Best battery radios UK (2026): FM and DAB sets that run on ordinary cells

GOV.UK Prepare asks for a battery or wind-up radio, and this is the battery one done simply. Roberts quotes up to 60 hours of playback, it runs on two AA cells, and there's no crank to seize, no solar panel to disappoint and no internal cell to go flat between emergencies. Its limits are plain: no torch, no phone charging, no DAB, and a small speaker that's quiet in a busy room, so keep headphones with it.

Worth knowing: No torch, no USB port and no DAB; it does one job only

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want one device for light and radio together, or DAB. Pair it with a head torch, or pick the Philips TAR1609 for a radio that also has a torch and a crank.

The more useful of the two Roberts Play sets for a power cut. Roberts' guide quotes up to 25 hours from four alkaline cells, and a switch in the battery bay lets the radio recharge NiMH cells from its own adaptor in about 7 hours, so spare AAs are a fallback you can keep topped up. It adds Bluetooth, 20 presets and rubber bumpers. It has no crank, solar panel, torch or phone port and no published IP rating, so it's a radio that needs cells in hand rather than a self-powered one.

Worth knowing: No crank, solar panel, torch or phone-charging port

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you need light or phone charging from the same device, or a set that refills without a mains socket. The Philips TAR1609 has a crank, solar panel and torch; the Sangean MMR-88 DAB+ is the DAB+ alternative with a crank.

Roberts' current guide (Issue 4, September 2024) gives up to 20 hours from four AA alkaline cells, down from 30 hours in an earlier edition, so check which figure a retailer repeats. It's the honest low-tech answer: DAB, DAB+ and FM with RDS, six presets with a mains adaptor in the box. It isn't self-sufficient: no crank, solar panel, torch or phone port, and it doesn't recharge cells, so what you keep in the drawer decides how long it lasts.

Worth knowing: No crank, solar panel, torch or phone port; once the cells run out you need more cells or the mains

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want a radio that charges itself or lights a room. The Philips TAR1609 has a crank, solar panel and torch; the Roberts Sports 925 quotes 60 hours on two AA cells, though without DAB.

Panasonic's spec page is the useful thing here: about 40 hours of DAB (30 on FM) from four alkaline C cells, but only about 12 hours (9 on FM) from manganese ones, and Panasonic says its figures assume its own batteries. That makes it one of the better-documented battery sets on this page, with a 10cm speaker, a backlit two-line display and a fold-down handle. The costs are about 1.3kg with the cells in, C cells that few homes keep spare, and no crank, solar panel, torch or phone port. It runs from the mains too, so the cells only matter when the power is off.

Worth knowing: About 1.3kg with cells in, and C cells are less likely to be in the house than AA

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want something light for a grab bag, or a phone top-up from the same device. The Roberts Sports 925 weighs about 150g on two AA cells, and the Philips TAR3500 has a USB-A port and AAA backup, though neither has DAB.

Panasonic's current pocket radio does one job: FM and AM on two AA cells, which Panasonic says last about 64 hours on FM and 68 on AM with alkaline batteries, in a 111g set. There's nothing to charge, crank or fail, and AA cells are the easiest batteries to keep in stock. It has no DAB, torch, phone port or mains option, so it's for news and updates in a cut rather than a radio that does everything.

Worth knowing: FM and AM only: no DAB, torch, phone port or mains option

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want DAB, a light or a phone top-up from the same radio; the Roberts Play 10 adds DAB, and the Philips TAR3500 adds a crank, solar panel and torch.

Roberts' guide gives up to 25 hours from four alkaline AA cells, which is a useful run time, and the mains adaptor is in the box for the rest of the time. But it's a worktop radio first: the same guide recommends the adaptor 'whenever possible' with cells for occasional use, the display light only stays on for about 12 seconds on batteries. DAB, DAB+, FM with RDS, Bluetooth and an aux input are all there, but there's no crank, solar panel, torch or phone port, and it doesn't charge cells, so a power cut means spare AAs.

Worth knowing: Roberts itself recommends mains power with cells for occasional use, and the display light lasts about 12 seconds on batteries

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you're buying for a power cut rather than the kitchen. The Roberts Play 20 also quotes up to 25 hours and charges NiMH cells inside the radio, and the Philips TAR1609 adds a hand crank, a solar panel and a torch.

Majority quotes up to 15 hours on four AA cells, and ordinary cells are the right fallback for an emergency set. It's DAB+, FM and Bluetooth with a headphone socket and a USB-C mains adapter in the box. The caveats are practical: Majority's manual says to switch it off at the rear switch on cells, because standby drains them; the 15-hour figure doesn't say which cells it assumes; and there's no crank, solar panel, torch or phone port. Majority's page and manual also disagree on the preset count and Bluetooth version, so treat those details as approximate.

Worth knowing: On cells it must be switched off at the rear switch, as standby drains them (Majority's manual), and the 15 hours isn't tied to a cell type

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want a longer-running battery set or one that charges its own cells. The Roberts Play 20 quotes up to 25 hours and charges NiMH cells in the radio, and the Roberts Play 10 quotes up to 20 hours at 332g.

Philips publishes a short but clear data sheet for this one: FM and AM, two AAA cells, a headphone socket and a wrist lanyard in a 96g body. That meets the government's Be Ready checklist, which asks for a battery or wind-up radio, at the simplest level. Philips gives no battery life, no frequency ranges and no AM step, so there is no run time to plan around, and the 100mW output means a small speaker. Keep a spare pair of AAA cells with it.

Worth knowing: Philips states no battery life and no AM tuning step

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want a published run time. The Roberts Sports 925 quotes up to 60 hours from two AA cells, and the Philips TAR1609 adds a rechargeable cell, torch and crank.

Roberts' quick-start guide gives between 8 and 10 hours from four alkaline AA cells, with the mains adaptor in the box. Its useful trick is a built-in charger: fit four NiMH cells, move the switch in the battery compartment, and they fill from the mains in about 7 hours, so they're charged when the power goes. The guide describes the USB socket as for service use only, so don't expect a phone top-up. At about 1.2kg with no crank, solar panel or torch it's a kitchen radio first, and DAB needs a signal like any radio.

Worth knowing: About 1.2kg and 18cm tall, with no crank, solar panel or torch

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want a long run time or a phone top-up from the same set. The Roberts Play 20 quotes up to 25 hours and charges NiMH cells in the radio at 390g, and the Philips TAR3500 has a USB-A phone port and an AAA fallback.

A plain kitchen-and-garden DAB+ and FM radio from Majority that also earns its place in a power-cut box: Majority quotes up to 15 hours from four AA cells, with a mains cable for every other day. It has 20 presets and a headphone socket; Majority's page and manual disagree on its weight (0.25kg against 550g). There's no crank, solar panel, torch or phone port, so keep spare AAs with it.

Worth knowing: Needs AA cells in a power cut: no crank, solar, torch or phone port

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want a self-powered radio. The Acta Berg DAB+ crank radio charges by hand and sun, and the Roberts Play 20 recharges its own NiMH cells.

A small FM, AM and shortwave set whose useful trick is a power switch: XHDATA says it runs from a built-in 1,200mAh battery charged by USB-C, or from AA cells (two, according to the SWLing Post's review; XHDATA doesn't say), so a packet of AAs takes over when the battery runs down. It has a torch and a headphone socket, and the AM step switches to the 9kHz used in Europe. XHDATA doesn't say how long either supply lasts, and for news in Britain FM is the band that matters; the shortwave is a hobby extra.

Worth knowing: No DAB, and XHDATA gives no running time or torch brightness

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want DAB or published battery figures. The Majority Histon runs DAB+ and FM on four AA cells for up to 15 hours, and for FM the Roberts Sports 925 quotes up to 60 hours on two AA cells.

It does run without mains: four AA cells, alkaline or NiMH, and the radio charges NiMH cells itself in about 7 hours. Roberts' guide says 8 to 10 hours on alkaline, shorter than the other Roberts AA sets here. On paper it's a well-specified radio (DAB, DAB+ and FM with RDS, 20 presets, a 50mm speaker with a passive radiator, Bluetooth), but it's built for the worktop. With no crank, solar panel, torch or phone port, a power cut means spare cells.

Worth knowing: 8 to 10 hours on alkaline is short; the Play 10 and Play 20 quote 20 and 25 hours

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you're buying for a power cut. The Play 20 quotes up to 25 hours on four AA cells, and the Philips TAR1609 can recharge itself.

Panasonic's manual quotes about 8 hours of DAB, FM or Bluetooth from four alkaline AA cells, measured at maximum volume, and gives no figure for quieter listening. That's a demanding test, but without a normal-volume figure you'd plan a long cut around spare cells. The same manual says not to use rechargeable cells, so there's no NiMH route. In its favour: DAB+ and FM, a 2.4-inch colour display, four preset keys and about 0.6kg with cells, with the mains adaptor in the box. There's no crank, solar panel, torch or phone port, and DAB needs a signal like any radio.

Worth knowing: Panasonic's manual says not to use rechargeable cells, so spares have to be disposable alkaline or manganese AAs

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want a long rated run time on batteries or a rechargeable option. The Roberts Play 20 quotes up to 25 hours on alkaline AA cells and charges NiMH cells inside the radio, and the Panasonic RF-D10EB quotes about 40 hours of DAB on four alkaline C cells, though neither figure is measured at full volume as this one's is.

XHDATA's own page is short but specific: two AA cells or a 5V DC input, manual analogue tuning, FM, AM and nine shortwave bands, 159g without cells and an English manual in the box. It publishes no battery life, and no mains adaptor is in its package list. The Amazon listing gives AM as 522-1620kHz, the 9kHz-step version that suits UK medium wave; XHDATA says its US warehouse stocks a 10kHz version instead. It's a cheap, simple set, not a rated one: no IP rating, torch or phone port.

Worth knowing: XHDATA states no battery life, and its package list names only the radio and a manual

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want a published run time or a rated build. The Roberts Sports 925 quotes up to 60 hours from two AA cells at about 150g, and the Philips TAR3500 has a published dust and water rating and quotes up to 60 hours from its lithium cell.

XHDATA's page confirms the essentials: two AA cells, medium wave from 522kHz, shortwave and a headphone jack. It does not publish a battery life, an AM step or an FM range on the page read, and the Amazon title wrongly suggests a wind-up. As a spare-cells set it does the basic job, but the older D-219 on this page has a fuller spec sheet. Treat it as a budget extra, not a primary kit radio.

Worth knowing: XHDATA's page states no battery life, no AM step and no FM range

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want a published run time or a rated build. The Roberts Sports 925 quotes up to 60 hours from two AA cells, and the Philips TAR3500 has a published dust and water rating.