2025 test13 productsGadgets & Tech
Which Two-way Radio Brand Wins?
We compared 13 two-way radio options head to head. Motorola T802 came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
Motorola T802
Price shown in test: $115
Check price on Amazon
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Runner-up
Motorola T605
Price shown in test: $115
Check price on Amazon
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Budget pick
PXTON
Price shown in test: $40 for four radios, or $10 each
Check price on Amazon
Affiliate link. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Specs | Weight | Noise | Sound Quality Scorecard 1 | Obstructed Test 1100to 1300yd | One Mile Test | Six Mile Test | Latency Test | Durability Test | Overall Ranking | Sound Quality Early | Range Test 1360ft | Comparison To Midland T 71 | Sound Comparison To Motorola |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Motorola T802$115 | 22 channels, 121 privacy codes (2,662 combinations), IP54 weatherproof rating, weather radio and alerts, off-grid group messaging and broadcast, Bluetooth connectivity to app and audio accessories, claimed up to 35 mi range in mountain/valley, made in Philippines | 206.49 g | 93.7 dB | came in on top with a very good rating of two (best result at that checkpoint) | tied for best with Motorola T605 at a rating of two | tied for best with Motorola T605 at a rating of 2.5 | tied for best with Motorola T605, described as continuing to outperform the DeWalt | averaged 1.5, the best numeric average given, though narrator's closing recap says T802 did NOT finish first in latency (WisHouse and DeWalt both transmitted the entire number count with effectively no missed numbers) | battery cover and battery detached during a 6 ft drop but reassembled fine, no damage | average finish of 1.4, best of all 13 brands, named winner | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 2Motorola T605$92 | 22 channels, 121 privacy codes, flashlight with white and red LEDs, submersible up to 1 m for 30 minutes, extra rechargeable battery included per radio, claimed 35 mi range in mountain/valley, 2 mi neighborhood, 6 mi open water, floats face up, IP67 waterproof rating, water-activated flashlight, made in Philippines | 234.56 g | 94.2 dB | tied for second place with Midland T71 at a rating of 2.5 | tied for best with Motorola T802 at a rating of two; described repeatedly as 'the best in the lineup' | tied for best with Motorola T802 at a rating of 2.5 | tied for best with Motorola T802, described as 'performing the best so far of all the radios' | averaged 2 | described as 'pretty rugged and durable', no issues noted | average finish of 1.8, second place overall (runner-up) | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 3Midland T71$70 | 36 channels, 121 privacy codes (2,662 combinations), 1,000 mA hour rechargeable battery, NOAA weather scan (10 channels), must switch to high power for max range, claimed up to 38 mi range (highest range claim of the video at introduction), can charge one or both radios at a time, includes AC wall adapter, made in Philippines | 174.84 g | 88 dB | tied for second place with Motorola T605 at a rating of 2.5 | tied for third place with PXTON at a rating of 2.5 | described as doing 'a pretty good job' (no separate numeric rating given for this brand at this checkpoint) | described as doing 'a pretty good job' (not included in the T605/T802/DeWalt final-rating recap for this segment) | averaged 2, less than the Motorola T210's average of 3 | no damage | average finish of 3.4, third place overall per closing scorecard | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 4PXTON$40 for four radios, or $10 each | 16 preset channels, includes flashlight, 1,500 mA hour rechargeable battery, includes a charger but not USB-C compatible, made in China | just under 158 g | 95.3 dB, loudest of the brands introduced up to that point | not tested | 'for a $10 radio, the PXT is performing by far the best so far. It is actually pretty clear'; tied for third place with Midland T71 at a rating of 2.5 | received a rating of three ('the very affordable Paxton received a rating of three') | described as 'definitely the best so far' at that point among the budget brands tested at that distance; narrator notes 'that's $40 for four radios, very impressive' | averaged 3 | battery and battery cover detached during a 6 ft drop but reassembled fine, no damage | not tested | described as sounding 'the best of all the two-way radios so far' at that point in testing | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 5HONGID$10 for two radios | requires 3 AAA batteries per radio (not included), FRS frequency, claimed range of approximately 1,000 ft, made in China | 96 g | 72.2 dB, quietest of all brands tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | survived a 6 ft drop without any damage | not tested | not tested | really struggled at only 1,360 ft | not tested | not tested |
| 6MaxTalker$20 | 22 channels plus 121 sub channels, claimed 1,200 mA rechargeable battery, claimed 72 hours standby time, NOAA weather scan, voice-activated transmission, LED flashlight, made in China | just over 111 g | 92.6 dB | not tested | sounding 'pretty bad with a tremendous amount of static' | lots of static, narrator 'can barely understand what is being said' | '6 miles of interstate with hills and trees is just too much for the Max Talker' | has some latency and missed numbers 1 through 3 of the count (no numeric average given) | survived three impacts just fine | not tested | not tested | performed better than HONGID, but with quite a bit of static | not tested | not tested |
| 7Midland T10$30 | 22 channels, claimed long-range performance, NOAA weather scan (10 channels), claimed exceptional reception/transmission/sound quality, made in Philippines | 110.5 g | 91.5 dB | not tested | performing a lot better than the Max Talker, but with a tremendous amount of static still present | completely out of range at 1 mile | not tested | averaged 2.5 | battery cover came loose during a 6 ft drop but no permanent damage | not tested | not tested | 'by far the best so far in the lineup' at that point (ahead of HONGID and MaxTalker) | not tested | not tested |
| 8WisHouse$37 | claimed 1-mi range, rechargeable batteries, marketed for longer-range communication in open areas with little or no obstruction, includes lamp, SOS siren, and weather feature, made in China | 157 g | 85.4 dB | not tested | sound quality 'definitely better than the Midland [T10]' | 'performing the best so far' at that point, ahead of MaxTalker and the out-of-range Midland T10 | not tested | described qualitatively as having 'very little latency' and transmitting all the numbers, tied with DeWalt for the best result (no numeric average given) | held up just fine | not tested | not tested | 'definitely sounds better than the first three brands' tested (HONGID, MaxTalker, Midland T10) | not tested | not tested |
| 9Retevis$40 for four radios, or $10 each | rechargeable batteries, claimed 1,000 mA battery supports 10 hours of battery life (claimed usage split: 5% reception, 5% transmission, 90% standby), 16 channels, includes a charger and two USB charging cords, made in China | 120.36 g | 94.3 dB, loudest of the brands introduced up to that point | not tested | more static than the WisHouse; 'almost out of range at just over 1,300 yd' | 'continues to trail the Wish House' | completely out of range at 6 miles | averaged 3.5 | belt clip became detached in two of three 6 ft drops but snapped right back into place, no permanent damage | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 10JIANUA$40 for four radios, or $10 each | claimed 22 channels, claimed 72 to 96 hours standby / 8 to 12 hours continuous use per charge, 1,200 mA rechargeable battery, claimed 1-hour full charge, claimed 5-mi range in open areas (0.6 to 1.2 mi claimed in cities), includes charging cord but no charger, made in China | 121.1 g | 85.3 dB | not tested | 'really struggling on this test' compared to the previous brand (WisHouse) | performing about the same as the Max Talker; narrator notes 'not bad for a budget radio' | not tested | averaged 3.5 | held up just fine | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 11Motorola T210$60 for two radios | 22 channels, rechargeable batteries, claimed 20-mi range, compatible with other FRS radios, 121 privacy codes (2,662 total combinations), claimed 800 mA hour battery lasting 18 hours, includes weather channel, includes charger, made in Philippines | 156.39 g | 90.3 dB | not tested | sound quality 'doesn't seem quite as good as the PXT, but it's still pretty good' | 'more static with the Motorola compared to the Pixton'; transcript also states 'The Midland seems about the same as the Motorola T210' without specifying which Midland model | not tested | averaged 3 | no damage | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 12Cobra$90 for two radios | claimed IPX4 water resistant, 22 FRS channels plus 38 pre-programmed privacy code combinations, claimed up to 38-mi range, up to 16 mi in wooded areas, up to 3 mi in the city, includes LED flashlight, includes micro USB dock charger, 2,000 mA hour rechargeable battery per radio, made in Vietnam | just under 177 g | 92.3 dB on the highest volume setting | not tested | sound quality 'pretty bad' at 1,300 yd; 'didn't perform quite as well as the Midland T71 and has a little bit more static' | less static than Midland but 'sounds very tinny like a 1990s Burger King drive-thru' | 'continues to sound like a 1990s drive-thru speaker', weak result | averaged 2 | survived the impacts just fine | not tested | not tested | not tested | 'costs about $20 more than the Midland, but it definitely doesn't sound quite as good' | not tested |
| 13DeWalt$147, the most expensive radios tested | claimed 2 W heavy-duty walkie-talkies, waterproof, shock-resistant, long-range, rechargeable, claimed range of 25 floors, up to 18 hours of continuous use, 22 channels / 121 privacy codes, must remove the belt clip to charge the radio, made in Vietnam | 205.72 g | 92.4 dB | not tested | about out of range, similar result to the Retevis | 'not quite as good as a Motorola T605 and Motorola T802. There's just not enough volume and too much static with the DeWalt' | out of range at 6 miles, similar to the Retevis; 'the Motorola T605 and the 802 continue to outperform the DeWalt' | described qualitatively as consistently transmitting all the numbers, tied with WisHouse for the best result (no numeric average given) | 'built like a tank, and it held up just fine' | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | 'just like the previous two Motorola brands, the DeWalt is doing a very good job with just a small amount of static' |
How it was tested
- noise/volume test (transmitted tone measured in decibels)
- range test at 1,360 ft in mostly open space
- range/clarity test at approximately 1,100 to 1,300 yd with trees and buildings obstructing
- range/clarity test at about 1 mile with trees and houses obstructing
- range/clarity test at about 6 miles along an interstate with hills and trees (only half the radios tested at this distance)
- push-to-talk latency test at 300 yd (missed or delayed numbers in a spoken 1-to-10 count)
- durability test (three 6 ft drops)
- weight
“the Motorola T802 came out on top with the best average finish of 1.4”
Data notes and caveats
Heavy auto-caption brand mangling required resolving four of the 13 brands against the description's Products Tested list and testing-order/price cross-checks: HONGID (also captioned 'Hunjid', 'Hanjin', 'Hunsdon's'), WisHouse (also captioned 'Wouxun'), PXTON (also captioned 'Paxton', 'PXT', 'Pixter', 'Pixton'), and JIANUA (also captioned 'Joana', 'John'). One unresolved ambiguity remains: at the 6-mile test the transcript says 'The Midland T210 also struggled in this test,' but no Midland T210 model exists in the description (T210 is a separate Motorola model); kept verbatim rather than reassigned to either Midland T10 or Motorola T210. Only 9 of the 13 brands were tested at the 6-mile distance ('half the radios'), which is a deliberate test-design choice, not a caption gap.