What are the Best Smart Rings for Kids and Teenagers?
Our children have the right to feel safe. We should encourage them to explore and experience the world. It is very important for them to start building life experiences independently. But the world is often not a safe place. We worry about how our kids will safely navigate life’s journey without us.
Perhaps your child wants to walk to and from school or to and from a bus stop. Perhaps they are riding to a friend’s place or heading up to the local shops to buy some milk and bread. Maybe, if you have teenagers, they work late shifts or want to head to the local cinema to see a movie with friends. Smart Ring technology can play a pivotal role in easing our own worry and that of our children as they head out into the world.
There are now Smart Rings on the market that have SOS alerts or panic buttons. These act as a personal alarm system and they are very easy to use. Some Smart Rings contain a loud alarm system. Others offer an alert system which triggers an SMS to loved ones and emergency services.
Here are 4 Smart Ring picks for your children*:
*please note that some of the Smart Rings referenced below are not yet on the market.
1.Nimb Ring* – Nimb is a ring with a sealed button that notifies family, friends, emergency services and the Nimb community when you are in trouble. You manage the alert received via an app on a smartphone.
By simply pressing the panic button on the inner side of the ring a robotic call is made to the nearest emergency dispatch center (based on your GPS coordinates). Alerts are also sent to a pre-prescribed list of receivers such as parents and friends.
You can pre-order the Nimb ring on the Nimb website. The current release date is scheduled for July 2017.
2. Siren ring* – the Siren ring is designed to be used in a threatening or potentially dangerous situation where your child may be fearful for their personal safety. The ring houses a very, very loud alarm (startlingly loud!) which is enacted in less than 2 seconds. It is designed to “repel a close and aggressive threat”. It is not designed to alert a pre-defined list of receivers like the Nimb Ring.
The rationale behind this Smart Ring is to add a powerful and unexpected sound that will change the environment and allow the opportunity for your child to run away, draw the attention of others and to persuade the attacker to withdraw.
You can pre-order the Siren ring on the Siren ring website.
3. Ares ring – The Ares ring comes with a dedicated App for both iOS and Android, letting you customize your notifications and features including an SOS alert. Simply tapping the ring will send an alert to friends or family
Here is a link to the Ares ring to learn more. There are a few styles to choose from.
Buy Smart Rings has not written a Product Review as yet for the Ares ring. Stay tuned for this soon.
4. Loop Ring* – this ring is a stylish ring that has a personal alarm button on it side. Once activated the ring will send a distress message to five friends and family members. Those you contact will be able to see your location on a map and they will be able to notify relevant authorities if they think you need help straight away.
Loop Ring has just launched on Kickstarter. See our Loop ring preview post for more details about the ring
Sizing of Smart Rings
Obviously if you are going to consider a Smart Ring for your child you will need to choose a ring that offers small sizings. Different Smart Ring companies have different sizing systems. There are likely to be appropriate ring sizes for tweens, teenagers and young adults but there may be an issue if you are looking for a ring for younger children.
Do I need to have a Smart Phone to make the Smart Ring work?
Yes. Most smart rings with an SOS alert or panic button require you to have a Smart Phone on and paired with your ring. This means your children, including young children, would need a charged smart phone that is paired to their ring, with them at all times. Also, once the smart ring is a certain distance from the phone, it will automatically unpair.
I want more options
So do we! We wish we had more Smart Rings to review for you in this personal safety category. However it is still early days for Smart Rings that provide a great safety net for our children. There have been many smart ring companies offering SOS and panic buttons that have made it to Kickstarter or other crowdsourcing campaigns but then aborted their work. Obviously there is a lot at stake for start-ups in this safety ring space if their products are sub-optimal or contain glitches. It is in everyone’s best interests that Smart Rings with this safety capability are tested rigorously.
Buy Smart Rings will keep you updated on Smart Rings with safety features as they appear.
In the meantime there are many other wearables for children that contain an SOS alert and panic button option. Head over to Amazon to see a large range of other SOS alerts for kids.
It is our job to keep our children safe
Children should be encouraged to see the world with more hope than fear. Every day our children get up and face their day with curiosity and courage. It is so important for children to know that there are many layers of safety around them as they set out to explore their world each day. Consider supporting your child’s courage and curiosity with a Smart Ring. It has the potential to create peace of mind for you and for your children. BSR
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