Pinwheel Phone Review
The Pinwheel phone allows your kid to contact you but keeps them safe from things they’re not ready for, like web browsing and social media apps. Plus, kids don’t have access to an app store, so your curious tot won’t download something they shouldn’t.
Is it the perfect kid phone? Well, no. It has drawbacks when we compare it to other top kid phones. It doesn’t have its own mobile service, and not all of its phones are compatible with major carriers. But, the Pinwheel phone is a solid choice for parents who need a phone that can grow with their child.
No access to websites No access to social media Super customizable parental controls
Doesn’t provide mobile service Lowest priced phone only works with Mint MobileCompare Pinwheel phone pricing vs competitors
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Product
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Best for
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Lowest phone price
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Lowest service price
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Cost to add another line
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Money-back period
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Warranty
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Learn more
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 Bark Phone |
Best overall | Free lease |
$49.00/mo. |
Full price |
 None |
 1 year |
View Plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Pinwheel |
Best for multiple kids | $199.00 | $24.99/mo. | $4.99/mo. |
30 days |
None |
View Plans |
 Gabb Phone Plus |
Best for budgets | Free with 2-year contract |
$29.99/mo. |
Full price for 2nd, $24.99/mo. for 3rd+ |
15 days |
1 year |
View Plans |
 Troomi |
Best camera | $189.95 |
$19.95/mo. |
Full price |
30 days |
Paid warranty only |
View Plans |
 Vtech KidiBuzz 3 |
Best for preschoolers | $119.99 | N/A | N/A |
30 days |
3 months |
View on Amazon |
*Amazon.com price as of publish date. Read full disclaimer.
Pinwheel subscription monthly fees
Pinwheel has a $15 per month subscription plan. The subscription includes access to the Caregiver Portal and the software for the child's device. This only covers one line, though. Additional lines can be added for $5 per month for each line on top of the $15 per month.
What's in the box
- Pinwheel phone
- Charger
- Mint Mobile sim card (optional)
- Cell phone case (optional)
- Screen protector (optional)
- Bark services (optional)
Pinwheel comes with optional goodies you can add on at checkout. You can add a Mint sim card for $1, a cell phone case for $9.99, a screen protector for $9.99, and Bark services for $5 per month. Learn more in our Bark review.
Pinwheel parental controls are easy to use
We found the parental controls easy to use while setting up the Pinwheel app. To get started, you just choose your child’s contacts, whether you want to restrict your child’s phone at night, and some fun child-friendly apps. Done!
Once you’ve got the basic setup, the real customization begins. You can choose to allow your child to add contacts on their own, or whether you want to pre-approve all contacts.
You can also add some fun to the phone with Pinwheel’s list of over 400 child-safe apps. Some apps include drawing apps, music apps, stress relieving apps, and weather apps. We had a little trouble finding the apps we wanted, but after a little tinkering, we figured it out.
Want to check in? You can easily see who your child has been talking to or texting on the web parent portal dashboard or on the Pinwheel caregiver portal app.
Pinwheel lets you schedule everything
One of our favorite things about Pinwheel is you have full control. You can choose when your child can use certain approved apps, their amount of screentime, and how they text and call certain contacts.
For example, during school hours, you can turn off access to all the apps, or you can leave on certain apps that can help during school, like PowerPoint or Google Classroom. Plus, you can make it so they can only call you when they are at school.
Not every day is the same, and Pinwheel seems to have considered that when designing their phones. You can set up schedules for different days. For example, if your child only goes to school four days a week, you can make a different schedule for school, another for their day off, and then another schedule for weekends.
Pinwheel’s parental controls are much more customizable than other top brands like Gabb.
Pinwheel supports multiple major carriers, sort of
Unlike Gabb phones, Pinwheel smartphones don’t come with unlimited talk and text messages. You’ll need to set the phone up with a mobile carrier. Your first instinct is to just set it up with your phone's carrier, but not so fast.
Pinwheel advertises that it’s compatible with all major carriers, but there are some exceptions. Pinwheel's least expensive phone, the Pinwheel Slim 5, is only compatible with Mint Mobile. Its more rough-and-tumble design, the Pinwheel Rugged 3, is only compatible with T-Mobile. Only the Pinwheel Plus 2 is compatible with all major carriers like Verizon and AT&T.
Final word
The Pinwheel phone is perfect for parents that want their kids to have a “real” phone but want to fully customize their child’s experience. The only major drawback we found is these phones don’t come with mobile service, and only one of the phone options is compatible with all major brands.
Pinwheel FAQ
Pinwheel is a phone intended for children. Parents have full control over how the device is used and what apps can be downloaded. Parents can also track all phone calls and messages on the device.
The Pinwheel Slim 5 is compatible with Mint Mobile, the Pinwheel Rugged 3 is compatible with T-Mobile, and the Pinwheel Plus 2 is compatible with all major carriers like Verizon and AT&T.
Yes, Pinwheel has a curated app store with more than 400 child-safe apps.
Yup, each one has two cameras. The Slim 5 has a 48MP back camera and a 13MP selfie camera. The Rugged 3 has a 20MP and 2MP dual main camera and a 5MP selfie camera. The Plus 2 has a 50MP main camera and a 5MP selfie camera.
It really depends on the phone and the kid. We break it down for you in our guide What Age Should Kids Get a Phone?
How we reviewed Pinwheel phones
Image: SafeWise.
For our Pinwheel phone review, we tried out the Pinwheel caregiver portal app ourselves. We looked for features that kids and parents would like using our dozens of years of safety experience and parenting experience. We also read customer reviews and compared the device to other kid phones we’ve tried.
For more on how we review products and services, please see our Safewise methodology page.
Related articles on SafeWise
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from Safety News: The SafeWise Blog – SafeWise https://www.safewise.com/pinwheel-phone-review/
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