Garmin inReach® Messenger Plus, SOS Satellite Communicator with Photo, Text & Voice Messaging Without Cell Service, Long Battery Life, Durable, Temperature-Resistant, Water-Resistant (IPX7) Design

My wife and I are 68 years old and enjoy the outdoors and especially riding our sise by side in the mountains of Colorado. We decided to invest in the Garmin messenger so we have communication anywhere we travel. We recently tried it out in an area with no cell service and sent text messages, the unit worked perfectly. Hopefully we will not need it for a real emergency but it's good to know we have it. Thanks Garmin.

The product lives up to all of the claims. The features are wonderful and the ability to link to your Mobile phone is terrific. The buttons on the front could be a little better, however, it is adequate.

I needed offshore communication and satellite tracking so family on land could confirm my location; this device is perfect and works perfectly... I distribute the tracking page to the families of friends on my long trips so they have peace of mind.. very happy

I picked up the Garmin inReach Messenger Plus specifically for international travel, and honestly it's become one of those things I can't imagine leaving home without. The big draw for me was knowing that no matter where I ended up — sketchy cell coverage, remote countryside, middle of the ocean — I could still get a message out or call for help if things went sideways. That two-way satellite messaging works everywhere, and it actually works. No hunting for local SIM cards, no praying your roaming plan covers this particular mountain range. The form factor is great too. It's small enough to toss in a day bag or jacket pocket without thinking about it, and the battery life holds up well even over longer trips. The Garmin Messenger app pairs with it cleanly, so you can type messages from your phone rather than pecking away on the device itself — a small thing that makes a big difference day to day. If you travel internationally with any regularity, especially to places where cell service is spotty or expensive, this thing pays for itself in confidence alone. Highly recommend.

We used the inReach when we crossed the Gulf of Mexico from Tarpon Springs to Panama City. We were cell range for 24 hours or so but with the inReach we were able to text with friends and family. Added to the fun of the trip.

I go hiking quite a bit and I am planning to do some bigger backpacking trips this year. I bought the agar in Inreach Messenger Plus after doing extensive research on if I should get the mini or messenger. I really was looking for an SOS device I could message my family periodic updates. I didn't plan to use it as a map. I still plan to use my phone and an external charger for maps, which is one of the reasons I love this little device can also charge my phone if needed. I hope I never have to use it as an SOS device, but I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. I do wish it had a way to strap it to the strap of my bag, but I don't mind leaving it in the pockets and pulling it out when needed, or using my phone through it.

The instructions to navigate and use Messenger Plus are not detailed...I have had to call Garmin twice so resolve problems. Once it is set up it works fine, but the battery life is less than I expected, and syncing to a different phone is not straight forward. The feutures a great, especially tracking and the weather reports.

Like 99..9% of people who buy something like this I have not needed it so this review doesn't cover the most important feature and benefit of carrying it. The setup was documented clearly enough and wasn't too frustrating. Testing the satellite texting is also easy enough, but testing the non-emergency messaging was not. The manual doesn't include a clearly demarcated and easy to follow section on non-sos use. The scenario I have found myself in is being outside of cell phone coverage when experiencing an accident or mechanical breakdown (bicycling). I can't make a normal phone call, but I am within several hours by car as long as I can communicate to friends that I need help and can tell them exactly where I am. I finally figured it out after learning that when messaging the location data is NOT sent by default as the manual suggests. You must select it my clicking on a small icon that in no way seems indicative of location. I have not yet tested to see how it works without the phone app and so far the manual is NOT making that easy. I graduated from college a long time ago, which might either explain why I find the manual frustrating or why ithink it needs improvement. Emergency devices should NOT be this difficult to use.

I used the messenger on a backcountry trip. It was very difficult to show people how to track my progress. It appears to be a robust build and I hope it would work for SOS. Text checkin messages don't seem to go anywhere. The same thing with regular messages . Probably it will be great after we figure out how to use it. Very difficult for me to figure it out. I have another trip planned for Bears Ears in Utah next month, so still trying to figure it out.

So far it has almost been useless. I invited 2 people to Garmin Messenger and both accepted, but I do not see them in my contact list to send messages to. I sent a direct text message to my wife. She was connected to WiFi and was getting other text messages, but did not get my InReach text message until we were back on a Cell network. Had I been in danger, she would have gotten the email WAY too late.