Fitbit Ace 3 Vs Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 – Which One Is The Best Overall?

When it comes to fitness trackers for kids, there are two which appear to dominate the market. The Fitbit Ace 3 vs Garmin Vivofit Jr 3. The Fitbit Ace 3 and the Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 are fairly close in price, with the Garmin being only 10 dollars more. But, which one is the best for your child?

This article will help you make that decision. We will compare the two devices and leave you with a better understanding of which one is the best choice to monitor your kids activity and fitness levels.

We will start with a description of each fitness tracker, followed by a detailed comparison of each one.

The Fitbit Ace 3 -Who is it For? Features and Benefits

The Fitbit Ace3 is designed specifically for children ages 6 years old and up. It has all day activity tracking with virtual badges and animated clock faces designed to increase motivation and kid involvement. This really encourages kids to participate in their own goals and achievement. 

The device tracks all day activity, family challenges, and has sleep tracking that includes bedtime reminders and silent alarms. It has up to 8 days of battery life and is completely swim proof allowing kids to wear it in the pool and the ocean. Its water resistance is up to 50 meters.

The Fitbit app allows you to view all this data as well as share it via social media. You can sync the data from other Fitbit devices so that you can see how you did over time. There is no need to worry about charging the battery because the Fitbit Ace 3 uses a standard USB cable to charge.

One really cool feature is the family challenge aspect. This allows your child to challenge their family and friends to step competitions and they can even send each other messages or celebrations within the Fitbit App.

What Is Included In The Fitbit Ace 3?

Fitbit Ace 3 includes the following items:

1) Fitbit Ace 3

2) Charging cable. 3) User guide

The Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 -Who is it For? Features and Benefits

The Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 is also specifically designed for kids 6 and older. Although tweens would most likely favor the Fitbit since the face plate isn’t designed with a Disney character. You can, however, switch to a picture of a shell.

The Garmin also tracks daily activity, steps and sleep like the Fitbit.So the activity tracking is very similar. this tracker includes adventures, games and icons to help motivate your child to remain active and fit.

A feature that is unique to the Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 is an app feature where the parents can manage chores and give rewards when their child reaches certain achievement levels  that have been specified. This is a great way for parents to challenge their children to improve and set healthy fitness goals.

This fitness device is also water resistant up to 50 meters and allows your child to swim in the pool or have fun in the ocean.

As far as battery life if concerned, the Garmin battery will last up to a year, and then it needs to be replaced. In other words, it cannot be charged, and re-used, but needs to be replaced once or twice a year. As you may realize, this has its advantages and disadvantages associated with it.

Another unique feature includes playtime, where you can unlock educational adventures, games and different icons for a child’s entertainment. Again, this is a feature that seems to be designed for the younger children.

What Is Included In Garmin Vivofit Jr?

The Garmin Vivofit Jr includes the following items:

• Vívofit® jr. 3,
• adjustable band and
• Documentation

Below is a video that describes how to change the battery:

Fitbit Ace 3 vs Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 – Comparisons and Differences

As mentioned before, when comparing Fitbit Ace 3 vs Garmin Vivofit Jr 3, they are both considered to be amongst the best fitness trackers for kids. Both brands are also top brands within the adult market as well. That being said, there are similar comparisons and some slight differences. In this section we will cover these in detail and then conclude with which one we feel is the best.

First of all WHO (World Health Organization) recommends that children between the ages of 5 and 17 should have at least an hour of moderate to vigorous to intense physical activity each and every day. Both of these fitness devices are designed to meet these criteria.

That being said, let’s take a look at each of the features and benefits between these two fitness trackers and discuss them independently.

Fitbit Ace 3 vs Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 – Battery Life

This is an interesting comparison because both of these devices do not require daily charging. This is a definite plus, however they do this differently. At first glance it appears that the Garmin wins in this area, but not necessarily, let me explain.

The Garmin has a one year battery life, where as the Fitbit has up to 8 days. At first that seems clear that Garmin wins on this one. However, the Garmin battery cannot be charged, it must be replaced once or, in some cases, twice a year.

The Fitbit, however, lasts up to 8 days, and then you can then re-charge it. It rarely needs to be replaced. As you can see, each one of these battery life features has its advantages and disadvantages. We believe that if 8 days on one charge is sufficient, then the Fitbit may win in this area. If not, then the Garmin would win.

Fitbit Ace 3 vs Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 – Activity Tracking

Both of these devices definitely focus on fitness tracking features rather than smartwatch type of features. You will notice neither of these trackers have GPS or the ability to measure heart rate.

The Fitbit, does, however,  have a heart rate sensor built into it, and an additional 3-axis accelerometer and vibration motor, but due to regulations, the heart rate sensor has been disabled.

Both the Fitbit Ace 3 and the Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 have excellent activity tracking features. These tracking features include the to track activity, daily steps, sleep, calories burned, and distance.

Both of them also have the ability for parents to track their child’s fitness data, each from their respective apps. The Fitbit app and the Garmin App are both excellent apps and provide amazing features and benefits.

Fitbit Ace 3 vs Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 – Size and Appearance

Although there are a log of similarities in the area of activity tracking, there are big differences in the size and appearance of these fitness devices.

First of all, the display sizes and shapes are quite different. The Garmin has a bulkier appearance with rectangular case and rounded borders, whereas the Fitbit has a more traditional tracker appearance that is vertical and easier to read. It has a more “grown up” appearance to it. This may be better for the older kids or “tweens”.

Both of them are comfortable and easy to wear and are made of durable and flexible silicone and plastic materials. Plus, they both look great and are popular amongst the kids using them.

To start with, Garmin Vivofit 3 dimensions are 3.94 x 3.94 x 3.94 inches and has a 0.7 inch screen size. It also has animated watch faces to attract your kid. But it can only be controlled with one button on the side of the device. 

Here comes the winning point for Fitbit Ace 3. The Fitbit Ace 3 dimensions are 1.47″ l x .66″ w x .5″ h. It has a large vertical screen with a touch screen display and a button to control the tracker. Although it only has a monochrome display, it is easier to see in the sunlight and has a PMOLED display.

When it comes to color options, Fitbit is a little behind, with only two basic colors to choose from, blue and black. It does, however, have a Minion version with the same colors, but different styles. More for the younger kids.

However, Garmin Vivofit Jr. 3 has an extensive range of theme-based straps and bands to choose from. 

Fitbit Ace 3 vs Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 – Parental Control

Both of these fitness trackers have the all important parental control, they are just done differently between the two devices.

The Garmin has a separate app, known as the Garmin Jr. App, where the parent can access and review your child’s fitness tracking data. Parents can even connect to other family members to share this tracking data. You can also manage rewards and scores from the device.

The Fitbit allows parents to create an account and then add the child’s device within it. From there, they access all of the fitness tracking data. They can also connect with friends, family, and your child’s can then participate in fitness challenges from family members or friends.

What is really cool, is there are two separate views within the Fitbit App. There is a parents view and a child’s view. Keep in mind, these views are completely separate and are accessed by either the child or parent respectively.

The Fitbit Ace 3 also has motivational badges and challenges where they can compete with family or friends for completing goals. This is great for motivation and learning to set goals. It even has bedtime reminders, alarms, timers and stopwatches.

The Garmin allows parents to set daily fitness goals for their child. Once they have been completed, the child can earn virtual coins to unlock games and quizzes.

Fitbit Ace 3 vs Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 – Other

As I mentioned earlier, both of these devices have stress fitness tracking over smartwatch features. However, the Fitbit Ace 3 has the capability of messaging and notifications that can be connected to your child’s smartphone.

Another commonality between the two devices is that fact that they are both swim proof and water resistant up to 50 meters. This feature is identical between both of these fitness trackers. No one wins on this one. Lol

Final Thoughts – Fitbit Ace 3 vs Garmin Vivofit Jr 3

As you can see there are many similarities between these two fitness trackers. When it comes to the Fitbit Ace 3 vs Garmin Vivofit Jr 3 it is very difficult to claim a winner. So, which one is the best fitness tracker for your kids?

As mentioned before, both of these devices are considered to be the best overall, and some of the choice needs to be based on preference. However, here at Best Fitness Devices, we have rated the Fitbit Ace 3 as the best fitness tracker for kids overall.

We want to point out, although we rated the Fitbit Ace 3 as the best, we also feel that both of these fitness trackers would be a great fit for monitoring your child’s health and fitness activities. They both do a fine job and your child will be happy either way.

It might be a good idea to get your child involved in the decision process. This allows them to give input on things like, looks, and other features and benefits that they may be interested in.