The 7 Best Walkie Talkies in 2024 - Walkie Talkie Reviews

We’ve been using these essential tools for decades to communicate on the job site, set up shots for mountain biking and snow sports, find friends on the trail, and more.

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The humble walkie talkie isn’t the most glorious piece of equipment in our backpack or on our tool belt. But it is an essential piece of gear we’ve relied on for decades, when communicating on the job site to finding friends at remote campsites in the woods miles aways from the trailhead. While rock climbing multi-pitch routes when we can’t see or hear our partners and while skiing and boarding on the slopes to coordinate meeting up, shooting pics and videos, two-way radios just make it easier to communicate. Not to mention, they’re devices we’re happy to have in case of any emergencies, to monitor weather channels in the backcountry.

Their use is ubiquitous in many other jobs as well, from security and event production to construction sites and restaurants. Modern walkies haven’t had as drastic of an evolution as cell phones and their transformation into smartphones over the past two decades, but they’re also a far cry from the two-channel, cheap plastic walkie talkies we used as kids in our giant imaginary forest adventures. Some have advanced features like bluetooth connections or NFC chips to pair with each other, smart devices, and accessories. But at their heart they are easy-to-use communication devices that thrive where cell phones can’t.

Read on for our advice on what to keep in mind when deciding which walkie talkie is right for you, followed by our reviews of the best.

While a walkie talkie is a simple, handheld, portable two-way radio, not all are the same. Some are designed for use in buildings, while others are meant for outdoor use. Some make sense for adventures and sportspeople while others have functionality best suited to first responders. And, of course, some are designed for kids. When selecting the right two-way radios for your needs, there are plenty of aspects to take into account.

The basics are battery life, transmitting power or range, durability, weather/waterproofness, and remote capabilities. More advanced features include weather channels, VOX (voice-operated exchange, which is hands-free voice-activated transmission), access to NOAA weather channels, the ability to monitor multiple channels, privacy codes, headset ports, repeater channels, and NFC and Bluetooth connections.

The majority of walkie talkies are Family Radio Service (FRS) units that have 2 watts or less of broadcasting power. These need no license. Devices that have more than 2 watts of broadcasting power, up to 50 watts, are called General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) units.

GMRS devices require a license with the FCC. However, as the folks at Rocky Talkie explain on their site, it’s pretty easy to get one online in the U.S. It costs $35 and is good for 10 years, covering everyone in your immediate family. The higher the wattage means the more transmitting power and range the walkie talkie has, which generally means it uses more power and has a larger antenna. You can see that difference pretty clearly between the Rocky Talkie 5-Watt Radio and the brand’s smaller 2-watt Mountain Radio.

Both types of units are able to broadcast on a range of channels, and each of those channels has wattage restrictions. Channels 1 through 7 can broadcast at up to 5 watts. Channels 8 through 14 can only broadcast at up to 0.5 watts. Channels 15 through 22 can broadcast at up to 50 watts, making them ideal for communications up to 30 miles apart in good conditions. Some walkie talkies can broadcast on other channels, but doing so is not recommended as they may be used by emergency and first responders and it’s illegal to broadcast on them. On the other hand, Midland’s radios have “additional channels” listed on some models. But in that case they’re existing channels with pre-set privacy codes.

Speaking of, when using walkie talkies with a group of people it’s always important to check that everyone is on the same channel, and if using a private channel to reduce interference from others, that everyone is on the same privacy code. We’d also recommend locking the devices to that channel—unless you need to be on multiple channels or scanning channels.

Most two-way radios use replaceable batteries, usually AA or AAA, rechargeable batteries, or sometimes can use either. Units with rechargeable batteries are often more expensive, but usually have good longevity for trail and backcountry use. Some units recharge in a cradle but ideally also have a port for charging via a DC or USB cable, allowing you to power up from a backup battery as needed. We’ve left units on overnight before and still had power in the morning, and some will go into a low power mode when left on. The battery will last longer if you use the walkie less or use a lower wattage mode, but that will also reduce its transmitting and receiving range.

Obviously, you want your devices to last a long time, and walkie talkies should endure for years and withstand knocks and drops. Hence most don’t have touch screens or even glass screens. Most should be able to withstand minor spills or rain, but if you know you’ll be using them primarily in the water, like on a fishing boat or white-water rafting and kayaking, you’ll want a walkie talkie that’s waterproof and carries IP67 rating or higher rating. If you’re using walkies in the backcountry or on a job site, you’ll want two-way radios that are ruggedized—like the DeWalt 2-Watt Heavy-Duty Walkie-Talkie or Rocky Talkies—and can withstand drops more than some others.

Walkie talkies have a couple of different options when it comes to remote operation. Some will allow VOX or hands-free operation and are activated by your voice. Others have wired microphones and speakers that are handheld or worn on a lapel or shoulder strap. Yet others will have an earpiece and microphone. Some modern walkie talkies can actually pair with Bluetooth earpieces, also allowing for hands-free communications. This is great when wearing a motorcycle helmet or when a wire could get in the way of whatever you’re doing.

Some walkies have additional channel monitoring or communication capabilities, like operating on two frequencies at the same time. These are handy features but using them will drain the battery faster while they’re on.

Walkie talkies designed for outdoor use, for example, can monitor NOAA weather channels, giving you some insight into the weather and the conditions you may face while camping, driving off-road, hiking, or hunting that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to access.

Still others can communicate and monitor two channels at the same time. That could allow you to communicate to multiple teams at once. For instance, in a rescue situation, you could communicate with your friends on one channel and the local sheriff’s office or the search-and-rescue team on another without having to switch channels every time.

While all the channels available on walkie talkies are open to all users, some are generally used by certain groups and or in certain areas. You can talk with local organizations to find out which channels they use and broadcast on.

To help people connect with like minds, some are encouraging what they call community channels. These help people in a local backcountry area communicate with each other. Rocky Talkie has a list of some active community channels for local areas. While using these channels is helpful for some situations, you also don’t want to communicate constantly on channels that are monitored by SAR or local sheriff’s offices because you could interrupt emergency operations.

There’s a wide range of price for walkie talkies, but there’s also a wide range of benefits and features that come with more expensive models. So, while you can get a serviceable pair for about $30-$35, they won’t have much range or additional features. For a top-tier single walkie talkie with multi-channel monitoring, high wattage and range, as well as water- and shock-proofing, you can expect to pay over $150 per unit.

We based these selections on our own experiences with a variety of walkie talkies over the years. We’ve used them for everything from communicating with buddies miles away on hut trips and backcountry camping trips. We’ve also used them while mountain biking, camping in the backcountry, and while pedicabbing in the city to allow for quick communication without having to text or call on a cellphone.

Beyond that, we considered the other purposes where people need walkie talkies, whether it’s working on a job site, in a large building like a convention center, box store, and other uses. With all this in mind we considered a swath of walkie talkies with different functions and prices, factoring in the ease of use, features, range, and cost.

We tested many two-way radios in the field. For those we weren’t able to get our hands on, we researched reviews from reliable resources, including OutdoorGearLab, CNN, Forbes, Field & Stream, and more. We also took into consideration customer reviews in making these choices.

We’ve had these reliable Midland radios for years and have used them in the city as well as the mountains. Coming in a two-pack for under $100, it offers a great value with some advanced features, like hands-free VOX and NOAA weather channel monitoring.

We like that it is one of the most versatile walkie talkies in terms of powering the device. As part of a two-pack, you get a charging cradle for each, but you can also charge the device with a micro-USB cable and, if you’re in the field for multiple days and run out of power, you can switch the battery pack out for a new one or use three AA batteries to power it—though it is hard to get the cover off.

The radios are compatible with multiple accessories, like a hand-held mic-speaker or an earpiece-mic combo. The latter makes it even easier to use it in a hands-free configuration, like in a restaurant or store setting.

The walkies boast 36 channels, some of which are preconfigured for privacy. With privacy codes, it has a total of 121 channels. The speaker and mic are not crisp as some other models and the range isn’t as great as some others.

But in the end, this relatively affordable set of walkies has an ideal feature set for the most people out there.

In the end, it’s hard to deny the capabilities of the Rocky Talkie Mountain Radio compared to others made for outdoor adventure. We considered this for the best overall but since not everyone is going out for multi-day backcountry trips, the Mountain Radio is overkill for plenty of people.

Founded in 2019, RockyTalkie is a newcomer to the scene, but it has nailed it with this 2-watt FRS radio with great range. Even in forested, mountainous areas, we could still easily communicate over miles. It also had one of the longest lasting batteries, even in freezing weather.

The Mountain Radio sports a really simple interface with just five buttons, and it’s easy to lock on a channel. The radio also has a great speaker and microphone for transmitting and receiving calls and a bright green LED display that disappears when the radio isn’t actively transmitting or receiving.

We also appreciate the rugged, rubberized outer shell of the radio and its removable two points of attachment. The device uses carabiners rather than belt clips like most other two-way radios. That makes it exceedingly easy to attach to just about anything—a harness, a belt loop, a backpack strap, a PFD, the list goes on. The secondary attachment point uses smaller carabiners and a coiled leash making it even harder to drop or lose when using it.

The only thing we found lacking in the radio is that it doesn’t have the ability to scan and play NOAA weather alerts, which would be very nice to have in a backcountry setting with no access to cell service.

It shouldn’t surprise that a company known for its smartphones, like the Razr+, would add some smartphone-esque features into its top line of walkie talkies. That’s exactly what Motorola did with its 800-series Talkabout line. It employs the Talkabout app for iOS and Android devices to enable features that other walkie talkies can’t, like allowing you to use the series 800 as a sort of smartphone modem when there’s no cell service.

The app also facilitates sending texts or sharing your location to others with an 800-series radio and the app. It’s a feature unavailable on most walkie talkies since they’re just two-way radios. It also allows for smart pairing of the walkie talkies and enables connections to Bluetooth devices, like headphones or earbuds.

Beyond that, the 800 series Talkabout offers the features you’d expect in a good-quality walkie talkie with access to the 22 FRS channels and 121 privacy codes. This T803 radio has some advantages over the T800 (a better weatherproof rating, for one) and the T802, which doesn’t come with a rechargeable battery.

Resembling a mix between a 1980s Casio calculator watch and a wireless home phone, the BaoFeng BF-F8HP is among the most powerful handheld two-way radios available to the public.

With its ability to broadcast at up to 8 watts, you’ll need a Technician license from the FCC to operate the BF-F8HP. Otherwise you may face a fine. The device can operate at 4 watts (requiring a GMSR license) and at 1 watt as well. In addition to broadcasting on the 22 FRS channels, the BF-F8HP can receive commercial FM signals and works on VHF and UHF channels as well.

With all those capabilities, the walkie talkie also is more complicated than other two-way radios on this list. But for those who want a more capable and more powerful two-way radio, the BF-F8HP is a great option. With a long-range antenna, charging cradle, and included wired earpiece and mic, it has a good accessory package.

This bright yellow and burly walkie talkie comes from exactly whom you’d expect: DeWalt. It’s ruggedized and waterproof so you don’t need to worry about getting it wet, dropping it, or accidentally smacking it against a board or something sharp on the job site.

Like other FRS walkie talkies, this has 22 normal channels and 121 privacy codes. So if you’re working in an area with a lot of other construction teams around, you can largely isolate your group on one channel and privacy code.

The belt clip is on a cradle that is easy to put on and take off the unit. Just know that it may wear out over years of use since you have to take it off to place the radio in the charger cradle. You can also recharge the walkie talkie via a USB-C port on the side. Given the DXFRS800 is intended for construction sites large and small, we also like that you can buy it in a two-pack all the way up to a 48-pack with gang chargers that handle 6 units each. You also have the option to bundle it with included accessories like an earpiece and mic set that makes it easier to use with VOX.

The latest offering from Rocky Talkies, the 5-Watt Radio takes the simplified approach to a truly adventure-ready outdoor walkie talkie and bumps it up a notch.

The bigger (replaceable) battery allows for up to six days of use in the backcountry before it needs recharging. The whole unit, and the optional handheld mic and speaker, are IP67 rated. That means you can flip over in a whitewater raft with the unit clipped on your PFD with the included bomber alligator clip, and it will still work.

The 5-Watt Radio also includes more advanced features, like a NOAA weather mode and emergency alert monitoring, as well as the ability to monitor and transmit on the two frequencies at the same time. However, these capabilities will drain the battery more quickly. In addition to working on normal FRS channels, the GMSR also works with repeater channels, enabling it to communicate farther in areas with repeater antennas that its signals can bounce off of.

This is the walkie talkie we’ll take on our burliest, longest adventures. At 5 watts of transmitting power, however, you’ll need a $35 GMSR license to operate it.

Not everyone is looking for the ultimate backcountry two-way radio. Plenty of businesses, like retail shops and restaurants, rely on walkie talkies to communicate things like orders and warehouse checks and to enable front- and back-of-house communications discreetly. That’s where the RT22 shines.

The slim, easy-to-use device can lock into a channel, allowing everyone on a team to communicate either via VOX communications or with a microphone and earpiece (not included with all packages). The device is available as a single unit and in a packages with as many as 20.

Unlike almost all other walkie talkies, the RT22 doesn’t have a display, and channel selection is confirmed by a pre-programmed voice.

Chris Meehan is an internationally published writer, author, and editor with more than two decades of professional experience. He has authored multiple adventure guidebooks with Falcon Guides and his work focusses primarily on the nexus between sustainability and outdoor adventure. He is an experienced gear reviewer, tester, and travel writer who has explored multiple continents.

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