10 Best Walkie Talkies 2024 in the US

Maybe you played with walkie-talkies when you were a kid. And there are plenty of walkie-talkies on the market that are especially suited for children. But there are also more serious models which are capable of having a range of 50 miles! You might think that they’re no longer relevant nowadays since almost everyone has a cellular phone. But, if you’re an outdoor enthusiast, and like going hiking, boating, or mountain biking, you may find yourself in an area with no cellphone reception. That’s where walkie-talkies (or “two-way radios”, if you want to sound more sophisticated) can come in handy. We’ll look at some of the specifications that you should know about when buying one, as well as some of the best models on the market from MSN lists of best products.

What different types of Walkie Talkies are there?

We can distinguish between walkie talkies by the type of service that they offer. There are primarily two types:

• Family Radio Service (= FRS): These walkie talkies are less expensive. They have a limitation on how much power they can use, typically 0.5 Watts. They offer around 22 channels or less and have a range limited to around 2 miles. They don’t require any special licensing in order to operate them and are principally for recreational use. An example is the Retevis RT22 2-Way Walkie Talkie. It offers 16 channels and 121 privacy codes, along with an emergency alarm by which you can alert other team members.

Retevis RT22 2-Way Walkie Talkie

• GMRS (=General Mobile Radio Service): This service is used by walkie-talkies that operate at higher powers, over 2 Watts. Because they’re more powerful, they will broadcast to a greater distance. This greater range usually means that you’ll be required to buy a license to use such a walkie talkie. (Licenses typically are $70 for a ten-year period.) Getting a license will also training and passing certain exams. An example is the Midland GXT1000VP4 50 Channel GMRS Two-Way Radio. You can buy sets of 4 radios for $96, or even 12-packs for $420. It offers you 50 channels and a 36-mile range under optimal conditions. It also has an SOS button to send out a distress signal, as well as an ability to scan for weather alerts, so that you can be notified if inclement weather is on its way.

Midland GXT1000VP4 50 Channel GMRS Two-Way Radio

We can also distinguish between walkie talkies for their intended use, from the simplest to the most advanced:

• Walkie Talkies for children: These will be able to broadcast up to 500 meters. An example is the Vtech KidiGo Walkie Talkie, which also allows for playing games between the two radios.

Vtech KidiGo Walkie Talkie

• Walkie talkies for hunting: If you’re into hunting, there are walkie talkies with special features for catching game. An example is the Midland 50-Channel GMRS Two-way Radio (Model No. GXT1050), with camouflage colors, animal call alerts for turkey, duck, crow, cougar, and wolf, and a vibration alert to be extra quiet when hunting.

Midland 50-Channel GMRS Two-way Radio

• Marine Use: There are also walkie talkies that are not only waterproof, but even float, and allow for water to drain out. An example is the GoCom G9 walkie talkie. It also provides weather alerts and can send an SOS signal in the event of emergencies.

GoCom G9 Walkie Talkie

How do I use a Walkie Talkie?

Operating a walkie talkie is actually quite simple:

1. Turn on the walkie talkie. Very often, the on-off knob also controls the volume.

2. Select the channel over which you want to communicate. You have to match your channel with that of your friend.

3. Press the “PTT” (=Press to Talk) button, and deliver your message, keeping the PTT button pressed until you’ve finished. Traditionally, you say “Over” to indicate that you’ve finished transmitting. Unlike a telephone, you can only either speak or listen, but not both at the same time.

4. When you release the PTT button, you’ll be able to hear the transmission from the other end.

Can Someone Listen In on My Conversation?

You may be wondering: if someone else has a walkie talkie on the same channel, can they listen to my conversation? There are some safeguards against that.

Channels on a walkie talkie are usually either in two bands of the radio spectrum, very much like the channels on a TV set:

• VHF (=Very High Frequency) radio stations: These broadcast at frequencies from 126-174 Megahertz (MHz), and are sufficient when there is no interference from tall buildings or mountains. It can go through foliage or trees.

• UHF (Ultra High Frequency) radio stations: These broadcast from 400-512 MHz. The higher frequency allows the signal to penetrate even through walls. Walkie talkies that broadcast at these frequencies will have a greater range as well--but they may also require licensing.

To ensure that other people don’t listen to your conversation, many walkie talkies offer privacy codes. You select a channel to send your transmission, as well as a privacy code. The person at the other end needs to enter both the channel and your privacy code in order to converse with you. Privacy codes apply a feature called “squelching”. It blocks any signals on the channel that don’t supply the correct privacy code. There are two predominant squelch systems:

• CTCSS (= Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System): This adds an analog low-frequency audio signal to voice transmission and mutes anyone who has a different audio signal.

• DCS (= Digital Coded Squelch): This is more advanced than CTCSS. It adds a digital code signal, instead of a continuum of code signals. Since each code is distinct, this reduces the possibility of interference between codes.

• Monitor button: Even with privacy codes, there still is a chance that someone is able to find your station and privacy code. As an added protection, there also is a Monitor button on some models. It lets you hear if anyone is on your particular channel at the moment. When you’re sure that the coast is clear, you release the “Monitor” button and transmit.

What are some important features of Walkie Talkies?

Besides looking at the number of channels available, and the range of the walkie talkie, there are other features to look for that are quite significant:

• Charging it up: Ideally, you should keep walkie talkies charged at all times. But it will depend greatly on how you can charge up the devices. Some can be charged by means of a car charger or AC adapter, while other models can also be charged up by means of a USB cable. For greater versatility, some experts recommend walkie talkies that also use standard AA or AAA batteries. That way, even if you’re not able to charge your device, you can insert fully charged batteries to get it to work.

• Battery life: It’s also important to look at your device’s battery life, if you plan to use it in environments where it’s not possible to charge up the batteries often. The Backcountry Access BC Link 2.0 is a walkie talkie with decent battery life, allowing you 8 hours of talking time, and 40 hours when on standby (when your walkie talkie is on, and you’re waiting for an incoming message).

Backcountry Access BC Link 2.0

• Water and Dust resistance: If you plan to use your walkie talkies in a wet environment, or where it will be exposed to dust, you should take note of the IP rating. IP stands for “Ingress Protection Code”. The IP code is of the form “IPXY”, where X is a rating of whether solid particles can damage the device, while Y is a rating of whether liquid can seep in and ruin the device. One of the most durable models is the Uniden MHS75 VHF Marine Radio. It has an IP rating of IPX8. The “X” means that there is no data presently available about whether it’s safe from solid particles penetrating, while “8” means that it can be immersed under 1 meter of water.

Uniden MHS75 VHF Marine Radio

• Range: We have noted that GMRS walkie-talkies have a longer range than the FRS walkie talkies. It should be noted that walkie talkies require a direct line of sight signal. Therefore, after a distance of 6 miles, the Earth’s curvature will start to interfere with the signal. The GMRS radios that allow for a longer range employ repeating stations and boosters along the way to improve the distance.

• VOX function: We mentioned the PTT button on walkie talkies. But sometimes you don’t have your hands free. Therefore, some walkie talkies have the VOX option (= Voice-activated exchange). It allows you to start transmitting as soon as you start talking, without even hitting the “transmit” button on the walkie talkie. It then stops transmitting when you finish talking.

Wrap Up

We’ve looked at the several types of walkie talkies on the market, and got some exposure to the many acronyms and terms used in amateur radio. We also examined the criteria to select a walkie talkie for different outdoors activities. You should be able to make the right selection of a walkie takie from the MSN list to suit your needs.