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.

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 - each offering product lines now in their third generation.

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 available today

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Garmin VivoFit Jr. 3

A truly elite option

A perfect tracker for kids who prefer a smartwatch design - Garmin knocks it out of the park again.

Garmin vivofit jr. 3, Fitness Tracker for Kids, Includes Interactive App Experience, Swim-Friendly, Up To 1-year Battery Life, Lilac Floral, adjustable watch (010-02441-21)

Best Buy

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 colour 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 behaviour.

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

Best fitness trackers for kids photo 11
Fitbit Ace 3

Hard to beat

Far from showing its age, the Ace 3 showcases Fitbit's ever-improving user experience. A great pick for kids - and the parents tracking progress.

Best fitness trackers for kids photo 11
Fitbit Ace 3

Far from showing its age, the Ace 3 showcases Fitbit's ever-improving user experience. A great pick for kids - and the parents tracking progress.

Now in its third generation, Fitbit's Ace is maturing into a seriously strong tracker for kids.

Like its predecessor, this one is designed for kids aged six and up, but it can now last for eight days on a single charge, as well as offer a swim-proof design. The screen is also brighter with the Ace 3, with new finishes, do not disturb and sleep modes also featuring.

This, of course, backs up what was - and still is - an excellent overall experience with the Ace 2. This provides animated clock faces for kids to enjoy as they reach their parent-set activity and sleep targets.

The same safety precautions are in place as before, as well; parents have to make a Fitbit account for users under 12-years-old, with social features of the app disabled from child access.

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Inspiratek Kids Fitness Tracker

Keep it simple

A budget pick for kids of all ages, offering advanced features and a large screen to view activity.

Inspiratek Kids Fitness Tracker for Girls and Boys Age 5-16 (5 Colors), Kids Activity Tracker, Fitness Watch for Kids - Fitness Tracker for Kids - Activity Tracker for Kids, Kids Step Tracker (Black)

Amazon

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.

Best fitness trackers for kids photo 7
Biggerfive Fitness Tracker

Solid all-rounder

Biggerfive's budget tracker gives you all the basic features for less - and a design that's very friendly for kids.

BIGGERFIVE Vigor Kids Fitness Tracker Watch for Girls Boys Ages 5-15, IP68 Waterproof, Activity Tracker, Pedometer, Heart Rate Sleep Monitor, Calorie Step Counter Watch

Amazon

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.

Best fitness trackers for kids photo 2
Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2

Still terrific

The most imaginative kids fitness tracker is an ideal pick for Marvel, Disney and Star Wars fans. 

Best fitness trackers for kids photo 2
Garmin Vivofit Jr. 2

The most imaginative kids fitness tracker is an ideal pick for Marvel, Disney and Star Wars fans. 

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.

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fitbit ace 2

Superb budget pick

Fitbit's latest kids tracker is an intuitive all-rounder that your child can keep for years.

Fitbit Ace 2 Activity Tracker for Kids, 1 Count

Amazon

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.