The short version
- On disposable AA batteries a DAB radio costs 4.75p to 20p an hour to run, depending on the radio and the brand of battery. On mains it costs less than 0.2p. On the Roberts Revival Uno, batteries cost at least 36 times more per hour than the plug.
- A radio with a built-in rechargeable battery is the cheapest to run away from the socket. A full charge of the Roberts Revival Petite 2 is a quarter of a penny of electricity at the October 2026 cap.
- Of the 25 DAB radios in Amazon UK’s top 50 radios on 15 September 2026, 15 state a battery life. Only 4 of those 15 say what volume it was measured at, and one of the four is for playing a memory card, not the radio.
- FM is not going away yet. The government’s 2021 review concluded FM should continue until at least 2030, and a new review launched in February 2026 is looking at the 2030s.
A portable DAB radio is one of the cheapest things in the house to run on mains, and one of the dearest to run on disposable batteries. The listings rarely make that clear. Most give a battery life in hours without saying how loud the radio was playing, and none gives a cost.
So we did the sums. For each radio we used the maker’s own battery count and battery-life claim, priced AA cells at two Amazon UK prices on 15 September 2026, and priced mains and rechargeable use at the Ofgem cap from 1 October 2026.
The short answer
For a kitchen or bedside radio that stays near a socket, the Roberts Play 10 at £39.99 is the simple choice: Roberts states up to 30 hours on four AA cells, which is 4.75p an hour on Amazon Basics batteries. For a radio you carry around, pick a built-in rechargeable such as the Roberts Revival Petite 2 at £98.47, where a full charge costs about a quarter of a penny. Only 4 of 15 bestselling DAB listings with a battery life say what volume it was measured at.
How this guide was made: desk research, not a hands-on test. We have not listened to these radios or timed their batteries. Battery type, battery life and what is in the box come from each seller’s Amazon UK listing, read on 15 September 2026, and the maker’s manual where one exists. Battery prices are from Amazon UK the same day: Amazon Basics AA at 35.65p a cell (£7.13 for 20) and Duracell Plus AA at 75p a cell (£9.00 for 12). Mains and rechargeable costs use 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem cap rate from 1 October 2026. Prices move often.
Prices and specs last checked 15 September 2026 · next check 1 October 2026 · how we picked
How they compare
| Radio | Power | Maker’s battery life | An hour on Amazon Basics AA | An hour on Duracell Plus AA | In the box | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WOVTE portable DAB+ | Built-in rechargeable | 12 hours (listing also says 10) | n/a | n/a | USB cable, no plug | £19.10 |
| Mycket portable DAB | Built-in 2,200 mAh rechargeable | Up to 12 hours | n/a | n/a | Micro USB cable, no plug | £25.49 |
| LEMEGA PR2 Max | Mains, or AA cells | Up to 10 hours on 2 AA | 7.13p (14.26p if it takes 4) | 15p (30p if 4) | Check the listing | £27.95 |
| AZATOM Desire X2 | Mains, or 4 x AA | Not published | Not published | Not published | USB-C adapter | £29.95 |
| Roberts Play 10 | Mains adapter, or 4 x AA | Up to 30 hours (alkaline) | 4.75p | 10p | Not stated | £39.99 |
| Majority Little Shelford | Mains, or 4 x AA | 15 hours | 9.51p | 20p | Mains power cable | £44.95 |
| Roberts Revival Petite 2 | Built-in 2,600 mAh rechargeable | About 20 hours | n/a | n/a | No USB plug | £98.47 |
| Roberts Revival Uno BT | Mains adapter, or 4 x AA | Up to 25 hours (alkaline) | 5.7p | 12p | Adapter rated 6.0W | £135.00 |
An hour on batteries is the price of one set of cells divided by the maker’s claimed hours. A set of four costs £1.43 in Amazon Basics or £3.00 in Duracell Plus on 15 September 2026. Real hours are usually fewer at higher volume, so these are the lowest likely costs.
Batteries against the plug
No maker here publishes how much power its radio draws on mains. The Roberts Revival Uno’s manual does give its adapter’s rating, 6.0W. A radio cannot draw more than its adapter supplies, so an hour on mains costs at most 0.158p at 26.32p per kWh. On four Amazon Basics AA cells and Roberts’s own 25-hour claim, the same hour costs 5.7p. That is at least 36 times more, and the real gap is wider because the radio almost certainly draws less than 6W.
Over a year it adds up. Two hours a day on the Roberts Play 10 is £34.70 of Amazon Basics cells, or £73.00 of Duracell Plus, if every set lasts the full 30 hours Roberts claims. Two hours a day on the Uno’s mains adapter is no more than £1.15.
A built-in rechargeable is cheaper still. Roberts gives the Revival Petite 2’s battery as 9.438Wh. A full charge is therefore about 0.25p of electricity before charging losses, and Roberts says a charge lasts about 20 hours. The WOVTE and Mycket batteries are smaller by capacity, and neither listing gives a voltage, so we have not priced them. If they use the same kind of 3.6V to 3.7V lithium cell, a charge would cost well under a penny.
The volumeless hour
Amazon UK’s top 50 radios on 15 September 2026 included 25 DAB radios. We read all 25 listings, including the brand content further down each page. 15 state a battery life, from 10 to 34 hours. Only 4 of the 15 say what volume that was measured at, all at half or 50% volume, and one of those four is for playing music from a memory card, not the radio. The other 11 give hours with no volume at all.
We call this the volumeless hour. It matters because an alkaline cell delivers less as the drain goes up. VARTA’s industrial AA datasheet gives about 2,950 mAh on a light load and about 2,300 mAh at 250 mA. A radio turned up in a noisy kitchen will not match a claim made at a quiet setting, and most listings do not tell you which you are getting. Roberts does say it in its manuals: its hours depend on volume and operating mode.
The pages for our picks, and two sister listings, also contradict themselves in four places. WOVTE gives both 2,200 mAh and 12 hours, and 1,200 mAh and 10 hours, on the same page. LEMEGA’s PR2 Max says two AA cells on one listing and four on a sister listing for the same model. A sister listing for the Majority Little Shelford names both a USB-C input and a micro-USB adapter. Roberts’s own page for the Revival Uno mentions a rechargeable battery, while its manual specifies four AA cells.
Is DAB still worth buying in 2026?
Yes, for now. RAJAR’s figures for the second quarter of 2026 put 76% of UK radio listening hours on digital platforms, and DAB takes 57% of those digital hours. Ofcom’s Communications Market Report 2026 puts DAB’s share of all listening at 43%. Ofcom’s most recent published coverage figures, for March 2023, put the BBC’s national DAB multiplex in 97.4% of UK homes.
FM is not being switched off yet either. In February 2026 the government launched a new review of radio. It said the previous review in 2021 had concluded FM should continue until at least 2030, and the new one will consider whether there should be a managed move away from FM in the 2030s. All eight radios here also receive FM, so you are covered either way.
The eight DAB radios worth considering
Ordered by price. Each card gives what powers the radio, the maker’s battery-life claim and what an hour costs on it.
WOVTE portable DAB+ radio
CheapestNumber one in Amazon UK’s radio chart on the day we looked, and the cheapest DAB radio here. It has a built-in rechargeable battery and charges from a USB cable, so it costs almost nothing to run.
The catch: The listing contradicts itself: 2,200 mAh and 12 hours in one place, 1,200 mAh and 10 hours in another. Only a USB cable comes in the box, so you need your own plug.
DAB+ and FM · Built-in rechargeable · 10 or 12 hours, per the listing · £19.10 on 15 September 2026
Behind this verdict: WOVTE’s Amazon UK listing, read 15 September 2026, for the battery, the two capacity claims, box contents and price. The listing gives no volume for its battery claim and no voltage, so we cannot price a charge.
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Mycket portable DAB radio
Cheapest to run away from a socketA pocketable rechargeable with over 3,600 ratings. Mycket states a 2,200 mAh battery that lasts up to 12 hours from a 2.5-hour charge. There are no batteries to buy.
The catch: The box holds a micro USB cable and no plug. The battery claim gives no volume.
DAB+ and FM · 2,200 mAh built-in battery · Up to 12 hours · £25.49 on 15 September 2026
Behind this verdict: Mycket’s Amazon UK listing, read 15 September 2026, for the battery, the charge time, box contents and price. No volume or voltage is given, so neither the 12 hours nor the cost of a charge can be checked.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
LEMEGA PR2 Max
Cheapest with BluetoothA small retro-style radio with Bluetooth, over 1,700 ratings, and a choice of mains or AA power, according to the listing. This listing says two AA cells give up to 10 hours, which is 7.13p an hour on Amazon Basics cells.
The catch: A sister listing for the same model says four AA cells, which would double the cost to 14.26p an hour. Check the manual or ask the seller before you rely on either, and check whether a mains adapter is included.
DAB+, FM and Bluetooth · Mains, or 2 x AA per this listing · Up to 10 hours · £27.95 on 15 September 2026
Behind this verdict: LEMEGA’s Amazon UK listing (walnut), read 15 September 2026, for two AA cells, 10 hours and price. LEMEGA’s grey listing the same day for the four-cell table. The 7.13p is our arithmetic. Two listings for one model disagree on the number of cells.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
AZATOM Desire X2
Adapter in the boxA simple DAB radio sold on its simple controls, two alarms and a sleep timer, with nearly 2,000 ratings. AZATOM’s manual says a USB-C mains adapter is included and four AA cells are optional.
The catch: AZATOM publishes no battery life anywhere we looked, so we cannot say what an hour on batteries costs. Use it on the adapter.
DAB, DAB+ and FM · USB-C adapter included · 4 x AA optional, not included · £29.95 on 15 September 2026
Behind this verdict: AZATOM’s Amazon UK listing, read 15 September 2026, for the model (DXOAK2), the alarms and price. AZATOM’s Desire X2 manual for the adapter and batteries. No battery-life claim exists to price.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
Roberts Play 10
Best for most peopleA long-running simple portable from a British brand, with over 5,500 ratings. Roberts’s manual gives up to 30 hours on four alkaline AA cells, and says that depends on volume and operating mode. That is 4.75p an hour on Amazon Basics cells, the lowest battery cost here.
The catch: The manual lists a mains adapter in the specification but does not say it is in the box, so check before you buy. On batteries alone, two hours a day is £34.70 a year of Amazon Basics cells.
DAB, DAB+ and FM · 4 x AA or mains adapter · Up to 30 hours on alkaline · £39.99 on 15 September 2026
Behind this verdict: Roberts’s Amazon UK listing, read 15 September 2026, for price. The Roberts Play 10 manual for the cells, the 30-hour claim and its volume caveat. The 4.75p is our arithmetic. Whether the adapter comes in the box is not stated in the manual we read.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
Majority Little Shelford
Mains cable includedA compact DAB+ radio with Bluetooth and over 8,600 ratings. The listing includes a mains power cable and gives 15 hours on four AA cells, which is 9.51p an hour on Amazon Basics cells.
The catch: The 15-hour claim gives no volume. On the same four cells it claims half the hours of the Roberts Play 10, so it costs twice as much an hour on batteries.
DAB+, FM and Bluetooth · Mains cable included · 4 x AA, not included · 15 hours · £44.95 on 15 September 2026
Behind this verdict: Majority’s Amazon UK listing, read 15 September 2026, for the box contents, the cells, the 15-hour claim and price. The 9.51p is our arithmetic. The listing does not say what volume the 15 hours was measured at.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
Roberts Revival Petite 2
Best rechargeableA small retro radio with Bluetooth and a built-in battery. Roberts’s manual gives the battery as 9.438Wh and about 20 hours from a charge, depending on volume, battery age and temperature. A full charge is about 0.25p of electricity at the October 2026 cap.
The catch: It charges over USB-C and Roberts says the USB plug is not included. The cost is the purchase price: it is more than twice the Play 10.
DAB, DAB+, FM and Bluetooth · 9.438Wh built-in battery · About 20 hours · £98.47 on 15 September 2026
Behind this verdict: Roberts’s Amazon UK listing, read 15 September 2026, for price. The Roberts Revival Petite 2 manual (February 2024) for the battery, the 20 hours and the missing plug. The 0.25p is our arithmetic. Charging losses are not included in the 0.25p.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
Roberts Revival Uno BT
Best on mainsThe classic Roberts look in a smaller body, with Bluetooth. Its manual gives up to 25 hours on four alkaline AA cells, depending on volume and brightness, and a mains adapter rated at 6.0W. On mains an hour costs at most 0.158p. On Amazon Basics cells it costs 5.7p.
The catch: Roberts’s product page mentions a rechargeable battery. The manual we read specifies four AA cells, not included. Check which version you are buying.
DAB, DAB+, FM and Bluetooth · Mains adapter rated 6.0W · 4 x AA, up to 25 hours · £135.00 on 15 September 2026
Behind this verdict: Roberts’s Amazon UK listing, read 15 September 2026, for price. The Roberts Revival Uno BT manual (June 2021) for the cells, the 25 hours and the adapter rating. The 0.158p and 5.7p are our arithmetic. The adapter rating is a ceiling. The radio’s real mains draw is not published.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (paid link)
How to choose one
If it lives by a socket, run it on mains and treat batteries as a backup for moving it or for power cuts. If you carry it around, buy a built-in rechargeable and you will never buy cells. If you need batteries, buy rechargeable AA cells or a large multipack, and ignore the brand name on the cell: the claimed hours are the same either way, and the premium cell doubles the cost per hour.
Check what is in the box. Several radios here come with only a USB cable, and two listings do not make it clear whether a mains adapter is included. For older listeners, big separate buttons and a clear display matter more than extra features, and a radio that is simple to tune will get more use.
Common questions
How much does it cost to run a DAB radio?
On mains, less than 0.2p an hour at the October 2026 cap. On disposable AA cells, 4.75p to 20p an hour for the radios in this guide, using the makers’ own battery-life claims and Amazon UK cell prices on 15 September 2026.
Is it cheaper to run a radio on batteries or mains?
Mains, by a long way. On the Roberts Revival Uno, an hour on four Amazon Basics AA cells costs 5.7p, while its 6.0W mains adapter caps an hour at 0.158p. That is at least 36 times more on batteries.
How long do batteries last in a DAB radio?
Makers claim 10 to 34 hours on the bestselling Amazon UK DAB listings. Only 4 of the 15 listings with a claim say what volume it was measured at, so expect fewer hours at high volume.
Is FM radio being switched off in the UK?
Not yet. The government’s 2021 review concluded FM should continue until at least 2030. A review launched in February 2026 is considering whether there should be a managed move away from FM in the 2030s.
Do I need DAB+ or just DAB?
Every radio in this guide receives DAB+ as well as DAB, which covers the stations broadcast on either. If you are buying elsewhere, check the listing names DAB+.
Sources
- Ofgem, Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (electricity 26.32p per kWh, 1 October to 31 December 2026, read 15 September 2026)
- Amazon UK, Best Sellers in Radios and DAB (top 50 read 15 September 2026)
- Amazon UK, AA battery search results (Amazon Basics 20-pack £7.13 and Duracell Plus 12-pack £9.00, read 15 September 2026)
- Roberts, Play 10 manual (via ManualsLib) (read 15 September 2026)
- Roberts, Revival Petite 2 manual, issue 1 (February 2024)
- Roberts, Revival Uno BT manual (via ManualsLib) (issue 1a, June 2021)
- AZATOM, Desire X2 manual (read 15 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Ministers kick off review to safeguard radio’s future (12 February 2026)
- RAJAR, Q2 2026 data release infographic (August 2026)
- Ofcom, Communications Market Report 2026 (30 June 2026)
- Ofcom, DAB+ radio report (29 September 2023, coverage at March 2023)
- VARTA, Industrial 4006 (LR6) datasheet (retailer-hosted) (April 2013)
Prices checked on Amazon UK on 15 September 2026 and change often. Look Into earns a commission on qualifying purchases made through the links above, at no extra cost to you. Nobody pays for a place in this guide.