Digital radios: How to buy the best digital radio Before you buy a digital radio
Features
Our tests cover all the popular digital radio brands
Digital radios have lots of features you won’t find on FM and AM radios. So you need to decide which of these features you’re likely to use – and which you can do without. For more about digital radio features, see the What to look for in a digital radio page in this advice guide, and for help choosing a DAB digital radio watch the Which? buyers' guide video.
Digital radio reception
Don’t assume that you’ll be able to receive digital radio where you live. Most, but not all, of the population can receive a digital signal, but not everyone can. Visit getdigitalradio.com to see whether you can get digital radio broadcasts in your area and which stations you're likely to receive.
But don’t stop there. Even if you live in an area that can receive digital radio you could still have reception problems if your home is in the shadow of a larger building that’s blocking the signal, or if the signal can’t reach you because you’re in a basement or steel-framed building.
If you can, borrow a digital radio from a friend and try it out in the position where you'd want your radio to check that you’ll receive clear stations. If this isn’t possible, buy your digital radio from a retailer with a good returns policy and check they’ll let you return it if you can’t get the stations you want. See our returns policy guide for information on your legal rights regarding returning goods.
Which? digital radio tests
We assess many features and functions in our in-depth tests – you’ll find the results for more than 60 radios on our main digital radio reviews page.
These tests are incredibly thorough. We use an independent, expert listening panel to judge sound quality. We review battery life and test each model for how easy they are to use including any additional features such as alarms, clocks, pause and rewind features, recording and electronic programme guides.
Our experts also examine how easy the radio is to use if you are partially sighted or have limited dexterity. Our digital radios for those with disabilities page offers more information.
For more information on the extensive tests we put each radio through, visit our testing digital radios page.