Majority Histon review
Majority Histon DAB+/FM Portable Radio (4 x AA or mains)
By Tom Calder
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.
- Best for
- A light everyday DAB+ set that runs on four AA cells in a power cut, from a UK brand.
- Skip it if
- You want a self-powered radio
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 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.We earn a commission if you buy through the retailer links on this page. It doesn't change our verdict. How we make money →
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
- Up to 15 hours from four AA cells (Majority's figure), or the included mains cable
- DAB+ and FM with 20 presets, from UK brand Majority
- A headphone socket for listening quietly
Worth knowing
- Needs AA cells in a power cut: no crank, solar, torch or phone port
- No published IP rating; sold by a third-party seller rather than Amazon
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Our review
Majority's Histon is a small DAB+ and FM radio from a UK brand that runs on four AA cells for up to 15 hours, or from the 5 V power adaptor in the box. It weighs a quarter of a kilo, has 20 presets and a headphone socket, and comes with a three-year warranty when registered. It is an everyday kitchen radio that earns a place in the power-cut box because it takes cells you can stockpile.
What it is
Majority lists the Histon at 18 by 11 by 6.5 cm and 0.25 kg, with DAB+ and FM tuning, 20 presets and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. It runs from four AA cells, which Majority rates at up to 15 hours, or from the DC 5 V, 1 A power adaptor supplied. Majority's current manual describes storing a preset by holding the preset button for two to three seconds, and both the page and the manual offer a three-year warranty on registration.
Be careful with the name: the Histon II is a different, heavier radio at 550 g, which is where the confusion over the Histon's weight comes from. This review is the original Histon at 0.25 kg.
In a power cut
Fifteen hours from a set of alkaline AAs is enough for news bulletins across a two-day cut if you switch it off between them, and spare cells are cheap and easy to keep. The Histon has no crank, no solar panel, no torch and no phone-charging port, so it is a radio and nothing else, with the simplicity that brings. DAB needs a signal like any other radio, and FM is the fallback where DAB coverage is thin. Our guide to radios in a power cut explains which stations carry emergency information and how to find them.
Majority does not say whether the 15-hour figure is at low or high volume, or whether it applies to DAB, FM or both. Treat it as a best case, run the radio at a modest volume, and keep two spare sets of cells with it in the same box so nobody has to hunt for them in the dark.
How it compares
On our battery radios page, the Roberts Play 20 quotes up to 25 hours on alkaline AAs and can charge NiMH cells inside the radio, at a higher price. Majority's own Little Shelford adds Bluetooth. The Panasonic RF-D10 runs about 40 hours of DAB on four C cells. The Histon is the lightest and cheapest of them, and the plainest.
What to check before buying
Majority sells through its own site and through third-party sellers, so check the seller and that you are getting the original Histon rather than the Histon II if weight matters to you. Register it with Majority to get the three-year warranty. Cells are not listed as included, so order a pack of AAs at the same time.
Our verdict
A light, inexpensive DAB+ and FM set from a UK brand with a clear battery figure and a three-year warranty, which is all a power-cut radio needs. Buy it with a stock of AAs. Skip it if you want a self-powered set with a crank or solar panel, or one that charges its own cells.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: Majority: Histon DAB+/FM radio; Majority: Histon user manual (PDF); GOV.UK Be Ready: power cuts.
Who shouldn't buy this
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.
Key specs
| Power sources | 4 x AA (not included), up to 15 hours, or the included mains cable |
| Bands | DAB+ and FM, 20 presets (10 DAB, 10 FM in Majority's manual) |
| Phone charging | No |
| 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.
If this isn’t the one
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, 16:07 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, 16:07 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 A tough household radio that can top up a phone from its own cell and keep going from the crank or the sun, if FM and AM are enough.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 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.Questions
How long does the Majority Histon run on batteries?
Majority's figure is up to 15 hours on a set of four AAs. It does not say at what volume or on which band, so keep spare cells for a long cut.
Does the Histon come with a mains adaptor?
Yes. Majority lists a DC 5 V, 1 A power adaptor in the box. AA cells are not listed as included.
How heavy is the Majority Histon?
Majority lists it at 0.25 kg and 18 by 11 by 6.5 cm. The heavier 550 g figure sometimes quoted belongs to the Histon II, a different radio.
Does the Histon have a crank or solar panel?
No. It runs on AA cells or the supplied adaptor only, with no torch or phone-charging port.
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