Motorola Defy Satellite Link - Rugged Handheld GPS Communicator, Two-Way Global SMS Text Messenger, Emergency SOS Alerting - Android iOS Compatible, Black

Why it's worth it

The Defy Satellite Link is a puck that pairs over Bluetooth and adds two-way satellite SMS and SOS to an iPhone or Android phone. It costs the least to own here, upfront and monthly, and it's the one we'd buy for a few trips a year.

If you spend most weekends in coverage and only occasionally drive past the end of the pavement, this is the proportional choice. There's no screen, no maps and no keyboard — just a check-in button, an SOS button, and your phone doing the talking. Motorola's entry-level plan covers unlimited SOS, so even a bare-bones subscription keeps the emergency side live.

It's the lightest and flattest device here, at about 2.5 ounces by Motorola's spec and barely half an inch thick. It disappears into a jacket pocket or a bike bag. Owners who hike with it describe satellite messages landing in well under a minute when they have open sky overhead, which is about what you'd expect from a healthy link.

From our review of 7 satellite messengers and two-way communicators, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +If you spend most weekends in coverage and only occasionally drive past the end of the pavement, this is the proportional choice
• +It's the lightest and flattest device here
• +The service runs on a Skylo-based network rather than Iridium, and that's the trade you're making
• +Because it's phone-dependent, your phone's battery is now part of your safety plan

What to know

• –Owner feedback here is the most divided of any device in this guide
• –That pattern is why it's our budget pick and not a general recommendation
• –There's no standalone function worth the name