Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 vs Vivofit Jr: What's the difference?

Age might play a factor in which Vivofit Jr fitness tracker you select for your child. The newer model is a much more colorful choice with more options. Still, there's no reason to discount the older model if you're only looking for a basic tracker for the younger members of your family.

The differences between the two

There are three important differences between the first- and second-generation Vivofit Jr. First, there's the significant design change that looks like it was created by Walt Disney himself. Second is the introduction of all-new apps that parents can set up and design on the companion Vivofit app. Finally, there are refined, adjustable bands that make the second-generation more appealing to older kids.

Overall, the Vivofit Jr 2 represents a nice progression from the first version. The newer model offers a slightly larger (and better) screen that's in color with more strap choices than the original model. Inside, battery life on the device remains the same as does the water rating (yes you can swim with either model).

Thanks to the introduction of adjustable band options, the Vivofit Jr 2 should appeal to older and younger kids alike since you can swap out the more childish band styles when necessary. For example, while your 4-year-old might like Minnie Mouse, your 9-year-old may not. Therefore, you can switch to a solid red band (or another color) and ditch the Disney look when the time comes.

The newer Vivofit Jr 2 is also the one that features games such as Mickey's Birthday Surprise: A Disney Adventure and Advance in BB-8's Adventure: A Star Wars Story, which are both activity trackers meant to make fitness fun. Meanwhile, with the new Toe-to-Toe step challenges, kids can sync with nearby friends to challenge each other to timed step competitions. On the older model, you have limited app offerings.

Also on the newer model, with the Parental Personal Assistant, parents can add profiles for multiple kids to see each child's steps, sleep, daily activities, and chore data. Grown-ups can also assign chores and schedule alerts from the Vivofit smartphone app which show up on the kids' band.

Overall, there's nothing wrong with the first-generation Vivofit Jr. It just doesn't have as many features as the updated version. If you want to save some money, it might be worth it to go for the older smartwatch. This might be helpful if you're trying out a Vivofit for your very young child, but that's the only reason we see for the purchase.