Garmin Bounce 2 vs Vivofit jr. 3: Which Kids Watch for School

For Garmin Bounce 2 vs Vivofit jr 3, the choice comes down to one question: do you need to reach your child through the watch? The Garmin Bounce 2 Smartwatch (from RM1,369) is a kids smartwatch with calling, messaging and location tracking features. The Vivofit jr. 3 (from RM499) is a kids fitness tracker with up to 1 year of battery life.

The Vivofit jr. 3 is listed in two versions at the same starting price: the Garmin Vivofit jr. 3 Marvel Fitness Tracker and the Garmin Vivofit jr. 3 Disney Princess Fitness Tracker. If your child has no phone and you want a line to them after the last lesson, look at the Bounce 2. If you only want an activity band that keeps running for months, the Vivofit jr. 3 does that, and the starting prices are RM870 apart.

Garmin Bounce 2 vs Vivofit jr. 3 at a glance

Both share the 5 ATM water rating and a silicone strap. The differences that matter are the features, the battery and the screen.

What the Bounce 2 adds for the extra money

The Bounce 2 is the only one of the two with calling, messaging and location tracking features. That is the whole case for it. A parent who wants to send a message at pickup time, or check where a child is on the way home, gets that from the Bounce 2 and does not get it from the Vivofit jr. 3.

The build is a step up too. The lens is chemically-strengthened glass, the bezel and case are fiber-reinforced polymer, and the display is a 1.2″ (30.4 mm) AMOLED. The box contains the watch, a charging/data cable and documentation.

Check one thing before you order. Our listing does not say which countries or mobile networks the calling, messaging and location features work with, or whether they need anything extra to run. The watch is bought new from the US brand store, so read Garmin’s spec sheet for your country or message us on WhatsApp at +1 603 440 9886 first. Those three features are the reason to pay for the Bounce 2, so confirm they will work where you live.

Battery and display: 2 days against 1 year

This is the biggest practical gap. The Bounce 2 lasts up to 2 days in smartwatch mode, so plan on charging it every day or two. For a school-age child that means a charging habit at home, and a watch that may be flat on the morning someone forgets.

The Vivofit jr. 3 runs for up to 1 year. Its box lists only the tracker and documentation, with no charging cable. A child can put it on and leave it on.

The screens follow the same pattern. The Bounce 2 has a much larger AMOLED panel at 1.2″ diagonal. The Vivofit jr. 3 has a small 0.56″ x 0.56″ colour MIP screen that Garmin describes as sunlight-visible, which suits a playground or a sports field.

On the wrist, the Vivofit jr. 3 weighs 25 g. The Bounce 2 weighs 26.5 g for the watch alone and 40.4 g with the included band.

Themes and colours

The Bounce 2 comes in three plain colours: Light Purple, Slate Gray and Turquoise. It looks like a small version of an adult smartwatch, which older children often prefer.

The Vivofit jr. 3 is all about characters. The Garmin Vivofit jr. 3 Marvel Fitness Tracker is listed in the Black Panther Special Edition. The Garmin Vivofit jr. 3 Disney Princess Fitness Tracker comes in Disney Princess or Disney The Little Mermaid. Both listings start from RM499.

If your child wants a colour or character that is not listed, you can ask us to buy it from a US store through Buy for me.

Which one to pick for a school-age child

Start with what you, the parent, need from the watch. The child will mostly care about the colour or the character.

• Pick the Bounce 2 if your child has no phone and you want calling, messaging and location tracking on their wrist.
• Pick the Bounce 2 if someone at home will reliably charge it every day or two.
• Pick the Vivofit jr. 3 if you only want a fitness tracker and have no need to contact your child through it.
• Pick the Vivofit jr. 3 if charging is likely to be forgotten. Up to 1 year of battery removes that job.
• Pick the Vivofit jr. 3 if a Black Panther, Disney Princess or Little Mermaid band is what will get your child to wear it.

It is also worth asking your child’s school about its rules on watches that can call and message. A plain fitness tracker is less likely to raise questions in class than a connected smartwatch.

Price and how ordering works

The Bounce 2 is priced from RM1,369 and both Vivofit jr. 3 listings from RM499. All three are preorders: we buy the item new from the US brand store after you order, and estimated delivery is 30 calendar days. You can see the full range on our Garmin page.

You can pay in full. Where the product page offers it, you can instead 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 every other country see their 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 an item is damaged when it arrives, report it with photos straight away. Exchanges are only for items that arrive damaged, so settle the colour or character with your child before you order. Full terms are on the refund and returns page.