Customer reviews from Garmin
Garmin - inReach Messenger 1.08" GPS with Built-In Bluetooth - Black
Average customer rating
4.3
(204 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 204 reviews
5 Stars
127
4 Stars
41
3 Stars
15
2 Stars
14
1 Star
7
Customer Reviews for Garmin - inReach Messenger 1.08" GPS with Built-In Bluetooth - Black
Customer Rating
5
Big improvement from original inReach Mini
on February 7, 2025
Posted by: MikeCO
This is my second inReach - replaced my original Mini with this. The Mini was actually very good - I used it to evacuate a guy from the Grand Canyon last spring - but I hated the Earthmate app and was quite disappointed that the Mini was effectively orphaned by Garmin in that ancient app. It would not communicate with my Garmin watch either. This fixes both problems - the Messenger app is much better and I get notifications on my watch. Battery life is better, it is a USB-C connection (rather than micro), it is almost as small, and still has a tiny screen if your phone dies in an emergency. I do wish the lanyard hole was larger and the device was more thoughtful about how you'd connect it/mount it/tether it to something else.
Common to both devices is being on Iridium rather than Globalstar. I had a pair of Spots years ago and thought they were awful and unreliable with no for-sure confirmation that a message was received and many places in the world without coverage. InReach/Iridium is just solid and reliable everywhere. So those of you that think an iPhone is the cats pajamas for this, well it is on Globalstar. Enough said.
Response from GarminBy Garmin, February 11, 2025
Thank you for your review.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Great product
on March 1, 2025
Posted by: Baja
I bought this for a baja trip and it performed perfectly. Battery life is fantastic
Response from GarminBy Garmin, March 5, 2025
Thank you for your review.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Perfect for when you're beyond cell service.
on December 11, 2024
Posted by: R B
Excellent for peace of mind when you don't have cell service. I can text and even send pics from the backwoods. Let's my wife know I can be reached any time. Awesome battery life.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
on December 5, 2024
Posted by: Clay C
The messenger is very lightweight, compact, and easy to use. I tested it in very remote areas and I enjoyed being able to use my phone to make sending messages easier than doing it on the device like other models have. Great device if you don't need a navigation system build into your device.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
on November 29, 2024
Posted by: Dakota S
I use this as a way to get in touch with coworkers and family when out on work assignments. It is a great little device to get in touch with folks when you're out of cell service and need to shoot a message out.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
on November 20, 2024
Posted by: Anonymous
The Garmin inreach just flat out works. From high alpine MTB rides, deep canyon hikes, backcountry fly fishing trips and multiple way the heck out there hunting trips there has not been a single issue with the messenger. Intuitive app that is easy for both users and a pretty dang simple set up process I will continue to grab the messenger for each trip.
Highly recommend and will look at the newest version as it allows for increased data sharing (longer texts and photos)
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
5
Compact, easy to use, reliable
on November 18, 2024
Posted by: Gustavo Yuki M
Had a great time using this while hiking the Canadian Rockies.
felt rugged, always had good coverage and never had an issue.
Very easy to carry and use with the messenger app, plus being able to charge my phone in a pinch was also a very nice touch.
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin
Customer Rating
4
on October 21, 2024
Posted by: Natalie T
Easy to use and keep stored in my hiking backpack for emergencies-I had some issues setting up the initial subscription, but after setup it has been easy to use!
Written by a customer while visiting Garmin