Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3 evaluate: Makes fitness a laugh, but chores a chore

I’ve had the danger to study a few child’s smartwatches that I did not really feel my youngest was once relatively in a position to help with but, but fortunately he’s now ready to assist me with the Vivofit Jr. 3 evaluate. Together we found out that this small, kid-focused fitness tracker does extra than simply observe steps.

It can assist your kid be told duty, no longer simply by maintaining a tally of the tracker, but by means of letting you assign chores and duties to them. There is, in fact, step and task monitoring and in addition sleep tracking. With the Marvel Black Panther style we examined, there are Avenger-themed missions throughout the phone’s spouse app. As your kid meets explicit job necessities set from the journey, they advance within the missions.

My youngest is 5 years outdated and really energetic, so he beloved the rewards and seeing new day by day data set. He additionally in point of fact loves serving to round the home, so feeling like a large child as he were given chore reminders on his watch was once in point of fact a laugh for him. However, it is not all nice. Since he does not have his personal phone, I’ve to finish most of the purposes for him. Let me provide an explanation for additional under.

Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3: Pricing and Availability

First introduced in October 2020, the Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 arrived in a position to assist teenagers be extra energetic. The present value nonetheless displays the release value of $79.99, although it has noticed a few gross sales once in a while. 

Along with 3 Garmin-designed topics, the fitness tracker first presented Disney Princess fashions with Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan, and Rapunzel along Marvel characters Black Panther and Iron Man. Garmin offered two Star Was variations in May 2022 with The Mandalorian and Grogu and a limited-edition Black Panther choice in September 2022.

Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3: What I love

Both of my teenagers like to be energetic and are each a bit aggressive. So, evaluating step counts and actions has transform a large deal in our space. The Vivofit Jr. 3 has been useful in a few techniques for my 5-year-old, particularly because it does a a ways higher process of monitoring than the inexpensive pedometer he had prior to.

The best possible portions of this watch are its sturdiness and the truth that we wouldn’t have to fret about charging the gadget each and every evening because of its year-long battery lifestyles. We reside within the nation, and my teenagers love exploring, and issues can get banged up lovely temporarily. The Vivofit Jr. 3 has completed a nice process surviving the pains of an adventurous boy, and because it’s been raining in recent times, the 5 ATM water-resistance is a great bonus.

Not best does the tracker stay alongside of the stairs, but it additionally tracks task time right through the day. This isn’t just gauged at the gadget itself but additionally synced with the spouse app on my phone. Since we have been testing the Marvel Black Panther version (R.I.P. Chadwick Boseman), the task ranges additionally assist the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy of their project towards Thanos.

Each time your kid meets the 60-min day by day task, it progresses the device-themed journey within the spouse app. So, Avengers for Black Panther and Iron Man, Disney has Princess Adventures, and there are tutorial globe-trotting reports for the Garmin-themed trackers. You can also make a selection the watch face and step monitoring icon throughout the app. On May 4 2022, Garmin introduced two new themed units with Star Wars topics in The Mandalorian and Grogu. ProceedingOn September 1 2022, a new limited-edition Black Panther-themed gadget joined the crew.

The show is upgraded over the prior technology to a 64-color transflective display that appears nice in direct gentle. The backlight can also be activated for dim eventualities by means of urgent the aspect button for a 2nd. Navigating the Vivofit Jr. 3 is completed with a fast press of the button to cycle via time, steps, rewards, and extra. You too can arrange a display to show In Case Of Emergency knowledge.

We’ve had a good time image chore charts for our youngsters for a whilst now that assist them take into account such things as brushing enamel, environment the desk, feeding the animals, and many others. By including the ones issues to the Vivofit Jr. 3, my son can also be reminded of them with out the want to take a look at the chart for what is subsequent. I will additionally upload a praise price to every chore within the type of a virtual coin cashed in for prizes that I arrange within the app.

If others within the circle of relatives have a Garmin tracker, you’ll be able to create circle of relatives demanding situations for everybody to enroll in in on.

Since it’s designed for children age 4 and up, the have compatibility is superb for little wrists. This, along side the rounded edges on best, is helping the tracker no longer snag on blouse or jacket sleeves. My son stated it was once in point of fact at ease and did not even thoughts dressed in it at evening. He’s even tuned slumbering monitoring into a pageant, looking to see if he can sleep higher than the evening prior to.

Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3: What I do not like

As a reasonably elementary task tracker for a kid, the Vivofit Jr. 3 does a very good process. While on the identical time, some elementary capability is not relatively proper to make the total enjoy higher.

For starters, we discovered the use of the display to be a bit tough usually, although it’s simple to learn in excellent lights. However, as a result of the display protecting’s concave nature and the way small the display is, part of the show cannot be considered if it’s not at the easiest perspective. That is until the backlight is activated, which can also be difficult for a kid.

Turning at the backlight calls for retaining the button for one 2nd, then you’ll be able to cycle throughout the displays. While that is not all that tough, the issue is that whether it is held for 2-3 seconds, it places the gadget into guide sync mode, which can also be complicated and irritating for the kid.

Another frustration is that there’s no manner for the kid to finish a chore by way of the tracker. When an assigned job is going off at the Vivofit Jr. 3, the chore’s designated icon presentations up and in conjunction with some beeping. My son presses the aspect button, and that makes it move away. If I do not see him do the chore or he does not come to inform me, he would possibly not get credit score for doing it.

If he had his personal phone, he would be capable of take a look at off his chores within the app. It is conceivable to set the app to a kids-mode that will prohibit what can also be completed within the app, but my son does not have a phone, so I’ve to test it off for him.

It additionally turns out that the automated sync is a bit sporadic. I might realize that my app would not replace with my son’s stats for upwards of an hour after he were given house from college, and different instances it will occur after a short while. This would imply that once my son would ask if he set a new document, I can have to invite him to carry the button to sync because the gadget hadn’t completed it but.

Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3: Competition

The closest competitor to the Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3 is the Fitbit Ace 2 (opens in new tab). The Ace 2 can observe steps, sleep, and inspire 60-minutes of day by day task with a laugh incentives for children to paintings in opposition to. Navigating throughout the backlit show can also be completed each by means of contact and with the bodily aspect button. The Ace 2 could also be swim-proof and sturdy in its all-encompassing silicone band.

You do fail to notice putting in place chores within the FitBit Ace 2 in addition to a shade show. There may also be the added duty of charging because the battery lifestyles maxes out at 5 days. The spouse app has each a guardian and child view, must your kid have their very own phone, and because it is a Fitbit, the entire circle of relatives can paintings in combination to stick wholesome at the identical platform.

An choice this is a bit extra complicated and perhaps no longer for more youthful teenagers is the CoolPad Dyno. This is a full-fledged hooked up smartwatch that does extra than simply observe task. Since the gadget has an energetic knowledge connection to both Wi-Fi or LTE, it may make calls and remotely sync knowledge to the app. There are security features inbuilt that best permit calls and messages to be made with contacts you designate. There’s even GPS geofencing to warn you when your kid has entered or left predetermined spaces.

There is a per thirty days price for the knowledge connection and day by day charging, in order that is one thing to imagine. The CoolPad Dyno additionally does not have sleep monitoring, and you’ll be able to’t do circle of relatives demanding situations, but there’s some peace of thoughts that you’ll be able to safely stay observe of your kid with the integrated options.

Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3: Should you purchase

You must purchase this if…

• Other members of the family are within the Garmin ecosystem
• You need a a laugh approach to inspire your kid to be energetic
• You are looking to give your kid a little bit of independence of their obligations
• You do not wish to need to price the gadget at all times

You must no longer purchase this if…

• Your kid does not have a phone, and you wish to have them to control duties at the gadget
• You wish to do circle of relatives fitness demanding situations and do not use the Garmin platform
• Your kid will get simply pissed off when the use of small electronics

Creating a little wholesome pageant throughout the circle of relatives can also be nice for everybody concerned. It can assist a younger kid get some encouragement by means of seeing the remainder of the circle of relatives looking to keep energetic.

This is a large win for fogeys and youngsters alike. Getting as much as a complete 12 months of utilization prior to the want to substitute the coin-style battery is a superb factor. No extra lifeless tracker noon for the reason that person forgot to price. Possibly worse is a misplaced proprietary charging cable resulting in a unnecessary tracker.

Sometimes a bodily chore chart does not have the similar have an effect on as a beeping reminder on a kid’s wrist. The bonus of including a praise device, in addition to the speculation of saving up the ones virtual cash for a higher prize, can assist a kid be told precious classes.

The topics that Garmin has get a hold of for the Vivofit Jr 3 are such a lot a laugh. Whether you select to move with some of the authorized choices or one in all Garmin’s variations is right. Aside from seems, the accompanying adventures throughout the spouse app assist to stay teenagers engaged.

While the gadget and all of its options technically paintings whether or not the kid the use of it has a phone or no longer, the shortcoming to control their very own duties at the tracker itself can also be irritating for all concerned. Remember to inform the guardian that they finished the chore might lead to some misplaced rewards and, extra importantly, the delight of telling Mom or Dad that the process is completed.

Unfortunately, the gadget and spouse app best sync with different Garmin units. So you would not be capable of ship the fitness knowledge to any other platform that the remainder of the circle of relatives might use as an alternative of the Garmin choice.

The small display and button can also be tough to make use of, even for the smallest of palms. You have to keep in mind to just cling the button for a 2nd to show at the backlight; to any extent further, it jumps into sync mode, which can also be hectic when the entire kid needs to do is take a look at their stats. Activating the backlight is vital as a result of although the show is superb in direct gentle, even the slightest shadow manner lots of the display is now not seen.

It’s a appropriate gadget for a younger kid who would take pleasure in a little bit of independence and likes the speculation of gamifying fitness. The a laugh demanding situations and rewards do a excellent process of encouraging youngsters to be energetic. However, navigation at the Vivofit Jr. 3 can also be irritating for younger teenagers. This principally occurs when looking to turn on the backlight, as it may simply put the gadget into sync mode as an alternative.

A a laugh approach to get teenagers excited to be energetic

All in all, the Vivofit Jr. 3 is a excellent fitness tracker for a kid. Kids don’t want exceptionally correct tracking, but their units want to do a constant sufficient process in order that the children keep engaged and do not get discouraged. The a laugh topics for every gadget also are a nice approach to get teenagers excited to put on it, as are the app’s adventures tied to the kid’s task stage.

The talent so as to add chores with a praise price to them could also be great. It’s a a laugh manner for the child to earn a prize for finishing duties. My son will get excited when he sees what number of cash he is earned and saves up for his favourite prize — a film and slumbering along with his large brother. However, the occasionally self-obscured show and tough backlight activation way can also be frustrating to a kid.