Could This Kids' Smartwatch Help Parents Say "Not Yet" To Smartphones?
A new generation of parents is rethinking the first smartphone.
As parents become increasingly cautious about smartphones and social media, could a connected smartwatch offer children independence without opening the door to everything else?
Perhaps the biggest difference between today's parents and those who came before them is that we've already seen the experiment play out.
The first generation of children to grow up with smartphones and social media did so largely in real time. There was no roadmap, no handbook and very little understanding of what constant connectivity might mean for young minds.
Parents of younger children are approaching the same decision from a very different position. We've seen friendship dramas unfold in WhatsApp groups, heard stories of cyberbullying and watched concerns around children's mental health move firmly into the mainstream. Understandably, many families are now asking harder questions before handing over a smartphone.
The government's decision to ban under-16s from accessing major social media platforms from 2027 has only accelerated that conversation. For years, smartphones often felt inevitable. Children reached secondary school, everyone else seemed to have one and parents felt under pressure to follow suit. Increasingly, however, parents are questioning whether that timeline still makes sense.
If children are not expected to access social media until they are older, it naturally raises another question: do they need a fully connected smartphone in Year 6 or even Year 7?
“The Garmin Bounce 2 won’t stop children wanting a smartphone forever. But for families hoping to delay that moment, it offers something increasingly valuable: time.”
For many families, the answer may increasingly be no. Children still want independence. Parents still want to know they can contact them if plans change, they miss a bus or stay behind for a club. Yet many are understandably reluctant to hand over unrestricted access to social media and the wider internet.
Which is where the Garmin Bounce 2 comes in. Combining calling, messaging, real-time GPS tracking and parental controls — but crucially no social media apps, internet browser or unrestricted app downloads — it promises something many parents are increasingly looking for: a middle ground.
Interestingly, the Garmin Bounce 2 ended up being tested by two very different children.
My original plan was for my 12-year-old son to use it. Having recently started secondary school, he seemed the obvious candidate for a device built around communication and independence. For the first week, he wore the watch daily and we tested the messaging features, using it to send updates if we were running late or needed to change plans.
From a parent's perspective, it worked exactly as intended. Messages arrived quickly, communication felt straightforward and there was reassurance in knowing we could contact him without needing to hand over unrestricted access to a smartphone.
What surprised me, however, was not the watch itself, but my son's relationship with technology.
He already has access to an old phone, albeit one without social media or app access, and rarely chooses to use it. Given the choice, he would usually pick up a book rather than a device and genuinely values downtime away from screens and notifications. After the initial novelty wore off, he gradually began leaving the watch at home. Not because there was anything wrong with it, but because he simply isn't a child who feels the need to be constantly connected.
In many ways, it served as a useful reminder that there is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to technology and children.
His nine-year-old brother, however, had the opposite reaction.
While he regularly talks about wanting a phone, we made the decision not to activate the calling and messaging features for him just yet. At nine, despite being a sporty child who regularly stays behind for after-school clubs, he simply doesn't need them in everyday life. His current school environment is relatively sheltered and highly structured. Children are collected directly from school, staff are always on hand and there are very few occasions where he genuinely needs to contact us himself.
Instead, he used the Garmin Bounce 2 primarily as a fitness watch — something he absolutely loved. A naturally sporty child, he quickly became invested in checking his activity levels, tracking his movement throughout the day and setting himself little challenges. The fact that the watch feels grown-up rather than toy-like only added to its appeal. Interestingly, he is already counting down the years until the messaging features are switched on.
And that, perhaps, is what interested me most about the Garmin Bounce 2. Not necessarily how useful it is for my son today, but how useful I suspect it will become very soon.
With Year 6 fast approaching and secondary school not far behind, I am acutely aware that this stage of childhood is remarkably short. His future senior school has strict rules around phones, requiring them to remain locked away in pouches during the school day. Yet children at that age are also beginning to experience more independence. They stay behind for clubs, sports fixtures finish at different times and plans inevitably change.
That is where I can see the Garmin Bounce 2 coming into its own. Rather than moving straight from no device to a smartphone, it offers a gradual introduction to independent communication. The ability to send a quick message if we're running late, let him know about a change of plans or allow him to contact us after a club without immediately opening the door to social media feels like a genuinely appealing compromise.
What Can The Garmin Bounce 2 Actually Do?
The Garmin Bounce 2 is much more than a basic smartwatch. Through LTE connectivity and the Garmin Jr. app, children can make voice calls, send text and voice messages and share their location with parent-approved contacts. Parents control exactly who their child can communicate with, meaning children cannot simply contact anyone they choose.
Real-time GPS tracking and location alerts allow parents to receive notifications when their child arrives at or leaves designated locations such as school, home or sports clubs. There is also an assistance feature, enabling children to send an alert and their live location to trusted contacts should they ever need help.
“Perhaps the Garmin Bounce 2’s greatest strength isn’t what it includes, but what it leaves out.”
Beyond communication and safety, the Bounce 2 also functions as a capable activity tracker, monitoring steps, movement, sleep and a range of sports activities. My younger son particularly enjoyed the fitness side of the watch, checking his progress after football or an especially active day outdoors.
Parents can also set chores, assign rewards and create family challenges through the Garmin Jr. app, while school mode helps minimise distractions during lessons. A full keyboard and voice messaging capabilities make communication straightforward, and children can even listen to music when paired with compatible Bluetooth headphones.
Perhaps the most important feature, however, is what Garmin has deliberately left out. There is no TikTok. No Instagram. No YouTube rabbit holes. No internet browser. No endless stream of notifications competing for children's attention. And in 2026, that feels surprisingly refreshing.
The Garmin Bounce 2 won't stop children wanting a smartphone forever. Nor is it designed to. But for families hoping to delay that moment, it offers something increasingly valuable: time.
Time for children to mature. Time for parents to feel more comfortable. Time to gradually introduce independence and communication without simultaneously opening the door to social media and everything else that now comes bundled with a smartphone. Perhaps most importantly, it gives parents permission to say, "not yet."
The Details
Product: Garmin Bounce™ 2 Kids Smartwatch (010-03399-00)
Price: £259.99
Colours: Slate Grey, Light Purple and Turquoise
Available from: Garmin UK
Please note: An LTE subscription is required to access calling, messaging, location tracking and other connected features.
