Garmin inReach® Messenger Handheld Satellite Communicator, Global Two-Way Messaging

Bought as a gift and he loves it. I have a family member that travels all over for work and loves to hike and this seemed like a great product for the money. The battery life is better than comparable products because of the smaller size screen, but this has the same signal strength, accuracy and connection speed. Recommended for the SOS feature for anyone who goes deep into the backcountry and might need a rescue.

Totally worth the money. My son takes it when he goes offshore fishing, and just knowing that I can get a hold of him at any time gives me such peace of mind.

I bought this specifically for fishing trips I take to SE Alaska where we get dropped off at old forest service dry cabins dotted around the Tongass National Forest, 20-30 miles from the nearest town so there's no cell service. This thing worked like a champ in all weather conditions - we didn't have a clear view of the sky, maybe 50% clear coverage from the North and East, the rest being tree coverage, but it was enough where we never had issues sending or receiving messages, or getting weather updates. Longest I think it ever took for a message to get out was about 10 minutes, and that was when it was raining and cloudy. The paired phone app definitely makes it really easy to utilize the device as well, so don't skip that step if you buy one of these.I very much appreciate that Garmin has two different subscription methods - yearly subscription and monthly when you need it. I use the monthly as I only need it a couple times a year, so I just suspend it between usage. Since I use the monthly subscription, it does have a yearly fee involved that the yearly subscription isn't subjected too (something like $35), but compared to $400-500 for a SIM card pre-loaded with minutes on my sat phone that barely works, and where the minutes expire in 6 months, this is a steal!My main complaint is the battery life, in reality if you're sending and receiving a couple dozen texts a day, and it's not perfectly clear skies, expect 2-3 days - this is a very minor gripe as I always come prepared with many methods to recharge my gear. Fortunately, it doesn't eat up much from my battery banks, and it charged just fine with my folding solar panels. Secondly, I haven't figured out a way to charge the device while it's turned off - as soon as I plug it in to charge, it turns on, which often defeats the purpose of what I'm trying to do.Overall, extremely pleased with this purchase, only thing that could make it better is if Garmin teamed up with one of the big satellite companies for better bandwidth so my wife can send me pictures of my dogs over the messenger!

Worked great to get messages to the wife and coordinate locations with hunting partners. New plans allow suspension of service when not in use to save money.

Ok, this great - but before you get to the review, know this. Both the user and receiver of messages MUST try it all out and simulate the scenarios you want to test. For example. Put you your phone into airplane mode, turn bluetooth on, and try and send and receive messages. Anytime you test this device, make sure your phone is in airplane mode. The garmin messenger WILL use cell service your phone if it is available. This is great as it will save you charges from garmin. The testing is important as you will learn the noises it make when you send and receive messages. You will also learn how much coverage you need, and where the device needs to be to communicate with satellites. The last thing you need to work out is what message mean. For example, when I send a "check in" message, it means I have good cell service now. If I send a "starting" message after my first one of the day it means that I am taking a break. My second "Stop of the day means I am going to sleep.OK the review. You do not need a phone to use it, but it is HIGHLY recommend. I only turn the device on and off, and start and stop tracking on the device. Everything else is done on my phone.You need a pretty good view of the sky to use, but some tree cover is acceptable. It works within in less than 10 seconds with a clear view. The people you want to communicate with will have choice. Garmin messenger OR email and text. Once a person registers with the garmin messenger app, text message will go there, rather than their phone.The battery life is good. I recommend less than 10 min ute tracking, as the battery lasts longer. I keep the device charged every night.The device can be used as a power source for a small amount of power in an emergency. I do not recommend that except in a very critical emergency.Lastly, I have never pressed the SOS button, but I did use it in a serious situation to help me get out safely. It works.

I haven't had to got the SOS button yet... hope I never will..but it's a pretty good clock

I have had an Insight Messenger for almost two years. I used this in a remote part of Madagascar. It functioned perfectly for what it’s designed to do. It’s not for unlimited texting, but it allows essential communication. A smart phone is necessary to send texts through the Garmin InTouch, and makes it lots easier to read texts that are received. If you exceed allotted number of texts for your plan, the cost is reasonable. I did not require emergency assistance, but knowing it was available was reassuring. I use it regularly for an emergency locator when hiking in the US. The ability to directly communicate with emergency response personnel is an extremely attractive feature. Battery life is great, light weight and small. It doesn’t necessarily require a smart phone for emergencies, but the smart phone makes it much easier to use, more comforting, and generally better.

The app does not work!!!!!! (Android) Garmin, you cannot charge this kind of money for a device and advertise the app, and then have it not work. Bad quality control. Did someone at the company even test it? Putting out such a bad app like this is usually a sign of a company starting a downward spiral.