Portable Radio Guide - An Introduction
A portable radio, or personal radio, lets you take your music wherever you go. Enjoy your favourite tunes or keep track of the score to the football match, even if you’re on the go. Portable radios range from simple, monaural transistor radios to larger stereo models that may play CDs or MP3s. These may also be called Boom Boxes, Jamboxes, or Radio-Cassettes.
Portable radios have been popular for many years, dating back to the 1950s. Early transistor radios weighed about half a pound and could fit in a shirt pocket. This was a major evolution from earliest portable radios that used tubes and were about the size of a lunch box.
While the use of radio has declined in popularity due to the use of digital music players, such as MP3 players, portable radios are still very common and very much in demand. They are most popular for weather, news, emergency alerts, and live sporting events. In fact, the transistor radio is still the most popular communications device in the world.
If you’re looking for a portable radio, Price Inspector is your best place to shop. We compare prices to bring you the best deals in the UK, and our buying guide will give you all the information you need to find the best model.
Popular brands
There are so many brands to choose from, you may not know where to start. Some of the popular brands include:
- The Bush DAB Radio is a retro digital radio. It has touch-sensitive buttons on the top of the radio, coming to life with a blue backlight when touched. The controls are easy to operate and extremely responsive. However, the smooth surfaces will show fingerprints, so you’ll need to clean it periodically. It features a two-line display, which is bright and easily readable.
- A Cath Kidston Radio is available in a limited edition Electric Flowers print. This DAB radio makes a beautiful addition to any location. It has 120 hours of battery life and features rotary tuning and volume controls, portable carry handle, and RDS station name display.
- The Dualit Kitchen Radio is an award-winning DAB radio. It offers outstanding acoustics and Dualit’s famous styling. It includes a built-in egg timer, and it has an extra-large display screen. There are 10 presets, five for FM and five for DAB. It can be powered with a rechargeable NiMH battery or through a mains connection. There’s even an auxiliary port so you can connect other devices like an MP3 player.
- The Intempo TRS portable radio offers a retro design in five different colours. It’s lightweight and slim, making it popular for travellers. The sound quality is not as good as higher end brands, but considering the price, it isn’t bad. It runs on inexpensive AA batteries, making it less expensive to operate than some models. Overall, it’s a decent entry-level DAB radio.
- Pure makes several high-end radios and music devices. The Pure Chronos II series has several different models of the popular Pure clock radio, from radio-only to adding CD or MP3 docking. Each offers popular features like a large display, independent alarms, and snooze and sleep timers. For the radio, you can choose stations by name, read news on the scrolling display, and enjoy crisp Pure DAB sound.
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Pure Evoke Flow combines DAB and FB radio with your own MP3 collection in one stylish and portable radio. It also offers Wi-Fi technology so you can connect to the Internet, accessing even more radio stations and podcasts from around the world.
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Pure Highway DAB radio is an in-car radio system that also plays your MP3 player. It’s powered by your car’s power socket, easily mounting to your windscreen with a removable mount. The radio lets you receive DAB stations through your car’s FM radio stations. It has easy-to-use features like ReVu that pauses and skips through live radio. When your journey is over, take it out of the car and continue listen through your headphones.
- The Pure Move is a compact radio that has built-in rechargeable battery and a telescoping antenna. It measures about 150mm by 85mm, and it’s only 27mm thick. The radio has an integrated stand that folds out on the back.
- The Pure Oasis is a portable Internet radio that lets you save and access your favourite radio stations wherever you go. The Wi-Fi connection lets you stream music from your computer as well. The Oasis is rugged enough for outdoor use, as it’s weatherproof and splash resistant.
- Revo is an award-winning Internet radio with Wi-Fi capabilities. It is splash-resistant so you can use it indoors or out. It’s cordless, portable, and comes with a remote control. The large LCD display offers a high contrast so it’s easy to read.
- The Roberts solar DAB radio offers soft rubberised controls and a built-in rechargeable battery back. The backlit LCD display shows the solar and battery levels and the signal strength.
- A popular Sony DAB portable radio is the XDRS10. It was designed for use in the kitchen, with a wipeable finish, clock display, and kitchen timer. There are 20 presets, 10 each for DAB and FM. It has built-in stereo speakers and a headphone socket.