Relay by Republic Wireless

What It Is:

The tensions of technology with children is an ever-present stress for parents. Phones offer what is in many ways an uncountable blessing: connection to your kids. But they also offer a certain level of stress, addiction and danger that most parents aren’t ready to let their kids walk into.

Enter Relay, by Republic Wireless. RW has been offering unique and low-cost cell plans for phones for year, but this is one of their first forays into actual devices.

Relay is a small, ultra portable walkie-talkie type device on a cell network for children (or many other uses). There’s no screen – just a button to press to get connected with other devices. It works wherever there’s a cell signal. And perhaps most important of all, it appears to be rugged and durable (check out the video – there’s even a part with a girl throwing her Relay against a chainlink fence). You can also use Relay to track where your kids are with the integrated GPS.

In short, Relay was designed to meet needs that parents face.

Cost:

This is an important part. Relay costs, without any sales, $99 for a single device or $149 for two. There is also a $6.99/month charge for the service and connection. Considering the cost of cell phones these days, this is a cheap alternative to almost anything out there.

Who It’s For:

Parent’s of early elementary kids, tweens or people just looking to go more screen free.