Garmin was founded in Kansas in 1989 by Gary Burrell and Min Kao. The name is just their two first names joined together. It still runs operations from Olathe, Kansas, and posted record 2025 revenue of $7.25 billion across five segments: fitness, outdoor, aviation, marine and auto OEM. For off-grid safety the key product line is inReach, which has been on sale since 2011. inReach devices use the Iridium network, which covers the whole planet, and SOS alerts go to Garmin Response, the company's own 24/7 coordination center.
Plans run month to month. Enabled costs $7.99, and Essential, Standard and Premium cost $14.99, $29.99 and $49.99. Every plan adds a $39.99 activation fee. That setup works for people who go out often and want texting, tracking and weather on a handheld, a watch or a car navigator. If you only need an SOS button once a year, a beacon with no subscription may cost less over five years.
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