Duronic Hybrid review
Duronic Hybrid Wind-Up Solar Radio
By Tom Calder
A tiny, long-selling wind-up radio that does one thing: AM/FM from a crank, a solar panel or a USB lead. Duronic claims 20 minutes of play per minute of winding and one owner gets about 15, so the figure roughly holds up. There's no torch, no AA option and a 300mAh cell good for about 7 hours, and, despite the listing title, Duronic's own FAQ says it won't charge a phone. We've corrected our entry to say so.
- Best for
- The cheapest, simplest pocket AM/FM set for a kitchen drawer, shed or greenhouse, from a UK company.
- Skip it if
- You want light, DAB, a battery fallback or any phone charging
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Researched, not used. We haven't used this product. This review is built from the maker's specifications, owner reports and our own sizing.
What we like
- A crank figure owners roughly bear out: Duronic says 20 minutes of play per minute of winding, one owner gets about 15
- 230g (Duronic's figure) and pocket-sized, with owners reporting years of use in greenhouses and sheds
- Charges from the sun, the handle or a USB lead, so it never needs disposable batteries
Worth knowing
- No torch, no AA/AAA fallback and a 300mAh cell: about 7 hours of listening, then it's sun or handle
- Cannot charge a phone at all, whatever the title says; reception is weaker outside towns and the mini-USB lead is dated
Out of stock when we checked: our alternatives
Closest in size first, then by our score. None of them was showing out of stock when we last checked.
Best for A rugged home or shed radio: IP55, a user-replaceable battery Philips rates for up to 60 hours, a phone-charging port and four AAA cells as a fallback.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 13:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Best for Most UK households: a mainstream-brand FM/AM set with its own rechargeable battery, three AAA cells as a fallback, and a crank and solar panel behind those.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 13:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Best for The plain 'battery radio' answer to the GOV.UK kit list: a pocket FM/AM set from a UK radio brand that runs for days on two AA cells and has little to go wrong.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 13:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.ⓘ As an Amazon Associate, PreparedBritain earns from qualifying purchases. We may earn a commission when you buy, or a fee when you request a quote, through our links. When two products are close, commission can decide which one we pick. A clearly better product always wins. Amazon prices come from Amazon's own product data and show the date and time they were retrieved. Prices at other retailers are checked by us, less often. Prices and stock can change at any time, so always check the retailer's price before you buy.
Our review
Duronic's Hybrid is a 230g AM/FM radio that fills a small internal cell by winding, by sunlight or over USB. Duronic says a minute of winding gives 20 minutes of play, and the 300mAh cell gives up to seven hours. It is a basic backup radio and nothing more: no torch, no batteries, no reliable phone charging.
What it is
Duronic lists the Hybrid at 7.3 by 13 by 4.2cm and 230g, in a plastic case. It tunes AM from 530 to 1,650kHz and FM from 88 to 108MHz on an analogue dial, and has a 3.5mm headphone socket. Power comes from an internal 300mAh rechargeable cell, which Duronic says gives up to seven hours of playback. You can fill it three ways: by winding the handle, from the panel on top, or over USB. There is no slot for AA or AAA cells and no torch.
Crank and sun
Duronic's figure is 20 minutes of playtime from one minute of cranking. Best Radios, a UK review site, says winding for 10 to 15 minutes gives a full charge and then six to eight hours of listening, which is in line with that claim. On a cell this small, the crank is genuinely useful: two minutes of winding covers an evening news bulletin and some. Duronic gives 5 to 30 hours for solar charging, without saying in what light, so treat the panel as a way to keep it topped up on a windowsill rather than a fast refill.
The phone-charging question
Duronic's own page contradicts itself. The description says the USB output can charge a phone or small devices, while its FAQ says the radio does not include functionality to charge other devices. Best Radios found a phone could be charged with an adapter cable but noted it is not designed for it. With a 300mAh cell, even the best case would give a phone a few per cent, so plan as if it cannot charge anything and keep a separate power bank.
How it compares
On our emergency radio comparison the Philips TAR1609 is the step up: a 2,000mAh cell for up to 32 hours, three AAA cells as backup, a torch and published crank figures, at 390g. The Roberts Sports 925 and Panasonic RF-P50D skip the crank and run for days on two AA cells. The Hybrid's case is simplicity and a crank that does a lot for a little effort.
Our verdict
Buy it if you want a small, cheap radio that will always play after a minute on the handle, for a kitchen drawer, a shed or a second kit. Skip it if you want light, DAB, phone charging or long running on one charge. Pair it with a torch: the government's Be Ready checklist lists one separately and says torches are safer than candles. See our emergency kit list. Give the handle a turn every few months so you know it still works.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: Duronic: Hybrid AM/FM wind-up and solar radio (product page and FAQ); Best Radios: Duronic Hybrid wind-up radio review; UK Government Be Ready: emergency kit checklist.
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy it if you want light, DAB, a battery fallback or any phone charging. It's a backup radio in the strictest sense.
Key specs
| Power sources | Built-in 300mAh rechargeable (USB in), solar panel and hand crank. No AA/AAA option |
| Bands | AM/FM, analogue tuning |
| Phone charging | No - Duronic's own FAQ says it cannot charge other devices, despite the 'USB Phone Charger' in the listing title |
| Built-in torch | No |
This is a Researched review: we haven't used this product. We check every specification against at least two independent sources, re-check the UK price on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and say plainly who it isn't for. Commissions never change a rating.
Questions
How long does the Duronic Hybrid radio play on a charge?
Duronic says up to seven hours from its 300mAh cell, and 20 minutes of playtime from each minute of cranking. Solar charging takes 5 to 30 hours, depending on light.
Can the Duronic Hybrid charge a phone?
Don't count on it. Duronic's FAQ says it cannot charge other devices, although its description says otherwise. A 300mAh cell would give a phone very little either way.
Does the Duronic Hybrid take batteries?
No. Its built-in 300mAh rechargeable cell is topped up by winding, by daylight on the panel or over USB, and there is no slot for AA or AAA cells.
Does the Duronic Hybrid have a torch?
No. It is a radio only, with AM, FM and a headphone socket. Keep a separate torch in your kit.
How long does the Duronic Hybrid take to charge by crank?
Best Radios, a UK review site, found 10 to 15 minutes of winding gave a full charge and then six to eight hours of listening. Duronic's own figure is 20 minutes of play per minute of winding.
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