I have mixed feelings when it comes to kids and cell phones. On the one hand, I completely agree that elementary-aged kids aren’t ready for social media or unlimited access to the internet. On the other hand, I find that having the ability to communicate with a child who’s starting to build more independence to be incredibly convenient.
I don’t need my kid to be constantly connected to me or want him calling every time he forgets something, but I do need him to tell me if he’s going to be significantly later than usual coming home from school and I need to be able to tell him if I’m running a little behind picking him up from baseball practice.
After a lot of back-and-forth, I’ve decided that it’s a matter of practicality to get my upper-elementary kid a cell phone. With a few conditions.
- I’m not willing to break the bank.
- I prefer for him to have a “dumb” phone – no data or wi-fi capability.
- It needs to have text capability.
So, I did the research. I scoured the web for every cell phone provider I could find, analyzed their offerings for kid-friendly plans and phones, and summarized the results for you. If you’re interested in getting your kid their first phone, hopefully this information helps.
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. All information was current at time of publishing, August 2019.
Here are the main criteria I looked at:
- Whether the carrier offers a plan without data.
- Cost of their cheapest monthly plan (minimum 100 minutes talk/100 texts per month)
- The cost to activate a new phone.
- Whether there is a long-term contract or if it’s a month-to-month service.
- If they sell a data-free or Wi-Fi free phone directly through the provider (for ease of purchase).
- The price of their cheapest data-free phone.
As you review this list, it’s important to note that these plans are NOT ranked in order from best to worst, but rather grouped into tiers to help you identify plans you might want to consider based upon your personal preferences. The tiers are color-coded per the legend below.
Click here for a downloadable pdf of this chart.
Finally, a few things to note as you choose the plan that’s best for you:
- If you want your child to be data-free but can’t find a plan that doesn’t come with at least a little bit of data, buy them a flip phone or another type of device that will make web surfing difficult.
- Even if you choose a data-free plan, your child will be able to connect to wi-fi if you choose a smartphone.
- If your child does not have access to ANY data, they will not be able to send/receive group texts. These are sent as MMS, as opposed to individual texts which are SMS.
- If GPS tracking is important to you, you will likely need data or an additional service. Be sure to investigate this option prior to purchasing if this is a priority for you.
- If the service provider you choose does not offer a phone you like, you can usually purchase one separately and then get a compatible SIM card for a minimal cost directly from the wireless company you choose. Make sure to research all options and make sure the phone you choose will work with your provider before purchasing it.
- There are several “kid-friendly” phones available for purchase through specific carriers, or through Amazon. They tend to be fairly pricey and we found that it was possible to find a data + “dumb” phone combo for significantly less money, which is why none of those phones are included in this post.
- Make sure to review coverage in your specific geographical area before purchasing.
As it turns out, there are a lot of great options. Our favorites (in no particular order) are Ting, Twigby, and Tello. And if you have family in another country, Lyca Mobile is intriguing with its robust international capabilities.
Ultimately, I went with Twigby. Not only was it super easy to sign up, but shipping was incredibly fast and the service is great. They also have a generous referral reward system. If you sign up for Twigby and add my referral information at checkout, we BOTH will get a $15 service credit. That’s like two months of FREE cell service for your child! At checkout, under the referral box just add my name and account number (Kristina Slaney – 46544) and click “add referral.” That’s it! You just earned yourself $15!
If you’re on the hunt for your child’s first phone, spend some time identifying your priorities and then use this chart as a starting point for your own personal research. Each family’s needs are different, and no cell phone plan is one-size-fits-all.
RELATED:
Why I Caved and Got My Tween a Cell Phone – and How I’m Keeping Her Safe
Cell Phone Safety Tips for Kids (with Downloadable Cell Phone Contract!)
I’m a Helicopter Mom at Heart, but a Free Range Mom by Choice
Read more of Kristina’s contributions to allmomdoes here.
