Guide To The Best Walkie Talkie Radios

Walkie talkie radios have been a staple in the modern American home for generations now. These two-way radio communication devices were first pioneered during world war two and modernized for size and battery efficiency in later years by government workers, peace keepers, and by fire and rescue personnel and as the technology matured and decreased in costs the consumer grade walkie talkie radios were born.

Types Of Walkie Talkie Radios

For decades the walkie talkie radio has had its place in the home as it is such a versatile device. It operates as a way of basic communication for families and in some households took the place of cell phones before cell phones were basic consumer grade devices. It also doubled as a safety device for families and friends in outdoor activities such as camping hiking, and climbing and has also had its place in to kids toy box as a notable and well loved toy.

Kid’s walkie talkies have actually come a long way over the years as they have decreased in size and increased in functionality. Multiple channels and long range capabilities can even be worked into these devices which are made for children allowing parents to feel comfortable letting their kids play freely outside but without sacrificing an arm and a leg for high end walkie talkie features.

Even the most basic and cheapest walkie talkie radios offer more functionality than one might guess. The development of technology over the years coupled with the decreases in manufacturing costs that have emerged with globalization have made even the best walkie talkie radios to be found for very reasonable prices. You can always pay a premium for top of the line devices but there are high quality long range walkie talkie radios which can be had for under a hundred dollars easily.

Of course paying the lowest price for a two way radio is not always the best practice. There are other considerations that one should account for when looking at walkie talkie radios. Specific walkie talkie features should be weighed against what you value or need. For instance some devices are more capable of transmitting and receiving long range signals. These devices may be more expensive as your power levels increase and battery life may suffer as well. This can be a problem if you are concerned mostly with battery life and/or having a small profile radio.

Other major considerations in choosing the best walkie talkie radio for you and your family is your requirements for options and accessories such as multiple channels, hands free walkie talkie capabilities, or portability such as being able to wear the device on your clothes, as a watch, or even as a walkie talkie headset. Of course if you are buying a device to give your kids a play toy these types of feature may be far less heavily weighted than children’s branding.

Not all walkie talkies however are built for kid’s use or family camping trips. Business walkie talkie use typically requires high end functionality blending cell phone technology with 2-way radio technology. Multi-channel functionality is usually a must for multiple frequency exchanges between different groups of working individuals. Walkie talkies used for these purposes will usually cost more as the devices are more often used. This requires better battery life, cleaner transmission, and large walkie talkie sets with many simultaneous users. Finding the best walkie talkie radio for business or professional purposes may be more challenging and circumstantial.

Walkie Talkie Radio Manufacturers & Retailers

Over the many years that walkie talkie radios have been in production the name Motorola easily comes to mind. Motorola walkie talkies have been in production for many years and this company is on the leading edge of cell phone walkie talkie combo units. For the business or professional needing the best walkie talkie with the most functionality it’s hard to go wrong with some of Motorola’s high end two way radio models.

In addition to Motorola many other companies produce high end professional grade hands free radios and accessories. Other companies with viable alternatives include Uniden, Cobra, Midland, Standard Horizon, and CTE International among others. Each manufacturer has their own diverse lineup of professional radios as well as lineups of mid-range radios.

For the lower end of the spectrum many manufacturers are in the business of making discount walkie talkies, really cheap walkie talkies, and even children’s walkie talkies which are often branded and designed to appeal to kids of varying ages. Some of these kids’ models come in shapes of toys or designed to simply appeal to kids by using kids brands such as Spiderman, My Little Pony, Barbie, Sesame Street, SpongeBob, and many others.

Often walkie talkie designed as toys for young kids do not include many features typically found in mid-range devices. They simply transmit from device to device with little range or functionality. These can be encased in rugged plastic as many toys are and can be found for very cheap. Sometimes these toy walkie talkies can fall below Twenty dollars. You don’t get much functionality but for the price they entertain and that means they get the job done.

The best walkie talkies will always do as they are designed to do. It’s important to remember that walkie talkie radios are not all the same. They come in different price ranges and are all designed for different purposes. If you are in the market for a walkie talkie you need to identify what your actual needs are and find the best radio to fit your needs. Many stores carry walkie talkies for you to look at and play with and even more online retailers exist with extensive product lines.

Once you identify the exact features you need then all you have to do is comparison shop for the best price. Name brands will often carry more of a warranty but will cost a bit more. You will likely care more about the warrantee and craftsmanship of professional radios and less for the cheap radios. All in all however walkie talkie radios have been around for many years so it may be good practice to buy the best device you can seeing as though the use of these two way radios will not likely go away.