meaning you get automatic step tracking, distance and calorie burn, as well as support for different activity modes, including running, dancing and climbing.

Add this to the heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, alarm clock feature – not to mention the IP68 water resistance and week-long battery life – and Biggerfive’s device presents a well-rounded package to consider.

Garmin

Garmin Vivofit Jr.

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The original Garmin Vivofit Jr. is still a very viable pick, especially when you consider the cheaper price point.

So, what’s the difference between this and the newer model? Well, there’s no elaborate adventure game to progress through, but this is still a reliable bit of kit that’s able to handle much of the same tracking – that means steps, sleep and active minutes are all logged within the Garmin companion app.

Aimed at kids aged between 4-9, the Vivofit Jr comes in three different designs (red, camo and pink/white) and includes bands to fit wrists between 145mm – 175mm. As a neat design trick, Vivofit Jr. 2 and Vivofit 3 bands can also be switched in.

Writing by Conor Allison.