This is why I would buy it again

HTG Wrapped 2025: 24 Days of Technology

24 days of our favorite gadgets, gadgets, and tech

It’s not every day that new technology can be described as a paradigm shift, but Starlink is very close. Satellite Internet, which was relatively slow and had very high latency, is now competing with broadband. for me Starlink mini It quickly became one of my favorite tools and is a constant companion in my car.

I originally bought the Starlink Mini because I was planning to take a long road trip and work on the go, but it quickly became more of a luxury item. It wasn’t until I saw it in action while writing my review that I fully appreciated it.

While driving at highway speeds, it was able to maintain download speeds of several hundred megabits per second and kept latency under 50 milliseconds at all times. Even adverse conditions, such as heavy rain and snow, do not make it useless, only make it slower. I’ve experienced sub-zero temperatures (Fahrenheit), torrential rain, hot days in the sun, and been hit by more than a few rocks. A big dog jumped off the couch and landed right on top of her. I also accidentally dropped it off the top of my car twice. With everything I’ve been through, my Starlink Mini works reliably just like the day I took it out of the box, it just has a few cosmetics on it.

Although tasked with communicating with satellites in low Earth orbit, the shoebox-sized antenna consumes only power, making it an amazing tool in emergency situations. A small household battery, like one you might buy from Bluetti, Jackery, EcoFlow, or Anker, can power you for days — or longer if you’re careful about conserving power. If you have a few hundred watts of solar panels to add to the system, it can operate indefinitely.

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In the event of an emergency, where communication via traditional means may be difficult or impossible, it can be used to request help, receive important instructions, or even search for information on how to survive. If I lived in an area prone to natural disasters, especially hurricanes, I would keep the Mini in my home emergency kit as well.

Once I realized the potential benefit in emergency situations, it became a permanent part of my car’s emergency kit. I also carry a small battery with enough power to run for a few hours in case I get stranded in the middle of nowhere with a broken down vehicle.

The Starlink Mini ranges in price from $230 to $500 for an antenna, but residential Starlink customers can sometimes get a better deal than that.

Right now, there are three plans available for the Starlink Mini: $5 per month for emergency access only, $50 for 50GB of data, or $165 per month for unlimited data. Sometimes, plans change as the Starlink satellite network expands and modernizes.

It’s not often that I spend a few hundred dollars and never second guess the decision, but the Starlink Mini is definitely one of those times. I would buy it again in a heartbeat, especially when it’s under $300.