Have you ever watched a movie where kids communicate through a two way radio and wanted to slide back into your childhood?
These radios are immensely fun to communicate with, and handy in nature, while also being inexpensive.
But which one to choose among all these options?
In order to make it easier for you, we have gone ahead and made a list of 9 of the best radios out there.
We thought of everything and made a selection including several factors like price, performance, durability, and functionality.
Can’t wait to buy a new handy two way radio?
Stick with us.
Our Top 2 Choices
Arcshell Rechargeable Long Range Two-Way Radio
GXT1000VP4, 50 Channel GMRS Two-Way Radio
Arcshell Rechargeable Long Range Two-Way Radio
This 4 pack radio will be the best fit for you if you are new to the world of walkie talkies.
It’s great because it has a range of 5 miles.
What’s the biggest plus with this radio is the fact that its UHF waves have the ability to penetrate steel, concrete, and wood, which means you’ll have a better range and performance when in urban places or around buildings.
It also has 16 channels that you can choose from and a frequency range of up to 470MHz.
Another one of its features is that, when fully charged, it can last up to 96 hours.
In this whole package of a walkie-talkie, you’ll find a push-to-talk button, overcharge protection, scanning function, and a built-in LED flashlight.
Upon buying it, you’ll also get 4 two way radios, 4 Li-ion batteries, 4 chargers, 4 SMA-female antennas, 4 hand straps, 4 earphones, 4 Belt clips and 4 user manuals.
Pros
- Light for Carrying
- Durable
- Water resistant
- Simple to use
- Ideal for beginners
Cons
- Short range
- Low-quality sound
GXT1000VP4, 50 Channel GMRS Two-Way Radio
This radio is primarily meant for those who love a little bit of adventure.
It offers a range of 36 miles, and allows you to communicate while exploring nature.
Among its options, you’ll find the Direct Call Function which allows you to contact a member of your group without alerting the others.
The walkie talkie also has 10 Call Alerts.
One of the best things it offers is The Auto Squelch option, that works by removing all annoying background noise, which considerably enhances the sound quality.
This two way radio has 50 channels, plus you’ll get a Dual Watch which will allow you to monitor 2 channels at the same time.
It will even help you avoid situations of emergency: namely the NOAA Weather Alert automatically scans the local weather channel and lets you know if there are any severe weather conditions to be avoided.
If you do end up in a messy situation, you can use the SOS siren and send out signals.
You’ll also get a JIS4 Waterproof feature and not have to worry in front of splashing water or under rain.
Not to mention this walkie talkie comes with belt clips, a pair of radios, desktop chargers, Mic headsets, rechargeable batteries, AC wall adapter and DC adapter.
Pros
- Waterproof
- Great range
- Feature to exclude background noise
- Easy access buttons
- Simple to use
- Light to carry
Cons
- Battery life somewhat short
- Complicated user manual
BaoFeng BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio
Here’s a great option if you only have less than $30 to spare on a walkie talkie.
The BaoFeng UV-5R will be great value for money because it’s by far the cheapest, yet durable walkie talkie out there.
You can get it for just $24, and there are 128 channels in it, with a frequency range of 136 to 174.
There’s also the option to customize the names of the channels and monitor 2 different frequencies.
This walkie talkie also supports both the Dual Reception and the Dual Watch, and has a Built-in VOX Function and an Emergency Alert function.
The things you’ll get with this walkie talkie are a two way radio, Li-ion battery, antenna, earphone Mic, belt clip, hand strap, adapter and a desktop charger.
Pros
- Economic
- Compact
- Simple to use
- Great sound quality
- Long lasting battery
Cons
- Complicated to program
Uniden BC125AT Two Way Radio
This walkie talkie is more than perfect for real pros – namely, its extensive installation and programming set up are what make it more suitable for real professionals.
It has as many as 500 channels, and they are divided into 10 storage banks.
You can organize them by location, department, or any other way you like, and assign each of the channels with an AlphaNumeric Name – there are so many options!
You can do this in order to keep track of what you’re listening to.
What’s more, it allows you to listen to more than 40,000 frequencies!
And here’s the pro part: the Compact Bearcat Handheld Scanner feature enables you to listen to both civilian and military air bands.
The Built-in Auto Service Searches allow you to search for things such as Fire, Police, Air, and Marine.
And not to mention all the important safety and weather alerts that might help you in cases of emergency.
The superb Close Call Technology tunes to signals from nearby transmitters which might also be very helpful, and a Do Not Disturb Mode prevents Close Call Checks.
Pros
- Offers 500 channels
- Great for pros
- Long lasting battery
- Great sound quality
- Light to carry
Cons
- Complicated to set up
Motorola T100 Talkabout Radio, 2 Pack
This is one product that can be used both indoors and outdoors.
One thing that makes Motorola walkie talkie unique is its compatibility with other radios: namely, with it, you can communicate with other radios regardless of the brand.
That’s why it’s so user-friendly and popular.
The Motorolla T100 has 22 channels and a range of up to 16 miles.
Its range, however, depends on weather condition, obstructions, electromagnetic interference, and terrain.
And don’t worry about it running out – it has a long lasting battery that can go up to 18 hours when fully charged.
Instead of a default ring, the walkie talkie has a Call Tone, which grabs the attention of people who are calling you before you even start to talk.
In the package, you’ll get 2 radios, 2 belt clips, and user manual.
Pros
- Compatible with other radios
- Simple to use
- Long lasting battery
- Great sound quality
- Light to carry
- Durable
Cons
- Doesn’t have a huge range
BaoFeng BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio
If you’re looking for high transmission power, look no further than the BF-F8HP.
Namely, this walkie talkie can transmit up to 8 watts; apart from that, the radio has 3 power levels that you can choose from: the Low Level transmits 1 watts, Med Level transmits between 4 and 5 watts while the High Level transmits between 7 and 8 watts.
This radio is really superior in its category: you’ll find the latest N5R-340A firmware here, that you won’t find on other models.
It also has a high-gain antenna, FM radio and a tri-color display that can be customized according to your preferences.
Apart from being best dual band radio on the market, it is also pretty cheap in comparison to other dual bands.
Within the package, you will get the BF-F8HP radio, battery, battery charger, antenna, power adapter, belt clip, earpiece and a hand strap.
Pros
- High transmission power
- Long lasting battery
- Easy to use
- Economic
Cons
- Manual usage of the up and down buttons
Retevis H-777 Two Way Radios UHF Radio
This 10 pack radio is great for your staff members if you happen to have a business.
It’s a reliable radio that offers solid coverage.
In this manner, you will reduce communication cost while increasing work efficiency.
While this walkie talkie has 16 channels, that’s not all – each and every one of the channels has an encrypted 50 code: this means you’ll get smooth communication without any interruptions.
While using this radio, you’ll find out how easy it is to change from one channel to another.
And another thing – it has a frequency of 400 to 470 MHz.
This walkie talkie has a long lasting battery – when fully charged, it lasts between 8 to 9 hours, and if you’re not using it, the battery can last up to 72 hours.
And not mention the fact that it supports both USB and DC charging.
In the package, you’ll get 10 two way radios, 10 antennas, 10 battery pack, 10 chargers, 10 belt clips, 10 hand straps and 10 user manuals.
Pros
- Simple to use
- High-quality sound
- Great for business
- Durable
- Light to carry
- Long lasting battery
Cons
- Has some faulty headsets
BTECH UV-5X3 Tri-Band Radio
The only bad side of tri-band radios is how expensive most of them are.
Behold, this tri-band radio only costs $59!
And not just any tri-band radio – this one is durable, easy to use and has 128 channels.
It allows you to remove and add channels that you want on the menu, and you can also pair it with the Nagoya NA-320A Antenna.
It also allows you to enter the range and frequency you want to scan in the Frequency Mode.
One of the reasons this walkie talkie is so great, is that it responds to commands such as Stun, Kill and Revive.
The Stun command is for transmitting Disable, while the “Kill” command is used when you want to disable all functions of the radio.
Don’t forget the “Revive” command, used to remove the radio from the Kill or Stun state.
Within the kit you’ll get the BTECH radio, dual-band antenna, battery, single band antenna, charger, adapter, wrist strap, earpiece kit, belt clip and, of course, the user manual.
Pros
- Economic
- Great sound quality
- Offers a wide range of channels
- Durable
- Light to carry
Cons
- No triband antenna
- Complicated to program with CHIRP
Midland LXT500VP3 Two-Way Radio
Here’s a treat for all the fanatics for Family Radio Service (FRS) walkie talkies!
The Midland LXT500VP3 is a great product for all of you out there, and it offers 22 FRS channels!
It offers many features: for example, the Channel Scan feature checks channels for activity and the Auto Squelch feature eliminates all background noise which adds to the clear quality of sound.
Another great thing about this radio is that it has a 24 miles range.
It works with different batteries so you can either use the rechargeable batteries that come with the walkie talkie or the 4 AAA alkaline batteries.
You can also connect with other GMRS or FRS walkie talkies.
Within the package, you will get 2 two way radios, 2 rechargeable battery packs, desktop charger, 2 belt clips and AC Wall Adapter.
Pros
- Waterproof
- Operates silently
- Great sound quality
- Simple to use
- Good range
Cons
- Short lasting battery
Conclusion
Whether you’re a parent that wants to play with their kids with legitimate walki-talkie, or a professional that needs good coverage, you’ll find a walkie talkie that best suits your needs.
If you follow this list, you’ll surely find that it doesn’t matter whether you are a novice, professional, business owner or just an adventurer.
The range of articles we’ve listed here are meant to give you both insight and inspiration for what you should look for in your next walkie talkie.
Best Overall Choice
Arcshell Rechargeable Long Range Two-Way Radio
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