In today‘s always-connected world, kids have 24/7 access to the internet and all the incredible opportunities – and potential dangers – that come with it. As a parent, you want your children to be able to learn, create, and socialize online, but you also need to protect them from the inappropriate content, online predators, and screen time addiction that threaten their safety and wellbeing. That‘s where a parental control router comes in.
A router with built-in parental controls empowers you to manage and monitor your kids‘ internet activity across all their devices. The best ones offer a range of essential features:
- User profiles to set individual controls for each child
- Content filtering to block inappropriate websites and apps by age level or category
- Time limits and scheduling to manage when and how long kids can be online
- Usage reporting to see where your kids spend their time online
- Pause button to instantly disable internet access when needed
With the right parental control router as the foundation, you can give your kids the freedom to explore the digital world while still keeping them safe. But with so many routers on the market, how do you choose the best one for your family? Here are our top picks based on features, performance, user reviews, and more.
Best Overall: Netgear Orbi and Nighthawk with Circle
Netgear has partnered with Circle, a leader in parental control software, to integrate their excellent tools into Orbi mesh and Nighthawk traditional routers. Circle offers the most robust and intuitive set of features to manage your family‘s online experience:
- Create individual profiles for each family member and apply filters/time limits to all their devices at once
- Set age-based (Kid, Teen, Adult) or custom content filters to block inappropriate sites and apps
- Use filters to block entire categories like adult content, social media, online gaming, and more
- See detailed usage reports of what sites your kids visit and how long they spend online
- Set time limits for the day and create custom internet schedules for weekdays vs weekends
- Instantly pause internet access for a single child or the whole family
- Manage everything through an easy-to-use mobile app
The core Circle features are free, while a $4.99/month subscription unlocks additional options like Bedtime/Off Time scheduling, rewards, and location tracking.
On the performance side, Netgear‘s Orbi RBK50 tri-band mesh system earned the top spot in our roundup of the best mesh routers. With a coverage area up to 5,000 sq. ft., speeds up to 3 Gbps, and support for 25+ devices, the Orbi will blanket your entire home with fast, reliable Wi-Fi.
For smaller homes, the Nighthawk R7000 is an excellent traditional router covering up to 1,800 sq ft. and 30 devices with combined speeds up to 1.9 Gbps. There are newer Nighthawk models as well with even better performance.
For parents willing to invest in the best parental controls along with a top-performing router, the Netgear + Circle combo is hard to beat. The free Circle features cover all the essentials, while the premium upgrade offers the most comprehensive control if you want it.
Best Budget Option: TP-Link Archer A7
If the thought of paying a monthly subscription for parental controls makes you cringe, the TP-Link Archer A7 (AC1750) router with TP-Link HomeCare is your best bet. This affordable router has an impressive set of completely free parental control tools:
- Create profiles for each family member and apply settings to all their devices
- Set filters to block inappropriate content based on your child‘s age: Child (highest), Pre-Teen, Teen, and Adult (lowest)
- Block entire website categories like gambling, violence, and more
- Set custom time limits for each day and create a Bedtime schedule to automatically disable internet access
- See reports on each user‘s top visited sites and time spent online
- Manage settings and pause Wi-Fi through the TP-Link Tether app
While it doesn‘t match the Circle‘s full range of features and customization, the Archer A7‘s parental controls hit all the important points. And there are no subscription fees or extra dongles needed – it‘s all built right into the router.
On top of that, the Archer A7 delivers solid performance for the price. Its dual-band AC1750 speeds (up to 1.75 Gbps) and 3 external antennas provide reliable Wi-Fi for 50+ devices over 2,500 sq. ft., more than enough for most apartments and small-to-medium size homes.
For budget-conscious parents who still want to protect their kids online, the TP-Link Archer A7 is an excellent affordable option. The free, built-in parental controls are among the best you can get without an ongoing subscription.
Other Solid Contenders
Beyond our top picks, there are several other mesh and traditional routers with capable parental controls worth considering:
- TP-Link‘s Deco M5 mesh system has the same great HomeCare parental controls as the Archer A7 in an expandable mesh setup with AC1300 speeds and coverage up to 5,500 sq. ft.
- Google‘s Nest Wifi mesh system offers basic content filtering through SafeSearch, schedules/pause, and site blocking. But more advanced features like time limits and usage reporting are not included.
- The Synology RT2600ac is a feature-packed traditional router with a comprehensive set of free parental controls, including profiles, time limits, scheduling, content filtering by category and time period, and detailed reporting.
- Eero‘s mesh routers have basic free parental controls like profiles and scheduling, while a $2.99/month subscription adds content filtering and usage insights.
- Linksys‘ Velop mesh system has an impressive set of paid parental control features through the $4.99/month Linksys Shield service, but it‘s limited to just those Velop routers.
While they each have their strengths, none of these alternatives quite match the performance and features of our top Netgear and TP-Link picks. But depending on your family‘s specific needs and budget, one of them could be the right fit.
Router-Free Alternatives
If you‘re not ready to replace your current router, you still have options to add parental controls to your home network:
- For $99, the Circle Home Plus device connects to your existing router to add the same great Circle parental control features and app.
- Similarly, the $99 Ryfi smartplug-like device works with your current router to enable scheduling and content filtering.
- You can use the free OpenDNS Family Shield or paid SafeDNS services to block adult content at the DNS level on your network.
- Tech-savvy users can flash alternative open source firmware like DD-WRT or Tomato onto a compatible router to add more parental control features.
While not as integrated or robust as the top parental control routers, these alternatives can still help you protect your kids without buying a whole new router. But if you‘re due for a router upgrade anyway, choosing one with built-in controls is the most seamless solution.
Choosing the Right Fit for Your Family
With so many great options out there, how do you decide which parental control router is right for your family? Consider the following:
Coverage area – Pick a router or mesh system that will provide strong enough Wi-Fi for your home‘s size and layout. Larger, multi-floor homes will likely need a mesh setup.
Speed – Select a router that matches or exceeds the speed of your internet service. A gigabit router is ideal if you have a 100 Mbps or higher plan.
Number of devices – Make sure the router can handle all the smartphones, computers, tablets, smart home devices and more that your family uses. Some high-end routers claim to support 50+ devices.
Parental control features – Think carefully about the level of content filtering, time management, and monitoring features you need for your kids based on their ages and habits. More features usually mean a higher price tag.
Ease of use – The best parental controls in the world won‘t help if they‘re too complex to actually set up and use. Pick a solution with a user-friendly app and interface that you can realistically maintain.
Subscription costs – Factor in the potential ongoing costs of premium parental control services into your buying decision. The "free" options may cost you more upfront.
Future-proofing – Consider choosing a router that supports the latest Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) standard to ensure you can keep up with faster internet speeds and more devices over the next few years.
Protecting your kids online is one of the most important responsibilities you have as a 21st-century parent. The right parental control router plays an essential role in keeping your family safe while still allowing kids to benefit from the wonders of the internet.
Our top pick is the Netgear Orbi mesh system or Nighthawk router with Circle parental controls. This combo offers the most comprehensive controls that are easy for parents to use, along with outstanding whole-home performance. For a budget-friendly option, the TP-Link Archer A7 punches above its weight with a great set of free parental control tools.
But there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Consider your family‘s needs and budget to find the parental control router that will work best in your home. What matters most is that you have a system in place to protect and guide your kids‘ online experience. With the right tools and an ongoing dialogue about digital safety, you can help your kids thrive in the connected world we live in.