If waking up to music or a radio station is important to you, it’s worth considering
I really like having this radio as an option for waking up in the morning. Being able to set the dual alarms and wake up to an actual FM radio station instead of the typical alarm sound is probably my favorite feature. Brings me back to the 90s lol. The Bluetooth option and rechargeable battery are also nice extras, especially for traveling or using it around the house. I will say it does feel like the battery dies faster than expected but at least it’s rechargeable.
My biggest hesitation is the price. At around $40, I think it’s a little expensive, especially with so many affordable options available. That said, the combination of the radio, alarm, sound quality, easy to use Bluetooth options, and compact design does make it pretty versatile and functional.
C
Chase Scott
★★★★★
Excellent rechargeable microSD, Bluetooth FM NOAA weather radio with alarm
Living in Florida, especially during severe weather and hurricane season it’s very important to have NOAA weather alert radio. They are certainly different levels of quality but this one is at the top of my list. Love the full color, easy to read Graphic screen and the many options you have with this very functional weather alert Radio. In addition to the extendable antenna, it will also take microSD cards, it’s Bluetooth, has EQ sound system, and even receives FM band in addition to automatically and quickly picking up the weather channel. It’s function rich with a dual alarm, including a weather alert. The sound is what you would expect from an inexpensive portable radio, but it does pick up the stations near me, even without the antenna being extended very much. I took a short video so you could see it up close and hopefully it will help you determine if it’s something you’d like to purchase. Definitely recommended as a very good value for your money.
D
DC
★★★★★
Truly Impressed, Beyond Expectations.
Based on past experiences with small radios I was not expecting much more than a tinny sounding marginal radio at best. I was wrong! This is amazing small radio, It has everything for emergencies or just entertaining in general, camping and road trips require a radio like this. The sound is unbelievable for a radio of this size. it has a deep rich sound and is very clear, not muddy sounding.
The weather radio sounds better and stronger than my dedicated weather alert radio. The reception is truly amazing, I can pick-up FM stations that I can't even get on my car radio. The display is nice too. The internal battery is a big plus over having to purchase and change out batteries, it comes with a wall plug and chord but you can recharge from any USB-C plug, such as a laptop with just a C to C cable or with a UCB-C power plug in your automobile. The siren on this is very loud and I do mean LOUD! It's a police siren and you could pull over vehicles with it LOL! A wonderful add-on if lost in the woods, stuck in rubble after a tornado, to scare off wild animals in rural areas such as a bear or mountain lion, this should do it. Be careful though, this will wake everyone in the house. This can also be used as a regular clock on a desk or bedside, there is a setting for the clock to stay on all of time and also to receive alerts 24/7. The ability to load a micro SD card is another well engineered idea, I have loaded a card with audible books for the next time the power is off, or to take camping or to the beach so that I can have another option beside the FM radio. Being prepared can make the difference.
There is a short learning curve in setting the presets but I got it done within a few minutes. Press the power button, then move to FM, then press preset button, the move to the preset wanted, then press Enter. It comes with instructions but as with anything new there is a few minutes of familiarizing required.
P
Putt
★★★★★
Plenty of features and very good sound.
What a bargain! I have several Bluetooth speakers that I use with my phone and tablet as I listen to talk shows both in and out of the home. When moving room to room I use a clip-on speaker but when staying in one area I use a tabletop speaker. This device provides very adjustable sound with 6 equalizer settings for more bass or better voice sound. The back of the case has the magnet of the speaker exposed floating in a rubber speaker grommet that holds the speaker suspended. This design is for better sound quality. The Bluetooth was easy to connect and disconnect. The NOAA audio was clear as well as FM as long as the antenna was raised. I haven't used the MicroSD since I listen mostly to talk shows via bluetooth. The screen is not touchscreen but provides battery strength and plenty of digital information on what is playing including audio volume. My only concern is to keep it charged. When you frequently use lithium battery devices you charge regularly and improve longevity, but if allowed to sit for months and months sometimes lithium batteries drop too low to recharge. Keep it charged and the battery will last for years. An excellent portable product!
J
J. Brinkerhoff
★★★★★
Great little radio with FM, NOAA, BT and SD card. Good sound, and solid quality.
I really want to give this little radio five stars, so please read my review and if the negatives do not apply to your use case - then this is indeed a pretty cool five star little radio.
Pluses:
- USB-C charging, with a very long life battery. Nice no looking for AA cells or screwing around with special chargers.
- Clear easy to use display and settings, with three brightness settings and timeout settings.
- Clear easy to read and COMPLETE directions in ENGLISH that make sense
- Compact form, solid build (note - not waterproof), good size folding antenna
- FM, Bluetooth, SD card, and NOAA Weather bands. All work exceptionally well.
- Good sound quality for a single speaker, much better than the average no-name "beercan style" BT speaker, but note that it is NOT stereo but mono - one speaker. HOWEVER the 1/8" headphone jack IS stereo for BT and SD Card (not FM sadly). Has various EQ modes built in as well, and they seem to work well. Has decent bass for a tiny radio.
- NOAA Weather alerts are supported BUT only when in alert mode. Not when playing BT, FM or SD card. I.e. only when it's sitting there as a weather alert radio (in standby).
- FM tuner is very sensitive - pulls in more stations from further away than any other radio I own. Pretty amazing.
Negatives:
- Weather alerts only supported while in standby - not while using BT or FM or SD Card. This is understandable for FM since it probably uses the same tuner for the weather alerts, but why not when in BT or SD card mode? If you do not care about weather alerts WHILE you are playing music on this radio, then this may not be a negative for you. For me, if I am at the beach listening to BT or FM, I would like to know if NOAA sends a severe weather alert. This is not possible unless the radio is in standby alert mode.
- No FM stereo on headphone jack (pretty minor but had to mention it)
- Weather alert sound is LITERALLY a fire truck siren. When it first went off (about an hour after I started reviewing it and had left it in alert mode) I about crapped my pants. I thought an actual fire truck was outside my house. In fact I really thought that - I did not expect a FIRE TRUCK siren but more of the NOAA "BEEEEEEEEEP" or "ALERT" or something else. And it is L O U D. There are three loudness alert settings, low, medium, high. Well they might as well be loud, Louder, and LOUDEST. Having wanted this for the actual weather alert capability, this is my biggest disappointment. Its so loud, startling, and unusual that I have to take a star off. There is also no other sound - if there were a choice of perhaps 5 or 6 sounds, some BEEP, a Klaxon, maybe the word "WEATHER ALERT" etc. rather than an actual fire truck siren, AND the choice of low (quiet conversation), medium (normal conversation) and loud (yelling) then I'd put the star back.
Overall - its still a great little radio, and has replaced a 20 year old analog cassette boom box in our camping/beach/cookout bag. Much smaller, clearer, rechargeable, and has the NOAA weather bands which we can listen to if we want a weather update.
Shannon & Ricky
★★★★★
Communications #1
Works great, nice emergency backup radio!
Now days a must have!
Well made lots of functional stuff!
Communications is #1
E
Eric
★★★★★
One radio to rule them all!
I'm loving this radio so much!! With all the changes over the years, I've ended up with no radio in my house and had forgotten how much I like it.
This radio is much more than FM/AM though. It has a dedicated NOAA weather band with several variations for better service. It has a SD card slot and plays all my old files. It has a clock with alarms and of coarse your AM/FM radio and antennae. There's also a bluetooth connection and you can stream from your phone etc. too! It comes in really well too and I'm pulling in stations that I never used to. It comes with a charging cord and a single charge has lasted over a week now!
The sound quality is the cherry on top with this one. It's got a mini subwoofer/speaker in the back and it really cranks out a clear and loud sound! It also has an equalizer. It actually sounds better and louder than my stock car stereo and probably will be bringing this along for rides now! Excellent product and value!
Fireefly
★★★★★
Handy little radio with more features than I expected
I picked this up mainly for FM radio, but it ended up doing a lot more than I expected. It found local stations quickly during the auto scan, and I like being able to save my favorites so I'm not searching every time I turn it on. Reception has been clear, and the side tuning dial makes fine adjustments easy.
The color display is bright, easy to read, and looks nice on a nightstand. Setting the dual alarms was straightforward, and I like having the option to wake up to the radio instead of a regular alarm sound. The snooze button has definitely come in handy more than once.
Bluetooth connected to my phone in just a few seconds, and the sound quality is surprisingly good for a radio this size. It's not going to replace a big Bluetooth speaker, but it's plenty loud and clear for a bedroom, kitchen, or office. I also like that it can play music from a microSD card if I don't want to use my phone.
The rechargeable battery is another big plus. Charging with USB-C is much more convenient than hunting for disposable batteries, and it holds a charge well for everyday use.
I also appreciate having the NOAA weather radio built in. Thankfully I haven't needed the weather alerts yet, but living in an area where storms can pop up quickly, it's a feature I'm glad to have.
Overall, this is a compact little radio that does a lot for its size.
T
Travels With Dogs
★★★★★
Useful Emergency Radio, but Reception and Controls Could Be Better
I live in a rural area, and we get some pretty intense storms. We also tend to lose power two to four times a year, sometimes for days at a time. I wanted a reliable way to get weather alerts, emergency information, and news when the power is out and I cannot rely on the TV or other electronics.
This little radio may fill that need. It has a reassuring weight to it and does not feel like a flimsy, cheaply made plastic device, even though the housing is plastic. Mine arrived fully charged and ready to use. It was already set to the NOAA weather band, so I was able to hear weather information immediately.
I was also able to tune in my favorite news station. Unfortunately, even with the telescoping antenna fully extended, there was noticeable static in the reception. I live in the country, so I am willing to accept that my location may be partly responsible, but I had hoped for a clearer signal.
I was able to switch it between radio and time, but also found some of the controls less intuitive than I expected. Although I believe I followed the included instructions correctly, I had trouble figuring out how to save stations, move through the presets, and use some of the radio’s other advertised functions. The manual could have been clearer in that regard. I got the black model and it is attractive and is very portable carrying it around the house.
I am taking off one star for the reception and the somewhat confusing controls. I plan to keep the radio charged and available for storms and power outages, because having access to NOAA weather information and local news during an emergency is valuable. I just wish the FM reception were clearer and the controls easier to master.
ShanLando2
★★★★★
Totally LOVE this radio.
The PPLEE portable FM Radio with Bluetooth and NOAA Weather is AMAZING!
I currently have a really small, handheld unit that runs on batteries and was actually dropped a few times and is on its last leg. Growing up around hurricanes, you know the importance of having weather radio. When I saw that one like this existed, I had to grab it.
I love that it is rechargeable via USB-C, which is included along with the wall plug. Having a color screen is a nice touch. It offers FM radio which is great, AM is not included which might disappoint some. Bluetooth connection is great for those wanting to connect to headphones. It does have an auto scan to program stations or you can do so manually. There is also a built in alarm but I haven’t tried that yet. It also has a slot for a memory card, though I’m not exactly sure what you’d use that for. You can enable crucial weather alerts which is amazing and it does have an SOS siren which is wonderful for emergencies or for campers.
The only thing I wish it had were a handle or a strap of some kind. It does fit in your hand perfectly, but it still would be nice to have a handle.
The battery life is great so far. Love this thing!
B
Brian F.
★★★★★
Great sound for the size
Really decent sound with effective eq/tone settings. For its size it punches way above its weight class. WX and FM function well. Bluetooth is great, haven't tried a microSD. A nice fit for camping or a bug out bag.
joycesmysteryandfictionbookreviews
★★★★★
A good clock radio
I love radios that can be charged via USB as this one can be. It is so much easier than having stocks of batteries on hand. That is just one thing that I like about this product.
This is a nice radio for those who listen to FM stations and/or who want easy access to weather data. There is also an alarm clock which is convenient. In addition, there is a Micro SD Music Player. This all seems like a lot for under forty dollars.
Those looking for an affordable, good clock radio need look no further.
J
JO
★★★★★
Great FM Radio (No AM)
I ordered this for my parents because they have an ancient and terrible radio that is impossible to tune. This is such an upgrade for them. The ability to use it as a Bluetooth speaker or NOAA weather radio are nice, but I don't think my parents will use those features.
The best part about this radio is how it gets a very strong signal even without deploying the antenna. All of the FM stations that I tested came in great. I also love the USB-C rechargeable battery, which is an upgrade over their old model. The screen is nice, but I think that using it might be more complicated than some older people would be able to use easily without a bit of a learning curve. I'm not too concerned about that because I spent a few minutes showing them how to work it.
I think the only downside to this radio - which doesn't apply to any of the stations that it's going to be used for - is that it doesn't have AM radio. If you listen to AM stations then this radio isn't for you. Otherwise, it's great.
Rebecca and Dario
★★★★★
Hurricane Season Must
This was a perfect buy for hurricane season. It’s small and lightweight, so it’s easy to throw in an emergency kit. It comes with a usbc cable and charger block and holds a charge for a long time. The screen is easily readable and the overall device functions as expected. Decent pick for the price.
