Garmin Inreach Mini 2 vs Zoleo: A Detailed Comparison

If you’re the kind of person who loves to spend time in the furthest reaches of nature, aka the backcountry for days or weeks at a time, chances are you have thought about buying a satellite communicator.

Satellite communicators are pretty amazing things as they allow seamless communication between you and your loved ones as well as emergency rescue services no matter where in the world you are.

This means you can communicate with anyone who might be worried about you and get rescued when you need it, an awesome additional safety feature. But, which satellite communicator should you buy?

Garmin InReach has been the number one satellite communicator for a long time but there are new options coming into view that are competing for the top spot, one of which is the Zoleo Satellite Communicator.

Join me as I compare in a load of detail, the Garmin mini with the Zoleo Satellite Communicator so you can make sure you have the satellite communicator for your needs.

Networks & Coverage

Both the InReach unit and the Zoleo Platform use the Iridium global satellite network which offers true global coverage with excellent and reliable global satellite communications all over the world.

This means that both of these two way satellite messengers are going to provide you with satellite messaging no matter how deep into the backcountry you are.

Where Zoleo wins for some people is that it can also connect to cellular signals and WiFi to send messages and receive incoming messages, giving you a larger amount of coverage across the world.

But, considering there is a cellular network of a Wifi network available, if you own the InReach Mini 2, you can simply use your phone and turn your InReach off.

I don’t think the Zoleo or the InReach wins here as they provide the exact same amount of reliable coverage if you are carrying either one of the devices along with a smartphone.

Two Way Messaging

Both the InReach Mini 2 and the Zoleo unit allow you to send and receive messages in the form of text messages, email messages, and app to app messages.

You can choose to send custom messages, a check in message, preset messages, SOS messages, and location messages too. This means that no matter which unit you pick, you can always stay in touch with anyone you need to, all over the world.

The key difference is the way in which you send the messages on each device. You can actually read receiving messages on the InReach and reply to them on the device too, or you can connect it to your smartphone and use your conventional messaging apps, hell it even lets you post to social media if you want to.

With the Zoleo, you get a dedicated phone number to communicate via but can only send a check-in message via the unit, otherwise the Zoleo relies solely on the Zoleo app on your smartphone to communicate.

This makes the Zoleo messaging experience very easy as it is just like using your normal smartphone but you will have to have your smartphone working at all times to read a message.

It will flash when you get a message, so you can get your phone out and read it but it has no display whatsoever. Also, some light tree cover seems to block messages on the Zoleo, but not the Garmin, meaning the Garmin has a stronger receiver!

Overall, the InReach unit wins here in my opinion as it provides so much more versatility when it comes to seamless messaging since it works alone for sending messages of all types and reading them too! Plus, the tree cover doesn’t seem to affect it much!

SOS & Location Sharing

Having an SOS feature is key for any satellite communicator as wandering around the backcountry or way offshore in the ocean without one simply isn’t a good idea.

Both the InReach and Zoleo have excellent SOS features which can be activated by pressing and holding the SOS button on the side. This sends an SOS signal out to a rescue service center along with your location.

It will also continue to send your updated location to the rescue team every few minutes and open a chat with an emergency response agent. They will also be able to relay your SOS to all your emergency contacts too.

This allows you to send custom messages to them describing the emergency situation and the exact kind of assistance the rescue team needs to be prepared for.

You can also get messages back from the emergency response team that can advise you on how to manage your emergency and they will give you an ETA for rescue too. The chat window will be kept open until you close it too!

Both the units also let you share your location with loved ones. The Zoleo sends your coordinates via an SMS, whereas the Garmin can send coordinates via an SMS or through map share so the other person can see where you are on a map.

Overall, the InReach Mini wins here but only just as both devices have an awesome SOS and location share feature, but the Map Share side of the Garmin is the icing on the cake.

Use With Or Without A Mobile Phone?

We have already covered the fact that all InReach devices can work on their own and do not need a smartphone for any of their major features (topographical mapping is the only bit you can’t use without a smartphone). This means you can message, SOS, location share, and more without your phone.

The Zoleo, however, can only send SOS and check in messages without a phone connected to the Zoleo app and here are the issues I have with this.

Firstly, battery life is a problem as you have to ensure both the Zoleo device and your phone have enough charge to use the communicator to its fullest. This means carrying battery packs or solar chargers if you plan on spending time in the backcountry for multiple days, a week, or more.

Now, imagine your phone is dead and you are in an SOS situation with the Zoleo. Yes, you can get your SOS message out but you won’t be able to communicate with a rescue team. Therefore you will not know an ETA for rescue, be able to describe the emergency so they are prepared, or get any advice, all of which could save your life.

The Garmin InReach Mini is, without doubt, the winner in this section since it can work without a phone. This adds a huge added element of improved safety for you and it makes using it a lot more convenient.

The display lets you know when you have got any satellite messages you need to reply to, you can type and send messages on the device, read messages on the display, communicate with SOS teams, and more. It simply creates a far more reliable two way messaging system that might just save your life when you need it to.

Maps & Other Features

The InREach devices simply blow the Zoleo out of the water in this section as they come loaded with a ton of amazing features that help you navigate the globe and the Zoleo does not.

Weather

The one similarity between the InReach and Zoleo in this section is that they can both give you location specific weather forecasting which is very handy, particularly since mountain weather is very changeable.

But, the location specific weather forecasting from Zoleo only works on land while the location based weather forecasting from Garmin works everywhere, even in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The Garmin is the obvious choice then for seafarers.

Maps

Zoleo doesn’t provide any maps whatsoever via their smartphone app but you can open up google maps and use that on your phone if you wanted to. There isn’t even a compass included in this one!

The InReach, however, is packed full of GPS navigation features to make your life as easy as possible on the trail. You get a digital compass so you always know your heading, there is also a Trackback feature so you can follow your route back in an emergency, all of which can be done on the unit itself.

Once you connect the InReach to the Garmin Explore app on your phone, the world of navigation opens up to you. You can use topographical maps, plan your trips, create courses, activities, waypoints, and more and once it is all done, you can sync this to your InReach Mini.

This means you can create a route with waypoints and follow it on the InReach Mini after you have synced it up. This makes getting from A to B as chilled as possible and Garmin even gives you free unlimited cloud storage for all your nav data to boot.

Garmin’s InReach service is far more superior when it comes to navigation and extra features, which makes it the clear winner in this section. Between the compass, better weather updates, and actually GPS navigational planning and execution features, it truly is a GPS and Satellite communicator all rolled into one!

Portability & Ease Of Use

When it comes to portability and ease of use, both of these units are pretty equal when compared to each other.

Weighing in at 5.3 ounces and measuring 3.58 x 2.6 x 1.06 inches (Zoleo), 3.5 ounces, and measuring 2.04 x 3.90 x 1.03 inches (Garmin), they are both incredibly lightweight, packable, and thus super portable.

How Garmin added so much more tech into a smaller and lighter package is a bit of a mystery to me though!

Ease Of Use

When used in the same manner, i.e. connected to a mobile phone, both the Zoleo and Garmin units are very easy to use. Simply pair them to your phone via Bluetooth and open your messaging apps to start communicating with whoever you need to.

Sending SOS’ is also a piece of cake, just press the button and the same goes with check in messages too.

When using the InReach without a phone (which the Zoleo can not do) you will have to use the tiny display to send messages which can take a while but reading them and navigating through the features is pretty easy at the end of the day.

Overall, the Zoleo and Garmin are just as portable and easy to use as each other so there are no winners in this section, it is a tie!

Unit & Subscription Costs

When it comes to unit costs, there is a big difference between these two units. The Garmin InReach Mini 2 retails for $390.99 whereas the Zoleo Satellite Communicator retails for $199.99, making the Garmin unit almost double the price of the Zoleo.

If you are shopping on a budget, then the Zoleo makes the most sense as it is a lot cheaper but it doesn’t come with the navigation features of the Garmin and it has to be used with a phone.

I think the extra costs of the Garmin are justified though as they are packing in a ton of extra technology and features which do come at a cost.

Subscription Cost

Unfortunately, neither of these units are going to work unless you have bought an annual subscription plan, so let’s see which one is more affordable.

Zoleo

In order to use Zoleo you have to pay $20 to activate the device and then choose a subscription service costing you between $20 and $50 per month.

The $20 plan gives you 25 sent and received messages (total) a month and each sent or received message is charged at 50 cents each after that. The $50 plan gives you unlimited satellite messages but in both cases you have to pay an extra $6 a month for location share.

You can pause your month contract after the first 3 months for $4 a month so you are only paying when you actually need to use your Zoleo unit.

Garmin

To use the Garmin InReach Mini 2 you can choose to get a yearly subscription or a monthly subscription.

The monthly subscription only works for a month after which it is suspended so you don’t have to pay while you are not using it bar the $5 suspension fee.

You have an option of Basic for $19.95 a month for 20 messages plus unlimited preset messages but you will have to pay 10 cents for send/track points and location requests and $1 for each premium weather forecast.

The advanced plan for $34.95 a month gives you 40 messages, plus unlimited preset messages, and unlimited send/track points and location requests but the weather costs are the same.

Both the Basic and Advanced plans have tracking intervals of every 10 mins whereas the Unlimited plan has intervals of 2 mins and everything is included in the $64.95 per month bar the $1 for each premium weather forecast.

The yearly option is far more affordable and is great for anyone who is always on an adventure like alpine guides. For the same Safety service (Basic eq.) you will pay $11.95/mo, Recreation (advanced) is $24.95/mo, and Expedition (Unlimited) is $49.95/mo.

Overall, the Garmin plans are more affordable for anyone who will use their device regularly but the Zoleo will be more affordable over time.

Durability & Battery Life

When it comes to durability, both the Zoleo and Garmin are shockproof but the Garmin is fully waterproof with the IPX7 rating and the Zoleo is water-resistant with an IP68 rating.

You can submerge the Garmin to a depth of 1 meter for a minute and it will be fine. Submerge your Zoleo in a puddle for a few seconds and chances are, it will break. The Garmin wins the durability contest!

Battery Life

The InReach has a battery life of up to 14 days in the default 10-minute tracking mode and up to 30 days in power saving mode. The Zoleo can do up to 9 days and maybe a few more plus you are going to have to keep your phone charged to use it. The Garmin unit is the winner here!

Garmin Inreach Mini vs Inreach Mini 2

You might be wondering if you can save a few bucks by purchasing the original InReach Mini instead of the InReach Mini 2. In reality, you can save around $40 to $50 doing this but you will miss out on quite a lot of new extras and improvements.

Both Inreach devices are very similar but here are the key differences the InReach Mini 2 has which the InReach Mini does not:

• Up to 14 days of battery life in 10-minute tracking mode compared to 90 hours
• USB-C Interface
• Add up to 1,000 waypoints/favorites/locations.
• TracBack Routing
• Add Up to 100 Courses
• Add Up to 200 Activities.
• Digital Compass
• Compatible with the Garmin Explore app

The main things to be aware of are that the InReach Mini uses the Garmin Earthmate app for navigation which is not as good as the Garmin Explore app.

Also the battery life is humongously different as are the number of data points you can add, plus you get a compass.
For an extra $40-50, it is worth sticking with the Garmin InReach Mini 2!

Garmin Inreach Mini 2 versus Zoleo: Final Thoughts

Overall, both the Zoleo and InReach Mini 2 are great satellite communicators that suit different types of adventurers in my eyes.

The Zoleo is great for anyone who goes on adventures now and then, and to places where GPS navigation isn’t needed or already owns a GPS unit.

It will give you the ability to communicate from anywhere in the world when you need to, and for a smaller price than the Garmin but you will be dependent on your phone working.

If you want GPS navigation and satellite communication with or without a phone, then the InReach Mini 2 is the obvious choice.

It really does it all and it suits those of you who spend a lot of time in the wilderness, don’t want to carry two devices, require navigation, communication, and rugged durability all in one little portable unit.