I was first introduced to the Buddy Tag in 2014 while planning a trip to Disneyland and figuring out how we were going to keep track of a 5 year old, who had not been in a theme park since before her 3rd birthday, in which she enjoyed running off and doing her own thing. The Buddy Tag worked and fulfilled the direct need for the year we used it. I looked into and tried out a lot of other products since then for “Child Tracking”, and nothing really seemed to fulfill the needs without being overly expensive, so it was a great surprise to see The Joey Tag at ABC Expo this year. The Joey Tag caught my attention when I walked by because of its similarities to the Buddy Tag, and for good reason, its from the same makers of the Buddy Tag, however its been upgraded with some needed necessities for a more tech savvy family. Not to be confused as a replacement for the Buddy Tag, the Joey Tag is just an upgraded companion for the parent who wants a little more.
The Joey Tag is a secure wristband child safety device that offers GPS location and Safety Alerts to prevent a child from becoming lost. One of the great features about The Joey Tag is that its a short range GPS, and does not require any additional set up or maintenance fees like other devices. The wristband is simple to use, and offers a secure locking system to prevent a child or adult from taking it off accidently, but you can also take your Joey Tag off the wristband and insert it into the very cute Joey Backpack that your child can wear. The nice improvement with The Joey Tag panic button is that it is larger and easier to push in an emergency by a young child, making sure they feel secure to contact Mom or Dad in the case of an emergency. One key feature I am excited for is the alarm feature that alerts both the child and the adult. With the Buddy Tag system, the parent with the device will be alerted when a child wanders out of proximity, but with the new Joey Tag, the child can also receive an alarm, warning them from wandering too far. The Joey Tag also continues to offer the Water Safety Alert which I think makes this device worth it on its own. With the Water Safety Alert, parents are notified when the device is submerged in water, helping to prevent accidental drowning which can be too commonplace when kids are excited for the pool or ocean. With great new features, The Joey Tag will come with a heftier price tag at $89.99 which is more than double the price of the Buddy Tag, but instead of a short term product, parents will have the opportunity to recharge the Joey Tag for continued use through the years.
The Joey Tag is not the right device for every parent, and if you’re looking for a locator chip to follow and track your child’s every move, this one is not for you. However, this device is something I would definitely recommend for the Every Parent as I like to call it.
Parents who vacation to new places and may have a runner or a day dreamer who gets lost in their thoughts and/ or is distracted when you’re going from place to place, this one is for you. Often you may just be reading the placards at the museum and are wandering from one to another and a straggler may stay behind without you noticing, the device will sound when your child is too far, or maybe if they find themselves turning around and can’t find you in the crowd, the panic button can be a wonderful safety net.
Parents at Theme parks, I think this one is a necessity for you. Even though Little Z is 7 years old now, I still feel that when we go off to places like Disneyland, she needs a kid tracker. Sometimes its just a matter of her stopping to stare at something while we continue walking, engrossed in a conversation, or when she is with a friend and decides to run off, even if its just to fetch a ball at the park, there is a bit of peace in knowing that she is within range and the tracker will notify us if she is out of range.
The Joey Tag is a must have gift for every parent of a 2 years old in my opinion as life can be distracting, and there is a curve of education that comes into play with The Joey Tag. Sitting down with your kids to talk about how to use the panic button, and why the device is becoming an essential part of your family travels helps communicate with everyone the rules, and helps to instill the importance of listening, communication, and being mindful of the whole family unit. Even if your kids forget, which they often do in the moment, the safety net of knowing they have a panic button when they can’t see Mom or Dad can help comfort them in the moment.
The Joey Tracker is not going to be the GPS device to help you find your child if they disappear and have been whisked away through the cupboard to Narnia, but The Joey Tracker is there to prevent your child from being too far out of reach, to give them the comfort to call for help when they find themselves in a scary place, and to prevent a near drowning in case they get too close to the pools edge.
So in cliff notes: Buy The Joey Tag so you can find your kid, they can push a quick button and notify you, and everyone can have peace of mind.
Right now, you can get on board with The Joey Tag through their Kickstarter campaign until November 28, 2016. Check it out here and Pledge for a chance to get The Joey Tag for half the price. Joey Tag Kickstarter
As a side note, once your child outgrows the need for a child tracker, probably around age 8, (so you can get a good 6 years out of it if you start at 2), consider using the tracker for your stuff. I am thinking of all the uses for a Joey Tag after the kid doesn’t need it anymore. Maybe for my luggage, to make sure its on the same plane as me, or to make sure nobody runs off with my bag, when I am frolicking at the beach. Upon researching this product discussing it with some friends, it came up that The Joey Tag might need to rename itself The Festival Tag, so you can locate all your drunk friends at the musical festival when they wander off and you’re the DD. 😉
**As of the publication of this article, The Joey Tag is not available to public yet, and I have not received any compensation or the product itself to try. My only exposure to the Joey Tag came from extensive questions and trials at the ABC Expo.
The Jayne Project 