The best DAB radio of 2024

Pure is a brand that anyone familiar with DAB will have heard of. The company was around at the launch of DAB, with a range of iconic Evoke DAB radios to get the nation listening. This Evoke Spot Radio looks set to become another icon, both in terms of refined design and modern feature set. Here we have a very compact radio with a fabric grill at the front that brings traditional speakers to mind. On the top, there’s a popup angled screen that puts all of your essential DAB and audio info into easy view. 

Not only do you get DAB and DAB+ reception, but there’s FM, Bluetooth and  - perhaps unique to this list - wireless connectivity too. That means the Evoke Spot will connect to the internet and let you play your favourite tunes and playlists from Spotify Connect. Handy controls on the top let you skip tracks and more.

Best of all (and one of the reasons that this is more expensive than other compact DAB radios) is that it's engineered for premium sound quality. The 3-inch speaker delivers full-range sound and the bass reflex port really brings weight to any radio station. It’s a real looker, with the smarts to match.

We have no idea how Majority has made such a smart and usable DAB radio for this price. Not only do you have a mini tower-style cabinet, but its wood effect and clean controls really give it a simple and homely look.

A single speaker is nicely placed with chrome trim, and the display and essential controls are logically laid out. The clear LED panel will give you all of the essential DAB info such as track names, and it’s also a DAB+ model for all of those extra stations. FM is present too.

And if you did want to use this in a bedroom, it has a dimmable display and a dual alarm function. You can store an impressive 20 stations as presets and plug in some headphones too. A lot of radio for the money.

We love the leather-clad retro styling of this portable little DAB radio from Roberts. Fittingly called the Revival, it really does bring back the minimal yet functional radio designs of yesteryear. The front is a simple inset grill and brass logo, with equally retro volume and tuning knobs on the top.

All of the controls are pleasingly reminiscent of 50s radios thanks to the off-white colour scheme and simple labelling. The colour screen in the centre is really the only thing that gives away what this really is - a DAB+ digital radio with Bluetooth for connecting to mobiles. You can store up to 10 preset stations, and it even has an alarm built-in.

As a portable DAB radio, the Roberts Revival is something of a style icon when out and about. It is a little heavier than some, but we think that just adds to the reassuringly solid feel. Take this on a picnic or a weekend camping trip and you’ll get around 100 hours out of the battery, so your DAB radio stations are with you throughout a long weekend and more.

In our review of the Majority Oakington, we found that the beautiful wood-finish cabinet and brushed aluminium panel were high-quality and a great stylish addition to any room. Although it’s not the only DAB radio with CD, USB and Bluetooth to make this list, we do think it steals the show in terms of pure aesthetics. It has that simple control layout that Majority seem to excel at, making this an uncluttered-looking and refined addition to any room.

In terms of DAB and sound quality, the cabinet has rear bass ports - so you’ll get better, richer sound out of this than many others. There are five equaliser presets too - Normal, Jazz, Rock, Classical, and Pop - so you can tweak the sound to suit. We did, however, find the remote to be a little slow to respond at times - but it wasn’t a deal-breaker. As a DAB+ radio, you get a large range of stations - it’ll even charge your phone via USB while you listen. Brilliant.

Roberts makes it back into our list with this simple and highly usable pocket DAB radio. It has everything you’d want from a neat pocket-sized player. The lines are smooth with the controls on the top - ideal for keeping things comfortable and usable while you listen. Even better for such a compact radio, it can receive both DAB and DAB+ stations and lets you store ten of them as presets. It even has FM.

One aspect we particularly like is that, for a pocket radio, the backlit display is nice and large. After all, when you take it out of your pocket and tune it, or just place it on a desk or your lap while you listen, it’s easy to glance at and see what’s playing.

Running on two AA batteries, the Sport DAB5 portable radio can run for between 15 and 25 hours - but using DAB over FM will drain the batteries faster depending on use. That still means you can go for several days without replacing the batteries - although we recommend investing in rechargeable AAs and a fast charger to make sure you keep this pocket radio portable.

As audio products go, this is the Rolls Royce of DAB systems. Denon knows a thing or two about sound and this CEOL-N11 DAB Audio Receiver is clearly placing radio at the forefront of its capabilities. You’ll need to provide your own speakers (including a subwoofer if you want to), but once done you have a very compact component style hi-fi with big DAB+ sound. There’s a very understated CD player here, but it’s joined by Bluetooth, and - importantly - HEOS for multiroom and Airplay over wifi.

But, one of the things we love is the integration of Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri (via Apple Airplay). That makes this one of the most usable and convenient DAB radio systems here. Skip tracks and adjust the volume and more with your voice. A premium price for premium audio product with DAB radio at its core.

For those of us driving older cars, fitting a DAB in-car radio might be a step too far or even an impossible task. But if you love your existing car stereo and it has an auxiliary input jack, you’re in luck. This Pure Highway 200 is in an in-car DAB and DAB+ adapter. It’ll pick up digital radio for you and pipe it into your car via the existing stereo. It does this via an aux cable or an unused FM frequency on your existing radio.

We love the fact that this will be a usable addition to your dashboard, as the mountable stand puts all of the controls and text info where you need it. It has a 20-station memory and comes with a small antenna that can be slotted out of sight. It’s also a great price from a great brand, so it’s easily one of the best ways to add DAB to your car without spending a fortune.

If you’re looking for a DAB hi-fi separate to add to your stack to bring top-quality radio to your home, this is it. Surprisingly, there aren’t that many on the market - but when we reviewed the Majority Fitzwilliam 3 we found it to be a well-designed multifunction media player.

It certainly has the looks to fit well with other hi-fi components, but under the hood, it’s a Bluetooth, wi-fi internet radio player with DAB+ reception. It also has auxiliary inputs, USB playback and Spotify Connect built-in. 

But back to DAB - there’s the usual ability to set presets and auto-tuning works very well, and the station info is clearly displayed. The DAB aerial is fixed to the back of the unit, so just remember that this will need some room to extend once you add it to your hi-fi stack or cabinet. Being able to relax and have a proper listening session with digital radio through your hi-fi setup is probably the very best way to experience it. The additional remote and separate volume control means you won’t have to get up to adjust the volume - handy if your existing amp is a vintage one with only a manual volume control.

Not all DAB radios are compact or homely enough to sit well at the bedside, but this MangoKit MD3 does. Not only does it have an attractive fabric speaker grill on the front, but the controls are simple and the display is dimmable - ideal for the bedroom.

With this model, you can set a dual alarm - making sure that you wake up on time to the DAB station of your choice. And if you like to go to sleep listening to the radio, it has a headphone jack too so you won’t disturb anyone else.

This is also a DAB, DAB+ and FM radio, so you have your pick from plenty of stations with 20 presets available. It’s Bluetooth too, and works from mains or batteries - so this really can double as a portable DAB radio and streaming music player if you need it to. It’s not the most powerful sound on offer, at 3 watts, but easily enough for the bedside or small room. All in all, a hugely flexible yet compact clock radio and more.

At the price, it’s hard to argue with what’s on offer here. This black and walnut audio system from Roxel is an all-in-one audio solution.  DAB and DAB+ radio are the star feature here, alongside FM if you need to listen to non-digital stations. Plus, there’s a discrete CD player for your disc collection, USB playback and Bluetooth  Sources and connectivity  - making this more than just another radio.

We particularly like the alternative look and feel of this radio, as its dark grey tones, wooden cabinet and clear DAB display are a pleasure to look at and use. The only slight downside is the lack of a headphone jack - but this model is really designed to fill your room with sound.

As for DAB features, you can auto-scan to find stations and store up to 15 of them; and the included remote makes it easier than ever to tune in. A pair of three-inch 16-watt speakers finish off the package for excellent power and range.