{"id":680,"date":"2024-05-26T00:03:13","date_gmt":"2024-05-26T00:03:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loose-productions.com\/?p=680"},"modified":"2024-12-11T19:09:10","modified_gmt":"2024-12-11T19:09:10","slug":"visible-review-best-cell-phone-carrier-for-van-life-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loose-productions.com\/index.php\/2024\/05\/26\/visible-review-best-cell-phone-carrier-for-van-life-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Visible Review: Best Cell Phone Carrier for Van Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a van lifer who works from the road, having reliable internet in my van<\/a> is crucial. A typical work day in my van might include Zoom calls with my van coaching clients, sending dozens of emails, updating my website, and uploading photos to my blog and videos to Instagram. These are data-heavy activities, and a slow internet connection means glitchy video calls and a lot of wasted time while I sit around waiting for pages to load. <\/p>\n

I have a Starlink for when I\u2019m camping in my van and out of cell range, but the Starlink dish isn\u2019t permanently installed on the roof of my van. So unless I\u2019m parked somewhere for an extended period and take the time to set up my Starlink, it means that I\u2019m more often than not using my cell phone as my primary source of internet.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been a Verizon customer for nearly 20 years. When comparing service while camping with my van life friends, it\u2019s clear that Verizon has the best coverage, especially in remote areas around the US. However, a few years ago, one of my Bearfoot Theory contributors (Courtney Stephenson) switched to a carrier I\u2019d never heard of: Visible. As a full-time van lifer who was working remotely (including from down in Baja), Courtney was so happy with the service that she wrote a Visible review here on the blog.<\/p>\n

This year as my contract with Verizon was up, I decided to switch to Visible too. With Verizon, I was paying $115 a month, and now with\u00a0Visible+, my plan is only $45 a month (or $395 for an entire year when paid annually)<\/strong><\/a>. Switching to Visible was a lot easier than I expected, and I\u2019m sooooo happy to be saving nearly $1,000 a year on my phone bill, especially when the service is comparable.<\/p>\n

Visible is actually owned by Verizon and operates on Verizon\u2019s 5G and 4G LTE networks. Apart from having the same coverage as Verizon, Visible also offers unlimited data, talk, text, and mobile hotspot usage. It almost seemed too good to be true, but I had nothing to lose giving Visible a try. Visible requires no annual contract, so I knew if I didn\u2019t like it as much as Courtney did, I could easily switch back to Verizon or another carrier.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been testing Visible for a few months now \u2013 and I\u2019m convinced it\u2019s the best cell phone carrier on the market for van lifers. It was so simple to switch over, billing is straightforward, and there are no hidden taxes or fees. Also in comparing my service to my partner Ryan\u2019s (who is still with Verizon), I haven\u2019t noticed any difference in speed or coverage, and I\u2019ve done speed tests to prove it.<\/p>\n

In this updated Visible review, I break down Visible plan options and pricing, the pros and cons of Visible, and my personal experience using Visible to work remotely on the road.<\/p>\n

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Sponsored by Visible<\/h3>\n

This blog post is sponsored by Visible. Visible plans start as low as $25 a month, and if you want to give Visible a try without committing, they are offering Bearfoot Theory readers\u00a0$10 off any Visible monthly plan for the first 3 months<\/a><\/strong>. Use code\u00a0MOOLAH<\/strong>\u00a0for a limited time to claim. As always, I only recommend products and services I love and think you will love too!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

What Is Visible?<\/h2>\n

Visible is a low-cost cell phone carrier that is owned by Verizon and runs off of Verizon\u2019s 5G\/4G LTE network so anytime there is Verizon coverage, Visible should also have coverage. Even if you\u2019re not a van lifer, Visible could be a great carrier option if you live in an area with strong Verizon coverage.<\/p>\n

I mentioned above that Ryan is still on Verizon. This has given us the opportunity to test Visible against Verizon both at home and on a recent road trip to Arizona. There hasn\u2019t been anywhere where Ryan has had coverage with Verizon that I didn\u2019t have the same number of bars with Visible. <\/p>\n

Visible has two simple plans \u2013 the Visible plan ($25\/month) and the Visible+ plan ($45\/month). Both plans offer unlimited data, talk, text, and mobile hotspot usage. I\u2019ll get into the details and differences between the two plans below.<\/p>\n

Visible is a pre-paid service that requires no credit check unless you\u2019re financing a new phone. There are no required annual contracts or activation fees, so there\u2019s greater flexibility than other phone companies. Billing is handled through their app where you can easily set up monthly auto-pay or manage your payments. You can also pay annually for even greater savings. <\/p>\n

Visible\u2019s plans are designed for single-line users instead of families, and there are no multi-line discounts. This makes it especially good for solo van lifers and travelers. Even with Ryan and I, if we both had the most expensive Visible+ plan ($45\/month), it would still be cheaper than if we were on a family plan with another carrier. <\/p>\n

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Visible Pros<\/h3>\n
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