Six product categories also went to Garmin
The NMEA recognition was accompanied by six Product of Excellence awards selected by dealers, certified installers and marine-industry professionals. Winning products included the GPSMAP 9227 multifunction display, Reactor 40 Hydraulic Autopilot with SmartPump v2 and the Garmin OnBoard man-overboard system.
Garmin also took honours for the LiveScope Plus live-sonar system, Cortex M1 AIS hub and inReach Mini 3 satellite communicator. The spread of categories shows how widely integrated electronics have become across modern leisure boats.
Safety and connected systems feature strongly
The Garmin OnBoard system was recognised in the marine safety device category for a second consecutive year. It combines wireless man-overboard detection with engine-cutoff capability and compatible Garmin chartplotters.
The Cortex M1 award reflects the growing role of integrated AIS, communications and remote vessel monitoring. For owners of smaller cruising and fishing boats, these systems increasingly combine functions that previously required several separate devices.
Navigation and control remain core categories
Garmin's GPSMAP 9227 received the multifunction-display award, while Reactor 40 with SmartPump v2 won the recreational autopilot category. The awards were announced during the 2026 NMEA Marine Electronics Conference and Expo.
NMEA says its awards are voted on by members and certified installers who work directly with marine electronics in the field. That makes the results a useful snapshot of the products currently receiving strong support within the installer and dealer network.
The awards underline a broader electronics shift
Modern leisure boats are increasingly built around networked navigation, safety, communications, sonar and entertainment systems rather than isolated instruments. NMEA 2000 and related integration standards allow more of those systems to share data across a common onboard network.
For boat buyers and refit customers, the practical consideration remains compatibility across the whole installation. Display size, power demand, network architecture, transducers and existing equipment all need to be considered before choosing individual components.
Official sources: www.garmin.com.