In an age where a majority of us use our phones to stream and listen to music, radios could be considered to be a thing of the past. But radio has been around for over 100 years and the invention of television didn’t kill it, the emergence of streaming services and podcasts hasn’t killed it. Why? Well radios are a great way to listen to a variety of music, talk shows, news and other stations at home, at work or on the go, and you don’t need to pay subscription fees or rely on a stable internet connection. And they are perfect for national emergency situations for listening out for news updates.
In a uncertain world, the UK government has recently been promoting the idea of citizens having a emergency bag in case of emergencies and one of the items on the list is a radio, to enable you to get advice in the event of an emergency. But not just any radio; a battery operated one, or better still, a wind up one so that you don’t need to rely on having the power on or looking for batteries. To me it made a lot of sense to have a wind up radio – I use Alexa to listen to the radio every day but in the event of no power or the internet going down I wouldn’t be able to. So I wanted a wind up radio that would be small enough to keep in a bag and be easily portable and found one that I thought was suitable, and it even had some extra features that made it stand out above others – a perfect choice.
The Solarbaby Wind-Up Radio is what you would expect, a wind up radio using a hand crank built into the side of the radio. It look great which its red and black colouring. Winding it up gives it enough power to listen to your favourite stations, but as I said, it has some fantastic extra features; it has a 2000mAh rechargeable battery built in so that you can charge it via USB, you can also use any power in the radio as a small portable power bank to charge your phone, it also features a solar panel on top to charge the battery and it even features a LED torch – another recommended resource on the governments emergency kit list. It’s a multi-functional tool designed for the savvy adventurer and the safety-conscious individual alike.
The Solarbaby Wind-Up Radio is an excellent size to keep in an emergency bag, to take on picnics, camping or hiking etc. It’s compact size measures 5in (12.8cm) x 2.4in (6cm) x 1.8in (4.6.cm). It is a fantastic size for a portable radio but also makes it an easy to hold torch.
Overall, whether you want a small radio for simply listening to at home, out in the garden, on picnics, taking camping or hiking or having as part of your emergency kit or go bag, the Solarbaby Wind-UpRadio is perfect for the job .
It features the standard AM/FM frequencies using a tuning dial, but also has WB (wideband) frequencies, which have a broader spectrum than AM/FM and is perfect for emergency communications (making it an excellent choice for that emergency bag).
Using the radio is simple. It features two dials; volume (also the on/off switch) and tuning dials. To use, pull up the extendable aerial (up to 30cm), turn the volume dial to turn the radio on and then turn the tuning dial to find your favourite station. The small speaker is surprising good quality for a small radio; crisp and clear.
To use the torch, just press the button on top of the radio and three very bright LEDs will immediately illuminate your way.
The multiple ways of charging it are excellent. Charging via USB is as simple as charging your phone (it doesn’t come with a power adapter but does come with a charging cable). The hand crack is easy to pull out from the side of the casing and is smooth and easy to turn (you will see the charging light flashing as you crank the handle to indicate charging) – 2-3 minutes of winding will give you 10-15 minutes of radio usage (at medium volume) and about 10-15 minutes using the LED torch. The small solar panel, when placed in average sunlight (I left the radio on the windowsill and it started to charge), will slowly charge the battery – it will take about 10-12 hours to fully charge this way, so is good for battery top ups when not being used. Best use is to charge the battery via USB where possible, using the hand crank and solar panel for top ups. But you never have to worry about looking for batteries in an emergency or a power outage – wind up and go and let the sun top it when possible. These different ways of charging offer fantastic flexibility.
As a portable power bank it can also give your phone (or other USB charging devices) some charge. Its 2000mAh might not give your phone a full charge, but it will give you enough to make emergency calls when needed.
And if everything mentioned above aren’t enough functions for you, it is also an emergency beacon. Press the torch button twice in quick succession and the SOS function is activated; the LED lights will flash whilst a loud siren will sound from the speaker, alerting people to your whereabouts.
The Solarbaby Wind-Up Radio is an excellent choice. With its different charging methods so that you don’t need to rely on external power makes it incredibly reliable in scenarios where electrical power is unavailable. It’s great for listening to your favourite stations at home, in the garden or away from home and is perfect for news updates in the event of emergency situations.
It’s a valuable asset for anyone looking to stay connected and prepared, whether at home, on the road, or in the wilderness. Its thoughtful design, which integrates multiple power sources and additional features, positions it as a top choice for those who value practicality and resilience. And weighing approx. 270g, it is very lightweight.
Whatever the reason for having a small radio, this is a perfect choice. It’s small, portable, packed with features and sounds great.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £21.99
Available to buy from Amazon here.