The best walkie talkies in 2023, tried and tested

Best overall: The Rocky Talkie

Even though pretty much everyone has a cell phone these days, two-way radios or “walkie-talkies” are still useful in emergency situations, letting you maintain short-range communication where cellular service is weak or inaccessible. Two-way radios are relatively inexpensive, easy (and even fun) to use and much more durable and water-resistant than fragile cell phones. Most are even rated to resist rain, dust and sand, meaning they’re perfect for hikers, campers, boaters and emergency kits — alongside your flashlight, first aid kit and other necessities.

We researched and sourced eight popular two-way radios and ran them through a series of range and usability tests — including a rainy and windy day in the middle of a tropical storm. After comparing the results and evaluating their performance, we’ve found the best walkie-talkie for your emergency kit.

With long range and a user-friendly design, the Rocky Talkie two-way radios outperformed everything else we tested, and their durable build means they should provide clear communication whenever you need it.

The Rocky Talkie two-way radio doesn’t just have a name that’s fun to say, it’s also a really well-designed walkie-talkie that blew away the competition in our testing — it performed better and was easier to use than anything else we looked at, plus it’s ruggedly built, compact and offered the best battery life in its class.

First off, the Rocky Talkie simply blew away the competition in our range and clarity tests, and wasn’t even really close. The Rocky Talkie maintained a crystal-clear connection when used a mile apart on the beach, and even when I ventured on the other side of a 20-foot sand berm being created for a construction project, experienced very little static. Almost all of the other radios were either unusable or encountered tons of interference, with reception marred by tons of static at this distance. The Rocky Talkie was also the only radio that made it the half-mile mark in my neighborhood test. Even through several blocks of single and two-story buildings, the signal didn’t struggle at all and communications were clear and easy to understand, while others either struggled, or flat-out didn’t work.

The Rocky Talkie’s battery life was far longer than any of the other radios as well. After being powered on for 56 hours straight — including several battery-taxing long-range tests — the Rocky Talkie still had 51% battery life remaining. The majority of the radios in my testing pool were completely dead after 48 hours of use. This means the Rocky Talkie should be ready to use when you really need it, which is what you want from an emergency preparedness device.

Speaking of preparedness, the Rocky Talkie feels very solid and sturdy in your hand, with impressive heft that the lighter, flimsier radios lack, and all of its components, from the antenna to the speaker, to the controls, have a beefy, rugged feel. The buttons and switches are recessed below the surface of the thick rubber body, protecting them from any drops or falls. It even comes with a secondary backup clip and cable, which prevents it from even hitting the ground in the first place. A large carabiner hooks the radio onto pretty much anything, and I personally found it to be more useful and easier to use than the standard belt clip used by most other two-way radios.

Instead of the LCD screen many competitors employ, the Rocky Talkie displays the channel and setting info on an old-school segmented LED, with extremely bright green digits that are visible under almost any conditions (I found the display to be invaluable when testing in the dark and in a heavy rainstorm). The controls of the Rocky Talkie are also straightforward, with a textured push to talk button, top-mounted lever for scanning channels, and two side buttons that adjust the volume, or–when long-pressed–toggle the power level and change privacy codes. The included instruction manual for the Rocky Talkie is by far the best I found in my testing, using a large illustration and brief, concise explanations for everything you need to know. After a couple of minutes of practice and reviewing the manual, operating the Rocky Talkie became second nature.

Our only critique of the Rocky Talkie is that it isn’t an all-in-one emergency radio like some of the other models we tested — it’s a dedicated, stripped-down communications device. That means it doesn’t supply weather alerts, which means you’d have to have another device in extreme weather situations. It also doesn’t feature a VOX (voice activated) transmission feature. While these omissions limit its functionality compared to some competitors, their absence means the Rocky Talkie is that much simpler and easier to use, so keep that in mind, plus it’s just a better two-way radio — and the far better range, transmission clarity, battery life and dependability are far more important.

Smartphones are great, and provide an incredible amount of communication power at your fingertips on an everyday basis, but mobile service is also extremely vulnerable to natural disasters. If a hurricane, earthquake, or tornado knocks out a cell tower, or your area experiences extended power loss, you’ll be left with no means of communication.

Two-way radios don’t rely on vulnerable cell towers, which makes them a great backup to keep on hand in your home emergency kit. They won’t provide anywhere near the same functionality as a cell phone, but you can use them to maintain communication with your family, or with a little organization, stay in contact with neighbors on the same channel. Some models even receive emergency-band transmissions, so they can do double duty as basic emergency radios.

They’re also useful for hikers, campers or boaters who want to maintain communication in areas that lack cell service. Since they’re much simpler, cheaper to replace and typically more durable than cell phones, two-way radios are perfect for use during activities that could otherwise damage or ruin an expensive smartphone (or at least make it hard to use, since touchscreens are very difficult to operate while wet). While testing these radios in the middle of a rainstorm, even the cheapest models had no issues functioning while getting absolutely soaked. While some current flagship phones do have impressive waterproofing, my current phone (and the great majority of phones that people depend on) is susceptible to moisture damage and its touchscreen is useless in a downpour.

That depends on the type of two-way radio you’re using. Two-way radios are classified into different groups, some of which do require a license to operate. FRS (Family Radio Service) radios are the basic, short-distance models you can buy off the shelf, and can be operated by anyone without a license. Because of their relatively basic controls and simple operation that make them ideal for emergency use, and by users who may use them infrequently, all of the radios on our list are FRS models. More powerful GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) radios have a longer range, can access frequencies that FRS radios cannot, and require an FCC license to operate legally — so make sure you are purchasing an FRS radio unless you’re interested in getting a broadcast license.

Since two-way radios are likely to be used infrequently, and need to be ready to use in an emergency situation, it’s important that they’re easy to use. If their controls aren’t laid out clearly, or use overly complicated steps to access and adjust their settings, you could find yourself wasting precious time attempting to switch channels, adjust the volume, or turn on weather alerts. The first thing we did when unboxing each radio was to use the included instruction manual to cycle through all of the settings and features offered. We noted how long it took to get the hang of the controls, if any settings were challenging to remember or figure out, or if the placement of the controls were awkward to reach or operate with one hand. We also evaluated how well these manuals explained how to use the radio, and if the instructions were clear and concise, or confusing to understand.

We also compared the overall build quality of each radio, examining the materials used for construction, and noting if they felt strong and sturdy, or cheap and flimsy. After researching each radio’s waterproof rating, we then tested those ratings by using them in a rainstorm, or submerging them underwater if they claimed to be completely waterproof. We cycled through each radio’s functions during these moisture tests, as well as afterwards to see if the water had any effect on performance.

To compare each radio’s usable range, we set up two tests, a line-of-sight test at the beach, and another across a suburban neighborhood. At the beach, we tested each radio’s ability to transmit at .5, .75, and 1 mile markers, noting if the transmissions stayed clear and understandable as I got further away, or if they became unclear and unusable. I then took the radios to a suburban neighborhood, filled with blocks of single and two-story homes and apartment buildings, and tested each radio at 300, 500, and 800 meters. Since two-way radio range can be affected by many factors, like terrain, weather and radio interference, these results shouldn’t be taken as hard facts, but instead as a basic comparison tool. (This Rocky Talkie article on range does a great job of explaining the specifics of two-way radio range capabilities and how terrain and conditions can affect performance).

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I also left the fully-charged radios on overnight to get an idea of their battery lifespan. This test wasn’t exactly apples-to-apples, since some radios automatically switch to a power saver mode if they’re used for a certain amount of time, but it did let us understand which radios did NOT have a power save mode, which is important to know for those who want to know their radio will be ready for emergency use.

Finally, we made sure to note any special or useful features that would make each radio useful for emergency use, such as weather alerts, flashlights, and strobe signal lights. Testing during a tropical storm made it especially easy to compare these emergency stations and alerts.

The Motorola T600 radios are specifically designed to be used around water, boasting an IP67 waterproof rating (which means they can be completely submerged without damage). Best of all, even if they are dropped in the water, they float! And a water-activated locator light immediately activates, making it easy to find them if you do. They performed fairly well in my range tests, and although I experienced some static at 1 mile on the beach, I was still able to understand the transmission fine. In the neighborhood, these radios made it about 500 meters before the transmission became too staticy to understand. These can be set to receive NOAA weather alerts automatically, and combined with the white and red flashlight beam, make these radios a great choice for an emergency kit for the water.

These DeWalt radios ranked second behind my top pick, the Rocky Talkie. They maintained a usable, but substantially staticy, transmission at 800 meters across my neighborhood, and were the only other model to be able to transmit through the large sand berm at the beach. I love their ultra-rugged construction too, and the thick rubber overmold not only protects from drops and falls, but also makes them really easy to grip, even in the rain. Their IP67 waterproof rating is ideal for use in potential weather-related emergencies, and I noticed zero issues with their operation after testing in the rainstorm and submerging in my bathtub. These radios also feature optional “VOX” hands-free operation, which detects your voice and allows you to transmit without having to press the talk button. This could be really useful for situations where you’re likely to have your hands full, whether that’s on a jobsite (as you’d expect given DeWalt’s heritage) or in an emergency.

The tiny Midland X-Talker T10 radios are on the lower end of the range and battery life spectrum, but at $30, they could be a decent option for anyone who wants a budget-friendly, close range radio. Despite the price, they offer more features than I expected, including the same VOX hands-free operation as higher-end options, and the ability to receive NOAA weather alerts. Weighing just 3.9 ounces a piece, they’re also the lightest radios I tested, and could be useful for backpackers who don’t want to weigh down their packs more than is necessary. Unfortunately, they’re also the only option that doesn’t offer any kind of rechargeable battery, so you’ll need to supply your own AAA batteries.

Endorsed by the American Red Cross, the Motorola T478 radios come packed with emergency features like NOAA weather channels, weather alerts, FM radio, and an LED flashlight. Its pairing capabilities make it easy to keep you and other users on the same channel and privacy code, and a separate “emergency alert” button allows you to immediately inform other users of a direct emergency. The bright blue digits on the display are easy to read too, and combined with the glow in the dark keypad, make this radio well-suited for blackout or power outage scenarios.

The Motorola T470 radios are very popular, and it’s easy to see why. At less than $100 for a set they’re a great value, and although not as powerful as the Rocky Talkie or DeWalt DXFRS800, still performed at the top of the class in my range tests. I did pick up a decent amount of static during the longest distances in both the beach and neighborhood tests, but these radios were still able to transmit, unlike several models that cut off at shorter distances. They have a nice and sturdy build too, and useful features like bluetooth pairing with other radios (which keeps them on the same channel and privacy code), NOAA weather alerts, and an LED flashlight on top. The push to talk button also features a high and low power mode, which allows you to conserve power while using at shorter distances.

The Motorola T380 radios are seriously tiny, and although they feel like toys, delivered a better testing performance than I expected. They transmitted with decent clarity at 500 meters in my neighborhood test, and I can vouch that their 18-hour battery life is accurate. The basic controls allow you to access the NOAA weather station, and also set up the VOX hands-free function. The included lanyard and carabiner are a nice perk, and I really appreciated being able to simply hang them from my backpack while running around testing. If compact size and light weight is your priority, I’d recommend these over the shorter range and battery life of the also tiny Midland X-Talker T10.

Although the Midland X-Talker 36 radios offer a variety of features and are pretty simple to use, their short battery life–just like the Midland X-Talker T10–make them difficult to recommend. They drained from full battery to zero in about 10 hours, with only a couple of short transmissions during that time. They also made it just .75 miles on the beach before cutting out too frequently to be usable, and were unable to get further than 500 meters in the neighborhood test before doing the same. Although these radios functioned fine through my rainstorm testing, the smooth plastic exterior lacked any kind of rubber grip, making them more of a challenge to use one-handed while wet.