Garmin inReach Messenger Handheld Satellite Communicator, Global Two-Way Messaging
$299.99
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4.3 out of 5 stars with 244 reviews
5 out of 5 stars
3 January, 2026
originally posted on Garmin
Works great and has a long battery life.
I actually purchased this a year ago to go on my trip through South America and also for flying my powered parachute for safety. Well it's been a year and I am finally using it. I charged it up and had it sitting around the house for about a month and the battery still had a ton of juice left in it. I started my trip and had it on while on the plane from Seattle to Medellin, Colombia and it tracked me all the way there which was awesome! Now that I am in town it has tracked all over where I have walked and taken the metro. It's awesome for family members to see where I am for mine and their security.
4 out of 5 stars
24 November, 2025
originally posted on Garmin
Good performance
Good performance. Only criticism is that there's a bit of a delay in the messaging (~ 20min for a message to be sent or received), but perhaps that's to be expected with a satellite-based system. I don't know if others are better. Messaging via the phone app worked great from northern Ontario.
5 out of 5 stars
18 November, 2025
originally posted on Garmin
Would recommend
Easy to use, love it in the back country and on the trail
5 out of 5 stars
30 October, 2025
originally posted on ExpertVoice.com

Great communication/emergency device
I have used the inreach messenger on many extended backcountry trips and it has been just what I need, a simple and compact version of an emergency and communication device. I have only used it with my phone (can imagine this would be quite a pain without pairing it) and have not missed the lack of mapping/nav features, but if either of those are a concern, this may not be the best option. For me, however- perf. Long battery life is a bonus as well. Have not yet used the reverse charge feature, but I bet that will come in handy someday.
5 out of 5 stars
25 October, 2025
originally posted on ExpertVoice.com

Great peace of mind
This messenger device would be my 5th Inreach or satellite communication tool and became an instant preference over others. The battery life is by far the best feature with this model as I am not as worried about leaving the tracking feature on higher frequency when out hunting by myself. The main complaint I would have is the ability to use this device for active mapping on your own phone when connected, but Garmin also provides an updated model the Messenger+ that provides this feature.
5 out of 5 stars
17 October, 2025
originally posted on ExpertVoice.com

The best option
Battery that lasts for days. Good tracking. Emergency communications. Cell phones have sat messenging available but I haven't had it be as reliable as a sat messenger. Maybe one day but for now traveling in the backcountry alone this device is madatory. I find it lasts a whole weekend without issue.
5 out of 5 stars
4 October, 2025
originally posted on ExpertVoice.com

(no review title)
Through 360 miles of Unbound XL this allowed my family to track every mile
4 out of 5 stars
4 October, 2025
originally posted on ExpertVoice.com

Mostly good
a little tedious to use without a phone but otherwise it works great and has good connectivity
5 out of 5 stars
2 October, 2025
originally posted on Garmin
Exactly what I needed
Using On-X for years and love it, but wanted the inreach option too. The Inreach Messenger was the perfect fit. I was able to stay in touch with everyone wether they had a Garmin with inreach or just a cellphone with the messenger app.
5 out of 5 stars
30 September, 2025
originally posted on ExpertVoice.com

(no review title)
I purchased this for an off road trip to be able to keep in touch with family. Battery life was excellent, it only dropped 10% after 4 days of intermittent use. Size and weight wasn't a concern for this trip but I don't have any concerns in taking it on the next backpacking trip. It will be a minimal weight penalty for some peace of mind.
1 out of 5 stars
24 September, 2025
originally posted on Garmin
Hard a super difficult time getting to work
Very disappointing. Paid for the subscription and unlimited messaging as our family is dealing with major medical at this time. Was hoping to be able to communicate regularly. Unfortunately most of the time was told it needed a clear view of sky. We were 9500 feet up and had clear view. Took several minutes for messages to send and seemed to only receive messages once it was turned off and then back on. Was impossible to actually have any sort of back and forth dialog. Super dissatisfied.
1 reply from Care team - 4 months ago
I'm very sorry to hear about your experience! Garmin inReach devices require a clear view of the sky to transmit messages and track points over the Iridium satellite network. Without a clear view of the sky, the device will continuously attempt to send the information until it acquires satellite signals. This FAQ provides additional information, as well as tips for avoiding message delays: http://ms.spr.ly/6426sSRI0
5 out of 5 stars
23 September, 2025
originally posted on ExpertVoice.com

Solid and Reliable
Worked flawlessly in the field, connects reliably to my phone, and has excellent battery life. Took it on a week long trek and used it most nights to message my family on the other side of the planet, and the experience was smooth. I also appreciated how discreet the design is visually, definite selling point for me.
5 out of 5 stars
16 September, 2025
originally posted on ExpertVoice.com

Great way to Keep in Touch
I got this for some backcountry hunting trips. It is really nice to put my Fiancée's mind at ease when I'm trekking deep into bear country most of the time in the dark. Super easy to use and the added benefit of purchasing SAR Insurance at a reasonable rate make this a no brainer. Definitely worth the extra few ounces.
5 out of 5 stars
6 September, 2025
originally posted on Garmin
Excellent easy to use
Excellent with easy to use features. Acquires GPS satellites quickly! I always have communication with a message satellite, even in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico! At this price, can't be beat. It works!
5 out of 5 stars
3 September, 2025
originally posted on ExpertVoice.com

Perfect on a Budget
I have used a Garmin 66i on many occasions in the backcountry. While the inReach messenger doesn't have all the same capabilities as that unit it gets the job done. If you are on a budget but need an inreach this is the tool for your toolbox. The antenna is impressively strong and I haven't had any connectivity issues with my phone. The garmin apps are well made making this a great product. Lightweight and fits nicely in a binoharness if you carry one of those around.
3 out of 5 stars
2 September, 2025
originally posted on Garmin
Good but could use some features
Was great from a safety, messenger and tracking perspective. Would be great to be able to load GPX to show the pathing. Similar to the Garmin forerunner 945 I use and my support crew can track.
5 out of 5 stars
26 August, 2025
originally posted on Garmin
Works great!
Bought a few months ago. Few times that I used it was spot on to get the message out.
5 out of 5 stars
25 August, 2025
originally posted on Garmin
Peace of Mind
Living in Wyoming cell service is an issue, especially in the mountains. My Wife has Multiple Sclerosis, so keeping in contact with her is imperative. InReach provides us with the ability to keep in contact if she starts having issues. InReach gives both of us a peace of mind when I am away, she knows I am safe and I know everything is good with her.
5 out of 5 stars
14 August, 2025
originally posted on Garmin
Love it!
Great insurance. The interface with mobile phone through the Messenger app is convenient, although my first trip I forgot my phone and the auto generated check-in texts are really nice. They feature a hyper text link to a detailed map with exact coordinates so friends and family know exactly where you can be found.
5 out of 5 stars
13 August, 2025
originally posted on Garmin
Easy to use
I bought this as my first satellite communicator after getting tired of not being able to update my family on solo hikes/camping as a female. I tried it with my family before I went on my 4 day backpacking adventure (with 3 friends). Not knowing how these things worked, it was easy to figure out. The cool part was that I was still able to send/receive messages with my cell phone being OFF and it would still send them updates of my location tracking. Texting was not super easy on the device since it's just one long line of letters to scroll left or right on so it took some time. But, it isn't exactly meant to be used as a cell phone to consistently send messages back and forth. No complaints with it at all. It did take a little while to send messages sometimes depending on where I was (tree cover vs open sky). My friends and I all had communicators and we hiked our own hike, so we weren't always together. We kept each other informed of dangers on the trail or what to look out for. Since messages weren't sending quickly, a helpful hint to anyone using a satellite communicator would be to timestamp any message that is sent. The longest was a 8min delay, but again, open sky is key. One annoying thing was that it didn't come with a lanyard, clip, or anything to attach it to your pack and I didn't want to buy accessories. I ended up finding some thin cord to fish through the spot it's supposed to go and attached it to a twisty tie to keep on my pack. Overall, love the thing. Highly recommend.