I don’t have kids and while the idea of getting my boyfriend to wear a kiddies smartwatch so I could track his whereabouts is hilarious, I decided to stay true to what the MoveTime Family Watch (MT30) is made for and asked a friend with a kid to test it out instead. Thank you, Claire and Lily.
???The MoveTime Family Watch, a smartwatch that lets parents stay connected to their child
If you’re a parent you know that you never stop worrying about your children and that keeping track of them can be tough (I find keeping track of my sunglasses a challenge!) The MT30 gives parents some peace of mind because it allows you to track your child’s whereabouts and contact them with ease plus it also lets your child call or message you.
Easy to set up and use for kids and adults
The MT30 comes in funky colours, has a long battery life (up to 2 days with regular use and only takes 1.5 hours to charge), is water resistant and durable which helps make it kid proof. It is also very easy to set up and use.
Download the MoveTime Track & Talk app (available on Android and iOS) to get started. You’ll use the app to pair the smartwatch with your phone. This is how you’ll change the settings and add contacts.
It is also very easy to use and kids will quickly get the hang of how it works. There are a few buttons, but most actions are controlled via the touchscreen.
Loved the interface of the app – it felt like it was designed by a parent. Easy and intuitive to use. Usually there’s always something annoying about an app, but everything made sense. The options to turn off certain functions on the watch (eg., games and calling certain people) from the app were great. – Claire, mom to Lily (5)
Is your child too young to get a cellphone?
The MT30 smartwatch is particularly helpful if your kids are too young to have a cellphone or if you’re holding out on them getting them one. As a parent you control who can call or message your child and vice versa.
While children can call or message their parents or friends, there is also an SOS button which means they can easily call you in case of an emergency. (We tried out the call functionality in the office, and I felt like James Bond. The sound is very clear and the touch screen allows you to easily answer the call).
Worried your kid will call during school just to say hi?
School time mode can be scheduled and during this time most features are disabled (except SOS). So you don’t have to worry about messages going through that will interrupt the class.
I also liked that you could automatically adjust school times and set times when the watch should be on or off. Great that the parent has to use the app to add the numbers the watch can call – feels like there is a lot of control.
Keep track of your child’s whereabouts
As a parent, you’ll be able to keep track of your child using GPS so that as long as they are wearing the device, you will know where they are. The best part is the geo-fencing functionality that allows you to set up safe zones. If your child goes outside of these zones, you will get a notification.
Set reminders for chores and activities
The MT30 can help with time management with tasks and reminders. This is an easy way to let your child know when they have certain activities and what they need to remember (or is this more for parents?).
What’s the final verdict?
My daughter loved wearing the watch and found it easy to use – she did become a bit obsessed with playing the games though. She wore the watch for the weekend and the calling function was very handy (especially if you are lazy or a bit useless with your phone). My husband and I are always forgetting to put our phones off silent, so when we split up on a shopping trip, I called the watch to communicate with the 2 of them when he didn’t answer his phone. Later that weekend, at a restaurant, I called the watch to let them know the food had arrived as they were investigating something out of yelling range.
While Claire and Lily were out and about, a lot of parents asked about the watch and were pretty impressed with it.
Stand a chance to win 1 MT30 worth R2699!
Let us know why you need this smartwatch for your child in the comments below and you could be a winner. Remember to enter your email address so that we can contact you if you are the lucky winner.
Competition closes on Wednesday, the 6th of June 2018 and you can enter as many times as you like. The prize is not transferable for cash. Prize courtesy of TCL Communication.
[Tweet “I just entered to #win the Move Time Family Smartwatch worth R2699 via @TechGirlZA and so can you! “]
Disclosure: Jade was given the MT30 to test out and will go back following this review. We do have one to give away though!
