A Kid-Friendly Training Watch with Extras
Coolest Feature: We love being able to set a boundary when our kids are biking around the neighborhood.
This story may contain affiliate links, which help fund our website. When you click on the links to purchase gear, we may get a commission without costing you an extra cent.
The topic of screen time can be a divisive one among parents. Some are adamantly opposed to it, while others rely on screens quite a bit. Many of us try to strike a balance, using them as little as possible. I’ll admit, I’ve felt a pang of jealousy toward parents who’ve managed to keep screens away from their kids for so long, and I used to feel guilty when I handed my boys the iPad for long car rides or flights.
However, I think we’ve found a relatively healthy relationship with screens. We don’t have a TV in our house, and we don’t do video games (though the boys ask about it whenever they see others playing!). Movies at home are a special occasion, limited to once-a-week family movie nights during the school year or saved for sleepovers at the grandparents’.
Jump To
Since Jason and I work from home, the boys see us on our computers often, but they’ve developed a negative association with them—they represent ‘work,’ which to them is boring and takes our attention away from them. Fortunately, they haven’t asked for phones yet, as they’ve noted how, in their words, ‘they turn people into zombies.’ We’re thankful that the only thing they’ve asked for so far is a ‘smart watch.’ For any other parents out there looking for a kid-friendly smartwatch (that’s not too smart!), we hope this Garmin Bounce review helps you.
Garmin Bounce
$149.99
A fun-to-use and functional training watch for kids.
Why Choose the Garmin Bounce?
Their interest in smart watches probably stems from seeing both Jason and me train for big races and track our progress with our Garmin Enduro watches. We frequently talk about our stats and training, so when Max, our oldest, asked for a ‘training watch,’ I couldn’t say no.
After some research, I chose the Garmin Bounce, Garmin’s latest kids’ smartwatch. It tracks steps, activities, sleep, and more. It even includes GPS tracking—a feature I don’t need yet but is useful for older kids who ride bikes to school or visit friends.
What We Like Best
A feature I use and love is the neighborhood boundary setting. Through the Garmin Bounce app, I set our address and defined a radius where Max can go. If he crosses this boundary, his watch alerts both him and me. This is perfect for our large, safe neighborhood, but it ensures he stays within certain areas, like avoiding the river.
Another feature is the texting and voice messaging, which costs $10 a month. Though we don’t urgently need this yet, I signed up for a month to test it. To my surprise, it’s been fun and has even reinforced Max’s reading and writing skills! I can send messages through the app, which he can read and reply to via text or voice. This feature might be useful in the future to delay the need for a smartphone, offering a way to stay connected while tracking their location.
We haven’t tested the watch in a school setting yet, and it may not be allowed at Forest School due to its potential distraction. But so far, Max sees it as a tool, not a toy. To my delight, he’s using it to track his steps and activities. He’s learned to activate it before biking, running, swimming, or paddling (it took three days to teach him how to use it reliably). We’ve also set up challenges, and I’ve started a team with my global teammates. It’s fun to get alerts when Max is on a mountain bike ride or run!
Max is our chill and calculated child. He likes to observe before diving into something, but once he does, he’s all in. We’ve seen this with activities like rock climbing, swimming, and paddling. So far he prefers gravity-aided ‘activities like biking downhill but, with this new watch, he’s been more active and proud of his progress. Every night, we review his steps and activities, comparing stats and using the watch as a learning tool (like explaining the difference between a mile and half a mile).
Each morning, we also check his sleep data and have a mini lesson on telling time. Max enjoys comparing how much he sleeps versus how much I do, which helps him understand the importance of rest for a full day of play. The Bounce also has a timer and alarm. While we haven’t used the alarm as a wake-up tool yet, we plan to when school starts. The timer has been great for teaching Max the concept of time—what 10, 20, or 30 minutes feels like.
Room for Improvement
The battery life isn’t the best, lasting 26-30 hours depending on usage. However, it’s not a hassle since it charges with the same cord as our Garmin Enduro watches. Max is almost at the point where he can charge it himself, but at this point we still have to help do that.
And as mentioned before, there is a slight learning curve for learning how to operate the watch. Max can now do all communicating and setting up for activities on his own, but it may be too involved for younger children.
The watch also offers games and challenges, including math and puzzles, which we haven’t tried yet. For now, we’re content with the learning opportunities from tracking, time-telling, activity recording, and messaging features.
Overall, this watch has been a great addition to our family life, seamlessly fitting into our daily routines of training and tracking.
Should You Buy the Garmin Bounce?
I could see the battery life and the $10 monthly messaging fee on top of the $149.99 watch being drawbacks for some families, but if you’re looking for a well-made, simple watch that tracks activities and allows for messaging, I highly recommend the Garmin Bounce.
Just the other day, while on a trek in the mountains, I received a message from Max saying, ‘I love you Mama and I hope you are having a good time in the mountains.’ Hearing from him melted my heart and made it all worthwhile!
Thanks so much for your input, it has helped me a lot to make a decision to get the monthly paid app for a month to test how it works first.