Garmin Approach J1 Guide: Is It the Right Junior Golf Watch?

The Garmin Approach J1 Smartwatch is a junior golf watch with built-in GPS, an AMOLED display and a fabric hook and loop band, priced from RM1,369. It is a sensible buy for a young golfer who plays rounds on a course and will wear the watch each time. Two other Approach watches sit close to it on price, and for some families one of those will be the better pick.

What the Garmin Approach J1 offers

Garmin describes the J1 as a junior golf watch with built-in GPS, a bright, colorful display and essential features. Built-in means the GPS receiver is inside the watch itself.

The hardware details on the listing are:

• Lens: chemically strengthened glass
• Bezel: anodized aluminum
• Strap: elastic fabric hook and loop
• Display: AMOLED with an optional always-on mode
• Weight: 29 g
• Water rating: 5 ATM
• Battery life in smartwatch mode: up to 10 days

In the box you get the Approach J1 junior GPS golf watch with its fabric band, a charging/data cable and documentation.

The 10 day battery figure is for smartwatch mode. Our listing does not give a figure for a round with GPS running, and it does not give the display size or a full list of golf functions. Garmin’s spec sheet lists those, so check it if any of them will decide the purchase.

Display, band and the two colours

The J1 uses an AMOLED display with an optional always-on mode, so you can keep the screen showing or let it switch off between glances. The lens over it is chemically strengthened glass and the bezel is anodized aluminum.

The band is where the J1 differs most from the other two watches in this guide. It is an elastic fabric strap with a hook and loop closure, which Garmin names the ComfortFit Fabric Band. Hook and loop can be fastened at any point along the strap, so there is no hunting for the right hole. The S12 and S44 both come with silicone straps.

At 29 g, the J1 is also the lightest of the three. The S12 weighs 1.20 oz (34.1 g) and the S44 weighs 42 g.

There are two colour options:

• Cloud Blue Aluminum Bezel with Black/Azure ComfortFit Fabric Band
• Silver Aluminum Bezel with Lilac ComfortFit Fabric Band

Exchanges are only for items that arrive damaged, so let the golfer choose the colour before you order.

How the J1 compares with the Approach S12 and S44

The Garmin Approach S12 Smartwatch has the lowest starting price of the three, from RM949. Garmin describes it as a golf smartwatch with GPS and essential on-course features. Its screen is a sunlight-visible, transflective MIP display, and it comes in Black with a silicone strap.

The Garmin Approach S44 Smartwatch is priced from RM1,369, the same starting price as the J1. The two share a lot on paper: an AMOLED display with optional always-on mode, an anodized aluminum bezel, a 5 ATM water rating and up to 10 days of battery in smartwatch mode. The S44 has a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 lens and comes in Silver Aluminum Bezel with Black Silicone Band or Silver Aluminum Bezel with Twilight Silicone Band.

That leaves weight and strap as the main differences between the J1 and the S44. The J1 is lighter, has the fabric band and is the one Garmin makes for juniors. The S44 is the heavier watch with a silicone band.

Should a young golfer get the J1?

For a junior who plays on a course regularly, yes. It is the only one of these three that Garmin describes as a junior watch. It is the lightest at 29 g, and the hook and loop band fastens wherever it feels comfortable.

The S12 is worth a look if budget is the main limit. From RM949 you still get GPS and what Garmin calls essential on-course features, on a screen described as sunlight-visible. You give up the AMOLED display and the fabric band, and Black is the only colour.

The S44 suits an older teenager who would prefer the standard Approach look, or a household where a parent may wear the watch too. Its starting price matches the J1, so the decision is about weight and strap, with no price gap to weigh up.

If your child is only at the driving range for now, a GPS golf watch can wait until they are playing on a course.

Price and how ordering works

Prices on Amaboxly are in RM. The Approach J1 is from RM1,369, the Approach S44 is from RM1,369 and the Approach S12 is from RM949. “From” is the lowest option price, so check the product page for the colour you want.

All three are preorders. We buy the watch new from the US brand store after you order, and estimated delivery is 30 calendar days. If the watch is a birthday or tournament gift, order with that estimate in mind.

You can pay in full. Where the product page offers it, you can pay a 50% deposit now and the balance later, and checkout shows when the balance is due for your country.

Delivery is free within Peninsular Malaysia. Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan pay RM21 per item, or nothing on orders over RM 2,200. Buyers in other countries see their shipping fee at checkout, and the shipping fees page has the details.

Returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery. A change-of-mind return must be in new condition, carries a 10% restocking fee, and the cost of shipping it back to the seller is deducted from your refund. If the watch is damaged when it arrives, report it with photos straight away. The refund and returns page has the full terms.

For a different Garmin golf watch, start with the Garmin brand page. If the model or colour you want is not listed, you can ask us to buy it from a US store through the buy for me service. Questions can go to WhatsApp at +1 603 440 9886.