GARMIN INREACH MINI 2 vs ZOLEO // Best Satellite Communicator?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 มี.ค. 2022
- 👇 GEAR FROM THE VIDEO 👇
InReach Mini 2: geni.us/InReachMini2
Zoleo: geni.us/Zoleo
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⭐ MY FAVORITE GEAR ⭐
Garmin InReach Mini: geni.us/InReachMini2
Decathlon Down Jacket - geni.us/Trek100DownJacketM
REI Flash 55 Pack: geni.us/Flash55
Enlightened Equipment Enigma Quilt: geni.us/enigmadown
Garmin Fenix Watch: geni.us/FenixWatch
Lanshan 1 Pro Tent: geni.us/Lanshan1Pro
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📷 MY FILMING GEAR 📷
X-T4 Camera: geni.us/FujiX-T4
GoPro Hero 10: geni.us/GoPro-Hero-10
Rode Wireless Mic: geni.us/Rode-Wireless
Samsung S10E Phone: geni.us/Samsung-S10e
Saramonic Phone Mic: geni.us/PhoneMic
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CONNECT WITH ME!
Website: justinoutdoors.com
Facebook: / justinoutdoors
Instagram: / justinoutdoors
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I own both but I only take my Zoleo now. First, it costs less and IMHO works better. Two years worth of trips into the backcountry with both and the zoleo just lasts longer, has more reliable connections, and the app is simple and easy to use. Zoleo wins here. One last thing, I could sit in my Zpacks Duplex and still get signal vs with my Garmin I did not. Nothing like texting the wife while still in my sleeping bag. Just sayin... it's the little things Zoleo has that make me prefer it over the Garmin.
So you don’t have the inreach 2 lol
Thanks for that! Your comment justified what I was leaning towards!
This is why I love TH-cam comments!!! 🤟 Thanks you made my choice! 🙌
do you have the Inreach mini or the Inreach mini 2?
Same question!...did you use the inReach v1 or v2?
Just completed my 2023 through hike on the Appalachian Trail and I carried the Zoleo. In the setup I had it send my location every four hours. Throughout my five months on the AT, about 35% of the time, that location data was corrupt, meaning friends receiving it would click the link and get an error "location could not be determined". Also, when sending messages, at times my message would sit in the outgoing log for up to 20-mins, even when I selected "check / send messages now". I went with the basic messenger plan and found I exceeded the number of messages pretty quick - apparently when I would hit the button to send my location, that counted as a message. I had used a Garmin InReach but in a vehicle for a three month overland to Alaska and while bit more expensive, you don't have to rely on a cell phone. I also understand from fellow hikers that with the Garmin, they had an option to sign up for insurance in the event an SOS was activated and services responded. I don't remember the cost, but it was an extra piece of mind where Zoleo offered nothing similar. If I planned another through hike, I would go with the Garmin.
Another great video, Justin! Thanks for doing the work on specs and cost - this was very helpful.
Awesome video. I've been trying to figure out which one to go with. Perfect timing Justin!
Way to go Justin love high points you made in comparing the two units always good info 👍 Thanks be safe.
Great video. I’ve been recently looking at the Zoleo, so this is a wonderful comparison video.
Thanks Justin for the detailed video. Helps this newbie better understand the differences between these two options that I was looking at. I am doing a solo Across-Canada motorcycle trip this year and will be doing some FSRs and camping. After looking at this video, I'll be going with the InReach Mini2 for my adventure.
I love how we can now txt Avalanche Canada from our in reach to get abbreviated avalanche forecasts. Great video thanks!
Thank you! This answered all of my questions
Brilliant detailed comparison, super helpful and timely thanks.
At the end of the day it’s all about how loud you can shout. Nice 👌🏻 review
Excellent job with the clear and objective comparison.
Thanks for the video. I'm sure the inreach mini 2 is great but I love my zoleo and have no regrets. I've used it in remote BC, the Alps, and the Pyrenees to check-in, text back and forth, get weather reports. It always works, even in terrible high mountain storms! Using it to msg over wifi and phone networks is awesome as well. Their customer service is incredible. I can easily change monthly plans as needed.
Man have i been waiting for this!
Well done Justin, thanks!
I ended up getting a Spot X and it does the wifi and cellular messaging when available, like the zoleo. I was debating between the zoleo and the spot x while shopping. The spot x had a much cheaper plan than the zoleo and the unit is usually only $50 more at $250 but I got mine on sale for $200. Another bonus was the keypad that allowed me to use completely separately from my cell phone. I actually have not used my cell phone to operate the spot x but I can if I want. One downside is the size, but it’s not something that I would really notice while carrying it. Between the zoleo and garmin I would go with zoleo just because of the initial price difference. They say it has a very seamless connection to your cell phone, also. Either one is going to be very useful, though. I’d love to have any of them if they do the job.
Great video! So helpful 👍
Thank you for this!!!
Great video as always. I actually bought the enrage money too for my son and daughter-in-law because they do a lot of crazy trips out west. hiking, snowshoeing, skiing and snowboarding, climbing etc. etc. etc.
But I live on the East Coast and most of my trails I can use a map and compass and the only use for me is messaging so I have a Zoleo which is stupid easy and mindless to use
Excellent! Thank you!
I bought the Zoleo based on upfront costs and reviews on the messaging capabilities. I think also that the monthly cost while you have it on hold during the off season is less than the Garmin.
Mainly I bought it for my family's peace of mind. Not because I felt like I needed to be connected to them while I was out on trail trying to get away from them 🤣😉
Only problem is if your phone fails on you for some reason, then you can still use is for SOS and Check-In's but that's it, it's very dependent on the App and your phone.
@@BillySBC just to play devils advocate. What if the you drop the inreach and screen breaks? then it might not work at all. The Zoleo is like a little bomb proof box so in that regard I think those two limited features on the Zoleo are actually more reliable even if your phone were to die or break for some reason. With either inreach or Zoleo you'd probably want to have a backup battery for charging anyway.
Awesome review man!
I'm a Garmin watch user as well, so having the ability to connect my InReach Mini directly to my Garmin watch via the InReach widget is a HUGE plus as well! I can send and read messages from my watch and also trigger SOS plus more, if needed.
Wow, you must be an eagle to read msg´s on your watch! Most people found smartwatches useless. How do you make to send msg´s?? It´s almost impossible for average people...
I appreciate the honest comparison here - especially with the new InReach Mini 2 and Zoleo with cost breakdowns. I haven't purchased one of these yet but will be hopefully within the year and this is a great foundation to make my decision from. Great video!
What did you get??
Also wanna know what you got and what you feel about it
Thanks Justin. I think zoleo might be coming to uk this year: only have garmin right now.
I have been considering one of these devices for awhile now. I know the importance of safety and it would be nice to have either one.
Thank you for your thorough and objective review, it will help many potential buyers (myself included!).
The Garmin InReach Mini 2 seems like the best choice for my limited activities.
Given the tiny size, negligible weight and affordability of the Mini 2, it would be utterly reckless not to carry one, and the consequences of not having one could become as serious as it is possible to get!
Connectivity isn't just about launching an SOS signal, the simple act of communicating with the person that means most to you can be a 'lifesaver' in its own way.
Ultimately, its not a lot of money to communicate whenever needed, get weather updates and backtrack, and an InReach Mini 2 in a waterproof case makes for a good companion...
I wouldn’t say not carrying one is utterly reckless. Going into the backcountry with no map, no phone, no GPS is utterly reckless. Just missing one of those things doesn’t make you reckless
thanks, super-helpful comparison
Do you have any idea if a Mini *3* is in the works at Garmin soon?
Always worth noting is that you have to have a “relatively” clear view of the sky for satellite communicators to work. Spent a week under the green canopy in Cranberry Wilderness in WV and several days were communication free.
I like the cranberry area. I have trout fished the Williams River several times!
Without one these devices though you would be permanently "communication free" the entire time you're off cellular.
I'm in WV also and the InReach mini 2 struggles to get a GPS location due to valleys and trees. Yet my smartphone has no problem locating me even with no cell service. I'd like to know how Zoleo stacks up in this regard. Sending a message is useless if I cannot get a lat lon.
I went from SPOTX to Zoleo. You do great rundown of these two devices. Nearly fifty percent of outdoor time is now biking in and out cellular service and hiking I had a pile of legacy GPS devices, plus map and compass, so the very rudimentary map of the Mini are not in my interest. I have been with a Zoleo for almost two years now and do not regret it. I do miss preset messages. And SPOTX is a brick. Your observations on battery life and charging time are significant and something that Zoleo correct without much redesign.
Good comparison. The long term costs are definitely something that needs to be considered for different use case scenarios and communication preferences. Some of the points you made verbally did not line up with your what you were showing visually. That's ok though. It happens. I definitely know how hard it is to remember all the finer numbers and technical points of stuff like this when trying to talk to the camera rather than constantly looking off down or off camera to from a phone or paper in front of you. I was doing a big cost analysis between these two devices and their plans earlier this week to see if I'm still on the right plan for me. I discovered I'm spending about $50 more than I need to be each year based on my usage patterns with my current Garmin plan, so I'll be moving off the Freedom plan to the Annual plan for this year. I'm going to also be publishing a video in a couple weeks that takes a deeper dive into all these costs and how the different plans will be of more benefit to different types of users and will probably refer people back this video and a couple others out there for viewers to be able to watch a more detailed breakdown on the other feature sets between the physical devices themselves.
that was a sweet looking cactus thing behind you in the shot you are sitting
Can you do a video on how to plan a thru hike properly?
Zoleo paired with my Nokia XR 20 is a good combination. The Nokia is waterproof, temperature proof and shatter proof.
For use as an emergency device for SCUBA the Inreach seems to be the only useful option. It's standalone and has an optional dive case that allows you to bring it underwater. Of course it only works at the surface but if you get left behind at sea, you have a way to call for help.
You can just use a mini submergible bag for the zoleo lol
Should tell stockton rush! Fantastic idea! ;)
The only knock on the INREACH is the cumbersome keyboard. Other than that it works very well. Since our remote camp has solar power, charging the device is not an issue.
I bought the Zoleo a year ago because it seemed simple, easy to use and was priced right. However, I have had two situations where it either didn't send my check-in message or couldn't locate me on a map, despite following all instructions. The response I got from customer service was completely underwhelming and vague and makes me question whether I can count on the device in a true emergency. With the new Mini 2 now out, I think I will finally make the switch. Thanks for making this clear!
InReach isn't true two way communication. The InReach needs to initiate messages first before anyone can reply, meaning you may accidentally miss the memo and be the last to know.
Great comparo. Question. Have you used either of these in wooded/forest environments? I had a SPOT and it stunk for what I want (communicate with my wife while riding my motorcycle on trail.) Biggest issue is most riding is forest roads near Mt Rainier.
I feel that the dedicated phone number is the most important feature for a communication device.
Very informative video
Is the breadcrumb trail feature gluten free?
I'm getting to the point where I'm considrring a gps device, apprexiate your in-depth coverage. Correction: at 0:54, the mAh capacity for the inreach that you stated is different than what appears on-screen
given their functionality from the perspective of my requirements is fairly similar, I went with the InReach because it looked so cool in black & orange and clips to my pants or backpack with ease
Does the Zoleo also do live tracking over cellular, instead of over satellite, when there is cellular coverage? Also, what is the Zoleo's fastest live track point interval?
@justinoutdoors fabulous review! Thanks!!
I chose the in reach, the requirement for an additional piece of equipment (cell phone) was the reason. If the phone fails then the only function of the zolieo is SOS.
Great vs video! I got my inreach 1 for $250 on an REI sale but I've also seen the zoleo for 10-20% off. I think the base plan for the inreach is a lot cheaper in the long run than the zoleo. The zoleo base doesn't give you unlimited presets which is a big flaw.
Zoleo does have a newish add-on option that allows for that, but it's $6 additional each month.
I also bought an inreach 1 for $250 at REI. I also had a couple REI gift cards that dropped it to $170 out of pocket.
Zoleo being able to operate on wifi was attractive, but the unlimited presets makes it feasible to use the cheapest plan with the inreach. It’s so much cheaper in the long run. That, and the fact that you still have full functionality without a cell phone made the decision for me.
@@jonsanford2515 agreed!!! 👍
On thing I should have made more clear when it came to my opinion of the two devices, and most things in general actually, is that I think people put WAY to much stock when it comes to "free", as here a lot of people are saying "free check-ins!" as a reason Garmin's plans are better. In my experience most people "check in" to let people know they have started the day and then made it successfully to the next camp. Now for the "weekend warrior" the Zoleo user, without the $6 upgrade would be able to send unique check-ins for an entire week, instead of prearranged, and still have 11 regular text messages, or emails, to otherwise communicate. "Free" offers are usually a marketing gimmick and unless you have people who are going to be religiously following your progress with your 10 minute check-in/bread crumb trail it looks like this is exactly what Garmin is doing.
Btw this isn't Garmin hate, love my Fenix and my Connect and Explore apps but even with having to pay for 3 months up-front for the Zoleo you still spend less than you would just buying an Inreach Mini-2 without a subscription
One thing that sold me on the Zoleo was that you get a dedicated phone # and then after you've had a subscription for 3 maybe 4 months you can 'suspend' the service for $4 a month. Perfect for us warm weather weekend warrior types who aren't out in the winter. Activate in the spring, use, suspend in the winter, everyone you've ever given the dedicate # to still has it and it works! They're also very flexible with upping your plan if you have a busy month and need it and can change back. Those factors sold me more on it than the slightly lighter Garmin and most of us always have our phones. Phone dies? The SOS and check in still work on the zoleo itself.
The dedicated number thing is kind of meaningless unless you're something like a long thru or international trip and want a fair number of people to be able to communicate with you. Otherwise with Garmin you can just send a single message at the start and that opens a message thread and generates a number which stays linked to that Garmin user as long as the message thread has activity on it. In short it works the same, its just not a number you can give out like with Zoleo but given the device type you're most likely not going to be sharing that number with anyone except for a close friend or family member anyway.
The most attractive feature of the Zoleo, in my opinion, is the 950 character limit if you communicate entirely with the app. If you plan on texting, this allows you to do a huge end of the day update compared to Garmins message cap of 160.
@@natea1042 What's interesting is that I sent my Garmin (Delorme) device out with my wife and daughters for a girls' backpacking trip back in 2018. A year later, my wife took another friend out for a trip and her first message sent from that one just added onto the older thread on my phone. It's maintained a a single message thread on my phone across various trips my wife has taken now that goes back to that first trip my wife took with it back in 2018. It may generate a new and unique number with each contact you start up a message thread with, but for now, it appears to be using the same number year over year to communicate with my phone, so I've since saved it as a contact in my phone. I was even able to initiate the first message to her on that number before she sent her first message to me on the last trip she had it out. I wonder if there's something like a year long reserve on that number that renews if you continue to communicate with the same cell number each year with the device. 🤷♂
The cost factor with subscription is what gets me. Back in the day I had a satellite phone, it would make me flip my sh** for the subscription fees.
Hi Justin, This is in US dollars! Thought you was in Alberta? MEC is showing the Inreach mini 2 for $529 dollars so all the details are in US dollars. Plus Glonss is owned by Garmin the brought the company this year. They only way i new was Spot X had to find a new Search and rescue company. just my thoughts on this thanks
I had a ZOLEO which I lost. Hence now in the market for either another one, Or an Inreach. One thing I liked about the ZOLEO was the breadcrumb tracking. I could set it to drop my location to a couple of contacts automatically, at intervals you can set ranging from minutes to hours. So they can see my route on a map. That way if for some reason I can’t communicate or was not able to/forgot to press the check in button, my last location is known to others. Does the garmin have a feature like this?
anyone have any input on either or for off the grid Baja trips ??
I'd like to know which gets better GPS reception. I use my InReach in wooded valleys with not much sky. My smart phone gets a GPS lat lon much faster than my InReach. If the InReach cannot get my position it is useless.
Gotta have a working phone with the Zoleo. Most times this won't be a problem, but it could be. Also the wifi thing, if you have your phone with you and all you have is wifi the phone can handle that and the Zoleo isn't necessary. So all in all, no comparison, the Garmin is a better option that doesn't require a phone to do it's thing.
I believe you can pause the Zoleo for $4 per month. Doesn't Garmin hit you with a re-activation fee after you pause their service?
What’s the best device for international hiking in the back country as a solo hiker? Safety is key as I may not be able to self rescue. TIA
Does this automatically "breadcrumb" track your movement like the inreach does at I thinkg every 10 min so rescue can find your location even if you don't send it?
Just curious...where did you film this? Scenery looks beautiful.
Arizona!
Which is the most rugged in case you fall down a cliff?
First time viewer.
You Canadian?
I think one thing you didn't touch on about the Zoleo which is a nice feature is you get a dedicated phone number and email address with the Zoleo so people can just save your number and always reach out to you. The InReach (as far as I know) doesn't have a dedicated phone number/email, it changes periodically which can be less convenient. oh yeah and the Zoleo also doesn't cost 6$ extra for location sharing anymore they included it in the plan later in 2022.
That's strange because I see it's an additional cost....2023
@@samuraioodon I just asked this very thing to Zoleo. I think what Raevenswood is refering to is "Check-in Messages" which are unlimited and free. It sends a simple message (which you can't change): "I'm OK. My location is... " plus coordinates. "Location Share+" on the other hand costs extra but allows real-time automatic tracking.
I love my Zoleo!!!
Me too! I only wish it has a basic screen for backup messaging...
Will InReach work in Antarctica?
The Zoleo's ability to use cellular towers instead of satellite messages when available is an interesting feature, but given that you must carry a cellphone anyhow, isn't that available to you anyhow?
yeah but there can be times when you are messaging and it picks up cellular data and then you don't get charged for a message...in the backcountry where you were expecting to be charged for a message. Also if people know you are out on a thru hike and they message you on your dedicated Zoleo number but you are actually in town on a zero day or resupply currently and happen to be using wifi or LTE the message is free.
Motorola defy satellite
You left out one of ZOLEOs biggest advantages in that when msging to another ZOLEO app there are no restrictions on msg size like with the 160char on inreach.
How would the service be like if you use them on a boat and travelling in the open ocean?
Very good. Better than in a forest.
Will these work in Mexico?
I like my Bivy Stick GPS messenger
For safety on the road, I carry my inReach in the car just in case there isn't cell phone reception. Also, the inReach is great on the water
Driving with no cell reception is one of the unsung things the InReach is perfect for!
Aren't they all perfect for that!@@JustinOutdoors
Theres a video on youtube the guy is testing the sos feature. He came to the conclusion that for the sos function on the garmin to even work you need to be paying a subscription do you know anything about the subscription and if this is true?
For both devices, you need a subscription. They don't hide this
I use the Zoleo due to the fact that they give you your own phone number. I know inreach didn’t. Maybe the newer ones do ??
I love my inreach
Not sure if you saw today's Apple announcement Justin but it appears Apple has now added the ability to to contact emergency services via satellite and be able to text rescue services so basically making these devices less important if you are like me and only have a spot gen 4 for the SOS feature. I don't know if the ability to add satellite text messages can be added with the new iPhone but this announcement has changed the game and I am sure has these companies very worried.
I'm super curious to see how this shakes out! It's on the same satellite network as SPOT, so not great global coverage compared the Iridium Network InReach is on. The other factor I am very curious about is how well it connects you to emergency services. InReach and SPOT go through the GEOS center, which acts as a middle man for making sure you're connecting with the right SAR people and have interpreters, if needed. I'll have to look into more what the existing Apple emergency system does!
@@JustinOutdoors my guess is they too will use GEOS since globally I am pretty sure they are the only ones who do this. You can also have people you want to see where you are in the backcountry with no cell coverage using satellite positioning which is a feature I use and to top it off it is free for 2 years with the phone. I can honestly say as an apple user since the late 1980s Apple is very seldom first to the game but take existing tech and improves on it and would not risk their reputation on this feature not being bulletproof.
apparently it works but you have to move around to align with the nearest satellite which might not be possible if you are incapacitated haha. also the iPhone does not use Iridium it uses Globalstar which isn't as reliable as far as satellite networks go.
@@Raevenswood I have a spot 2 gen 4 and it has connection issues and has to be able to have line of sight with the satellites and the once I was so stuck deep in the woods with my motorcycle I considered using the roadside assistance I pay for through spot and I had to walk a long way to get out from under trees to even get it to be able to show it is connected. Another rider came along to help so I didn’t need it but had I been hurt under the tree cover and couldn’t walk, I would be SOL.
Zoleo has an activation fee of $20 and it will charge you $4/mo until you deactivate it. To reactivate it they charge you $20 again which seems predatory. This is compared to InReach Mini's one time activation fee and $5/mo cheaper plan. I am thinking about returning my Zoleo and going with the InReach, thoughts?
Don't kill the service, put your plan on hold. That's half the point of Zoleo, you can park it for months at a time and pay a minimal amount to keep your number, reactivate it any time, no extra cost. There is no reason to pay 20 to reactivate.
yeah you don't cancel the service then reactivate it you pause the service and just pay 4$ per month to keep your phone number and email address.
Dedicated phone number on the Zoleo is huge, should have been mentioned. Always changing on the InReach. Also 100G vs 150G....negligible weight difference.
Don't forget to buy the insurance plans.
You push that button-the helicopter ride could cost $60k...
From my understanding Zoleo has a dedicated phone number attached to it where Garmin doesnt. Dont know pros/cons to it but know thats one other thing with zoleo
The Zoleo does have the dedicated number. For some people that is a huge benefit. For me, it's inconsequential.
Great review but a few things were missed I think. I have used a Zoleo where there is a cell connection but not my network. That, and wifi use inside, cost $ so your subscription is going to be a little more because you are connecting to multiple communication pipelines.
Also I think you need to consider skill set and other devices. For skill set I am one of those people who is HUGE on knowing land navigation skills and always having a proper compass on my person. Because of that the land navigation features on the Inreach are largely redundant. Also let's be honest, how often do I use those land nav skills or tools on the prepared trails on NA? Only as an exercise, never survival. Regarding other equipment I always make sure my cellphone is a waterproof model. On one thru hike mine got soaked. I had to wait for the charging port to dry but all it took was putting it inside my quilt with my body heat and less than 30 minutes later it could charge and be used. Tbh imo anyone who goes into the Backcountry without a water proof/resistant phone is short sighted
Finally I honestly can't see anyone but a professional backcountry guide needing more than the mid range plan of the Zoleo and that is the most cost productive.
So in terms of practical use I really think the Zoleo is better. Most people, skill or no skill, will never use the Inreach's built in navigation, if your phone fried you did something wrong and for plans the most commonly used is better on Zoleo. This is kinda like comparing the performance of a Porsche to a Subaru WRX. How often will you be on the professional race track where the Porsche's performance advantage matters?
The biggest downfall with the Zoleo is the plan pricing. They really need to get competitive and roll unlimited customizable check-ins into the price. 25 messages just isnt enough, certainly not for a through hike where you're sending at least 2 check-ins a day. For activation over most of a year they're also far more expensive since there is no pro-rated pricing for a yearly activation. Garmin is way cheaper in that regard.
As far as phone reliability goes. I mean things happen especially if you constantly have your phone out for navigation or media (music/book/podcast etc...). Or your battery bank/cable may have an issue and your phone dies. There is no arguing that the redundancy of the Inreach isnt a plus especially given this is a SOS devices we're talking about.
If either of these companies combats their shortcomings over one another we'll end up with a pretty nice product.
@@natea1042 I find the $35.00 a month to be more than reasonable than almost any of the Inreach plans. 250 satellite messages vs Inreach 40 for $34.95. The only drawback with that level is you have to pay for 3 months before you can suspend but unlike say my old Spot-X there is no yearly fee and unlike the Inreach no charge to suspend. Also there is no charge to pull a weather report and for an extra $6.00 you also get unlimited checkins. Even Zoleo's unlimited plan is cheaper at $50.00. When was the last time you compared the plans?
@@natea1042 You can set up a single "I'm Ok" checkin preset for up to 5 contacts with Zoleo. It'll just cost an additional $6 on top of whatever plan you're using. That said, I agree that the Garmin is cheaper in the long term for those of us who are weekend warriors. I only get out once or twice each month for most months of the year so the lowest tier plan for Garmin suits my needs there, especially with the unlimited presets included in that base price. Then when I get more active with more trips and longer tips in June, July and August, I'll up the subscription to the mid tier plan. Going with the Annual plan with Garmin is significantly cheaper than the base plan of Zoleo especially if you throw their $6 add-on feature to those months.
@@johnschmalbach8243 Garmin has no suspension fee unless you want one of the newer Professional Accts for 2min tracking intervals. Normal freedom plans are $35 once a year and you can activate and deactivate whenever you want without any fees. Zoleo has a $20 activation fee then hides further fees in the $4/mo suspension charge so if you use it 3 months then you still pay $36 more in those fees. They also essentially force you to pay that fee otherwise if you let the account lapse and go to reactivate you have to repay the $20 activation fee and get locked back into the 3 consecutive month minimum service so it's $80 minimum just to turn it on or always pay the suspension fee. To reiterate that also is not including any check-ins. I'd rather just pay Garmin's fee up front and use it whenever I want. Any way you slice it Zoleo basic plan pricing sucks. I do agree Zoleo has a better mid tier but that's only if you want to text a ton otherwise most people will find Garmin's equivalent plan sufficient (3 unlimited customized presets and 40 custom messages). Garmin also includes track sharing on the map at the second and third tier plans while Zoleo charges $6/mo more for that feature across all plans.
@@natea1042 I did note the 3 month minimum with the Zoleo. Also I was looking at the Inreach Pro, not Consumer, plans because the Pro plans are the closest to Zoleo in one important respect, you can change plans on the fly. The Pro plan has a $5.00 a month suspension fee. Especially since my employment makes me eligible for various purchasing programs and I got my Zoleo for $150 w/ free shipping. The extra 2 months required subscription almost paid for itself and since I will be using the device for quite sometime
Also the # of messages can basically cover you check in difference if you are a weekend warrior and it can be even more useful depending on your outings, who you need to contact, and even where you live. I think people get hung up on "free". Yeah I don't have a "free" automatic check-in but I have 210 more custom messages that I can use to check in. Also even in PA you will hit places where even driving along in your car you will have no cell signal so I actually bring whatever communicator I own when I am going to certain places for family road trips. I actually first found out about these things from friends who are big into overlanding on their motorcycles. When they get "out there" they often don't have cell service, even on the road, and you want an SOS if you dump your bike.
But in the end I did the math. $150 + $20 + $105 in first year minimum pricing vs $400.00 (Inreach Mini 2) before I pay for the mid tier subscription. Even at the full price of $200.00 that really seems like a no brainer.
Is a full size inreach worth considering?
Great comparison. Keep in mind, if you ever use the sos button you will have to pay for the rescue team and all that stuff. Prob wish you never were rescued after the bill is due.
Not necessarily. It depends on where you are. In Canada and a lot of the US, rescue is free.
Agree, this is not true. GEOS IERCC only gets in touch with your local S&R, and updates you (and your family) with progress. Pushing the SOS button is practically the same as phoning your local S&R. They are not going to make you liable for costs just because you phoned them. The decisions that you or your family make as to what S&R option you decide on is another matter, and could either be free or cost $$$ depending on the S&R policies in your country.
@@mazambane Come on man, get real. You will be charged and that's how it is.
They can only sue you for the money if you’re alive.
Not if you’re in a National Park in the US. All costs covered.
You’ve been very biased in your review. But that’s your choice if you would give actual stats the zoleo wins when you take out the start up costs. Thanks for the time you put into this video.
One thing that should be mentioned is with Zoleo you need a separate monthly plan just to share your location. I think that's terrible considering letter people know where you are is a big part of having a satellite communicator.
I think you need to buy a particular package if you want real time tracking but sharing your location with a check-in is part of the base subscription and not extra.
@@sarahlikescanoes I use the minimum plan and it tracks. How it works is it uses 2 credits for 1 hour of live tracking.
The fact that you HAVE to have a functioning phone for the Zoleo to work is the deal breaker for me.
Inreach mini is BEST
No contest. Mini 2. Faster messaging across multiple devices and more basic GPS/track/backtrack functionality. The Mini 2 can message without a synced cell phone. From a safety perspective this standalone capability is the significant key difference.
do these work in Africa?
yup
I feel like the garmin has over hype and people want that status of the little orange thing dangling from their shoulder strap to have that almost status symbol of an elite hiker. Yet all I hear is how awesome the zoleo is. Devin from BE stands by zoleo. I trust him heavily
If you're going crazy deep into the bush, just rent a satellite phone for your excursion. You can call anyone as much as you want. Never had a issue.
Ginger or Maryann
Good review. But, there's really one significant comparison: How many satellites the parent company has... Spot sucks because it has only a few satellites. You can go into the woods in the East and never get a signal... Garmin has nearly 30... Works just about anywhere.... Now sure about Zoleo.
Zoleo and Garmin use the same satellite network - Iridium. Iridium has 66 operational satellites in the sky and global coverage.
This is not correct. Spot uses Globalstar and they have 48 LEO satellites. But they all pretty much have anywhere from 24-36 satellites depending on the system (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, etc.)
Zoleo has micro b charging..
Garmin it is then
The SOS function should be free.
meh? if you pause the plan for the inReach you are charged another 25 dollar activation fee. so each time it goes down its 25. Zoleo is a 4 a month retainer fee. the month to month is 4 dollars more but you are getting double the messages which seems to be good value so the 90/100 dollar calc is a bit invalid.
The garmin has only pre loaded messages, you can't text on the go. The zolio you can text on the go , all depends what you want and $$
One critical point that wasn't mentioned is that the Zoleo maintains a dedicated SMS number and email address. inReach used to, but then they dropped it, which is an enormous loss. Saying "hey, headed into the backcountry - text me at " is invaluable; asking friends/family/coworkers to go navigate a webapp to send a message is ludicrous. Also, the Garmin Earthmate app is absolute trash. Unreliable, confusing, and seems to have been abandoned a few years ago. So many bugs. Messages don't even show up in the app half the time. Zoleo is flawless in this regard.
If texting, the people on the other end don't need to go through the webapp. They can just reply. The number hasn't changed for me since I started using the IM2 about 6 months ago. The IM2 uses the Explore App, which addresses a lot of the issues I had with the Earthmate App. Still not as streamlined as Zoleo's app, but a whole lot better.
@@JustinOutdoors my "number" changed a few times on my inReach, and Garmin doesn't officially support it. From their FAQ:
"The number that the message comes from can change based on what region of the world the recipient is currently in, and can also change from recipient to recipient. These numbers should not be shared with others as a way to reach the inReach user, and messages sent directly to these numbers will not be delivered."
Sure it works for replies (for a while), but about 10 years ago it worked the same way as Zoleo - you had a fixed number you could just give people and you didn't have to contact them first. Then they changed it, sigh.
Good to hear the Explore app is better; the persistent multi-year-long bugs in Earthmate are what drove me away from Garmin for good.
@@GordLamb I also dislike this inability for family/friends to initiate texts to a InReach user via there own texting app in case they need to contact you immediately. Fortunately, there is work around --- I saw on the Garmin site that they can download the Garmin Messenger app on their phone to send a message to an inReach user if they need to get in touch.
Totally! I can't imagine my 70 year old mother trying to navigate gamins interface on her phone when I'm just letting her know I'm alive. Also If something happened to someone in my family while I was out in the bush they wouldn't reliably be able to reach me to tell me there was a situation happening. I think both devices have their pro's and cons but Zoleos only real weakness is the possibility of losing texting if you have a phone meltdown for some reason. with that said it still functions as a rescue and check in device without a phone so it's only a temporary negative mark on the zoleo because you'd definitely be replacing the phone when you got home. People always use that as a negative for the Zoleo but I think it's a positive really because the most important features are protected in a bomb proof case while the inreach does everything in unit but what if the screen breaks, then you wouldn't know if anything was working.
my zoleo turned out a piece of junk ,couldnt send or recieve messages even after update, could thini didnt depend on it
sold the piece of crap
lol, at that price I’m gonna have to stick with what I can afford. Smoke signals…
Great vid btw.🙂
I cant even imagine being the type of guy who'd choose an item over the other simply because it weighed 50 grams less. That is ridiculous.. The whole ultra-lite thing is like a contest to see who has the smallest PP.. We get it, yours is very small.. But its not smaller than mine..
Garmin looks like the clearrrrr winner
It’s not