What the main choices change
- FM reception
- Useful where the news stations you need broadcast on FM and reception is clear at home. Write down their local frequencies.
- DAB reception
- Adds digital broadcast stations where available. Coverage, available local services and indoor reception can differ from FM.
- DAB+ reception
- Needed for stations broadcast only in DAB+. Ofcom notes that an older DAB set is not necessarily DAB+ capable.
- Replaceable batteries
- Straightforward if the radio accepts batteries you can store and replace; keep the correct type and follow the set's instructions.
- Rechargeable or wind-up
- Can offer another way to power a suitable set, but depends on its design, battery condition and charging method. Check the maker's instructions rather than assuming a stated runtime.
Reception matters before extra features
The UK Prepare campaign recommends keeping a battery or wind-up radio and spare batteries for updates during a power cut. It advises trying FM and digital modes to find a station still broadcasting. This does not mean every station will be receivable in every home.
Ofcom explains that radio coverage depends on terrain, transmitter details, receiver sensitivity, the aerial and whether listening is indoors. FM and DAB can behave differently as a signal weakens. Choose the broadcast modes by checking the stations you actually receive where the radio will be used.
DAB and DAB+ are not the same receiver capability. Ofcom says some DAB sets cannot receive DAB+ services. If a particular station is important to you, check its current broadcast mode and the set's exact compatibility before purchase. An internet-only speaker or phone radio app is a different fallback because it needs a working connection as well as power.
Power choices and their limits
- A set using ordinary replaceable batteries is a practical first option if you can keep the correct spares and check the set periodically.
- A rechargeable set needs a reliable way to recharge and a battery that still holds charge when needed. Follow the manufacturer's charging and storage instructions.
- A wind-up handle may help when spare batteries or charging are unavailable, but output and listening time vary by exact model. Do not treat a crank as proof of all-night listening.
- A solar panel is an optional charging route whose usefulness depends on light, panel design and the radio's battery. It is not a substitute for testing the set indoors and in the season when you may need it.
- A car radio may offer another listening route. UK Prepare cautions that staying indoors may be safer in severe weather.
Check what will work in your household
- Try what you already own
Test an existing portable radio on its batteries. Find at least one useful news station in the part of the home where you would listen.
- Check broadcast modes
Record whether your chosen stations use FM, DAB or DAB+. Do not assume a DAB label includes DAB+.
- Check controls and sound
Make sure the intended listener can tune it, read or feel the controls, hear it clearly and change its power source without relying on a phone app.
- Keep a paper station note
Write the station names and local FM frequencies or DAB station names. The UK Prepare campaign recommends keeping this with the household emergency plan.
- Maintain the set
Keep the right batteries or charging cable nearby. Follow the maker's instructions for storage and periodic charging, and repeat the reception check after moving home or changing the radio.
What a radio cannot guarantee
Reception and station availability vary by place and over time. A radio does not replace a direct instruction from emergency services or public authorities, and it cannot confirm every street-level power fault. Use the electricity network operator's live information when available and treat radio as another route to updates.
Products that may help
Specific options, with the limitations visible.
These are affiliate links. The recommendation is based on suitability and evidence, not commission.
Roberts Play 11 DAB/DAB+/FM portable radio
Roberts PLAY11BK, Play 11 black
A portable broadcast radio that can receive FM, DAB and DAB+ without household internet, where a suitable station is available. It runs from four AA batteries or a compatible USB-C supply.
- Useful for
- A household that needs a broadcast fallback and has checked that useful FM or DAB stations can be received at home.
- Probably not for
- Anyone whose existing battery radio already receives useful stations, or whose chosen broadcasts cannot be received on FM, DAB or DAB+.
- FM, DAB and DAB+ modes cover several UK broadcast options
- Four replaceable AA batteries avoid dependence on an internal rechargeable cell
- USB-C power is another route when a suitable supply is available
- Reception and station availability vary by location and incident
- AA batteries, a working USB supply or both must be maintained
- No wind-up or built-in solar charging
- No stated runtime is treated as a household guarantee
Test reception in the room where the radio will be used, keep a paper note of useful stations, and keep the correct AA batteries. Use the 5V USB supply specified by Roberts and follow its battery instructions.