Hema HX-2 Navigator

I’ve a HX2+ and extremely disappointed about to bin it the font is tiny can’t be enlarged side roads are too faint it’s hard to put in a destination unless you have tiny fingers and the only time I was able to put in a destination it tried twice to have me go the long way one was well over 100 km further It’s unsafe due to the poor resolution Leigh Show details

This is my third hammer machine. I swear by him because they have the best off-road maps. And I tried to install this machine. I difficulties right from the start.I had to get help from the salesman in Perth to install this machine. He was terrific very supportive and a credit to himself and his company. Since buying I’ve tried tried watching the… Read more

instruction videos. The HX-2 on the videos on button is in an on the videos on button is in a different place to the one I haveand the screen on the machines in the video is nothing like the screen on my machine. It was almost as if I was watching the wrong video on a completely different machine. So no option but to try to figure it out on my own. I found the machine to be complicated slow and very difficult to operate. When I finally did get the navigation system to work I tried to travel from Geraldton to Kalgoorlie via the Rabbit proof fence. The machine was confused. Didn’t know which road to take and I ended up using Google Maps which took me straight home. I feel like I’ve wasted my money and I’m disappointed with machine that I thought had such a good name. I made the mistake of trusting the product name before I bought should’ve done more research and looked into it better. I’m now looking at different manufacturers,and taking taking more time into figuring out how to use it before I buy it.

After my HX-1 motherboard needed to be repaired for the 3rd time in 9 years I trialed a Hema HX-2. I thought the HX-2 would be a more improved product how wrong I was to think that over time the pitfalls were ironed out. Below are some of my… Read more

findings, 1-Dash mounting bracket is very hard to remove the unit if you wish to remove the unit the HX-1 was easy and clipped in no screw threads. 2- No improvement on when you turn the unit off if it’s connected to power the unit will after 30seconds restart and stay on. The unit needs to be on to charge. No electric device I have seen needs to be on to charge. 3-The road GPS is not intuitive or easy to use. 4-The function of altitude is so small you can hardly read the data. 5- To top it off after 3 days the HX-2 then malfunctioned and would not boot up. I have now returned HX-2 to Hema and will never use a HEMA product again. Hema has a non existent phone system and an incorrect email & address listed on their site. Hema claim Premium product use Australian products I say after 9 years as a user STAY AWAY FROM HEMA

Great – Very good, no more downloading maps for off road use. All the detail is loaded and you can zoom right in. Very big improvements over the HX1. I think you have to know how to use it before giving bad reviews.. im very happy with it. Support is very responsive. Show details

Why do HEMA, the self-proclaimed 4wd gurus, create such a piece of crap that it will actually put people driving remotely at risk? The HX-2 Navigator is rubbish. Forget about ever recalling your data, connecting to your account or connecting to the internet. Once a systems update is released, the whole thing turns to crap. It is now a useless paperweight in the shed, waiting for my next garage sale - where I will likely give it away. Show details

Disappointing product experience – would not recommend Required updates can only be done by sending the unit back to Hema, which is incredibly inconvenient—especially when you need the device ready to go. This design choice shows a lack of user focus and practicality. I’ve now decided to switch to Garmin instead. Based on this experience, I would not recommend any of Hema’s products. Show details

I purchased the Hema HX2 at the Brisbane Caravan and Camping show in June 2023. I purchased their package deal which cost me $799. What an expensive disappointment. The unit hasn’t operated properly since day one. After getting it home, I set about setting it up and Hema pushed out an update that basically bricked the unit. So much for using it… Read more

for a 4 week camping holiday.

When we got back from our trip I ended up resetting the unit and reinstalling all the software based on a fix Hema created.

Then shortly after this Hema push out another software update that bricks the unit again. And this time the only way to fix it is to send it back to Hema for $100. I can’t believe it.

So I pull the unit out of its protective silicon case and find that the battery has swollen inside the unit and the case is buckled.

So I contact Hema and I am advised it is outside 12 months warranty period.

This would be without a doubt the worst purchasing experience of my life. Hema have effectively stolen my money. The unit still isn’t even 2 years old and it is inoperable.

I can’t comment on the accuracy of the maps because it has never worked properly since day one.

The ACCC needs to take a good look at the behaviour of this company and the CEO should resign given the level of ineptitude right across the organisation.

Post script 4/7/25 - I have still had no responses to my requests to Hema. It amazes me that the CEO would read these reviews and not make any effort to contact disgruntled and ripped off customers.

HX2 is changed to squeeze money out of you – I bought my HX2 new for a significant price and used it no problems for a year and a half. I thought I'd update the maps, but the update changed the software into a licence and expensive ongoing subscription model, and the unit will no longer work unless I pay their fees that didn't exist when I bought it. Do yourself a favour and look at other… Read more

options - who knows how much more they're going to raise the price or make other changes in future to squeeze further money out of you

Do not buy this! – Complete waste of money. It has now decided it won't do anything without being connected to wifi. Completely impractical when driving remote areas. When it did work, it was very clunky, wanted to do constant updates, and if you hadn't used it for a while, took forever to get enough battery power to stay turned on. Very disappointing, especially after using the Android app. Not cheap either, which is why we expected it to actually work! Show details

Absolutely the WORST product ever – Absolutely the worst thing I have ever purchased, to the point where I'll NEVER buy another Hema product again. Not even a map. Thing is just a brick now sitting on the shelf at home. Cannkt find any addresses, cannot even find the M1 motorway between Newcastle and Hornsby. And if it goes flat look out! Massive chore to get it to charge again.… Read more

Goes into the loop... needs charging... charges for few mins... then reboots up.... realises it needs charging and uses the remaining power... shuts down to charge and the whole process starts again. Hema should be totally embarrased to have sold it to people!

Expensive paperweight – Absolute junk - an expensive paperweight. The advertised cloud service doesn't work, updates to a version that turns the tablet into a brick. Hema dupport is less than useless. Maps can't navigate around the block. I returned it and asked for my money back. Show details

DO NOT BUY THIS JUNK – This unit has failed catastrophically after two trips from Mt Gambier to Darwin mostly on the bitumen, contacted HEMA who took 6 weeks to respond, would not look at it without the original receipt even though I could prove the purchase with bank records. Unit freezes, reboots and just doe not do as advertised, it is unintuitive, hard to manage, &… Read more

very poor quality build, the screen is so temperamental that it will crack if touched in the wrong spot.

Even though HEMA is well aware of the constant stream of bad reviews they have still not recalled this junk product.

If I could I would gove this a negative 5 star review.

Can't stress strongly enough buyer beware DO NOT BUY this product, it's a complete waste of the $699 paid for it & could be described as a complete scam product.

This is worse than bad. It’s dangerous – This has had a show stopper bug for months. You need to be attached to wifi with internet connection to be able to turn it on. This is completely impractical as it can’t be used outside built up areas and you need to connect it via your phone. When it does work the search and routing on road is awful. You always use the phone to find a better… Read more

route. You can’t leave it in the sun (ie in the dash) for even a few minutes or it craps itself. Meaning you are constantly taking it on and off the mount. Glare on the screen is terrible. User interface is painful even after having used it for over a year. I could go on with more annoying issues.

Absolute piece of Rubbish !! – DO NOT BUY...WASTE OF MONEY. Can not find the most simple destinations and if it does find them more often than not it sends you the wrong way. We have nearly run out of fuel 3 times in Aust outback as the HX2 takes you on a random goose chase. Has taken us on tiny goat tracks to the middle of no where and had to turn around and go back......multiple times. Now we doent even turn it on !!

Absolute Rubbish non existent aftermarket support – A brick gaffa taped to the dash is more useful and intuitive than this piece of crap. Additionally their after sale service is about as bad as it can get. DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY. Since last update I can't use the device without having to first connect to internet and repeatedly validate the license with cloud. No reply at all from HEMA - 2 weeks… Read more

and waiting. Tried reseting the device can't login using my Hema account, try resetting password, doesn't exist. I can login to HEMA account on laptop, and on phone. Go into account settings on laptop and WOW you get to see your email account you registered with??? These guys shouldn't be trusted near tech - go buy a NAVMAN, anything just not this crap.

Hema's rubbish products and service – The "old" cloud services shutting down and there is now a NEED to buy a new unit. Just another company treating it's customers like crap and expecting us to follow like blind sheep. The HX-1 I have is an utter piece of crap. It has never loaded maps properly or come close to what I thought I was going to get. Don't waste your money on any of… Read more

their products. Go to a map shop, if you can find one' and get some 1:250,000 and 1:50,000 maps.

Here's an update: - My Topo maps are now gone and it only has the Hema maps plus the street view and I'm not sure how up to date these are.

This unit originally cost $600+, from memory, and maybe even more so I'm less than impressed. I have other products have gone down the same path - Sonos and Arlo.

Useless - don't waste you money – Useless. Takes us to roads that aren't open or don't exist (and yes I updated the software and the maps). Now it just keeps turning itself off when driving (and yes I checked the power supply) and now after a factory reset it doesn't recognise the internet and i can't update the maps because AGAIN the account seems not to recognise me and won't… Read more

accept a password change even though it says the password has been updated. I've had ongoing issues with this thing. It's just junk.

HX2 is useless – Unit is useless. In on road mode the screen goes blank and locks on last position. Is useless for navigation use. I also had problems with the rear camera and am now on the third. I will send unit back for warranty but I don't expect that Hema will be any better with this than they were with the camera. No 2 was with them for 6 weeks and the only… Read more

contact was when I rang them and was fobbed off. I had an HX1 and it was good until it fell off the windscreen and shattered the screen. It was because of this unit that I bought the HX2. A bad decision on my part.

waste of money – Bought this a while ago, and have updated to the latest maps in the last few weeks. Now, can't input an destination address. Won't even accept a suburb or city as a destination, let alone a street address. Tried to start a trip, but cannot add destinations unless connected. Connected, still doesn't work. Whatever they have done to updates is… Read more

complete rubbish. Better results from an old 2014 GPS that can't be updated. Better results from an android tablet and google maps Don't waste your money!

It’s absolutely rubbish. Don’t waste your money – Keeps dropping wifi connection, maps and saved trips. Won’t work without a wifi connection, on startup. Bloody handy when you’re crossing the Nullabor! What a joke! Show details

waste of money – I bought what I thought was a top of the range product . But its anything but. it's almost uesless for in town or city navigation . purchessed mine on the 29/06/2023 and have done all the updates and it's still rubbish. Show details

It works from factory as i need but latest update is trash – Updated my hx2 this morning for start of a trip. Couldnt find towns wouldnt show roads just a blue triangle in middle of screen. Went back on wifi to check for more updateds then it started working again. So new update needs an internet conection to make a offroad gps work. Must be some real clever muppet to come up with that concept. Reset to… Read more

factory settings. Never reconected to wifi. Now it works properly. Song story short dont update it its rubbish.