A lot of adults fall victim to being sedentary most of the day, and a lot of children are succumbing to this, too. Only one in three kids is physically active each day, and now there are fitness trackers for children that try to fix this. Garmin is the first major fitness company to come out with a kids' activity tracker, a new device called the Vivofit Jr. Until now, most kids' trackers have been one-off devices from startups, but Garmin's hoping to change the game and make activity more fun for kids.
The Vivofit line is the most accessible family of fitness trackers Garmin has (both in price and in features), so it's no surprise it lumped the Vivofit Jr into it. Meant for kids aged four to nine, it looks like a thicker version of the Vivofit 2 with a small monochrome display and a singular button beneath it. The band is chunky and stamped in different patterns, including green camo, geometric red, and pink-and-blue floral designs, so there's something for everyone. It doesn't have a watch-like closure but instead slips over the hand and sits on the wrist, which is probably easier for kids to put on and take off on their own. It's water-resistant up to 50 meters too, so kids can go in the pool or bathe with it on without any issues. Garmin may have made it easy to wear the device through basically any situation a kid gets themselves into, but its one-year battery life is what really lets your kids keep it on all day and all night.
The Vivofit Jr monitors kids' steps, sleep, and active time, and it will display on the screen how close they are to achieving 60 minutes of active time each day. There's a move bar on the display too to remind them how much more they need to move to reach their goal. The device also acts as a watch, and it can be personalized with your child's name. All of the data feeds into a free, parent-controlled mobile app (different from Garmin Connect, simply called Vivofit Jr) where you can monitor your kids' activity levels and set goals and tasks they should complete.