Product Description
Your kid wants a smart phone or watch. You want to know where they are, but don't want them to have that access. The Garmin Bounce was built for exactly that — giving active kids a device that keeps them moving and keeps you connected, without handing them a smartphone.
If your household runs on Garmin, the Bounce fits right in. It's the kids' version of what you already wear on your wrist — step tracking, activity logging, GPS location, and two-way messaging — all wrapped in a durable, swim-friendly watch built for kids who don't slow down.
Real-Time GPS and Location Tracking – The Bounce uses built-in GPS and LTE connectivity to let you see exactly where your child is, directly in the Garmin Jr. app on your phone. Set a geofence around home, school, or a friend's house, and get notified the moment your kid steps outside it. You can also refresh their location on demand, or your child can tap the watch to check in and send you their location instantly.
Two-Way Messaging Without the Smartphone – Kids can send text and voice messages directly from their wrist to approved contacts in the Garmin Jr. app — and receive messages back. No social media, no browser, no distractions. Just the communication you want them to have, with the people you've approved.
Activity Tracking That Gets Kids Moving – The Bounce tracks steps, distance, sleep, and dedicated activity modes for walking, running, biking, and swimming. Kids can earn rewards for hitting activity goals, compete in step challenges with family and friends, and play educational games right on the watch. It's the Garmin training mindset, built for kids.
How to Use the Garmin Bounce
Setup: Download the Garmin Jr. app on a compatible iOS or Android smartphone. Add your child's watch, approve contacts, and configure geofence boundaries and school mode settings.
Daily use: Your child wears it like any smartwatch — it tracks steps and activity automatically. They can check in, send messages to approved contacts, and start a GPS activity directly from the watch.
Monitoring: Check the Garmin Jr. app to view your child's real-time location, activity history, and sleep data. Set chore reminders and step challenges to keep them engaged.
Pro tip: Use the school mode settings to silence notifications and restrict messaging during school hours — two levels available depending on how locked-down you want the watch to be.
The Bounce comes in three colors — Green Burst, Black Camo, and Lilac Floral — and is rated for swimming. With up to 2 days of battery life and an LTE subscription managed directly through Garmin, there's no need to change your carrier.
Your kid gets independence. You get peace of mind. That's the idea.
For gear that arrives damaged or falls under the manufacturer's warranty: Please send a photo of the damage or error message to hello@thefeed.com. We will either help process a claim for the product and a replacement product or store credit will be provided, or we will direct you towards the correct place to make a warranty claim for the product. For returns on gear that you have used, we follow the manufacturer's instructions for satisfaction guarantees. This is specific to each gear product, terms and conditions may change.
Garmin Bounce FAQ's
Everything you need to know about Garmin Bounce.
The Garmin Bounce is a kids' smartwatch with LTE connectivity that lets parents and guardians communicate with and track their child without giving them a smartphone. It features two-way text and voice messaging, real-time GPS location tracking, geofencing, activity tracking, and fun games — all managed through the Garmin Jr. app on a parent's phone. It launched in 2022 at $149.99 and is available in Green Burst, Black Camo, and Lilac Floral.
Yes. Connected features — including two-way messaging, live location tracking, geofencing alerts, and the Assistance emergency alert — all require an active LTE subscription plan. Garmin offers a month-to-month plan at $9.99 per month or an annual plan at $99.99 per year (roughly $8.33 per month). Without a subscription, the Bounce functions only as a basic activity tracker. Each device requires its own individual subscription plan.
The Bounce uses a multi-GNSS system combining GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo satellite constellations — the same positioning technology Garmin uses in its adult running and hiking watches. It periodically sends your child's location to the Garmin Jr. app, updates automatically when your child enters or exits a geofence boundary, and supports LiveTrack for second-by-second real-time tracking during activities like runs or bike rides. Geofence boundaries (such as home, school, or a friend's house) trigger automatic notifications when crossed.
No. The original Garmin Bounce does not support voice calls. Communication is handled through preset text messages, custom text messages sent via the Garmin Jr. app, and voice messages up to approximately 20 seconds long. If two-way calling is a priority, the Garmin Bounce 2 ($299.99) adds full phone call capability alongside a redesigned AMOLED display and additional features.
The Bounce tracks steps, distance, sleep, and active minutes throughout the day. For structured activities, it supports walk, run, swim, and bike profiles, with GPS available for outdoor distance tracking. It does not include a heart rate sensor. Parents can set daily step goals for their child through the Garmin Jr. app, and the watch includes a basic chore and rewards system to encourage movement and responsibility.
Parents manage the Bounce entirely through the Garmin Jr. app, which works on both iOS and Android. Controls include setting daily activity goals, configuring school mode (which silences the watch and restricts messaging during school hours), setting geofence boundaries with automatic alerts, managing approved contacts, and assigning chores with a reward system. The watch has no access to social media, internet browsing, or app downloads, which significantly limits screen time risks compared to a smartphone.