OUR TOP PICK – GPS Trackers For Kids Shoes
As a parent, I can only imagine the gut-wrenching fear that must set in when your child is missing. Not knowing where your child is or whether they are safe would be a paralyzing feeling. Fortunately, we have the technology today to prevent that feeling! GPS trackers have been around for a while – first in the spy movies – and now they are small enough and cheap enough for everyday families. Companies like Jiobit make these devices that we can place with our kids (on their shoes, in their backpack, etc…) and with a click of your mobile phone you can see exactly where they are.
We put together this buying guide for the best GPS trackers for kids to help you choose the device that is right for your family.
Our top pick is the Jiobit. We consider it as the best GPS tracker for kids because of its long battery life and easy-to-use application. We also love the way the Bluetooth pairing works on this device and how it lets you know the person or people your child is with and where they are. For a tracker that can you can tie to your kid’s shoelaces, this device has everything you will need to keep track of your child’s location.
Here are the GPS Trackers that we have included in our review
 Best Overall |  Best For Special Needs | |
Product | JioBit | AngelSense |
Our Rating | ||
Attach To |
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Battery Life | 7-10 Days | 24 Hours |
Real Time Tracking | ||
2-Way Voice Comm | ||
SOS Button | ||
Water Resistant | ||
Mobile App | ||
Supported Countries | US only | US, Canada, UK |
Monthly Subscription | Yes | Yes |
Discounts Available | $40 off second device | $130 off 2022 launch sale |
Where To Buy |  | |
Even though your whole family is spending most of your time indoors during these trying times, a good GPS tracker for your kids should still come in handy when things start to improve and they eventually go outside more often. Whether your kid’s school just reopened or you want to take them with you to the playground or toy store, putting a GPS tracker on your kid’s shoes is never a bad idea and helps lessen your worry about his or her whereabouts.
Now, at the end of the day, we’re still parents, and we can’t help but worry. The good news is that many live personal GPS systems are portable enough for any kids to wear or keep on them. If you’ve already decided to put the tracker on or inside your kid’s shoes to attract less attention, then check out our top 5 GPS trackers for kids shoes.
How To Choose The Best GPS Tracker for Kids
Understand The Difference Between GPS Trackers and Bluetooth Trackers
Before you make a buying decision you must first understand that there are major differences between these two types of trackers. Bluetooth trackers were made popular by the Tile brand, and then even more popular with Apple’s Airtags. Here is a brief comparison between the two technologies directly from the Tile website:
Bluetooth and GPS trackers differ in many ways. In general, GPS trackers maintain a constant connection via satellite and provide real-time tracking. Bluetooth trackers work within a shorter range and are dependent on a connection to a Bluetooth enabled device. Bluetooth trackers typically cost less, are lighter and use less power.
Tile.com
When it comes to selecting the right tracker for your kid’s current location, we have considered these factors:
Location Accuracy
Getting your kid a tracker means that you want to know where they are whenever they’re not by your side and where they’ve been (for those parents who will get a GPS tracker with a location history feature). The accuracy of the location of your child should be as exact as it can be whether you’re using a mobile app or the device that came with your kid’s tracker. Now, there are two ways of determining the accuracy of your GPS tracker. You can test it by leaving it somewhere outside your home or you can simply check the reviews of those parents who already bought and tested their trackers themselves before buying one for your kid.
Durability
Kids can be too careless often. They may sit on the tracker, get themselves wet while they have it on them, or worse, misplace it. As a parent, you should try to get the most durable GPS tracker for kids that you can buy today. A water-resistant tracker is okay, but if you can get a waterproof one, then that would be so much better.
Battery Life
A GPS tracker won’t be that useful if it has already drained its batteries. For this reason, the tracker’s battery life might be the most critical feature when you’re choosing among the available GPS trackers for kids shoes. A good tracker should be able to last the whole day or two. You also have to consider the charging time and how much time it takes to fully charge its batteries.
Portability
Not every kid tracker can fit in their shoes, and this affects the number of options that you can choose from. The weight and dimensions of a GPS tracker should not hinder your child’s movement. If he has a hard time lifting his shoes, then you might have to choose something more lightweight for him to use.
Now, let’s go ahead and review the best available GPS trackers that you can put in your kid’s shoes, backpacks, and more.
Best GPS Trackers for Kids Shoes and Backpacks
We love the Jiobit device to provide peace of mind to parents who want to know that their kids are safe and where they are. This device can easily be attached to a shoelace or backpack.
- Excellent Accuracy
- 10+ Day Battery Life
- Location History
- Monthly Subscription Required
The Jiobit only weighs 0.6 ounces and is also considered the smallest GPS tracker on this list with measurements of 2 x 1.5 x 0.5 inches. Despite its overall size, the Jiobit location tracker has a wide range of features for a device that can be attached to your kid’s shoelaces. It’s shock-resistant and waterproof with an IPX8 rating, and comes without any screen, microphone, or speaker, making it one of the most durable GPS tracker for kids today.
Jiobit uses cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS data to keep track of your child and it works on both Android and iOS. The battery lasts about a day and a half when fully charged. When paired with the parent’s smartphone, it can provide real-time location information and geofencing data.
To make things even better, according to Jiobit, this GPS tracker works in more than 158 countries. This makes it a must-have travel item when traveling with your kids so you can still keep track of them at all times.
This tracker requires a subscription plan since Jiobit uses cellular data to come up with your child’s location and deliver that information to your smartphone.
Fun Fact: This GPS tracker was developed by a parent who had the worst panic of his life when he lost his 6-year old child in a crowded park for more than half an hour. He is John Renaldi, a former VP of eCommerce at Motorola, and was one of the cofounders of Jiobit in 2015.
Designed to improve the quality of life for those with autism, special needs, and early-stage dementia. Complete with an auto-answer speakerphone, lifesaving alerts, real-time location map, fall detection, indoor search, and other advanced features for maximum peace of mind
The Angelsense tracker is an amazing device that was designed with special needs families in mind – but the device will work fine for any child/family.
This is the most full-featured GPS tracker we’ve ever seen. Kudos to the team at Angelsense. Features like the SOS button, 2-way communication, ride tracking, and the great mobile app make this an absolute dream for special needs families. The Angelsense device itself is very small and can be used for kids, teens, adults and the elderly.
One standout feature is the ability to label “safe” locations such as “work”, “school”, “therapy”, or “grandma’s house”. Imagine the security of receiving an alert each day that verify’s your loved one has arrived at “school”.
When it comes to wearing options, the folks at Angelsense have thought of it all. There are multiple ways to attach the device in an un-obtrusive manner and that is secure and prevents your child from removing it.
Angelsense customer support is un-rivaled. Customers rave about personalized help when setting up the device and support representatives that understand the life of a special needs family.
Tile Pro
- FIND KEYS, BAGS & MORE -- Directly attach the powerful Pro to keys, backpacks, purses or anything else you need to keep track of regularly and use our free app on iOS or Android to find them.
- FIND NEARBY -- Use the Tile app to ring your Pro when it’s within 400 ft. or ask your Smart Home device to find it for you. Tile works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Xfinity, and Siri.
- FIND FAR AWAY -- When outside of Bluetooth range, use the Tile app to view your Tile’s most recent location or enlist the secure and anonymous help of the Tile Network to aid in your search.
- FIND YOUR PHONE -- Use your Tile to find your phone, even when it’s on silent.
The Tile Pro is a high-performance tracker that you can attach to your kid’s shoes. Tile is a well-known brand for Bluetooth tracking and this device is one of their best products. As a parent, you’ll gain peace of mind knowing you can open the free Tile app and tap Find to locate your kid’s most recent location. You can even ring your Tile Pro when it’s within 400 feet using the Tile app.
The tracker is water-resistant as per manufacturer and it comes with a 1-year replaceable CR2032 battery. It only measures 1.64 x 1.64 x 0.26 inches in size so you can easily fit this one on one of your kid’s shoes. Tile requires installation of the Tile App on iOS or Android before you can take full advantage of the features of this device.
Tracki
- #1 Best Selling for 3 years. Unlimited distance real time tracking 4G LTE +3 Bands. Monthly fee is required for each device. Full USA & worldwide coverage. International SIM card included. We're a USA based company...
- Smallest & lightest 1.8x1.6x 0.7in & only 1.26 oz. Combined 4G+3G+2G technology works over any network for best coverage as opposed to trackers with only 4G connection. Included attachments: Strong Magnet, Waterproof...
- Rechargeable battery lasts up to 2-5 days (depending on tracking mode) with real time tracking updates at 1-5min intervals and up to 60 days with 1-3 tracking updates p/day (battery saver mode). Optional 3,500mAh...
- Tracking technology uses GPS primarily and Wi-Fi & GSM as a secondary backup. Tracki scans for nearby WiFi routers for accurate location when GPS is unavailable. View live tracking on the map, set real-time alerts when...
This small and lightweight kid tracker from Tracki uses Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi, and cellular to bring you the real-time location of your child. When your child is indoors, you may lose GPS signal, so Tracki makes use of nearby Wi-Fi routers to give you an accurate location tracking.
The 3500 mAh battery of this device can last for 2 to 3 days if it’s being used regularly, although you have the option to change the frequency of your tracking and improve the battery life by a few more days or weeks depending on your preference. Just like your mobile phone, using Tracki requires a data connection using a cellular network, you will be charged a $19.95 monthly fee or you can use their prepaid long term payment plans, the price starts from $9.95 for unlimited usage tracking and distance.
For its additional features, it has an SOS panic button, the ability to show panoramic Google street view, and live support available 7 days a week to help you with any of your concerns or issues when using Tracki. According to the manufacturer, this GPS tracker also comes with a lost, stolen, or damaged device insurance.
Esky Finder
- 【Portable Design】: With only 0.18 inches thick, these 6 receivers can be attached to keys, TV remote controllers, mobile phones, wallets, pets, luggage and more.
- 【Loud 80db Beep】: Finding your items is simple. Just follow the sound! Once you press the corresponding color-coded button on the remote, the device will emit a loud 80db beep when the items are nearby.
- 【Long-Distance Operation】: You'll be able to find your lost goods no matter where they are. Radio frequency can easily penetrates though walls, cushions and doors to find the lost item up to within 100ft.
- 【Ultra-long Battery Life】: Short on power? We've got it covered. Premium batteries are included to support the device for a longer lasting service life.
For parents who looking for a budget-friendly GPS tracker that they can utilize to track their kids, then look no further than the Esky Finder. It does not come with a cool app that you easily use on your cellphone like the other tracking device we have on this list, but it can still help locate your child.
You can use this to track anything without the need to pay for any monthly subscriptions. All you have to do is attach this to your kid’s shoes and push the color-coded button when you need to locate their location. This will cause the tracker to beep. It’s not that as high-tech as others, but it is the most affordable option we’ve found.
Best Alternative For GPS Tracker For Kids Shoes: GPS Watches
If you don’t like the idea of attaching a tracker on your kids shoes, backpack, keychain or other then a GPS watch device might be a great alternative. A GPS watch can also help you track your kids and allow them to send you messages or alerts easily.
There are several GPS tracking watches that are designed for kids ages 3 to 12. A smartwatch that will allow you to locate your child using a mobile app or a website. Some GPS watches even have additional features, such as text messaging and voice calling.
When it comes to GPS watches for kids, we’d highly recommend the following brands, TickTalk and Gizmo. Both are top-notch GPS smartwatches that can accurately track your kid’s location, the only difference is one can only work with Verizon (Gizmo) while the other works with any network provider except Verizon (Ticktalk).
Check out our full review of the best GPS watches for kids to help you in choosing the best watch to give your kid.
What You Should Do
- Think about what other features you need, beyond tracking the location of your child.
- Compare GPS trackers, looking at the most important features first.
- Choose the device that will best serve your family. The Jiobit is my top recommendation, but if that’s not right for you, consider the other options.
- Set up your kid’s GPS tracker, configuring it to meet your family’s needs.
- Teach your child how to use the device. Practice using it at home before your child wears it outdoors.
