Roberts Revival Petite 2 review
Roberts Revival Petite 2 DAB/DAB+/FM Radio with Bluetooth (rechargeable)
By Tom Calder
Both Roberts and John Lewis describe a DAB, DAB+ and FM set with a rechargeable battery rated at up to 20 hours. In a long power cut that is the weak point: it has no spare-cell option, so once the battery is flat you need mains or a power bank on the USB-C lead, and Roberts does not say whether it plays while charging. It is a good everyday radio with a UK brand behind it, rather than a purpose-built kit radio. Top it up every few weeks and it can serve both roles.
- Best for
- A household that already likes DAB and wants a rechargeable portable set for the kitchen that can also sit in the kit.
- Skip it if
- You want a set that runs on spare cells
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
- DAB, DAB+ and FM with a telescopic aerial and 20 presets, per Roberts
- Roberts quotes up to 20 hours of listening from the built-in battery
- USB-C charging, so a power bank can top it up, and a two-year warranty
Worth knowing
- No replaceable cells, so a flat battery needs a USB-C source; Roberts does not say if it plays while charging
- No torch or crank, and Roberts states no battery capacity or phone output
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Our review
The Revival Petite 2 is Roberts' small retro-styled DAB, DAB+ and FM radio with Bluetooth and a built-in battery it rates at up to 20 hours. It is an everyday kitchen or bedside set first, and a power-cut radio second, because the battery is sealed in and recharges only over USB-C.
What it is
Roberts lists DAB, DAB+ and FM reception with a telescopic aerial, 20 presets split ten each between DAB and FM, Bluetooth streaming from a phone, a headphone socket and an alarm. The manual gives a 2600mAh lithium-ion cell, a USB-C input at 5V and 1A, a charge time of about six hours and Bluetooth 5.0. John Lewis lists it at 430g, about 7.3cm high, 12.4cm wide and 8.5cm deep, with a 40mm driver and a passive bass radiator behind an OLED display. It comes in Roberts' usual run of colours.
Battery life, and the limits
Roberts' figure is 20 hours of listening at most from one charge, depending on volume and use. That is decent for a set this size: at low volume for the hourly news it stretches across several days of a cut, and at kitchen volume for whole mornings it is more like two. The limit is what happens after that. There is no slot for ordinary cells, so a flat Petite 2 needs a USB-C supply: a wall adaptor when the power is back, or a power bank while it is off. Whether it keeps playing while it charges is not something Roberts states, so plan to charge it in gaps between listening if you cannot confirm that. A 5V, 1A input is slow but light on a power bank.
DAB in a power cut
DAB gives you the BBC national stations and most local ones in good quality, and FM stays as a fallback for local news if a DAB transmitter is affected. The telescopic aerial matters: extend it fully and move the set towards a window if reception drops. Our emergency radio guide explains which stations carry local emergency information and why a battery radio is on the government's kit list.
How it compares
On the emergency radios page the Roberts Revival Uno BT is the same brand and look but runs on four AA cells, which is the better arrangement for a long cut. The Roberts Sports 925 is a pocket FM and AM set rated for up to 60 hours on two AAs, with none of the Petite's sound. The Philips TAR1609 has its own battery plus an AAA fallback and a crank. If you want DAB from a set that also takes cells, the Roberts Play 10 is the plainer answer.
Our verdict
Buy it if you want a good-looking DAB radio you will use every day, and you are happy to keep it charged so it can stand in during a cut; Roberts gives a two-year warranty. Skip it as a dedicated kit radio: a set that takes AA cells, or one with a crank, keeps going when the sockets are dead and your power bank is spoken for by phones.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: Roberts Radio: Revival Petite 2; Roberts Radio: Revival Petite 2 instruction manual (PDF); John Lewis: Roberts Revival Petite 2 specification.
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy it if you want a set that runs on spare cells. The Roberts Sports 925 takes two AA cells and quotes up to 60 hours, and the Philips TAR1609 takes AAA cells as well as its own battery.
Key specs
| Power sources | Built-in rechargeable battery, USB-C; no spare cells |
| Bands | DAB, DAB+ and FM; Bluetooth for streaming |
| Phone charging | — |
| 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 Roberts Revival Petite 2 battery last?
Roberts gives 20 hours of listening at most from a full charge, depending on volume and use. The manual gives the cell as 2600mAh with a charge time of about six hours.
Can the Revival Petite 2 run on ordinary batteries?
No. The lithium battery is built in and charges only through the USB-C socket. A power bank can recharge it during a power cut.
Does the Revival Petite 2 have DAB+?
Yes. Roberts lists DAB, DAB+ and FM, with ten presets for each band, plus Bluetooth for streaming from a phone.
Is it a good power-cut radio?
It works well for a day or two if charged, but it has no spare-cell option, no crank and no solar panel. For a kit you leave untouched for months, a radio that takes AA cells is the safer choice.
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