Home Infant & Toddler Smart Hardware Market Overview: Comprehensive Product Portfolio and Growth Prospects

Infant & Toddler Smart Hardware Market Overview: Comprehensive Product Portfolio and Growth Prospects

Jan 29, 2015 08:28 CST Updated 08:28

According to the "Analysis Report on Market Demand Forecast and Investment Strategic Planning for China's Infant and Child Products Industry (2014-2018)" released by Qianzhan Industry Research Institute, infant wearable electronic devices currently account for approximately 5%-10% of the entire mobile healthcare sector in China. Rapid growth is expected starting from 2015, with the market size projected to reach RMB 700 million by 2018. Furthermore, the relaxation of the "two-child policy" will provide additional impetus, resulting in an annual increase of 1 to 2 million infants and young children, thereby continuing to expand the market size. Attention toward wearable devices for infants and children continues to intensify.

According to PSFK’s forecast, over the next five years, the functionalities of smart hardware will expand along ten key dimensions: recording, promotion, verification, communication, control, enhancement, recovery, mirroring, and adjustment. VCBeat, through its collection and analysis of various infant and child-oriented smart hardware products available on the market, has found that their primary functions focus on physiological sign monitoring, environmental monitoring, and location-based anti-loss tracking. These devices come in diverse forms, including smart shoes, smart clothing, smartwatches, smart diapers, smart socks, smart baby bottles, and smart cribs.

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Distribution of Smart Hardware Applications for Infants and Young Children:
GPS Tracking/Positioning
Including smart shoes, smart bands, and smart watches, these positioning products are designed to ensure children's safety. They are generally configured so that parents can receive real-time location data from the devices via a mobile app. In addition to location tracking, such products often come with auxiliary features, such as social networking, phone calls, and games.

(1) Wristband
Tinitell
A children’s wrist-worn mobile phone and GPS tracker developed by a team led by Mats Horn in the United States. The device can place calls to corresponding contacts based on preset voice tags. Children can also manually select contacts using physical volume buttons, with Tinitell audibly announcing each contact’s name during navigation, allowing the child to choose the desired recipient. Although Tinitell can receive incoming calls from any number, parents can restrict incoming calls to only pre-approved, specific phone numbers. Another feature enables the watch to automatically answer calls from designated numbers, ensuring that parents can reach their children at any time and that the call is connected.

Tinitell successfully completed its Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in May 2014, with the official announcement stating that shipping would begin in April 2015.
Target Population: Children
Retail Price: $199

Tinitell


(2) Watch
HereO
It is also a watch that tracks children’s locations. Specifically designed for children aged 3 and above, it is marketed as the “smallest real-time GPS tracker.” If a child leaves the predefined area, HereO sends an alert to the parents’ mobile phones, notifying them of the child’s exact location. Through group messaging, all family members can check the child’s whereabouts. It also features a tamper alert and an emergency button; if the watch is removed or the button is pressed, an emergency message is sent. You can review the places your child has visited throughout the day and receive navigation guidance to their current location.
Target Audience: Children Aged 3 to 12
Retail Price: $179

hereO


Sugar Cat
A smartwatch launched by Sogou, featuring a built-in SIM card and GPS chip. It offers several key functions, including voice time announcement, positioning, voice intercom, and motion-sensing audio games. The Tangmao smartwatch can determine location using GPS, SIM card, and Wi-Fi signals. The positioning map displays the user’s avatar and the timestamp of the location fix. It boasts high positioning accuracy and speed, with the manufacturer claiming an outdoor accuracy of up to 5 meters.
Target Audience: Preschool Children Aged 3-9
Retail Price: ¥299

糖猫


360 Kids Guardian Smartwatch
Launched by the internet service company Qihoo 360, the 360 Children’s Guardian primarily features real-time GPS positioning, allowing parents to monitor their child’s location in real time via commands sent from a smartphone. Additionally, the wristband incorporates a “Safe Zone Alert” function; the system automatically records locations frequently visited by the child and sends an alert to the parent’s phone if the child moves outside the designated safe area. The device also includes a GSM-based one-way audio module, enabling parents to call the wristband at any time to listen to ambient sounds and assess the child’s surroundings. In emergencies, parents can send a command to record a 15-second audio clip, which can assist in subsequent investigations if the child goes missing.
Target Audience: Children aged 3 to 12
Price: ¥239

360


WAAWO Wow
The WAAWO children's safety watch, developed by Nanjing Waowo Electronic Technology and positioned as a social device, utilizes a combination of MTK chips and base station technology, achieving positioning accuracy generally within 50 meters. In addition to basic safety location features, the WAAWO children's safety watch offers engaging functions such as child-to-child friend-making and real-time intercom.
Target Audience: Preschool Children Aged 2-12
Retail Price: ¥599

WAAWO哇喔


(3) Smart Shoes
Cloud Smart Positioning Children's Shoes
Yunduo Children's Shoes feature a discreet smart module embedded in the heel, which connects to a mobile app. By leveraging GPS and LBS base station technology for precise positioning, the shoes display the child's movement trajectory on the parent's smartphone. This not only provides peace of mind for parents but also enables the organization and analysis of the child's activity patterns.
Retail Price: ¥299
Target Audience: Children Aged 3-12

云朵智能定位童鞋


Physiological Sign Monitoring
Including smart bracelets, smart clothing, watches, and other devices used to monitor heart rate, movement, respiratory rate, body temperature, blood oxygen levels, urine, sleep, and skin temperature. These devices generally incorporate heart rate sensors, temperature sensors, and motion sensors, and work in conjunction with companion apps to provide real-time updates.

(1) Ankle Bracelet
Sproutling
Sproutling, a same-named health-monitoring ankle band for infants developed by a Silicon Valley startup. Worn on the baby’s foot, it monitors the infant’s temperature, pulse (heart rate), and movements, while also tracking environmental factors such as indoor temperature and light, and providing guidance on the infant’s sleep and mood. Sproutling can be customized to each baby’s individual habits, learning the child’s sleep cycles and heart rate patterns, and alerting parents to any abnormalities.
Target Audience: Infants Aged 0–1 Year
Retail Price: $249

Sproutling


(2) Smart Clothing
Exmobaby
A revolutionary new “smart clothing” system designed specifically for infants, developed by the U.S. company Exmovere. The system leverages Exmovere’s proprietary sensor technology to monitor infants’ vital signs and other critical data related to their health and emotional well-being. Exmobaby also incorporates Bluetooth and 3G wireless connectivity, enabling parents or other caregivers to stay connected with their child throughout the day. With this smart pajama set, caregivers can easily configure Exmobaby to send SMS and email notifications to their mobile phones, allowing real-time monitoring of the infant’s condition even from another room. If deployed in hospital obstetrics and pediatric departments, healthcare professionals can respond more promptly to various infant conditions, with automatic reports generated whenever any discomfort is detected.
Target Audience: Infants aged 0–1 year
Retail Price: $1,000

Exmobaby


Mimo Baby Monitor
A smart baby garment developed by Rest Devices, based in Massachusetts, USA. It is a wearable baby monitoring device that can be integrated into clothing. Once the baby wears it, parents can monitor the infant’s sleep patterns, including respiratory status and body temperature fluctuations. The green stripes on the garment are sensors, while the turtle-shaped component serves as both a transmitter and a sensor. Data collected by the sensors are wirelessly transmitted via the turtle-shaped device to the “Lilypad” hub.

Parents can download the dedicated app “The Mimo” on their smartphones to view their baby’s data. The app displays in real time whether the infant is awake or asleep, and whether they are lying supine or on their side.
Target Audience: Infants aged 0–1 year
Retail Price: $199.99

Mimo Baby Monitor


(3) Smart Socks
Meet Owlet
Owlet, a manufacturer of baby wearable devices, has launched a smart baby sock designed for newborns. It monitors the infant’s health and comfort by recording vital metrics such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep quality, skin temperature, and sleep position, providing comprehensive care and enabling parents to stay informed about their baby’s essential health data for greater peace of mind. The data collected by the smart sock is transmitted directly to smartphones or computers, allowing parents to remotely monitor their baby’s status and track health conditions.
Target Audience: Infants Aged 0–1 Year
Retail Price: $250

Meet Owlet


(4) Thermometer
iThermonitor
Launched by Raiing Medical, this smart thermometer is primarily designed for children. The iThermonitor thermometer plots a child’s temperature curve every 4 seconds over 24 hours (or solely during nighttime), enabling physicians to make more targeted diagnostic and treatment decisions based on the temperature trend and recorded significant events. When temperature data exceeds or falls below user-defined thresholds, the device proactively sends alerts to parents via the companion iOS app.
Target Audience: Children aged 3 to 12
Retail Price: ¥399

iThermonitor


Bangbang Bear Cloud
A graphene cloud thermometer launched by Xiamen Lingtuo Technology. It helps parents monitor their baby’s body temperature in real time, 24/7, automatically alerts them in case of abnormalities, reminds them to administer medication on schedule during treatment, and uploads data to the cloud for permanent storage. With a measurement time of just 60–180 seconds, it is currently the fastest thermometer on the market.

The companion app also features user-friendly designs, including body temperature care tips and a repository of fever management strategies. This allows caregivers to conveniently access various fever care and patient monitoring tips via the app while attending to children or patients with fever, enabling even users lacking prior caregiving experience to quickly master essential fever care techniques when using the Bangbangxiong Cloud Thermometer.
Target Population: Children aged 0 to 12 years
Retail Price: ¥199

邦邦熊云


(5) Patch
TempTraq
TempTraq is a wearable thermometer for infants and toddlers that leverages micro-battery technology, providing parents with greater peace of mind when their child is ill. This patch-style thermometer wirelessly transmits real-time body temperature data to parents’ smartphones. It immediately sends an alert to parents if the infant or toddler develops a fever. The technology is currently awaiting FDA clearance for marketing as a medical device in the United States, while the company is also pursuing CE marking for global distribution.

TempTraq


Danke Children's Fever Assistant
Produced by Ping An Group, this is a smart pediatric temperature monitoring device certified by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). It continuously captures accurate body temperature readings for infants and provides services such as high-temperature alerts, symptom self-assessment, illness progression tracking, and online Q&A for medical records. Designed in accordance with national anti-choking standards, the eggshell-shaped device features IPX7 waterproof rating and employs medical-grade high-precision thermistor technology. It is the first thermometer designed to be placed inside a diaper for temperature measurement, achieving an accuracy of up to ±0.05°C. The accompanying app integrates with “Ping An Good Doctor,” offering 24/7 online pediatric consultation services. The current lowest online price is 239 yuan.
Target Population: Children Aged 0–6 Years
Retail Price: ¥398

蛋壳儿童发烧助手


Yu'erbao
A continuous temperature monitoring product for infants and young children, released by Zhuhai Weikang Technology, a subsidiary of Baolait. Parents simply need to attach the “Yuerbao” device to their infant or toddler to continuously monitor changes in their physiological temperature. This continuous temperature monitoring data is simultaneously transmitted in real time to the parents’ smartphones or tablets. If the child’s temperature exceeds normal levels, the companion mobile app will automatically trigger an alarm. Through the accompanying app, parents can also customize alert thresholds.
Baolait stated that the aforementioned new products are built upon vital signs monitoring technology, integrated with cutting-edge mobile internet and smart wearable technologies, representing the company’s endeavor and breakthrough in the currently prevalent field of smart healthcare.
Target Audience: Infants and Toddlers Aged 0–3 Years
Retail Price: ¥398

育儿宝


Monbaby
A thoughtful smart button invented by American inventor Arturas Vaitaitis. It can be attached to all types of clothing and provides data analysis of the baby's sleep patterns. Utilizing its built-in micro-accelerometer system, it tracks the baby's movements, such as direction of motion, activity levels, and breathing. These measurements are recorded five times per second and then transmitted via Bluetooth 4.0 to a smartphone app.
Target Population: Infants and Toddlers Aged 0–3 Years
Retail Price: $169

Monbaby


eSkin Thermometer
A children’s bear-patterned tattoo-style temperature patch, launched by VivaLnk, made its grand debut at CES 2015. Simply apply it to the skin for three seconds, and then use an NFC-enabled smartphone to read the body temperature. The eSkin Thermometer is washable and reusable, with a typical lifespan of approximately 15 days. VivaLnk plans to bring this product to market in the fall of this year.
Target Audience: Children aged 3 to 12
Price: $15-$20

eSkin Thermometer


(6) Smart Diapers
Pixie Scientific smart diapers
Launched by the U.S. company Pixie Scientific, this smart diaper automatically monitors diaper status. It sends notification alerts to parents’ smartphones when it is time to change the diaper. Equipped with urine test strips, the diaper can upload the baby’s urine data to assess the infant’s health condition. Parents can simply scan the QR code on the back of the diaper with their smartphones to track their baby’s health. In the long term, Pixie Scientific’s smart diapers can also help healthcare institutions collect infant urine data globally, providing valuable information for research into pediatric urinary system diseases.
Target Audience: Infants Aged 0-1 Year

Pixie Scientific smart diapers


Xuxubao
Xuxubao, a smart diaper for infants and toddlers, was launched by Shenzhen Aisheng Wanwu Technology in early January this year. Xuxubao features an intelligent alert system for babies’ bowel movements, urination, and body temperature. Its cloud-based online service ensures that health data is updated and stored in the cloud in real time, allowing parents to monitor their baby’s status instantly via a mobile app. Additionally, Xuxubao provides an online community for mothers, offering access to extensive professional parenting knowledge, online consultations for problem-solving, and the ability to create personalized health records for comprehensive tracking of their baby’s physical well-being.
Target Audience: Infants and Toddlers Aged 0–3 Years
Price Range: ¥500-¥1000

嘘嘘宝


Peripheral Monitoring
Including smart pacifiers, baby bottles, and smart cribs, these devices monitor ambient light, indoor temperature, water levels, blanket kicking, and feeding. Integrated with a companion app, they enable real-time observation of infants’ every move to facilitate timely responses.

(1) Head-mounted
iSwimband
The wearable sensor of the same name, developed by iSwimband, made its debut at CES 2015. The iSwimBand can be worn as a headband or wristband and uses built-in sensors to detect the duration it remains submerged in water, with the time threshold customizable by the user. If this threshold is reached, the iSwimband sends an alert via Bluetooth to a companion’s iOS device, with a transmission range of up to 30 meters. An iOS smart device can monitor up to eight iSwimbands simultaneously through an app, allowing users to assign different names, preferences, and time limits for each device.
Target Audience: Children aged 3 to 12
Selling Price: $99

iSwimband


(2) Baby Bottles/Nipples
Child Glgl
Child Glgl is a Bluetooth-enabled smart baby bottle. It tracks the difference in formula volume before and after feeding, allowing users to view information such as feeding amount and duration via a paired app. Its purpose is to record the time of the last feeding to prevent multiple caregivers from accidentally overfeeding the child. Child Glgl was also showcased at CES 2015.
Target Audience: Infants Aged 0–1 Year

Child Glgl


SmartSleeve
Sleevely, a tech company based in Tel Aviv, Israel, has invented a smart bottle sleeve. This product fits into baby bottles to monitor infants’ nutritional intake and connects to an app via Bluetooth. In addition to identifying the size of the bottle used with SmartSleeve, the app can recognize the formula type (or breast milk) inside the bottle. It uses sensors to monitor milk temperature and the volume consumed per feeding, while reminding parents of feeding times and frequency. The app also displays growth curves for infants in the same age group as your baby and even sends alerts when the formula is nearing its expiration date.

SmartSleeve


Pacif-i
A smart pacifier launched by UK-based Blue Maestro at CES 2015. It tracks infants' body temperature via sensors embedded in the silicone pacifier and transmits the data to a companion smartphone app, enabling parents to make informed decisions. Each temperature measurement is timestamped, and the app presents the data in graphical format for later review. Additionally, the device features a proximity sensor that immediately alerts parents if the baby moves beyond a preset range, allowing them to promptly monitor the child's movements.
Target Audience: Children aged 3 to 12
Price: $39

Pacif-i


(3) Smart Bed
SleepIQ bed
At CES 2015, bedding manufacturer Sleep Number showcased its SleepIQ Bed, a smart bed it developed. The SleepIQ Bed can monitor children’s sleep in real time; if a child’s head posture is incorrect, the system automatically adjusts the mattress position. If a child becomes overly restless during the night and falls out of bed, the system sends an alert to parents. Additionally, the system can remotely turn off the lights to prevent children from staying up too late.
Target Population: Children aged 6 to 12 years
Price: $1,000

SleepIQ bed


(4) Other Hardware
Kodak Baby Monitoring System
Developed by Seedonk, the system upgrades traditional baby monitors by adding support for HD wireless baby monitor cameras. It integrates crib sensors, door sensors, and other sensors, allowing parents to track their infant’s movement and sleep patterns via a mobile app.
Target Audience: Infants and Toddlers Aged 0–3 Years

KODAK Baby Monitoring System


Smart Clip for car seats
At CES, Intel showcased its smart dual-strap safety clip. The device connects via Bluetooth to a mobile app that transmits data such as temperature readings and the Smart Clip’s battery life. Its most notable feature is an alert system that notifies users if they leave items behind in their vehicle when their smartphone moves out of range.
Target Audience: Infants and Toddlers Aged 0–3 Years

Smart Clip for car seats


mamaRoo rocker
It is a smart baby swing. mamaRoo enables Bluetooth control of swing patterns and sound settings, offering a more effortless and convenient experience compared to traditional swings.
Target Audience: Infants aged 0–1 year

mamaroo


Investment Institutions Focusing on the Infant and Child Sector
According to VCBeat’s statistics on investment and financing activities from 2010 to 2014, two publicly disclosed companies focusing on the infant and toddler sector received funding, with their focus being on infant body temperature monitoring. The investing institutions included Beiruan Angel Fund, PreAngel, Gobi Partners, and Inno Angel Fund. Compared to wearable devices in the fields of sports health and personal tracking, the investment intensity was slightly weaker.

In summary, the smart hardware market for infants and young children is demonstrating strong growth momentum. Product functionalities are concentrated in the caregiving domain, with increasingly diverse forms ranging from clothing, shoes, and diapers to bottles, nipples, and even smart home devices. These innovations enable comprehensive data collection and real-time tracking of infant safety monitoring, feeding, and care. So, can raising a child be made even more "geeky" these days?

Of course, the vast potential of this prospect still requires the support of investment institutions. For entrepreneurs, while focusing on the characteristics of infant and child products, it is also necessary to improve both internally and externally. Whether in terms of hardware functionality or software services, intelligent hardware for infants and children needs to achieve diversified breakthroughs.

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