Top 15 School-Approved Watches for Students With Phone Bans
Finding school-approved watches is important for many parents and teens right now. As more and more schools around the United States consider or implement phone and smartwatch bans, many teens are opting for a more analog way to get through the day: a good old-fashioned wristwatch! This is why finding the best watches for students to keep, in place of their phones, is very important. If your school just implemented a ban, you're in luck, because the best watches for teens are stylish, functional, and most importantly, keep you focused on your schoolwork and not scrolling the day away.
The phone bans require students to check in their phones and Apple or Google Pixel watches when the school day begins so they're less distracted by technology, texting, and TikTok. But look on the bright side of said ban: you get your phone back at the end of the day, can connect on a deeper level with friends and teachers without the temptation of a screen, and you get to shop for a fun new accessory too! Whether a Timex watch or G-Shock, there’s so many timepieces to choose from. When shopping for a good watch, it’s important to think about what you care for most: is it stainless steel builds, it’s function? Are you going for a minimalist, everyday watch or leaning into luxury watches, like a Rolex, Chronograph, Seiko 5, or Tissot? Do you need a dress watch or a field watch? There are so many options to choose from.
Obviously a watch's main job is to tell time, so you can get from class to class before the bell rings, but it's also a styling piece that can jazz up a simple outfit or set the tone for your look for the day. From college students to high school and middle schoolers, a good watch can not only serve as a style addition, but a necessary tool. If you look to stars like Hailey Bieber for outfit inspo, maybe a classic watch style suits your vibe best. If you can't resist a bright color, channel the ‘80s with a forever iconic Casio or Swatch. There are watches for high-impact lifestyles, sleek gold styles that look like family heirlooms, even Sanrio watches featuring your favorite characters. There really is a watch style for everyone, and you may find that you don’t even miss your phone at all!
Ahead, we've gathered some of the best school-approved watches for teens, from old school designs that will never go out of style to digital designs.
Best Classic Watch: Otis Croc Texture Band Watch
This rectangular design with a black faux-croc band looks like something that was passed down as a family heirloom (cough cough Cartier), but it rings up under $40. It's the kind of watch that can take you anywhere and everywhere and will truly never go out of style—elegant, sophisticated, and simple enough for a T-shirt and jeans.
Don't want to wear a watch on your wrist? Wear it on your finger instead! A watch ring is a fun way to keep track of the time without taking up precious wrist real estate, and this gold-tone ring from Fossil does double duty as jewelry and a watch. We love the Roman numeral dial and warm gold metal, and the stretchy, adjustable band ensures a perfect fit.
Best Splurge: Coach Reese Watch
It may have a higher price point than other watches on this list, but the Coach Reese Watch is the kind of piece you can wear today, tomorrow, and forever. With a rectangular face, gold-tone accents, and a stylish leather strap, it looks great with literally every outfit and it's water resistant, so you can wear it 24/7.
Most Fun Watch: Caramellissima Watch
It's like a candy bracelet but so much more useful! Swatch's beaded design comes in the prettiest pastel color palette and a preppy green, pink, and white face. The elastic wrap style sets it apart from more traditional watches with a leather or silicone band.
If you're looking for a high-quality watch with an accessible price point and cool design, you really can't do much better than Swatch! The Swiss watchmaker has been in business since the early 1980s and continues to be one of the biggest players in the watch game today. Colorful but not overpowering, this butter yellow design elevates your day-to-day outfits without distracting from them.
We can't make a list of the best watches without mentioning Casio's iconic Baby G, a longtime favorite of watch-wearers worldwide. The BGD10L-2 style comes with a variety of colorful band loops so you can craft your own custom strap, and you can also change the screen to fun, retro pixel art of dogs, dolphins, surfers, and more.
This watch makes a statement, and that's what we love about it! It's even called “Popsicle,” which adds to its bright, colorful charm. It's a little sporty, a little fashion-y, and so much fun. The snap band stays comfortably in place from school to after-school activities and the digital face doesn't just tell the time—it also works as an alarm and stopwatch, has a night vision light, and is water resistant up to 100 meters, or about 328 feet.
Sometimes you just want a watch that looks cute and gets the job done, and this Sketchers style checks all the boxes: digital face that tells you the date and time, an electroluminescent backlight for nighttime or low light, a water-resistant design, and a simple but cute purple silicone jelly strap.
Best Durable Watch: Casio G-Shock DW5600
If you're looking for a watch that can hold up to a lot of action, Casio's popular G-Shock is the one! The G-Shock comes in a variety of styles, but we like the retro vibes of the DW5600, which looks like it came straight out of the early '90s in the very best way.
Are you prone to hanging out in the art room during free period? Then you'll love this special-edition Swatch watch with a Keith Haring figure sketch inside the face; the sketch is a special design Haring created for the brand back in 1986, so not only does your watch look cool, it's technically an archival piece.
