Sangean MMR-88 v2 review
Sangean MMR-88 DAB+ v2 Wind-Up Solar Radio (DAB+/FM, USB-C)
By Tom Calder
Sangean publishes more than most brands here: its manual gives about 10 hours of play from a full charge, about 5 to 7 minutes of listening per minute of winding at around 120 turns a minute, and about 15 hours in direct sun to refill the cell. That makes it a believable, modest set. It's DAB+ and FM at 377g with a swappable 18350 cell, but there's no AA or AAA backup, no IP rating and the phone port is a 5V/0.3A trickle. For a longer run the Roberts SolarDAB 99 quotes up to 20 hours, at more than twice the weight.
- Best for
- A light DAB+ set for a kitchen shelf or a bag that can be topped up by crank, sun or USB-C, if you accept a short run time.
- Skip it if
- You want a long run time, an IP-rated body or a quick phone top-up
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+ and FM with RDS and 40 presets in a 377g body
- A crank figure in the manual: about 5 to 7 minutes of listening per minute of winding, and about 10 hours of play from a full charge
- USB-C charging, a solar panel and a swappable 18350 cell, plus a four-mode LED torch with SOS
Worth knowing
- About 10 hours per charge, no AA or AAA fallback, and a specialist 18350 cell to replace
- No IP rating, and a 5V/0.3A USB-A output makes phone charging a top-up at best; the solar panel needs around 15 hours of direct sun
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, 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.ⓘ 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
Sangean's MMR-88 DAB+ is a 377g DAB+ and FM radio with a swappable 850mAh cell, a solar panel, a hand crank and USB-C charging. Sangean publishes real figures for it, which few makers in this class do. The trade-off is a short run time and a phone port too weak to matter.
What it is
Sangean's product page lists DAB+ and FM with RDS, 40 presets split 20 and 20, a 38mm speaker with a 0.4W amplifier, and a body of 152 by 85 by 69mm at 377g. Power is an 18350 lithium cell of 3.7V and 850mAh, which you can replace, charged by USB-C at 5V 0.5A, by the solar panel on top, or by the fold-out handle. There is a triple-LED light with low, high, blinking and SOS patterns, a headphone socket, and a USB-A socket rated at 5V 0.3A for a phone. This is the current USB-C version; the earlier model charged by Micro USB, so check the listing's photos.
The numbers Sangean gives
The product page quotes eight hours of play from a full charge. The manual says a minute of winding gives roughly five to seven minutes of listening, and that the panel works whether or not the set is switched on, with more direct sun producing more charge. Those are modest claims, and that is the point: a crank DAB+ radio draws more current than an FM-only set, so Sangean's figures are believable where some marketplace brands promise days of listening from a few turns. Expect to top it up from a USB charger most of the time and use the crank for the next bulletin.
Limits
There is no AA or AAA fallback, so once the cell is flat you wind or wait for sun. The 0.3A phone output is a trickle that would take many hours to add anything useful to a modern phone, so keep a power bank for that. The product page lists no IP rating, so treat it as splash-prone and keep it under cover. DAB+ reception needs a decent signal; the BBC's national multiplex reaches most of the UK, but a weak-signal home should keep FM presets stored too, since FM is what the government's Be Ready checklist asks for.
How it compares
On our emergency radio comparison the Roberts SolarDAB 99 is the other DAB+ crank set with a known maker behind it, with a longer quoted run time but more than double the weight. The Nedis RDDBCR2000GN has a larger 2,500mAh cell. If you only need FM, the Philips TAR1609 adds an AAA fallback and runs far longer per charge for less money.
Our verdict
Buy it if you want DAB+ in a light set that lives on a kitchen shelf and goes in a bag, and you will keep it charged from USB. Skip it if you want days of listening from one charge, a torch that lights a room, or a radio that can take shop-bought cells when everything else is flat. Our guide to radios in a power cut explains why we rate an FM set with an AA slot as the safer first buy.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: Sangean: MMR-88 DAB+ product page and specifications; Sangean: MMR-88 DAB+ user manual (PDF); UK Government Be Ready: emergency kit checklist.
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy it if you want a long run time, an IP-rated body or a quick phone top-up. The Philips TAR3500 quotes up to 60 hours, with AAA backup, and the Sangean MMR-99 has a rated 1A port and a dust and water rating, though it has no DAB+.
Key specs
| Power sources | Swappable 18350 Li-ion (850mAh), solar panel, crank, USB-C |
| Bands | DAB+/FM with RDS, 40 presets (20 DAB+, 20 FM) |
| Phone charging | Weak - 5V/0.3A USB-A, radio must be off |
| Built-in torch | Yes - triple LED, 4 modes incl. SOS Morse |
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 Sangean MMR-88 DAB+ play on a charge?
Sangean's product page quotes eight hours from the 850mAh cell. DAB+ draws more than FM, so expect the lower end of that on digital stations at higher volume.
How much listening does cranking the MMR-88 DAB+ give?
The manual says about five to seven minutes of listening per minute of winding. That is enough for a news bulletin, not for an evening of radio.
Can the MMR-88 DAB+ charge a phone?
Only slowly. Its USB-A output is rated at 5V 0.3A, a fraction of what a phone charger supplies, so keep a separate power bank for phones.
Does the MMR-88 DAB+ take AA batteries?
No. It runs only on its replaceable 18350 lithium cell, charged by USB-C, solar or the crank. Spare 18350 cells are sold separately.
Free alerts for your home
Home Alerts emails you when a power cut, a Met Office warning or a flood warning covers your postcode. Free for your own home. Sign up in a minute.
Start free →