ZOLEO Satellite Communicator (Slate Grey)

Pros: * Affordable (I am on a 20 message plan + automatic sharing plan for $26 a month) * Plus during offseason you can suspend the service for $4 a month. * Reliable and works even in partly cloudy days and partially covered with forestry * Battery lasts a long time. after using this for 2 days it went from fully charged to 77% * Excellent tech support * Automatic location sharing works flawlessly Cons: * App is not real intuitive to use * Setup is somewhat confusing I had a hard time setting up contacts plus the payment is only done through their website and everything else is done via the app. While solo riding can be quite a enjoyable activity there is the problem of getting help. Especially if you are in a remote area with no cellphone coverage. To resolve this problem I tried out the Zoleo Satellite Communicator. Overall it works really well but setting it up was a bit challenging and the app is not real user friendly. I had to contact tech support several times and they were quick and helpful. From trial and error I find that the best way to mount the device is with their proprietary mount and it has to be out in the open. Before I had this in my tank bag but found that it can't communicate with satellites due to interference. Attached is a picture of the mount on my motorcycle. As you can see I have a front brake RAM mount attached and then a small arm which holds the zoleo mount. Through this mount it works 100% of the time and can share my location reliably. One really cool feature is that it can share your location automatically with your contacts. I have family and they want to at least know where I am in case I need help. You can configure it to share your location every 6, 12, 24, etc.. minutes. I use the every 12 minute update feature and found that works well for me. It does have a SOS feature where you can text with worldwide 911 services. Fortunately I've never had to test this. And according to their documentation you don't even need the phone do do a SOS. You can just press the SOS button and someone should head to your location. Conclusion: Recommended as long as you don't mind text-only communication. A great plus is it can automatically share you location to family/friends.

The ZOLEO Satellite Communicator is an outstanding piece of technology for anyone venturing beyond cellular coverage. It offers unparalleled connectivity and peace of mind, whether you’re an outdoor enthusiast, traveler, or simply someone who wants to stay connected off the grid. Seamless Global Messaging: This device bridges the gap between the Iridium satellite network, cellular, and Wi-Fi seamlessly. The ability to transmit text messages and emails over the lowest-cost network available is incredibly efficient and reliable. Life-Saving SOS Feature: Knowing I can send an SOS alert with my GPS location to a 24/7 emergency monitoring center is invaluable. The option for non-emergency Medical Assist is another thoughtful feature, adding another layer of safety during trips. Dedicated Contact Details: The assigned SMS number and email are fantastic. Friends and family can easily reach out to me directly, even when I’m far off the grid, which has been a game-changer for staying connected. Check-Ins and Location Sharing: The unlimited check-ins and optional location-sharing features are perfect for letting others know I’m safe. Including GPS coordinates in messages ensures my contacts always know exactly where I am. Built Tough for Adventures: With an IP68 rating, this device is built to handle rugged environments. The battery life is phenomenal—lasting over 200 hours, it has never let me down on multi-day trips. Affordable and Feature-Packed: The monthly plans start at just $20, which is a small price to pay for the security and functionality ZOLEO provides. Bonus features like weather forecasts and support for long messages (up to 900 characters) make it even more versatile. If you need a reliable satellite communicator that’s easy to use, durable, and packed with features, ZOLEO is the way to go. It’s worth every penny for the connectivity and peace of mind it delivers. Highly recommended!

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.

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.

This device was designed to facilitate two-way communication between its smartphone app and the rest of the world, and allow you to signal for help via satellite in the case of a dire emergency. It excels at the latter, whether it is used as a stand-alone PLB/ELB or in conjunction with a smartphone and its Zoleo app. The battery life is incredible, and the plan is incredibly low-cost ($20/month with an optional $6/mo 'unlimited check-ins' feature), give that this device is capable of functioning literally world-wide. (See the MFR website for a few legally-restricted areas of operation - Sudan, North Korea, Taliban-controlled areas of Afghanistan, etc.) The Zoleo smartphone app lets the geek in you see exactly what's going on with your device, to include the received signal strength of the satellite constellation, and live status reports on the status of your in- and outbound messages. This device is not for everyone, though, and you probably should view some youtube videos comparing this Zoleo Satellite Communicator with other devices you are considering buying, such as the Inreach, SpotX, Somewear, and the like. There are differences, but in the end I love this Zoleo, as I am practically married to my smartphone, and the Zoleo app gives me a seamless experience between the "IRL" and "off-grid" world. Incredible device, excellent customer/technical support, incredible battery life, and a great smartphone-based satellite communications-enabled device!

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 recently purchased the ZOLEO Satellite Communicator for a hiking trip in New Hampshire, and it performed beyond my expectations. This device is a lifesaver for staying connected in remote areas with no cell service. I used it in the White Mountains, and it never once dropped signal, providing consistent, reliable communication the entire time. Whether I was sending check-in messages, sharing my location, or preparing for emergencies, the ZOLEO delivered every time. The device itself is well-designed and feels high-quality. It’s compact and lightweight, easily fitting into my hiking pack or pocket without adding bulk. The setup was straightforward, and pairing it with my smartphone via the ZOLEO app was a breeze. The app is intuitive, making it simple to send messages, check weather updates, or trigger an SOS if needed. I also appreciated the long battery life, which lasted through several days of heavy use without needing a recharge. The monthly subscription fee is reasonable for the peace of mind it provides, especially compared to other satellite communicators I’ve researched. The plans are flexible, which is great for someone like me who only needs it for occasional outdoor trips. My only wish is that the base price included a few more messages, but the service is so reliable that I don’t mind the small cost. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast who ventures into areas without cell coverage, the ZOLEO is a fantastic investment. It worked flawlessly in New Hampshire’s rugged terrain, and I feel much safer knowing I have it for future adventures. Highly recommend!

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.

Très bien lorsque l'on est hors de portée cellulaire. Golf de Gascogne ok. Facilité pour le fonctionnement.

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