It may be hard to believe in our smartphone-centric world, but there are times when your smartphone isn’t the best way to stay in touch. That’s especially true for teams that need to enable instant communication without worrying about data limits. If you often push out into areas where cell phone reception isn’t particularly reliable, or if you need to stay in touch with a physically dispersed team in the same region, you may want to consider investing in long-range walkie talkies.
While a set of walkie talkies may not be the first thing that comes to mind as an answer to short- or long-range communication, they are actually a highly versatile answer which can be used in a number of situations. Security services, law enforcement officers, construction workers, and public utilities all depend on these devices.
Why Choose Long Range Walkie Talkies
When it comes to choosing the best two-way radios or long range walkie talkies for your needs, it’s important to take a couple of factors into account. The first is deciding whether you want to be using FRS or GMRS frequencies. This, in short, boils down to the distance you expect to have between the transmitting and receiving devices. Let’s look at why this makes a difference.
- Unlimited call time
- No dependence on cell-phone signal
- One-to-one or group conversation at the push of a button
- Reliability
- Cost-effectiveness
- Ease of use
- No monthly plans
Below, you’ll find a selection of the best GMRS, long-range walkie talkies, as well as a couple of FRS-specific devices.
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The Best Long-Range Walkie Talkies: At a Glance
Motorola T470 2-Way Radios
Coolest Feature: 22 channels and 121 privacy codes.
Why We Chose It: With FRS and GMRS ability, you can use these walkie talkies virtually in any situation.
Key Specs:
- Range: 35 miles
- Battery Life: 12 hours
- Channels: 22
The T470 is a powerful option from Motorola. It boasts up to a 35-mile range, and it has 22 channels and 121 privacy codes to more easily stay in touch with your party. The channels include FRS and GMRS.
The radios have an IPX4 water-resistance rating and can be used hands-free, so they’re great options for outdoor use. There’s also a built-in LED flashlight that can illuminate your path in a pinch. The sleek and stylish design may not make it perform any better, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
COBRA ACXT645 Walkie Talkies
Coolest Feature: Voice-activated hands free transmission.
Why We Chose It: We like that beyond the 35 mile range, there are a number of useful features like a flashlight and vibration notifications.
Key Specs:
- Range: 35 miles
- Battery Life: N/A
- Channels: 22
COBRA makes a variety of long-range walkie talkies, and the ACXT645 model boasts an extra-long range of 35 miles. The walkie talkies themselves are rugged and IPX4 waterproof. These two-way radios also have a number of useful features: a built-in LED flashlight, vibration feature to notify users of incoming transmissions, rechargeable batteries, and voice-activated transmission for hands-free use in the field. These are the most powerful COBRA long-range walkie talkies in stock right now, and a great option for two-way communication.
DEWALT DXFRS800 Heavy Duty Walkie Talkies
Coolest Feature: They can survive drops up to two meters.
Why We Chose It: You can supply your whole team with durable long range walkie talkies with one purchase.
Key Specs:
- Range: 300,000 sq. ft.
- Battery Life: 18 hours
- Channels: 22
With six individual walkie talkies included in the set, these DEWALT DXFRS800 Heavy Duty Walkie Talkies are an ideal choice for businesses, building sites, or any other commercial setting with multiple users. These rugged radios are IP67 waterproof, but they’re also dust and shockproof for extra durability. They can even withstand drops from up to two meters and include a lifetime warranty.
They also have an impressive range, supporting communication within a field of 300,000 square feet or up to 25 floors. A wide range of channels and privacy codes provide plenty of communicative flexibility. Each device also comes with a holster that can swivel up to 180 degrees for a more customizable storing position. Furthermore, the six-radio dock charger acts as a handy place to keep your radios when they’re not in use.
Luiton Walkie Talkies LT-316
Coolest Feature: A simple design that is easy to use for everyone.
Why We Chose It: We like these walkie talkies for the job site as opposed to the wilderness since they are small, simple to use, and have a limited range.
Key Specs:
- Range: 5-10 miles
- Battery Life: 12 hours
- Channels: 16
We believe that with a range of 5-10 miles (but we’d say closer to five to be on the safe side), these are a great choice if your outdoor buddy has a bit more skill, experience, and wants to forge a little more ahead and give you the all-clear to proceed via radio. We wouldn’t recommend these for getting more than a mile or so of separation.
We like these walkie talkies for job sites when someone is within seeing distance, but you’d rather not yell. These aren’t the most powerful, so if you’re looking for sprawling long range, look elsewhere; But for most campers, hikers, or construction workers, these are a great way to save some money on a more than functional long range walkie talkie.
Garmin Rino 755t
Coolest Feature: GPS tracking and sharing.
Why We Chose It: We believe the GPS feature sets these long range walkie talkies apart from others, especially when you consider them as outdoor survival tools.
Key Specs:
- Range: 20 miles
- Battery Life: 14 hours
- Channels: N/A
No doubt this is a splurge item, but it could very well be the outdoors tool that keeps you from getting lost. Aside from being able to communicate up to a 20-mile range, this long range walkie talkie is equipped with GPS navigator and display. This is not only important to help you find your own positioning, but other Rino users can also see your positioning as well.
This can be incredibly important if, say, you haven’t seen someone from your camp in several hours and want to know where they are. We believe that if you have the coin, this long range walkie talkie could very well be a lifesaver.
Topsung Long Range Walkie Talkies
Coolest Feature: NOAA service notifications.
Why We Chose It: Aside from the lengthy range, these walkie talkies can help you avoid getting stuck in bad weather.
Key Specs:
- Range: 20 miles
- Battery Life: N/A
- Channels: 22
The Topsung Long Range Walkie Talkies are better suited for the outdoors, as you can get up to 20 miles of range as opposed to about one mile in a neighborhood.
They are especially suited for outdoorsy stuff considering you can get weather updates thanks to NOAA service, so you don’t get caught in a flash flood or sudden onset storm. Considering you receive four walkie talkies for $80, we think this is one of the more affordable options for long range walkie talkies.
Motorola Solutions Talkabout T800
Coolest Feature: Location sharing when connected to the app.
Why We Chose It: Beyond being reliable, especially outside, the Bluetooth messaging and location sharing is a game changer, especially when outdoors.
Key Specs:
- Range: 35 miles
- Battery Life: 14 hours
- Channels: 22
The 35-mile range makes these ideal for outdoor situations like ski patrol or hunting, but the real magic of the T800 long range walkie talkies isn’t the range, it’s the smart capabilities. You can connect these to your phone via the TALKABOUT app.
After you’re connected, we find it useful that you can send messages via the app, even without cellphone service, as the T800 acts as your own personal modem or hotspot. You can also share your location through the app, so if you’re having trouble locating your campsite you left in the morning, this capability could be a real lifesaver.
Midland LXT600VP3
Coolest Feature: These have a 30 mile range.
Why We Chose It: The design is built for durability. Add in the 30-mile range and you have what we believe to be a must-have item for your outdoor camping checklist.
Key Specs:
- Range: 30 miles
- Battery Life: N/A
- Channels: 36
These Midland LXT600VP3 are great for those who don’t take it easy on their gear. These are built to communicate with a range of 30 miles in the mountains, and with a hard plastic design, rugged conditions are not a worry.
You don’t have to worry about getting caught in an unexpected storm with NOAA weather scan to keep you updated on what’s going on in the sky around you. Considering these are only $60 for a pair, it’s also an affordable option to boot.
Retevis RT628 Walkie Talkies
Coolest Features: Small design for kids to hold.
Why We Chose It: It’s an affordable way for parents to get their kids acclimated to using walkie talkies (plus it’s cheaper than a phone).
Key Specs:
- Range: N/A
- Battery Life: N/A
- Channels: 22
If you have a couple of kids in your travel group, or your kids and their friends want to communicate around the neighborhood, this is a great way to get them familiar with walkie talkies without forking out the dough. The design is small to help kids with little hands keep grip. And more than two walkie-talkies can join on the same channel, so if there are more than two siblings or friends who want to join in, they can. At only $21 for a pair, we think it’s hard to beat that price for walkie talkies.
Radioddity GA-2S
Coolest Feature: It features USB-A charging.
Why We Chose It: We feel workplaces will benefit from the ease of charging as well as the lengthy 96-hour battery life. Grab one from the charger and you’re golden.
Key Specs:
- Range: 3 miles
- Battery Life: 96 hours
- Channels: 16
We feel that with a three mile range and crazy 96-hour standby battery life, these long range walkie talkies from Radioddity are best suited for the job site or warehouse. With USB-A charging capabilities, you can use the same charging block you’d use to charge your phone to power up these walkie talkies, making them convenient for office use.
It comes with 16 pre-programmed channels, so you can tell your team what channel everybody should be on before you deploy your squad so everyone can easily be on the same page. Plus, they’re affordable, where a six pack equates to about $13 per walkie talkie.
Midland GXT1000VP4 2-Way Radios
Coolest Feature: It comes with adapters to charge the walkie talkies in your car.
Why We Chose It: You can charge them on the go and we like the SOS signal transmission capabilities that could be a lifesaver.
Key Specs:
- Range: 36 miles
- Battery Life: N/A
- Channels: 50 channels
These 2-way radios from Midland come in a pack of two, and they include a convenient charging dock to ensure you keep the rechargeable batteries powered up. The set also comes with an adapter that allows you to charge the radios in your car. There are 50 GMRS channels and 142 privacy codes, letting you create thousands of channels for secure conversation. Like the very best long-range walkie talkies, these powerful radios have a range of up to 36 miles, putting them among the elite. Not only do these Midland 2-way radios come with an affordable price tag for their feature set, but they’re also backed by thousands of 5-star reviews.
Finally, the radios can receive NOAA channels and transmit an SOS signal in case of emergencies. If you’re in a group, you can use the direct call feature to transmit to one member of your party.
SAMCOM Programmable Commercial Walkie Talkies
Coolest Feature: The group call button allows you to talk to all users simultaneously.
Why We Chose It: If our best overall pick is too expensive, or overkill, these are a cheaper alternative.
Key Specs:
- Range: 5 miles
- Battery Life: N/A
- Channels: 20
For a straightforward, user-friendly pair of walkie talkies that are ready to go right out of the box, it’s hard to look beyond these SAMCOM Programmable Walkie Talkies. The well-reviewed devices come with 20 GMRS channels already programmed into them, meaning you don’t have to get involved in programming if you don’t want to.
The ergonomic design is comfortable to carry during the workday, and you can purchase up to 19 walkie talkies in a single order if you need to buy 2-way radios for an entire work crew. These devices also include a handy group call button for wide-reaching communication with other SAMCOM users, and a keypad lock button to prevent any accidental setting changes.
Motorola T200 Talkabout Radio, 2 Pack
Coolest Feature: You can pair these with optional accessories like headsets and microphones.
Why We Chose It: If our best overall pick is too expensive or overkill, these are a cheaper alternative.
Key Specs:
- Range: 20 miles
- Battery Life: 12 hours
- Channels: 22
Motorola offers a wide range of two-way radios, which are numbered in ascending order to indicate their range. The T470, our Best Overall selection featured above, has an extra-long 35-mile range, while this option, the T200, has a 20-mile range. The device has a backlit display that makes it easier to use in dark conditions. There are 22 channels and 121 privacy codes, making it easier to find an available channel to keep in contact with your partner. You can also access 11 weather channels. Included belt clips make this a great hiking option.
For commercial users, the Motorola T200 comes in a variety of configurations, and with optional accessories such as headsets and microphones. We recommend heading to Amazon if you want to select specific features for your business. However, these are also great long-range walkie talkies for more casual users who are looking for the best walkie talkies for hunting trips or similar outings.
COBRA ACXT390 Walkie Talkies
Coolest Feature: It features rechargeable batteries.
Why We Chose It: We like these as a more affordable alternative to the ACXT645 model.
Key Specs:
- Range: 23 miles
- Battery Life: N/A
- Channels: 22
COBRA makes some of the best long-range walkie talkies in the world, which is why they earned two of the top spots in this shopping guide. This particular model doesn’t have as wide a range as the ACXT645 model featured above, but it does still boast an impressive 23-mile range, which is more than sufficient for most users. These walkie talkies come with rechargeable batteries, 22 channels, 121 privacy codes, and IPX2 waterproofing.
KOMVOX Handheld 2-Way Radios
Coolest Feature: It features voice activation for hands-free use.
Why We Chose It: These are affordable, but still boast cool features like hands-free use and 121 privacy codes.
Key Specs:
- Range: 10 miles
- Battery Life: N/A
- Channels: 36
If you want something affordable that’s better suited for camping trips rather than commercial needs, then this option offers several top features at a reasonable price. There are 121 privacy codes and voice activation for hands-free use. It has up to 10 miles of range, so it’s best suited for closer contact rather than extreme, long-range communication. The radio can be recharged using a USB cable as well.
Motorola T100TP Talkabout Radio
Coolest Feature: Includes belt clip for hands-free carrying.
Why We Chose It: The long battery life along with the hands-free clip make it a great companion while on the job site.
Key Specs:
- Range: 16 miles
- Battery Life: 18 hours
- Channels: 22
With their impressive 16-mile range, compact design, and long battery life, these Motorola T100TP Talkabout Radios are a solid choice for anyone looking for a versatile walkie talkie option. Whether you’re heading out to a remote area, part of a convoy, or simply heading to the park, these radios are a reliable way to stay in touch. Additionally, they are available in either a two- or three-piece pack, come in a choice of pink or blue, and include belt clips for hands-free carrying.
AMCOM FWCN30A Two Way Radio
Coolest Feature: The built-in flashlight.
Why We Chose It: We think you get a lot of features such as the built-in flashlight and NOAA broadcasts, as well as four walkie talkies for the price.
Key Specs:
- Range: 5 miles
- Battery Life: 24 hours
- Channels: 22
What makes the SAMCOM FWCN30A Two Way Radio stand out from the crowd is that you do not need a license, as they only include FRS radio channels. While this may limit its transmission distance, it means you do not need to fork out the money for a radio license. Each of the walkie talkies in the four-piece set comes with 22 programmed channels, includes voice-free talking, and even sports a built-in flashlight for nighttime illumination. Access to the official NOAA weather stream broadcast is another handy feature, especially for users heading out into more remote areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GMRS?
Devices using the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) require a license. However, this license allows for an increase in your ERP (Effective Radiated Power), up to 50 watts (compared to the two allowed for FRS), and the ability to utilize external antennae and repeaters. The layman’s translation? You can expect far greater communication distances with GMRS devices.
What is FRS?
Family Radio Service falls under the unlicensed banner, meaning it’s free to use so long as your device falls within an ERP (Effective Radiated Power) allowance of a maximum of two watts. In general performance terms, this means you can expect a range of around two kilometers maximum.
What is the farthest a walkie talkie can reach?
The best walkie talkies can reach up to 25 to 36 miles of coverage.
Are walkie talkies better than phones?
Walkie talkies have their share of benefits compared to phones, such as the ability to be used in areas that lack cellular service, and a secure way to communicate without a breach in security.
Which is better; UHF or VHF walkie talkie?
UHF has an overall better signal quality compared to VHF and is especially better for use indoors or in cities.
Do walkie talkies need line of sight?
While some less-capable walkie talkies do, most long range walkie talkies do not require line of sight and can be used indoors, outdoors, and even in heavily wooded areas or cities.
What factors reduce the connectivity of long range walkie talkies?
Objects such as walls, buildings, trees can all affect range.
Smart Walkie-Talkies Breathe New Life Into An Old Medium