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An Honest + Unpaid Review of the Gabb Watch

Have you heard of the Gabb Watch for kids? We’ve got one for our boys, and it’s been a great safe alternative to more traditional smartphones and devices. Read on for a full review of the Gabb Watch 2 to find out if it’s right for your family.

Heads up: Get a discount on a Gabb Watch or Gabb phone with code HONESTLY when you sign up for a two-year contract.

This post contains affiliate links.

A few times each hockey season, we pack up our car with hockey gear and all the things to spend a weekend in a hotel room with a bunch of tweens and their parents. While hockey is the real highlight, hanging out at the hotel is nearly as fun, especially for the kids.

At ten years old, our hockey-loving son is old enough and responsible enough to hang out in his friends’ rooms or public spaces within the hotel without us. On several occasions, we found ourselves walking up and down hotel hallways looking for him, hoping we weren’t crossing paths on different floors.

Reluctant to get him a cell phone just yet, we decided to get him a Gabb Watch a little over a year ago. It’s been a perfect compromise to give him some freedom to grow while also staying connected to us.

If you have a child or teen and you’re looking for an option to stay connected with them but also let them explore a bit on their own, the Gabb Watch might be just what you’re looking for.

Note: We purchased the Gabb Watch which is the older model of the watch. The current model is the Gabb Watch 2. Our Gabb Watch received the free software update to make it function just like the Gabb Watch 2, so I use the terms interchangeably throughout this post.

What is the Gabb Watch 2?

The Gabb Watch is a stand-alone smartwatch that is designed with kids and safety in mind. It intentionally has limited features relative to most smartwatches and smartphones to prioritize the features that kids need to communicate with parents without any other distracting features common on smart devices.

What makes the Gabb Watch 2 different from other smartwatches?

The Gabb Watch is simple and doesn’t have a lot of features, which is precisely why I like it and what makes it unique relative to other smartwatches. It has just the features my boys need to communicate with me, their dad, and a few other close family or friends for safety.

It has a GPS tracking system so I can see where they are. I especially love that I get notifications when it is turned on and off, so I know if they turn it off when they are supposed to be wearing it.

Why My Boys Love the Gabb Watch

My boys absolutely love this thing! My older son, who is ten, has been asking for a phone for a couple of years. Despite hard nos time and again, he persisted, though to no avail. With the Gabb Watch, he gets the freedom that the phone would otherwise offer him without the distracting apps. I also like that he can wear it instead of holding it, which leaves him free to play and hang with his friends without the contact reminder of technology in his hand.

The Gabb Watch is sleek and looks just like other fancy smartwatches. It’s not clunky or childish-looking, so it feels cool and socially relevant.

Gabb Watch As a Landline Alternative

In addition to letting our boys roam a bit with friends while wearing the Gabb Watch, they’re just getting old enough that we feel comfortable leaving them home alone while we are gone on short errands and nearby home. We do not have a landline, so the Gabb Watch is the perfect tool for them to use to call us if they need us while we are away.

Just before we leave, they turn it on and it sits on the counter while we are gone. We can easily reach them as needed. From a cost perspective, it’s far less expensive than adding a landline to our internet service. So despite having a monthly service charge, it saves us money over another alternative to reach our boys at home while we are out of the house.

How does the Gabb Watch 2 work?

In conjunction with purchasing a Gabb Watch, you sign up for a monthly service plan like a cell phone. It’s a contract directly with Gabb Wireless, which uses the Verizon Wireless network, so we pay our monthly fee directly to Gabb each month (and it’s unrelated to our personal smartphone contracts). Although Gabb uses the Verizon network, the Gabb watch contract is not affiliated with an existing Verizon contract.

How much does the Gabb Watch 2 cost?

At the time of this post, the watch is $149.99 and a 2-year service contract costs $9.99 per month. You can a discounted rate with code HONESTLY.

How does the Gabb Watch 2 connect with other devices?

The Gabb Watch must connect with at least one other smart device via the Gabb app. It can also connect with other devices via voice calls and text messages that do not have the app but have been approved by the main guardian account (managed in the app) for the device.

Main Guardian Account Connectivity (Gabb App Required)

Each Gabb Watch is controlled and monitored using a smart device, like a tablet or smartphone, via the Gabb Wireless app. In order to use the Gabb Watch, you must have at least one other smart device to manage the Watch (you can add more than one guardian/manager account but it’s not required).

Download the Gabb Wireless app, connect it to the Gabb Watch, and use the app to manage and monitor the Watch. It took us about five minutes to set up the connection between my phone and the Gabb Watch and was pretty straightforward. You can also call or text the Watch using the app.

For us, I manage the guardian account and use the Gabb app on my smartphone to manage the Gabb Watch. I added the boys’ dad to the list of approved contacts and assigned him as a guardian, so he has full access to call and text the device, manage contacts via the app, and see the GPS location of the watch via the app as well.

Other Approved Contacts (Gabb App Not Required)

The Gabb Watch has its own phone number, but it does not accept calls or make calls to other numbers until 1) the connection between the watch and the phone number is set up by the guardian and approved through the Gabb app and 2) numbers are added as approved contracts via the app.

You can add up to 25 approved contacts to the device. These approved contacts do not need to have the Gabb app to connect with the device. They can simply call the device using the device’s unique phone number just like calling or texting another phone number.

For example, after I set up her phone number as an approved contact, my boys’ grandmother could call or text them simply by calling or messaging the dedicated phone number for their watch just like any other contact in her phone. She does not have the Gabb app installed on her phone.

What functions does the Gabb Watch 2 offer?

Send + Receive Text + Voice Messages | The Gabb Watch can send and receive text messages and voice messages but only to and from a pre-approved set of up to ten contacts. The Watch can receive any text message from a smartphone or tablet, but can only send one of ten pre-programmed texts out to contacts.

The watch comes with ten pre-set text message options, but I can change them using the app on my smartphone. If the boys want to send a message other than the pre-set texts, they can send a voice message using the built-in microphone that shows up in my text messages as an audible recording of their voice.

Make + Receive Phone Calls | The Gabb Watch can also make and receive phone calls to and from approved contacts. For voice calls, the watch works as a call on speakerphone (similar to other smartwatches). It connects like a regular call with my smartphone through the Gabb Wireless app, so I can answer and talk to them like a standard phone call.

Our boys’ watch has its own phone number which makes it easy for me to contact them. Their watch is a saved contact on my phone, so it’s easy to call or text just like I do with other contacts.

GPS tracking + Safe Zones | The watch has GPS tracking, so I can find them when they are out and about. I can also set Safe Zones from the app on my phone that notifies me if they leave a certain area. To set the safe zone, I simply select an address and then create a radius around that address. I can set multiple safe zones and enable or disable them as needed.

Stopwatch + Timer + Alarm | As you’d expect, the watch has a time-telling function on the face. It also has a stopwatch, timer, and alarm functions. My boys really like the stopwatch and timer functions. We also use the alarm function to help them remember when it’s time to come back home or back to the hotel room.

SOS Call | The watch also has an SOS feature. In case of an emergency, the child can hold down the button on the top right side of the watch for about ten seconds. The watch will call the approved emergency contact.

Even if the child hangs up without speaking to the parent, the emergency contact device will receive a notification that an emergency call was made. When you tap on the notification, it takes the user to a map showing where the watch is located. Thus, it doesn’t give exact GPS coordinates, but the parent or guardian could find the child (assuming they are with the watch) using the GPS feature within the app.

Lock Mode | The watch has a Lock function that allows parents to control when the child can use it. You can set “Lock Mode” scheduling as well, so you don’t have to manually turn Lock Mode on and off. However, our boys don’t wear it to school or have it on when they don’t need it, so we haven’t used that functionality yet.

Durability | So far, it’s been really durable for us. It’s resistant to sweat, dirt, and sand, which is helpful for our rowdy boys. They do offer a screen protector but we didn’t purchase it.

Colorful Bands | The standard Gabb Watch comes with a black face and a black band. If you’d like, you can purchase separate colored bands to make it more fun. They recently released Star Wars-themed bands if your kids are into it. We just use the black bands, and it’s been great.

Gabb Go – Step Counting. Task Management, & Games | The watch can count steps, though our kids only wear it when they need it, so the step-counting feature isn’t important to us. It also has a simple game function and task management function to allow parents to help kids manage small chores. However, we don’t allow our boys to wear it all day or play games on it. Thus, I can’t really comment on how these features work because we don’t use them.

What age range is the Gabb Watch good for?

It probably depends on the maturity level of your child. Our boys are 8 and 10, and we let both of them use it. If your kids are old enough to play in the neighborhood with friends on their own, this will make a great tool for them. As far as maximum age, there’s nothing about it that looks childish, so I think it works for all ages that are old enough to take care of it properly.

How often do our boys wear the Gabb Watch 2?

Although we bought it initially for hockey tournaments, we knew both our boys could use it when playing with friends in the neighborhood, between games in their own sports tournaments, while skiing with friends, and in lots of other places where we’re comfortable letting them explore a bit without a full-time watchful eye on them. They currently use the watch a few times a week depending on how many social activities they have.

Did you give the Gabb Watch as a gift?

While everyone can do what’s best for their family, we treat the Gabb Watch as a shared family tool and not a gift that belongs to anyone specifically. We intentionally did not give the watch as a gift but bought it before a hockey tournament and a skiing day with our boys.

For us, choosing not to buy the watch as a gift made it easier to maintain the expectation that it does not belong to any one person but is just a tool for our home and family. But this will certainly vary by family and circumstances.

Why did you choose the Gabb Watch instead of the Gabb Phone?

Our boys only use the Gabb Watch when they are away from us and playing with friends. The watch is easy to put on their wrist and doesn’t get in the way of playing sports and doing various activities. We didn’t want them to have to either hold the phone (which seems especially annoying and distracting for their use cases) or set the phone down and be likely to lose or forget it. At this point, they don’t need any additional functionality beyond what the watch offers.

How does the Gabb Watch charge?

The Gabb Watch comes with a charger that plugs into a standard outlet. The watch sits on the charger with four small pegs that connect to the charger. It charges quite quickly, and we haven’t had any issues with the charger so far.

Final Verdict on the Gabb Watch

Overall, we’ve been really happy with the Gabb Watch. The boys share the device and use it only when they need it, and it’s been really convenient for the boys to have. In fact, we’d love to see their friends get them as well (instead of more traditional smart devices) so they all have similar tools that don’t have the internet or social media.

If you’re in the market for a tool that gives your growing kids a way to communicate with you that’s not also burdened with all the ‘junk’, Gabb Watch is a great option! Even though we haven’t made that investment yet, the Gabb Phone is a great choice too. We have some friends who purchased it for their daughter, and they’ve been happy with it for her thus far.

Don’t Forget: Get a discount on a Gabb Watch or Gabb phone with code HONESTLY when you sign up for a two-year service contract.

Got any other questions about the Gabb Watch? Leave them in the comments, and I’ll answer the best I can.

Jen Panaro

Jen Panaro, founder and editor-in-chief of Honestly Modern, is a self-proclaimed composting nerd and an advocate for sustainable living for modern families. In her spare time, she’s a serial library book borrower, a messy gardener, and a mom of two boys who spends a lot of time in hockey rinks and on baseball fields.

You can find more of her work at Raising Global Kidizens, an online space to help parents and caregivers raise the next generation of responsible global citizens.

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79 Comments

  1. I ordered a watch for my youngest! We currently have the Gizmo for my oldest and I feel just okay about it. I’m looking at getting the Gabb phone for my oldest, so I figure since my younger kiddo needs a watch I would try out Gabb to see how we like it and if so we would then get the phone!

    1. Hi Jen, thanks for a great article. We are looking to get our kiddo a smart watch since he’s such a social butterfly in the summer and I like to keep track of him. My question is this: Any phone that would call or text the watch has to download the app first? I reread that portion of your article but I’m still a bit confused. Thanks

      1. Great question. Not all phones have to have the app; only the phone that is the main phone that controls the settings, can see the GPS location of the watch, etc… needs the app. Then you can use the main phone to set up the approved contacts (up to 10). For example, my boys’ grandmother could call or text with them simply by calling or messaging the dedicated phone number for their watch after I set up her phone number as an approved contact in the app settings for the device. Hope that helps.

    2. I have used Gabb Wireless for almost two years. They started with a good product and have destroyed it in the last year. It often takes two to twenty minutes to open the texting app and start texting someone. Sometimes it comes up immediately, but not reliably. Sometimes, it is so bogged down with background apps that I can’t log into the phone before the screen times out. They refuse to allow people to use the old apps that worked and tech support is useless. I’m ready to abandon their service with a year left on my contract. This company is the worst. AVOID. Their products don’t work.

  2. Hello,

    I’ve been doing my fair share of watch research for my little one, my one question would be if the Gabb watch have an SOS button for child to alert parent they need them right away? And if so, does it show coordinates to where the location of the watch wearer is?

    Thank you.

    1. Hi Amy,

      That’s a great question. It does have an SOS feature. When the child holds the top button for about ten seconds, it makes a phone call to the emergency contact. Even if the child hangs up or does not speak, the parent receives a notification on their phone that the emergency call was made. When you click on the notification, it takes you to a screen showing the location of the Gabb watch (so that should address your “coordinates” question). The watch does have GPS so you will always know where the watch is during an SOS situation or anytime. Hope that helps. 🙂

      Jen

  3. Does the Gabb watch need a watch line added to your cell phone carrier to be fully functional? I have T-Mobile and I don’t want to commit to a watch line contract with Verizon. Will it work for me?

    1. Hi Shawn – The Gabb Watch has its own plan directly with Gabb as the provier (while they use the Verizon network, it’s not paid through a Verizon account). We get billed directly by Gabb each month. If you’re looking to add a line to a T-Mobile account, I don’t think Gabb will be the right one for you. Thanks for the question.

  4. How does the Gabb watch do if it gets splashed? We have had to replace the GizmoWatch 3x, first because the charger stopped working, second because he got hit by a sprinkler as he walked by, and third time because he was running around on an 83° day and his own sweat shorted it out

    1. I’m not sure about that. It hasn’t gotten wet as far as I know. But they have worn it on very hot days in the summer here and haven’t had issued with sweat causing problems.

    2. Our child has worn it into the shower a couple times and then realized and took it off and we dried it. No issues although I wouldn’t recommend doing it again 😉

  5. Hi, thanks for all your insight!!
    How long are you seeing the battery lasting between charges?
    Have your kids used the GabbGO app? Do they like it?

    1. Our watch is charged for about a day or so, if I recall correctly. They don’t wear it all the time though. They only wear it as needed. And it stays at our house when it’s not being used as a tool while they are away from home.

  6. Can you select certain months you want the phone to have connection? Or do you have to pay month by month consecutively? I’m assuming you would need the no contract plan but I’m curious if you could only pay for a select months throughout the year.

    1. I think you have to pay consecutive a month by month, but I suggest you ask Gabb. They can tell you for sure if they have alternative payment structures.

    1. We took it skiing outside Philadelphia and in Lake Placid, NY. We didn’t try to track them specifically on certain slopes, so I can’t say for sure. We primarily used it as a way to contact them about meeting points, updates on when we were leaving, etc… However, based on how we use it at home, the location data is fairly specific – enough that you could probably locate them within a certain handful of slopes in a larger ski resort but maybe not know exactly which slope they were on if two slopes were right next to each other. Hopefully, that makes sense.

  7. I really like the design of the Gabb Watch! It’s very modern and stylish. I think it would be a great watch for everyday use. I also like the fact that it’s un-paid. This makes it more honest and

  8. Unfortunately for us, my daughter was doing exactly what your son is doing in the first picture: learning how to buckle the band, when her watch slipped and dropped. The screen SHATTERED from a 2 foot drop. First day we had it. Gabb is saying “too bad”. I think it’s ridiculous for a KID’S watch selling for $150 would be so cheaply made. I get it if she’s jumping off things or slams her wrist down on a hard surface, but just slipping from her wrist while she’s trying to buckle it?? That shouldn’t happen.

    1. Hi Casie – Thanks for sharing this. I reached out to the company to obtain more details about their warranty policy to better understand this situation. They confirmed that such an incident does not, in fact, get covered by the purchase price. Apparently, there is a separate warranty a buyer could purchase to cover something like this. However, I agree with you that a product made for children (and intended to be used during play) should be more durable or at least come with some type of warranty for a certain period of time. This is disappointing. I shared my thoughts on this matter with the company and asked that they pass it along to their customer team. Who knows if they will change their policy in the future? But this is definitely something to keep in mind. That being said, we have several friends with the watch who haven’t had issues (and we have one too with no issues). It sounds like your experience might have been a bit of fluke where it landed just wrong (though I still would like to see them replace it for a situation like yours). Thanks again for sharing. – Jen

  9. Curious how you felt about the size on your younger son’s wrist. I have a 4 year old who is on the smaller side so everything feels like it’s going to be too big for him – just wondering what you thought. Thanks!

    1. My boys are 8 and 10 so they are a bit bigger (but they are small for their age and quite thin). We haven’t had any issues with the size. It fits them quite well. The face of the watch isn’t overwhelming and the band has plenty of notches to keep it tight on their wrists. Hope that helps.

      1. hi Jen, thanks for the review. Any chance you can get me a referral code to get a discount? I don’t know anyone who owns a Gabb, and I’d like to get one for my son. Thanks!

  10. Hi Jen,
    I’m wondering when you set up your Gabb watches, and it selects phone numbers attached for your watch…are these phone numbers in the area code that you live in? Thank you.

    1. They are different area codes. We can set them to whatever we want (within the US at least). I haven’t tried international numbers, so I can’t speak to that.

  11. as an adult id buy it solely for the purpose that it doesnt have internet and social media, something that im becoming tired of plus it would fit my small wrists. as im from the uk they dont seem to do any alternatives for international networks, i have emailed them but not had any reply stating whether theyd consider it or not

    the other smartwatches are too cluttered, even more expensive or not rugged enough that i just would not buy one so for the time being im using a basic analogue watch. i cant find any that are basic yet small enough besides the one i bought for a mere £16. it doesnt justify spending hundreds of quid on smartwatches either when theres other basic watches still available, i refuse to buy the casio baby g ones as it seems the watches are getting too big, clunky, cluttered and expensive 🙁

    there seems very little options available otherwise and i dont really want to have to spend so much for a watch that should only need to tell the time, so much stuff is being digitalised that im less keen on it. though i do agree though that the watch would be more than enough and i too dislike having to lug around smartphones that are so heavy in any bag or theyre more likely to be broken and misplaced, plus accessories are too expensive that id just like a basic minimal no nonsense watch that doesnt have all the distractions that most smartphones and watches come with

    1. The Gabb watch is a satellite of the administrator of the account, who is assumed to have a smart phone since the account is administered through an app. So it’s not a stand-alone device for an adult.

      I’m an adult and I have a Gabb. The band fits my average female wrist with no room to spare but watch bands can be swapped.

      Why I bought it:

      My jewelery watch broke and I wanted a smart watch. Gabb is cheaper, easier to use, more durable, and tactical in appearance as a deterrent to increase security. I have a smart phone and my husband does too. He is the administrator of my Gabb. If I am separated from my smartphone or fumbling I have the Gabb to quickly easily contact him or someone else preprogrammed via phone or text (the messages are preset and can be customized on the administrator’s app; we deleted I’m At School and added Check Mailbox, for example). I wear my Gabb all the time. *Still trying to figure out how to program 911 – we have the nonEmergency number programmed but it doesn’t like the 911 format* That, and the watchband are my only downsides.

      1. If you have a smartphone you can be your own administrator and still be able to contact your husband without having someone else controlling it. If it’s for looking intimidating somehow, and protecting yourself as an adult and calling 911 in an emergency, there are medical/security devices and services that are for just that and don’t cost more. Gabb watches aren’t designed for adult personal security or emergencies. They are specifically just for a guardian and child to connect. The guardian makes decisions and is responsible for getting emergency services. You need a service that connects you to 911. This just calls your husband and shows him where you are all the time.

        1. Hello Ma, you describe all the reasons we bought the Gabb. I do NOT want 911 as my first contact nor to I want to administer my own account. I do want my husband and his security detail to know where I am and to have a “panic option” on my wrist. I trust my husband, sorry if that is strange to you Ma.

    1. Thanks for the note. I was not paid to write the review (in product or monetary amount) and I did not receive the product for free. The brand also has no influence over my review. After I purchased the product on my own, really liked it and wrote about it, I established a relationship with the brand and now partner with them. I hope the post is clear in stating that but I’m happy to be more transparent about the partnership.

  12. Share my personal experience of using Gabb wireless watch. The features, as advertised, very attractive. But one problem happened to me making all those features useless. The watch has defect in charging. The 4 charging pins, at the back of the watch, in my case, are not aligned. I have to use alcohol pads to clean the watch everyday, from the first day I got the watch, in order to get it charged. After 5 month use, it stops charging. The company refused to repair or replace the defective watch. What is worse, is they keep charging you a monthly wireless plan if you are on a 2 year contract, or you pay another $150 early termination fee for a unusable watch.

  13. I was curious if the watch had a preference setting for a clock face instead of digital? My daughter is learning to tell time and it’s been working out well with her wearing a standard watch. I am really interested in the gabb watch but was hopeful that I could keep the digital clock face hidden or changed to a traditional clock face 🙂

  14. I assume the Gabb watch can also allow for eavesdropping by people who shouldn’t be listening in on a conversation like cellphones and computers do? Are you comfortable with that? Not sure I would be.

    1. I am not sure if this is the case; I didn’t do that type of research. We wanted a device our children could use to contact us and that we could use to know where they are. We were deciding between this and a cell phone, so that wasn’t a distinguishing factor between options for us. We have several devices in our house already. But I understand this could be a consideration for some families.

    2. The recording function on thw Gabb is through the touch screen menus. The watch owner has to Turn On the microphone and then Send to a selected contact. We are still exploring this feature because if I would absolutely start recording if I was in danger. No other option for eavesdropping exists other than breaches of security similar to any wireless contracts. We found the microphone to be very sensitive too.

    1. I don’t think so. If you don’t see your question, you’re welcome to leave it again. Sometimes it takes a couple of days to respond to questions or comments. We have a very small team.

  15. Do you know of any comparisons to the Gizmo watch? I can’t find any direct comparisons. Wondering if they are the same watch with different branding.

    1. We don’t have a Gizmo but I have friends who do. This is a really good question and one I haven’t dug into a ton. Based on a few videos and reviews online, it looks like the Gizmo and the Gabb Watch are very similar but probably not identical products under different names. They appear to have very similar (but not exactly the same) user interfaces and app interfaces. I think the biggest difference is just that Gabb Wireless is a separate company requiring its own contract while the Gizmo is aligned with Verizon and can be included on an existing Verizon customer’s account. I’ve heard great reviews about both products. Hope that helps!

  16. I’m a very disappointed user of Gabb watch. It stopped charging after 6 months. The charging problem showed up on day one. The customer services provided complicated procedure using alcohol prep pads to clean the back of the watch. I have to do that every day to get it charge till it is totally broken 6 months later. Unfortunately I selected 2 year service plan. So I have to keep paying monthly service charge for an un-usable watch.

    I tried to reach out to BBB and found they are not associate of BBB. Checked reviews of google, NO reviews… Can you trust a product without good feedbacks from consumers of large base? I’m a victim of Gabb Wireless poor products.

    1. Thanks for sharing your experience. We haven’t had any issues with the battery charging but I have heard one or two others with similar concerns.

    2. Same issue here. 4 months in & it won’t charge. Found the alcohol solution suggestion, tried it. No go. Very disappointed. It was great while it worked. For what they charge and it being a kid’s watch, it should be better built.

    3. we have the exact same charging issues as others have reported in both watches we purchased. We at least made it to a year. Watches look brand new but one has completely stopped charging and the other charges randomly but getting harder and harder to get to charge. Customer service offered an early term fee basically equivalent to remaining balance but offered no other option.

  17. Our Gabb watch only worked for a few months. The screen stopped working. It’s difficult to get out of the contract even without a working device. They have no technical support team. Their customer service team is only trained to handle minimal problems like keeping the charging connectors clean and resetting the watch. It’s very possible to be on the losing end if you sign up for a contract with Gabb.

    1. I think a few people have had issues based on the comments I’ve received. I suspect many of them work just fine and there are occasional issues as with many tech products. We haven’t had any issues and we’ve had ours for a year now. Thanks for sharing your experience.

  18. Does this watch have remote listening capabilities? If something happened to my child, would I be able to listen in?

  19. How has the battery life held up after a year? I know you said your boys don’t use it all the time, but this is a concern for me. My kids do outdoor sports and right now they are using an old cell phone to keep in touch with us but the battery dies too quickly and then we are left without communication. We need a new solution. I’m interested in getting this kind of watch for them to keep in touch but I’m wondering how long will the battery last? Especially after a year or so can they go out for a day and still be able to communicate on a fully charged battery? Or will it die after a couple hours?
    Thanks!

    1. Our boys tend to use it for a few hours and leave it on our counter or in the cabinet without turning it off (ha), so I get a notice on my phone that the battery dies about 1 day or so after they turn it on. So we get about 24 hours of use out of the battery now but they don’t actively use it for calls or texts most of that time (so I’m not sure if that would change the battery life). Hope that helps!

  20. My son’s screen stopped working after 4 months. I spent 1.5 hours on chat only to have them say they would not replace it because they saw a small scratch on the front. So it’s either buy a new one or do an early termination. We had 2 watches and both had charging issues, battery life is terrible since it needs charging every day (with minimal use during the day). Half of the time we thought it was charging, and it was not.

    I feel scammed getting into a contract with them, and annoyed they were not willing to work with me. Would not recommend.

    1. Hi SD – I’m sorry to hear that. I have heard that the battery life isn’t awesome if you’re using it every day. Ours does need to be charged every day if it is being used all day long (though that’s not how we use it). For our family, we try not to have the kids use the device all day and they don’t use it as a toy, so I can’t speak to the battery life in those circumstances. We haven’t had issues with the charging, but others have left comments that they did. I have been in touch with the company a couple of times – sometimes to inquire about comments on this post actually – and I can promise it’s not a scam. They are a legitimate company working to keep our kids’ tech safe and selling products they stand behind. Did you get insurance on the products? I think it would be tough for them to consistently hand out new devices every time someone broke their device, though by saying that, I’m not making any judgments about your situation specifically since I’m not involved. I appreciate your feedback and am sure the company – which is still quite small relative to the tech companies we’re used to (like Apple and Samsung, for example) – is working hard to make their products better with each version.

  21. Hi,

    We got this a few months ago for my 10 year old. It seems the battery life doesn’t last very long if she uses it for a call. Do you have similar experiences?

    1. My boys don’t wear it all day. They generally wear it for a couple of hours when they are out playing, for example, so we haven’t run into issues with the battery. That being said, I have heard from others that the battery isn’t great for all day use. We haven’t noticed anything specifically related to losing a ton of battery just during one call. Thanks for the question.

  22. Got the watch 2 years ago,had very minor scratches. I thought gabb care (that is overpriced by the way) was gonna cover a replacement screen but no they didn´t. Also the battery life isn´t very good, doesn´t even work for 3 hours without having to be charged again.Also with gps on puppy dies in 45 minutes THIS IS WHAT I BOUGHT THE WATCH FOR, TO TRACK MY CHILD. The only postive things I can say about this rubbish is that my 10 year-old enjoyed the gabb go pet game for like 2 minutes before he came to the conclusion that it is lame. This is not what I was expecting from this watch, nothing is bad about your review just that we have different to ways use the watch. (I´m Posting this here becuase I want to spread awareness that watch sucks in my use-case) [Also I´m NOT buying the gabb watch 3]

  23. This watch is absolute trash. We’ve had it for three days, third day finally updated contacts I added day 1, only to find out it has an issue actually sharing where the watch is. It’s had him located at school for last ten hours currently, despite him being right next to me not at school. Doesn’t seem trustworthy to allow him to contact anyone but me, which would be fine except it does not know where he actually is, which made the cost worth it when purchasing. Battery life is absolute garbage too. Very disappointed by this and will be shopping around for alternative? Any suggestions for others who have found this to be trash?

    1. Sorry to hear this is your experience. We haven’t had the same experience. They just came out with a new model which might be better (although we don’t have it so I can’t attest to it’s quality). We have had ours for a while now and it still serves our needs and works as expected. Hopefully if it’s not working after just three days, customer service can provide you with a replacement or resolve your issues.

  24. So far our experience with the Gabb Watch 3 has been disappointing, which is a shame because the previous iteration of the watch worked great. We upgraded to the 3 at Christmas for my daughter and it’s been a struggle. The battery life is horrendous. It won’t even last a full school day, which is useless if you need to get in contact with your kid or be able to track them. Gabb’s tech support is a series of canned responses and they don’t really offer any solution to this. From what I’ve read this is a common problem with the new watch. I feel like it was a good product initially, but poor execution, rushed speed to market without proper testing and lack of support makes this something I couldn’t recommend. The problem is there are not a lot of alternatives.

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