I Tried 7 GPS Trackers for My Mom: Here's What Worked

Why I started looking

My mother was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes in early 2024, and shortly after had her first wandering episode: she walked out of our Pune flat to "buy bread" and could not find her way back for two hours. We were lucky. Many families are not. That afternoon I started searching for GPS trackers, and over the next 18 months I tested seven devices on her, with her permission and patience. This is what I learned.

The first attempt: a Lenovo Carme T1 (₹1,299)

The cheapest "GPS smartwatch" I could find. Lasted three days before my mother removed it because the strap chafed. Fall detection: never tested because we never got that far. SOS button: required holding for 5 seconds, which she kept forgetting. Battery: claimed 7 days, lasted under 2. Verdict: do not buy. The price is tempting but it failed every basic test.

Second: GoQii Smart Vital Pro (₹3,499)

Better build quality. Heart-rate and SpO2 monitoring my mother appreciated. SOS triggered a phone call, but the call went to my mother's phone, not to mine. The "emergency contact" setting required pairing through their app, which kept disconnecting. Two weeks in, the SOS feature stopped working entirely after a firmware update. App support unhelpful. Returned for partial refund.

Third: an Imoo Z6 marketed as a kids tracker (₹6,999)

Brought it home knowing it was for kids; figured the GPS plus camera would still work. My mother found the screen confusing: too many icons, kept opening apps by accident. The two-way calling worked well. Battery: 36 hours, charging needed daily. Wrist strap looked obviously childish on her, which she did not appreciate. Returned after three weeks.

Fourth: Apple Watch SE (paired with my old iPhone): total ₹35,000+

Bought a refurbished iPhone SE specifically for my mother + Apple Watch SE. The setup took an entire weekend. Fall detection worked great in tests; she fell once for real (slipped in the bathroom) and the watch detected it and called me automatically: that single incident justified the purchase emotionally. But: she kept forgetting to charge it overnight, the digital crown confused her, and after 8 months she stopped wearing it because "it gets in the way." Brilliant device, wrong fit for her.

Fifth: Samsung Galaxy Watch FE (₹14,999)

Tried this when she was still open to smartwatches. Cheaper than Apple Watch SE. But required a Samsung phone for full features (we are an iPhone household), so half the features did not work. Returned within the 30-day window.

Sixth: a generic "elderly GPS tracker" from Alibaba (₹2,800)

A friend recommended a Chinese-made tracker their family used. Took 6 weeks to ship. App was in mixed English/Mandarin. Required a separate Jio SIM I had to buy and insert. Worked for two months, then the cloud service shut down without notice. The device became a brick. Discovered later there were privacy concerns about how location data was stored. Lesson: do not buy China-direct safety devices for family.

Seventh: a beta-testing Kavach Band (₹5,999)

I joined the Kavach beta in early 2025: full disclosure, I now work on the product, but at the time I was just a customer. The single button changed everything. My mother understood it in 30 seconds. The 72-hour battery meant we charged it twice a week, not nightly. Fall detection fired correctly twice (once for a real near-fall, once for a false alarm during heavy gardening, which we resolved with a tuning update). She wore it for the full beta period and kept wearing it after.

What I learned about the device-fit problem

The technically best device is not the right device for an elderly user. Apple Watch is more sophisticated than Kavach in many ways, but my mother stopped wearing it. She kept wearing the simpler band. For elderly care, the device that gets worn every day beats the device with better specs. Simplicity is not a downgrade; it is the entire point.

What I learned about charging psychology

Anything that needs nightly charging will eventually be left on the charger during the moment you needed it. Phones get this right because the user is motivated by every other feature on the phone. Safety wearables do not get this right because the user does not care about the device most of the day. A 3-day battery means missing one charge cycle is not catastrophic; a 1-day battery means missing one cycle leaves the wearer exposed for 24 hours.

What I learned about the family-app problem

Every device I tested had a family app for tracking. Most were terrible. Buggy maps, push notifications that did not arrive, two-factor authentication that locked my brother out. The app is half the product. Test it on the actual family members' phones before buying the device, not on yours, on the parent or sibling who will use it daily. We rebuilt our family app three times during Kavach development specifically because of this.

What I learned about false alarms

Every fall detection device fires at least one false alarm per month in real-world use. The question is not "can we prevent false alarms", we cannot, but "can the wearer cancel them easily and confidently?" If cancelling requires unlocking a screen, finding a button, or following a prompt, it will fail under stress. Cancelling on Kavach is a long-press of the same SOS button. My mother got it right every time after one demo.

What I learned about cost-per-month

Total cost matters less than monthly anxiety reduction. A ₹5,999 device that works reliably for 2+ years is ₹250/month of peace of mind. A ₹35,000 Apple Watch + iPhone setup that worked but eventually got abandoned is roughly ₹2,000/month for 18 months, and now sits in a drawer. The cheaper device that gets worn beats the expensive device that does not.

My current setup

My mother wears a Kavach Band on her left wrist. We have a family group with me, my brother, my father, and our family doctor. Geo-fences set for home, the temple she visits, and her sister's home in Aundh. Fall detection on. SOS demonstrated and tested with her three times so she remembers what it does. Total cost: ₹5,999 device + ₹249/month Family Plan after the included 3 months. Total worry-saved: priceless.

My recommendation if you are starting today

Skip the budget tier (₹999–₹3,000) for safety; the failure rate is too high. Skip premium tier (₹15,000+) unless your parent is tech-comfortable and already in that ecosystem. Mid tier dedicated safety bands, Kavach specifically, but the category in general, are where the right answer lives for most Indian families with elderly parents. Reserve at www.ourkavach.com/pre-order. ₹5,999. No payment required. Cancel anytime before launch.

Reserve your Kavach Band

Real-time GPS, one-touch SOS, fall detection, 72-hour battery. Starting ₹5,999 — no payment required to reserve.

Related reads