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Best DAB radios: Which? Best Buys and expert buying advice
Whether you use your radio to listen to music, catch up with the news or enjoy a drama or comedy, digital radio (or DAB) has made it easier and clearer to do so.
The best DAB radios we've tested offer crystal-clear speech, easy-to-read displays and simple buttons and menus. Each one is put through its paces by a panel of five audio experts – and they listen to a variety of music genres to make sure we don't end up recommending radios that sound dull, tinny and lifeless or have muffled speech.
Read our reviews below of the DAB radios we've tested – including from the likes of Pure, Roberts and VQ – and see expert advice on how to narrow down the best one for you.
Best radios from our tests
Only logged-in Which? members can view the radio test results below.
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| Radio | Price | Test score | Sound quality | Ease of use | Reception | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations Unlock tableFull Access first month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time. Already a member? Log in | 83% | Portable | ||||
| 82% | Portable | |||||
| 80% | Home | |||||
| 74% | Portable | |||||
| 73% | Portable | |||||
| 73% | Home | |||||
| 68% | Portable | |||||
| 68% | Home | |||||
| 65% | Home | |||||
| 65% | Portable | |||||
| 65% | Portable | |||||
| 65% | Portable | |||||
| 63% | Portable | |||||
| 63% | Home | |||||
| 62% | Portable | |||||
| 60% | Portable | |||||
| 59% | Home | |||||
| 56% | Portable | |||||
| 51% | Home | |||||
| 49% | Portable | |||||
| 43% | Home | |||||
| 39% | Portable |
Sign up to reveal
Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations
Unlock tableFull Access first month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time.
Already a member? Log in
Date tested: February 2024, December 2023, August 2023, July 2023, June 2023, June 2022, February 2022, January 2022, October 2021, October 2018, October 2017, July 2017. Page last checked: December 2024. We are not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available. We've tested 53 radios in total, but the table displays our top picks and Don't Buys only.
The radios we tested
All the radios we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best radios from our tests.
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Groov-e Zeus (GV-CR04)
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Most recently tested February 2024
Type Portable
Need to know Qi charging pad built into the top of the casing, includes alarm and snooze functions
i Box Epoca
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Most recently tested July 2023
Type Portable
Need to know Only comes packed with a micro USB charge cable (mains plug not included)
Lenco PDR-046
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Most recently tested December 2023
Type Portable
Need to know Built-in rechargeable batteries (recharged via a USB-C cable), five presets have their own dedicated buttons, includes alarm, sleep and snooze functions
Panasonic RC-D8EB-K
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Most recently tested October 2021
Type Portable
Need to know Mains and battery powered (two AAs), USB port to connect and charge other devices with
Panasonic RF-D30BTEB-K
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Most recently tested October 2021
Type Portable
Need to know IPX4 water resistant (splashproof), mains and battery powered (four C-type)
Philips TAR5505/10
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Most recently tested February 2024
Type Portable
Need to know Mains and battery powered (C-type)
Pure Evoke Spot
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Most recently tested December 2023
Type Home
Need to know Compatible with the UNDOK app, includes alarm, sleep and snooze functions
Pure Woodland
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Most recently tested February 2024
Type Portable
Need to know Water resistant exterior, built-in rechargeable battery (USB charge cable supplied)
Roberts Blutune 300
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Most recently tested June 2022
Type Home
Need to know Built-in CD player, wireless charging pad on top
Roberts iStream 3
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Most recently tested October 2018
Type Portable
Need to know Mains and battery powered (six AAs), compatible with the UNDOK app
Roberts Play 11
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Most recently tested August 2023
Type Portable
Need to know Mains and battery powered (four AAs)
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Roberts Rambler Mini
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Most recently tested June 2023
Type Portable
Need to know Available in four different colours (leaf green, duck-egg blue, pastel cream and sunburst yellow), built-in rechargeable battery (USB charge cable supplied, mains adapter sold separately)
Roberts Revival RD70
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Most recently tested October 2017
Type Portable
Need to know Includes alarms, sleep and snooze functions
Roberts Revival Uno BT
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Most recently tested January 2022
Type Portable
Need to know Mains and battery powered (four AAAs), includes alarm, sleep and snooze functions when connected to the mains
Roberts Zen Plus
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Most recently tested June 2023
Type Home
Need to know Preloaded 'sleep soundscapes' to help you sleep; Log Fire, Beach Tide, British Woodland
Roberts Zoombox 4
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Most recently tested February 2024
Type Portable
Need to know Built-in CD player, mains and battery powered (six C-type), alarm clock functions
Ruark Audio R1S
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Most recently tested August 2023
Type Home
Need to know Physical remote control sold separately from the Ruark website, compatible with the UNDOK app
Ruark Audio R2 MK4
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Most recently tested June2023
Type Home
Need to know Available in two colours (light cream lacquer with an ash grille and espresso lacquer with a walnut grille), physical remote control sold separately from the Ruark website, compatible with the UNDOK app
Sharp DR-430
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Most recently tested July 2023
Type Home
Need to know Has alarm, sleep and snooze functions
VQ Dexter
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Most recently tested February 2022
Type Portable
Need to know Mains and battery powered (four AAs)
VQ Monty
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Most recently tested July 2017
Type Portable
Need to know Rechargeable battery pack sold separately
VQ Retro Classic
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Most recently tested July 2023
Type Portable
Need to know Built-in batteries
How we test radios
While the majority of our overall test score for radios relates to sound quality, we also look at ease of use, features and (where appropriate) battery life.
Audio quality
- A panel of five audio experts listens to a selection of tracks, from jazz to pop, rock to classical, vocals and speech on each radio and gives their verdict. With established backgrounds in the audio industry, they're a tough bunch to impress, but it means that if we've given a radio the thumbs up, it's more than deserving of your time.
- We check the maximum volume a radio will go to before the sound distorts, so if you live in a noisy area or have hearing difficulties, you can gauge if a radio will suit your needs.
Ease of use
- We replicate your experience and assess how easy it is to set up the radio for the first time – and if you need to read a hundred-page manual before you can even turn it on, we'll let you know.
- We also check how easy it is to save your favourite stations and adjust the sound settings, as well as use any other features, such as internet radio and streaming services.
Reception
- We broadcast our own DAB signal in the lab, which means we can test the strength of each radio's receiver.
- We assess which models give you patchy sound, and which maintain a constant reception.
Features
- We note if models have internet radio, Bluetooth connectivity, an integrated CD player, recording functions, bass and treble controls and timer and alarm functions.
- If the radio is a portable model, we also time how long it takes the battery to run flat from a full charge.
We regularly revisit the radios on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing and when we find them we do.
Find out more about how Which? is not influenced by product manufacturers or retailers and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent
Which? Don't Buy radios
Our tests uncover the best and the worst. If a product performs so poorly that we think you should avoid it, we label it a Don't Buy.
We've found two Don't Buy radios which suffered from terrible sound, reception issues and ease of use problems.
Sign up to Which? to unlock the results and find out which of the radios we tested are Don't Buys and which are worthy of our Best Buy and Great Value recommendations.
What type of radio should I buy?
There are three main types of DAB radio you can buy:
- Home/tabletop radios These tend to be larger and heavier than other types, meaning they usually sound better but are confined to staying primarily in one room.
- Alarm clock radios Living on your bedside table, they tend to have easy-to-read screens and large buttons on the top, which are easy to hit when you’re lying in bed.
- Portable radios Ideal for the garden or to take on holiday, they can typically also run off batteries, making them easier to move around and away from power sockets.
Portable radio charge packs
If you like the idea of taking your radio into the garden or down to the park, then the idea of a ‘portable radio’ may sound very appealing. And more often than not this is just a case of slotting in some disposable batteries or rechargeable batteries – typically AAs.
But sometimes, to make the radio portable, you have to buy the manufacturer’s custom battery pack, which is sold separately. These usually cost an additional £20 to £50.
If portability is important to you then check the tech specs of the radio to see what batteries it takes and whether it requires a rechargeable battery pack that’s not included in the box. Then you can add the price of the battery pack to the price of the radio, to find out what the full cost really is compared with other models.
Digital radio switchover: what you need to know
Much like the digital television switchover in 2012, a proposed digital radio switchover will see a change in the source of radio entertainment from an analogue platform (FM and AM, for example) to a digital one (DAB and DAB+).
To listen to radio stations that are broadcast digitally, you'll need to own a device that can pick up a digital signal. Fortunately, the switchover isn't imminent – it's not set to happen until at least 2032, so there’s no rush to replace your old FM sets with a shiny new DAB one.
The switchover is likely to affect only national radio stations in the first instance, with FM still being used for local and community radio stations. Inevitably, however, Ofcom will attempt to bring these to DAB, too.