What’s more, the Retro Mini can achieve volumes that are a lot higher than we expected when we started testing out this device. Pros: The easiest design to use when you’re sleepy, often have large screens which are ideal if you have poorer eyesight Using conventional batteries, such as AAs. Choose one of our best rechargeable batteries to save money and help the environment. Most portable Roberts radios are powered this way. The Pure Elan E3 (pictured above) is an anomaly in the Pure portable radio family since it takes conventional batteries.

Some radios use dedicated rechargeable batteries which will recharge when the radio is plugged into the mains, even while you’re listening to it.Roberts and Pure are the two best-known British radio brands. However, our testing shows that their radios are not always the best, and that they even make some real duds. People often find that it’s easier to access these internet features via your smartphone’s touchscreen anyway, as it can be fiddly to navigate them using the buttons on a radio. Some internet radios have an accompanying app to solve this issue. This mini radio looks great, sounds good, and even comes with a few extra features, like USB charging and Bluetooth connectivity thrown in. Choose an internet radio if you don’t want to use a smartphone or tablet, or listen to internet-only radio for long periods on a daily basis – you won’t have to use two devices, or keep your smartphone in Bluetooth range of your radio, and you won’t have to worry about the Bluetooth connection excessively draining your phone’s battery life if you use it for hours at a time.

The Retro Mini features DAB & DAB+ Digital Radio along with traditional FM, meaning you can listen to all the available stations broadcast in your area from the likes of; your national, commercial, and local broadcasters. Finding new stations couldn’t be easier. The auto scan finds all your available stations with a simple alphabetical list to scroll through. Once you find a new favourite station, save it to one of sixty available presets. Most non-budget DAB radios are also compatible with DAB Plus, although the UK is well behind the continent in taking up this technology. For radio stations that support it, DAB+ offers improved sound quality.If you’re still having trouble, buying an internet radio may be the answer – this will work in range of your home wi-fi signal, and most models have DAB and FM radio as well in case signal improves in your area in the future. Does DAB radio sound better than FM radio?

However, we weren’t particularly fond of how the presets worked. There are no dedicated buttons for instant access, which is a bit of a headache.You do also get a greater number of radio stations with DAB+, but they tend to be niche offerings. However, DAB+ is widely used in other countries across Europe, so the main benefit is if you go on holiday: DAB+ support means you’ll be able to continue using your radio when travelling abroad. Miss some features of internet radios, such as internet-only radio stations, podcasts, audiobooks, and music-streaming services including Spotify and Apple Music (may require subscriptions). However, if you get a DAB radio with Bluetooth, you can stream all these features to your radio from your smartphone or tablet. If you and your partner need to get up at different times, look for a model with dual independent alarms, an increasingly common feature. Snooze button