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Garmin vivofit 2- A Nice Fitness Tracker for Kids

With so many wearable products out there, it takes a long time to find just the device that's best for you or a loved one especially as a holiday gift.   I wanted to try out the Garmin vivofit 2 since it was less expensive and complicated, and had a smaller band which would fit a a girl's wrist better.  I also liked the fact that the vivofit 2 used a regular watch battery which would last an entire year so you wouldn't have to worry about charging all the time. I purchased the Garmin vivofit 2 at Best Buy in Dublin, California.  Best Buy has a great selection of fitness trackers from various brands including a large section from Garmin. After a morning of Christmas gift opening frenzy, where the vivofit 2 had good company with other presents, I was able to open the vivofit 2 box and set it up. The vivofit 2 box, like it's cousin the Garmin vivosmart HR, is eco-friendly and eschews some of the premium box look and feel from other brands like the Fitbit Charge HR. Opening up the vivofit 2, be careful not to drop and lose the small USB ANT Stick used to connect the vivofit 2 with a computer. The vivofit 2 is cuffed to the box.  You'll need to twist the locking mechanism 90 degrees to allow the vivofit 2's band to release from itself.  Don't worry about breaking your brand new Garmin since it will take a bit of a tug to snap out the band from itself. The vivofit 2 comes with accessories such as a band for smaller wrist, ANT USB Stick, and instruction guide.   The vivofit 2, unlike other wearables, doesn't come with a recharging adapter so don't spend time trying to find it.   The vivofit 2 has a simple minimalist design without a protruding button in sight.   The vivofit 2's Quick Start is useful, showing you how to turn on the device and replace your band.  If you do replace your band, make sure that the protrusion on the front face of the band is aligned with the smooth area on the right side of the display (see Quick Start manual's picture).  Underneath the protrusion, there is a plastic nub which touches this smooth area to turn it on and off. Disappointingly, the vivofit 2 refused to turn on after many attempts with both bands.  Ironically, because the vivofit 2 comes with its own removable watch battery, unlike other wearables where you can plug in a USB charger into and see how much charge it available, you can't easily tell if the watch battery still has charge. Also, the lack of any real button makes it hard for the user to figure out how to turn on the vivofit 2, especially if there are problems turning it on.  Many users can easily mistake the bump on the vivofit 2 as just part of the band's shape rather than the vivofit 2's button especially since the button doesn't go down easily if pressed at the wrong angle. Even more inconvenient was having to face the "Post-Christmas" rush to exchange the product for a working model.  Fortunately, there were plenty of other gifts to keep everyone distracted and avoid any Christmas gift disappointment.  Going back to Best Buy had a silver lining, allowed me to change the band color from blue to red. This time there were no problems turning on the vivofit 2 which automatically goes into pairing mode and showing the pairing code.       Apart from the small band, there are a lot of other nice features on the vivofit 2 especially suitable for kids.   The watch battery lasts for a year so you don't have to worry about forgetting to charge or losing the charger.  It's also water resistant so you don't have to worry about getting it wet during baths or in the pool.   You can also use it without a smartphone or being online which is also more suitable for kids.  However, you do need to pair it with a smartphone or PC at least once so that the clock can be sync'ed. If you want more fancy features, there are plenty of other products out there but for kids, often a simpler approach is best.