Best Phones for Kids: The Ultimate Guide

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“Chris, what’s the best phone for kids?”

We receive this question all the time!

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And now that there are multiple kid phone options, parents are hungry for guidance.

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When Lauren was going through the tween years (now just graduated high school!), the options were a flip phone, a dorky-big tech watch, an iPhone, or an Android! Basically, all or nothing.

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In the United States*, the most popular “first phones” for kids are:

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• Gabb Wireless
• Pinwheel
• Troomi
• The Bark Phone

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*Cell coverage is tricky in each country. This post focuses on the USA. But, one of these devices does work in Canada! Keep reading! (Oh, and in other countries, we are going to start compiling a list – right now, start with “best kid phones UK” or “AUS” in your search) In some countries, Nokia has basic phones. Just beware – basic phones still often have a browser and since they’re basic, don’t allow any monitoring or filtering. Bottom line – Gabb, Pinwheel, Troomi, and Bark are all great, mission-minded organizations that want to protect kids online. We love this.

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But there are differences.

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Our testing dug into each phone, testing their backdoors, and listing the pros and cons. We love providing deep research and poking around like a tech-savvy tween. Also allowing my children to use them!

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Full disclosure – clicking on the links in the post earns us a little money as affiliates and often gives you a special deal! It’s a win-win.

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• Gabb affiliate link (or use PYE for $25 off)
• Pinwheel affiliate link (or use PYE10 for 10% off)
• Troomi affiliate link (or use PYE for $50 off)
• Bark affiliate link (Bark software included)

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Also note that there are now a significant number of kid-friendly smartwatches, which deserve a separate blog post. We mention Gabb and Troomi watches below but they should be considered alongside other options. See this fabulous post from Parents.com: The Best Smartwatches for Kids, Tested by Real Kids and Their Watchful Parents, which we’ve reviewed and its recommendations are solid.

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Tech in Steps #delayistheway

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Give kids the right tech at the right time.

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This simple sentence shapes much of what we teach at Protect Young Eyes. It’s the foundation for our hashtag campaign: #delayistheway – slow tech, not no tech.

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Back in 2015, we were a lonely voice telling parents “No smartphones or social media until at least age 15!” But that doesn’t mean we remove ALL tech from their lives. We have followers from all over the tech spectrum, ranging from “no” to “go” to “slow.” We prefer the “slow tech” approach.This is particularly true when it comes to PORTABLE digital devices. We’re firm believers that the elementary and junior high years simply don’t need smartphones.

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Their hearts and minds aren’t ready for the pressures, targeted marketing, and porn lurking in mini-supercomputers (aka iPhones).We’ve gone as far as saying:

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“No middle school child will become a better version of themselves – emotionally, spiritually, relationally – because of the presence of social media in their life.”

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This is why I’m so pleased that parents now have multiple, great kid phone options. Options that give parents peace of mind and allow children to be prepared, balanced, and protected.

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What does Tech in Steps Look Like?

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Just the hardware side of “tech in steps” could look like this, with a kid’s phone right in the middle:

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• Start with a Family tablet, used by kids (that’s the important ownership piece).
• Maybe an Echo Kids in their room accompanied by a Gabb Watch.
• Gabb, Pinwheel, Troomi, or Bark Phone.
• iPhone with Family Sharing and Screen Time. Android with Family Link.
• Turn age 18 – we’ve trained you! You’ve got this!

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In other words, a kid-friendly phone is a critical step in training a child how to handle sophisticated technology.

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What do Gabb, Pinwheel, Troomi, and Bark Have in Common?

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All four of these kid-friendly phones:

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• Have a strong mission.
• Are designed for kids. Yeah!
• Look like a smartphone.
• Use GPS tracking.

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Two phones eliminate all internet browsing (Gabb, Pinwheel). Three eliminate social media (Gabb, Pinwheel, Troomi). Only the Bark phone allows full access to whatever internet browsing and social media you allow but with its premium AI software woven throughout. It’s now a wonderful “step” between the minimalism of Gabb and the supercomputer-like iPhone. Finally, parents have options!

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What are the Differences between Gabb, Pinwheel, Troomi, and Bark?

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1. Kid Phone Prices for Devices & Service
   As of July 19, 2024
   
   Gabb Devices:
   
   • Gabb Watch 3: $149.99 + Cellular Plan (see below)
   • Gabb Phone 4: $149.99 + Cellular Plan (see below)
   • Gabb Phone 4 Pro: $199 + Cellular Plan (see below)

For Gabb Phones, you must select a specific bundle, and then choose a cellular plan. Each bundle comes with different benefits and costs.

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The cellular plans change prices based on the Bundle you choose, here’s the breakdown:

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Starter Bundle:

• $24.99 with a 2-Year Contract
• $26.99 with a 1-Year Contract
• $29.99 without a Contract

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Standard Bundle:

• $29.99 with a 2-Year Contract
• $31.99 with a 1-Year Contract
• $34.99 without a Contract

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Advanced Bundle:

• $34.99 with a 2-Year Contract
• $36.99 with a 1-Year Contract
• $39.99 without a Contract

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There aren’t any bundles for the Gabb Watch 3, all you need to do is select a cellular plan:

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Accessories include fun bands, speakers, screen protectors, earbuds, and more.Pinwheel Devices: they have different levels, and you can sometimes buy new or pre-owned:

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• “Pixel” – $599 (new), $529 (pre-owned) Android 6.1″ Full HD OLED display, fully compatible with all carriers and 5G.
• “Plus” – $329 (new), $259 (pre-owned), Android, 6.5″ super AMOLED display, fully compatible with all carriers and 5G.
• “Slim 6″ – $199 (only new), Android BLU G91s, 6.5” display, fully compatible with all carriers and 5G.
• “Rugged” – $249 (new), $139 (pre-owned), Android, 5.5″ display, not compatible with AT&T, Verizon, or 5G.
• “Genesis” – $99 (new), $59 (pre-owned), Android, 6.5″ display, not compatible with AT&T, Verizon, or 5G.

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Pinwheel Plans: this is different from the others, in that you’re just paying for the Pinwheel parent portal. You will have to add a carrier, e.g., AT&T data plan on top of the amount below:

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• Caregiver Portal Access ($14.99/mo. or $13.75 paid annually) total of $164.99/year. Plus, whatever plan you want to add from your wireless carrier.
• Choose cellular service ($15/mo or choose your own)

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Troomi Devices:

Troomi offers 2 phones, the A14 5G ($199), and the A13 LITE ($149), as well as the XGO3 Kids Smart Watch ($129) – available in 4 different colors.

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Troomi Plans:

Their Smart Watch only uses the DARE plan, however, that plan is not offered for their smartphones. No contracts are required for any of the plans listed below:

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Bark Device:

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The Bark Phone is their flagship device ($199), it’s a Samsung Galaxy A13 (32GB), and the device comes with the service!

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Bark Plans – note that all come with Bark’s premium AI software:

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Starter Plan:

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• $39/month for unlimited talk, text, and no internet, app store, or gamesAdvanced Plans:
• $39/month for talk/text only. It’s their “Gabb-like” option. Dead simple!
• $49/month for unlimited talk, text, and Wi-Fi only
• $59/month for unlimited talk, text, and 4GB of data per month
• $69/month for unlimited talk, text, and 8GB of data per month
• $89/month unlimited talk, text, and 35GB of data per month

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With Bark, for the $49 plan and above, you’re paying for things that the other phones can’t do like monitor web browsing and social media with their premium software – a $15/month value. Read more about below!

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**Hey, check this out!

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We created a pricing spreadsheet that automatically calculates the lifetime cost of the devices above! Just download the spreadsheet to your computer (I have it uploaded as “read-only” so everyone can access it) and then insert the number of years you plan to use the device. If you plan to use Pinwheel, you’ll also insert the carrier plan cost. I love a good spreadsheet!

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2. Gabb and Troomi have Smartwatches!
   
   The Gabb Watch is a strong elementary and early junior high device that looks and functions great. The steps counter is fun, and Gabb offers playful accessories. And Troomi also has a smartwatch made for kids!
   
   For families following a “stepped” approach to technology, this means Gabb and Troomi have an advantage with a watch that provides an awesome on-ramp to portable tech. My middle school sons have used a first-generation Gabb Watch with success.

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3. Carrier Differences
   
   Gabb, Troomi, and Bark use the Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile networks, respectively, for coverage. You don’t pay anything to these carriers – each kid phone company has “tapped” into the network so you pay Gabb, Troomi, and Bark (for example, here’s Bark’s coverage map, which is the same as T-Mobile’s).
   
   Pinwheel is different. Remember – you’re essentially paying for Pinwheel’s operating system/parent portal to use on a compatible Android phone, which could use any carrier (they recommend Mint Mobile).
   
   Why might this matter? Maybe you want all your mobile phones on the same “plan” for simplicity – mom, dad, tween. In either scenario, you would only be able to use Pinwheel. Or, maybe you only have great coverage with Verizon, but you want more features than Gabb. Then, you might select Pinwheel so that you can use a compatible Android phone on Verizon’s network.

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4. Managing Contacts on Kid Phones
   
   During the training phase, it’s important for parents to know who their kids are communicating with.Gabb takes a different approach to contact management than the other three. Instead of using an allowed contact list, Gabb uses Gabb Guard, its proprietary text and call filtration service.
   
   Per Gabb:
   “Gabb Guard stops over 90% of potentially harmful content from being texted to your child from unknown numbers, including URL links, image and video attachments, profanities, dirty slang, and solicitation messages.”
   
   Even with this feature, a popular parent forum and a few PYE followers have struggled with spam texts and calls making their way through. We’ve been assured by Gabb leadership that this issue has been fixed and recently we have noticed far fewer comments about this issue.
   
   Pinwheel, Troomi, and Bark use an “allowed contacts” approach. This just means kids can only text and call individuals on the contacts list.
   
   Interestingly, the Gabb Watch also uses an “allowed contacts” list, which we would love to see used on their phone.
   
   Pinwheel and Bark allow three different phases for contact control (we love these):
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   • Strict – parents control all contacts on the phone via the Caregiver Portal.
   • Less strict – kids can add contacts and request parent approval, which parents clear in the Pinwheel Caregiver Portal.
   • Least strict – kids add any content but parents can see them anytime in the Caregiver Portal.
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Troomi allows:

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What if I have more questions? How can I stay up to date?

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Two actions you can take!

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1. Subscribe to our tech trends newsletter, the PYE Download. About every 3 weeks, we’ll share what’s new, what the PYE team is up to, and a message from Chris.
2. Ask your questions in our private parent community called The Table! It’s not another Facebook group. No ads, no algorithms, no asterisks. Just honest, critical conversations and deep learning! For parents who want to “go slow” together. Become a member today!

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