Why We Like The Garmin Bounce Sport Watch
Garmin's Bounce Sport Watch lets us stay connected with our littlest adventure buddies, whether they're hitting the trail with their scout group, training at after-school practice, or biking around town. Garmin's LTE subscription enables texting, voice messaging, and safety features to keep them in touch with us on their solo adventures, along with sport and sleep tracking for logging their miles and sharing activity with their friends and family.
Details
- Smartphone-free sport watch for junior athletes and adventurers
- LTE connectivity (by subscription) allows text and voice messaging without a phone plan
- Activity and sleep tracking encourages kids to play and stay competitive
- Garmin Jr. app keeps parents informed of kids' location and activity
- Durable design is submersible up to 50 meters
- Item #GRMF07O
- Housing Material
- fiber-reinforced polymer
- Strap Material
- silicone
- Face Material
- chemically-strengthened glass
- Movement
- digital
- Pedometer
- yes
- Odometer
- yes
- Submersible
- 5ATM (up to 50m)
- Technical Features
- see size chart for complete list of technical features
- Wireless
- Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi, LTE (with subscription)
- Date Indicator
- yes
- Weekday Indicator
- yes
- Alarms
- clock
- Battery Type
- rechargeable
- Battery Life
- [maximum] 2 days
- Low Battery Indicator
- yes
- Includes
- Bounce Sport Watch, charging/data cable, documentation
- Face Size
- 1.3in
- Claimed Weight
- 1.3oz
- Activity
- casual, running, cycling, pool swimming
- Manufacturer Warranty
- limited 1 year
Reviews
Q&A
What do you think about this product?
Overall Rating
4 based on 53 ratings
Review Summary
Here's what customers have to say
The smartwatch is a generally well-received option for parents looking to provide their young children with a device for tracking activity and communication. Key positives include step tracking, activity challenges, and the ability to send text and voice messages. However, common issues include unreliable connectivity, short battery life, and problems with the companion app. While the watch is a good starting point, there is room for improvement in the software and connectivity aspects.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews.
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Selecting an option will reload the available reviews on the pageAugust 16, 2025
Unreliable, hardly functional, unusable
After a year of use, we have replaced this with a Fitbit watch. The core functionality of the Bounce was beyond poor: location and messaging rarely worked. Not only did these functions fail more often than succeed, but we got false alarms on location - random alerts that the watch was 20 miles or so away from its actual location. On top of that, the usability is beyond poor. It's been a year, and I STILL struggle to find options in all the disorganized menus, on both the app and the watch. Gestures and navigation are inconsistent, and poorly thought out.any functions can only be initiated from the watch, when it would make most sense to be able to initiate from the app as well, such as syncing. I cannot believe this was a Garmin product. This watch has absolutely ruined Garmin's reputation for me, and I am quick to warn others against purchasing this and other Garmin products now. I had trusted Garmin since ~2005 for GPS over any other product. Not anymore.
Originally reviewed on Garmin
July 11, 2024
Great option prior to needing a phone
Tween not interested in a phone, but doing more on own. Great option to utilize for communication while tracking activity
Originally reviewed on Garmin
June 20, 2024
Not reliable
I am so sad to report that the application has been very unreliable! I miss messages from my son unless I close and reopen the app nearly every single time he sends a message or voice message. This could be tragic in the case that he needed to communicate important information! The microphone built into the watch is also underwhelming, though I can hear what he says well enough. He loves the step tracking feature. It would be great if the watch sent the child reminders to charge the watch overnight to encourage independence with upkeep.
Originally reviewed on Garmin
June 19, 2024
Love it
We were looking for a non-phone, waterproof option for our daughter. She loves being outside with her friends, but we don’t know where she was and had no way of contacting her. This watch is perfect for that. It works great.
Originally reviewed on Garmin
June 19, 2024
Almost there!
Got this for our 11 year old who wants a phone. We’re trying to hold off as long as we can but we do need a way to reach her when she’s running around the neighborhood or away and sleep away camps. It’s great for tracking and sending a quick message. I wish we could call her on it. I also wish we could add phone numbers to message her without allowing them to track her. I’d like my mom - her grandma to be able to message her without knowing where she (and I) are 24/7. So close Garmin!!! Maybe an update could make these things happen??
Originally reviewed on Garmin
June 18, 2024
What I needed, but not all that I expected
Simple and easy to use, have a few Garmin devices and like them all for different reasons. 1- I wish they would all kind of work together better 2- the bounce claims to have up to 20 contacts to use messaging and 20 second voice recordings-BUT ITS ONLY TO OTHER BOUNCE USERS! Big downer because I wanted my kid to have a little taste of what all these kids have with their phones, but better control. She can’t contact any of her friends, and they can’t contact her. 3- tracking works well, giving her more freedom and the text to both us parents works well.
Originally reviewed on Garmin
June 16, 2024
Bonus Features!!
I bought this watch nearly a month ago for my 7 yr old to bring piece of mind of knowing I can locate him when he's off on a field trip or just outside playing nearby. I was amazed when I found out that you could assign chores or tasks with point values and set up a rewards system. For the educational friendly readers...it works like the PBIS system in schools. This watch has not only brought me piece of mind but it is also helping with teaching responsibility and behavior incentives with my twice exceptional child. It helps to keep him on track with his daily needs and I find it to be an excellent tool for ADHD management. Honestly the only thing I would love to have Garmin work on is making this completely waterproof rather than water resistant. That is the only downside I have found so far.
Originally reviewed on Garmin
June 16, 2024
Great Watch
My son wanted to start tracking his steps (like mom) and bought this with his own birthday money. He absolutely loves it and I love that him & I can message each other and I can view his location.
Originally reviewed on Garmin
June 10, 2024
easy to setup and use for kid
my kid 8 years old like to use it and keep active. I can tracking my kid location, messages. the tracking may not be accurate or report within minutes. if it can update more often in live update will be good
Originally reviewed on Garmin
June 10, 2024
one of the best kid watches
My kids love the watch the weather app they really like the fact that they can contact us is helpful. It is so convent when you have the names of the kids on the face of the watch. we have two boys and they have the same watch so with their names on it helps to tell them apart. Everything with just the watch is awesome. However the app for the parents is not as smooth as others. I wish you could control more and see more on the app and do more things. Over all it does what it needs to. Track the kids tells time. tracks steps. and that's all I wanted. I wish you got a deal on the "plan" for having 1 or more
Originally reviewed on Garmin
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