ZOLEO Satellite Communicator

Definitely was careless to not pick up a GPS unit years ago given the amount of time I spend off the grid, but I finally opted out of peace of mind to get one this year. I’ve read reviews for a while now and really the options boil down to if you want a built in keyboard or not (I.e. ZOLEO vs garmin Inreach) being they’re both on the same satellite network coverage should be roughly the same. Ultimately I opted for the ZOLEO for several reasons. The unit is a simple beacon, it’s rugged, weighs hardly anything, about the same size as a phone (slightly thicker) and holds up against water. I spend a lot of time in backcountry especially on waterways so I didn’t need anything fancy. Next, I’ve read some terrible reviews about garmins software and UX, the need to download multiple apps to manage service and messaging and ZOLEO was just their app for messaging and if you want to use a pairing GPS app (I passed on this). Subscription runs $5/month when idle or $20/month when in use which I believe is slightly cheaper than Garmin and I don’t know if there’s an idle option in Garmins terms. So bad UI and pricing was another strike against InReach devices. In terms of usage, have had minor issues, happened only a couple times where on parts of trips my location ie coordinates were not available when a ping was sent. Again this happened a few times but typically the next interval ping had my location shared. No issues with exposure to elements at all. Messages usually take a 3-4 minutes to relay (when it’s not perfectly clear of obstructions above you) but it’s been as fast as under a minute when you’re in open view of the sky. Haven’t tested the full limits of the battery but no issues running up to a week so far, with battery life stated around 240 hours. For peace of mind, functionality, subscription costs and not needing anything overly complex IMO this is a better buy than the Garmin Inreachs or other GPS units on the market. You get same satellite network as Garmin which is the best one available.

A few weeks ago when we were camping/overlanding, my wife asked a great question - what do we do when someone gets hurt or an emergency, and we have no cell signal? A very good question, and where we live cell signal outside of the few major cities and interstate is a bit spotty, and in mountains is non-existant. After some research, we decided to give Zoleo a try. We set it up and tested it on our deck outside (it needs open sky to work), and all the features seemed to work (we didn't try SOS, but everything else). The "I am OK" check button had our location within 30' (it sends GPS coordinates with the OK message), so that seems to work as well. We really just wanted a system that we could get help when needed (I have an overland truck with a roof-top tent. It would take a while to fold up everything even good enough to travel, and sometimes time is important), message folks when needed, or get updates from pet sitter, etc. We didn't need all of the maps and stuff that come with other products (I use other apps to do navigation). We were able to send/receive text messages with it in the middle of nowhere (no cell signal for miles), battery life was great, the app is actually pretty easy to use, and initial activation worked great. My wife and I both set it up together (so either of us can use it), and it was pretty easy to setup contacts and such after you understood the interface (it's not that hard to pick up). I called customer service once (to understand what my emergency contacts would see if we activated SOS), and the person answering the call was very friendly and knowledgeable. For us, this is pretty close to a perfect device for our needs. The cost of the device isn't that bad, its rugged/waterproof, 200hr battery life (we left it on for multiple days - I think 200hr is pretty accurate), the monthly cost gives you more messages than other brands (and you can suspend it after 3 months - they charge $4 per mo. for your account when suspended, and you can turn on/suspend however you like after the initial 3 months...if you turn it on, then they charge you for a month, but you can suspend it for the next month..all done on website), the app is fairly easy to use (we use iPhones). We just wanted to be able to do basic messaging/check-ins/get help, and that is really all this device does (but it does it well). You don't have to have the app running for check-in or SOS, and the device also let's you know some info via lights (you have a message waiting, SOS received, check-in sent ok, you need to charge it, etc). This won't give you a bunch of maps and stuff, so if that is more of your need, look elsewhere. But if your looking for an inexpensive PLB/sat messaging system, then this little guy may be it. It's a newer company, but so far I think they have a winning solution. With the new camping boom, they may have rolled this out at a great time. Very satisfied.

Got to use all the features on the first time out unfortunately. I bought this unit based on some great reviews and had all the features I needed. Ultimately purchased it to communicate with group of snowmobilers during winter rides. I had a break down and was separated on back to back trips this year and wanted a solution. So I took it on a hiking trip over the recent holiday weekend and told a contact (Android phone) once I got up to the camp site, I would send a location pin (IOS phone) and have him guess which location we ended up in in order to test sharing a location and having them find it on their app with offline maps. Just short of the camping spot I ended up breaking my leg. I started texting contacts in my iPhone using the Zoleo device and phone app to find out how far behind the rest of the group was and learned they were about 3 hours behind me. I debated for about 30 minutes about what to do and ultimately ended up pressing the SOS button due to the severity of the injury and remote location. Things I learned from my Zoleo device experience: 1. Response time between texts was very good. Even though I was in a real bad spot against steep sloping terrain with very tall trees on all sides......signal was the only problem based on my injury location. However, I believe the longest time for sending or receiving a text was 1-2 minutes but most of the time it was almost instantaneous. 2. SOS response was excellent. Once pressed they immediately reached out to my emergency contacts. They were in contact with me within 2 minutes and updated me throughout the ordeal. First communication was "GEOS: This is the IERCC, what is your emergency?". 3. Once IERCC determined that it was an emergency, they contacted a sheriff's office around 65 miles away (nearest location by checking Google). The sheriff's office then immediately contacted a local volunteer search and rescue crew. 4. When the search and rescue crew arrived, they were very professional, prepared, and very good at what they do. Very happy about that part. They immediately said they were pleased that I was able to get a very accurate location and inquired about how I did so. I showed them the Zoleo device and the SOS function and they were super impressed but hadn't heard of it before. They were able to use the location pin sent from my Zoleo device and input it into an onX app on their iPhone's and arrived exactly to my location. So there was no time "searching" around and took the guess work of finding me out of the time it took to rescue me. 5. At some point I inquired if I had to do any paperwork with them once finished and they said no. So there was no financial liability with these search and rescue folks. However, once we reached my vehicle I wasn't sure what their protocol was and requested that I drive myself out to the hospital of my choice. Their response was that there was too much liability for them to release me and instead drove me to the forest area boundary to be picked up by a waiting ambulance. So at that point I was liable for the cost of the ambulance and an overnight stay at an unknown hospital. Not really a bad thing in the end but I wasn't sure what the financial implications would be by pressing the SOS button......but I know now. Bottom line: I will never go off grid again without my Zoleo device. It was peace of mind when I got injured and the search and rescue crew gave me great feedback on how it helped them do their job to help me. Also, my contact that was sent the location pin instantly knew exactly where I was at as well, which is why I initially purchased it. Hope this helps anyone looking for something similar in a satellite communication device linked to IOS and/or Android phone.------not affiliated in any way with this company or how the device works------

I don't usually do reviews, but there's amateurs who didn't do their due diligence on this complaining.... So yes, you have to pay a fee which is one of the lowest for what you get in the industry imho. I've got two that I keep on plan or standby depending on the time of yr so my kids and myself on a moto have a back up plan. This is how you keep from dying on complex adventures alone especially. If you aren't wanting a stay alive option, then don't get it. Does it work, yes. Keep it updated and test it, but once set up ours has been very reliable for years. As parents, with a 20yr old on a 18 mile hike on a 14er alone in the rockies, we almost pulled the switch. We can track it as it sends a breadcrumb update to us and we saw the kid stopped for a while with weather blowing in. We were eventually able to message them via Zoleo to confirm they were good and just waiting for it to blow through under cover. Point is, people die more than you think. Zoleo & Garmin In-reach are good devices. We chose this one for our needs as the tracking is great and the phone is always with our people. If you don't want to pay for the safety, then use your phone and hope for the best. Many hikes have service and phones can now message via satellite. Just remember, none let you know exactly where and how to quickly get help with the push of a button and when a life is on the line, the cost is cheap. If you basically sit at home all year, then you don't need this. If you mountain bike, hike, moto in remote areas, travel into crazy places whatever, then you shouldn't leave home without a plan B. Especially if you do it alone! We have also used these as back up communications while our kids are out of state/country in case cell phones etc are down. We had a daughter within 30 miles of the Carolina catastrophe and it was great to be able to reach out to her reliably by text until cell service returned.

Instructions for set-up were a little vague, but their new subscription deal is phenominal! Tests all worked well, once we got it set up. Customer support is really good, as long as you get a real person to talk to. It's now hurricane season in Florida, and the acid test is coming up!

I have used and recommended this device many times. I love the fact that the messaging app tries to send WIFI first, Cell second and Satellite last, saving money. I find it much easier to send a pin to someone using this app than using Google Maps. You don't have to be connected to the device in order to use the app as long as you have WIFI or Cell service. I have also used this off the grid and unlike some other systems, the message goes through quickly as there are many more satellites in this constellation. I also used it in Dallas this summer when AT&T's system was down (and for some reason the WIFI was down as well). I noticed that a few people gave this a "1" rating and so I read some of them. They are not describing anything like my experience or the experiences of my friends that have purchased this item. Satellite communication is not free and while it's cheaper than the past, it's similar to the cost of using a cell phone. For me it's about safety and being able to communicate at all times and everywhere. I bought this right after hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Coast. I was inspecting property north of Corpus Christi just 36 hours after Harvey hit. I had a Ham radio, CB radio, multiple cell phones and nothing worked. Turns out, hurricanes knock down EVERYONE's antennas for several miles. My neighbor's land line worked but her chordless phone battery was dead. That's when I resolved to go satellite and bought this device. We love to go to Big Bend National Park in West Texas. Most of the park is off the grid, and for nearly 100 miles around. The Big Bend Amateur Radio Club has a robust system of repeaters but even that does not cover the whole park. I've used this for business communcation and just checking in from many areas in the park that are off grid. I've noticed the other national parks have very poor cell service as well. In my opinion, this device is well priced and the service cost is reasonable and the device has never failed to perform. As I said, I have and I continue to recommend and use this device.

Like: cheap monthly fee of $20. Compared to Garmin monthly fees Dislike: clumsy instruction manual that makes it difficult to get full functionality out of the device. Also, zoleo charged me $60+$20=$80….they said that ‘they would forgive the extra $40 that I owed them for several months of subscription I would never use! whoa, what a deal for just turning on the device and trying it out. I tried many times to contact zoleo and explain to them I returned the device to amazon within a week of receiving it. I shouldn’t be charged anything for this poorly documented device. However, they insisted that I pay them $80, otherwise they would charge late fees and then they would likely send a collection agency to get my fees and also downgrade my credit rating. What a nightmare this company is, it is a predatory company that will automatically charge you $60 start up fee and force you to pay $20/month for 3 months, whether you keep the device or not. On principle alone, I would never work with a predatory company like this if I knew they were like this. Amazon is very good about keeping predatory companies from their site. I think they should kick zoleo off the Amazon advertising unless zoleo agrees to give a money back and no fee guarantee for trialing the device for several weeks. Zoleo should also refund the predatory and unethical charges they have imposed on users who don’t want their device within several weeks of using it. BTW, I only found a few reviews from users in the USA. I am not sure why only a few from USA rated this device. Where are the >1000 other uses located? I have my suspicions…. For example, I supposedly get 25 messages/month with $20/month subscription. As it turns out, the device delivers a ‘Hi, I’m ok message’ with a map of your coordinates every 4 minutes. How did this happen? I didn’t specify every 6 minutes. Are these part of the 25 messages/month or are the messages the specific email ones I type? How do I change from the periodic every ~6 minutes ‘Hi, I’m ok’ message to once every 12 hours etc. I had many questions but the sparse instruction manual did not answer such questions. I went to their help line controlled by a female AI speaker, totally worthless. She sent me to advertising blurbs on the www. I poked around and around and after 1-2 hours of trial and error discovered how to change messaging from a period of 4 minutes to hours. I could not find the answer to the question of being charged for each of these 4 minute auto messages. I could not find instruction on how to type out a personal message. I gave up after about 2-4 hours of trying to control this device to my satisfaction. The help messages went to the wrong persons, btw, and I could not easily find out how to change the people target for these messages. If you have a half day of patience in trial and error testing in determining how these features work, this is probably an ok device. If you don’t have such patience and am tired of rewarding people who construct unintuitive and poorly written user interfaces, then don’t buy this device. Btw, they charge an extra $6/month if you want an unlimited number of auto messages/month…I didn’t sign up for that but within the first day of trying to get this device to work it nearly exceeded the 25 auto-message limit. What a ripoff.

I waited a while to test this out in the field before writing a review. I love this device. It is so simple to use, it is rugged/durable and it just works. 1. The device itself is simple to use. No screen, only a few buttons, no confusion, good visual and audio confirmations. 2. The app is very user friendly 3. Setup was simple. 4. Connectivity is really good. With a clear view of the sky messages ususally send within 30 seconds. 5. Battery life is great for what I need it for (up to 5 days of light use) The only con is no USB-C, but for the price I can overlook that. I highly recommend this device if you are traveling out of cell service or just want a little extra safety and peace of mind when in the backcountry.

As I will be doing a lot of solo back country hiking / camping in Arizona shortly, I was looking for a product that would keep me in touch with love ones when out of cell phone signal, as well as giving me the assurance of calling for assistance should I injure myself etc. I done a lot of research and chose the Zoleo GPS Communicator over all the other brands as this gave me everything I needed at a reasonable cost. The set up was so easy and after making some test SMS and emails was confident that I will be able to keep in touch with people back home. The unit itself is small and feels high quality. This item will take some knocks in its stride. You do need to sign up for a monthly subscription but out of all the others on the market this one gave more buck for my money and also gave me the option to suspend or cancel after 3months which will suit me just fine. I obviously have not tested the SOS function and hope I never have to So far happy with the purchase Update….. Have just got back from almost a month off grid in the US backcountry. It would not be right to not of give an update. This tiny little box was fantastic! It kept me in touch, not only with mt SOS buddies, but anyone else I wanted to (upto 5 additional people). There was never a time I had any concerns while out solo. It sent out OK updates to all my contacts along with a breadcrumb trail. It never let me down once. Another great thing was, it held its charge for just over 7 days. Fantastic piece of kit. Can not recommend this enough if you do solo trips where there is no mobile signal or patchy. I am now using this in the windscreen of my car driving around the U.K. as a back up for when mobile signal drops

Me ha gustado mucho. Funciona fenomenal con una relación calidad precio excelente. Fácil de poner en marcha, vincular al móvil y contratar plan satelital. Servicio postventa eficiente(eso si en ingles porque te atienden desde EEUU aunque puedes hacerlo vía SMS con la ayuda de la IA). Una tranquilidad ir con él a zonas sin cobertura porque no solo tienes el SOS sino que puedes contactar vía SMS satelital.

Totalmente confiable para la transmisión de mensajes. De fácil configuración y con un app muy sencilla de usar. Mis amigos y familia en cualquier momento pueden ubixarme y comunicarse conmigo.

Easy to set up. Worked first time. Affordable. Will save your life. No brainier

Guter Lebensretter, wenn man im Nirgendwo unterwegs ist und keinen Handy Empfang hat. Hiermit kann man Zuhause Bescheid geben, dass alles ok ist.