Roger That: The Best Long Range Walkie Talkies In 2022 – Gear Hungry (2024)

Tuesday Kirby Kahl

Tuesday Kirby Kahl is a contributor at Gear Hungry. Her fierce love for the outdoors fuels everything she does. Her professional pursuits include writing, creating art, and photography. These professional passions allow her the time to live life outside as a rock climber, skier, runner, backpacker, paddle boarder, swimmer, and explorer.When Kirby is indoors, she enjoys tea, whisky, old films, cooking, and baking. Her product testing and feedback have shaped the design of everything from climbing shoes to candles.

1

Rocky Long Range Walkie Talkie

After hearing about Rocky talkies on a podcast I enjoy, I was instantly curious if someone had truly managed to produce long-range walkie-talkie that actually works well in the mountains and in complicated terrain. While the range is comparable to many of the other options on this list, I appreciate the transparency from Rocky Talkies about the types of terrain. Line of sight, your range is over 25 miles, in the mountains that drops to 3-5 miles, and in forests it’s up to three miles.

With a seriously rugged and durable design, great range, and insanely long battery life (up to 3 days of use on a single charge!), this is one of the best long-range walkie talkies on today’s market. Yes, it’s on the pricy end of the scale, but all things considered, absolutely worth it and maybe even the best walkie talkie overall. Be sure to also check out our selection of the best emergency radios on the market.

Pros

Durable design, will stand up to years of use and abuse

Super-long battery life

Many useful controls

Long range and clear communication

Cons

Not great city performance

2

Motorola MH230R Walkie Talkie

The Motorola MH230R provides clear communication even on very hilly terrains and up to 23 miles. While that distance will vary as it does with all walkie-talkies, the MH230R holds up its end of the bargain far better than most – you don’t need to be on the Bonneville Salt Flats on a clear day to achieve long-range effective communication with this one. But this two-way radio performs well in short-range situations too, like crowded malls and amusem*nt parks. The eight-hour battery life is great for a full day out or a regular workday but it’s not ideal for huge outings.

The Motorola MH230R is an outstanding long-range walkie-talkie that’s surprisingly powerful and clear even over great distances. If you plan ongoing campingor backpacking, apart from bringing acompass, you should have a pair of these with you so no individual or group is ever out of range of the others. Just make sure you bring along plenty of alkaline backups and you’ll be good to go for a long weekend.

Pros

Easy to understand controls

Outstanding volume

Lightweight construction

Excellent range in bad conditions

Cons

Battery life isn’t the greatest

Performance can suffer in cold weather

3

Uniden SX507-2CKHS Walkie Talkie

When it comes to long-range communication, no one has the Uniden SX507-2CKHS Long-Range Walkie-Talkie beat. This model features the most impressive communication range of two-way radios on the market – a long range of 50 miles. No other device features such a range, so this might even be the best walkie talkie you can get.

While the range is the highlight feature of this long-range walkie, there is plenty that makes this star shine. This device can be submerged in up to three feet of water for up to 30 minutes, however, it’s unlikely this will happen because these walkie-talkies float. No one has to take a dive should you lose them in the lake. The battery life lasts a whopping 14 hours and runs on AA batteries, which are rechargeable. For more handy life-saving devices, check out our selection of thetop CB radios.

Pros

Waterproofing in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes

Excellent 50-mile range

Waterproof walkie talkies float when dropped in water

Cons

Terrain can drastically reduce the range, so not ideal for the mountains

Even on max volume, comm can be hard to hear in windy conditions

4

BaoFeng BF-888S Long Range Walkie Talkie

BaoFeng may not be a name familiar to many but they’ve been rising steadily through the ranks of quality walkie-talkie manufacturers in recent years. Their BF-888S is a prime example of how far they’ve come and a fine indication that with a few additional years under their belt we may be talking about them as one of the best walkie-talkie makers out there. These compact walkie-talkies have plenty of range and, considering you get six units in this set, are also extremely affordable.

Outstanding small touches like theemergency built-in ledflashlight,demonstrate that the engineers at BaoFeng are thinking on their feet. It’s the kind of thing that bodes well for the rest of the walkie-talkie. Overall the unit is tough as nails and easy to hold securely. The most serious drawback is the layout of the controls, which almost seems like an afterthought. There is no LCD Display only an LED indicator light and the controls on the top of the device. Beyond that, the BaoFeng BF-888S is well worth the investment.

Pros

Tough enough to survive multiple drops

Unexpected flashlight feature

Sound quality is generally great

Great value for money pack

Cons

Complicated button arrangement

The long fixed antenna can get in the way sometimes

5

Motorola T100 Walkie Talkie

The Motorola T100 Talkabout Radio is a set of two-way radios, or long-range walkie-talkies, with a 16-mile range, included belt clip and 18-hour battery life. This two-way radio set comes in unique and fun colorways that strike the eye and veer away from the classic black, making them great even for kids. Our favorite feature is that the device can communicate with any other walkie-talkies on FRS channels, regardless of brand.

The battery life for this set is exceptional, offering 18 hours of life on three AAA batteries. When the battery is running low, the low battery indicator will flash so you know it’s time to recharge or add a new set. The LCD display shows you your channel and other important information but is not backlit so these are not ideal for use at night. This long-range radio is great for use with children as a cell phone alternative.

Pros

Great battery life

Use-friendly design, easy to use

Great for kids and families

Cons

Screen is not backlit

No waterproof rating

Non-rechargeable batteries

6

Midland LXT500VP3 Walkie Talkie

The LXT500VP3 from Midland is a true long-range walkie-talkie that, under ideal circ*mstances, will provide an effective range of more than 20 miles. Under less than ideal circ*mstances in the open country, you can expect perhaps 1/2 that range and in the city center, it will be reduced to 1 or 2 miles. This gadget fits neatly into the palm of your hand and the operation is a cinch. Despite the range issues, which exist in even the best walkie talkie, we think you’ll like this two-way radio.

Overall, these long-range walkie-talkies are a quality product that delivers on more of its promise than most options on the market. It’s beautifully built, tough as nails, provides reliable communication even under difficult circ*mstances and the energy conservation feature is one all long-range walkie-talkies should adopt. For the price, you can do no wrong with these outstanding Midland walkie-talkies.

Pros

Tough as nails, will survive multiple falls

The 20+ mile range in open country

Competitively priced

Cons

Volume isn’t the greatest

Access to longer-range channels isn’t great

7

Midland GXT1000VP4 50-Channel Two-Way Radio

It doesn’t matter if you’re buying walkie-talkies for recreational or commercial use, the Midland GXT1000VP4 is a product you can trust whether you’re on-site with construction workers in the outdoors or working security. The Midland GXT1000VP4 provides an impressive range of 36 miles in an unobstructed area. It’s hard to say what kind of performance you can expect in an area of dense forestry for example but it is a better range than most long-range walkie-talkies on the market.

Designed for ease of use, these two-way radios have 22 channels, 28 extra privacy code channels, silent operation, and multiple power-saving modes. They come with rechargeable battery packs but can also be run by four AA batteries, which is perfect for emergency situations. One of the main complaints leveled at high-end walkie-talkies is the lack of volume. Fortunately, Midland has a technology called X-TRA TALK Power, which delivers the maximum volume as allowed by law.

Pros

Impressive range

Plenty of channels and privacy channels

Can be run on AA batteries in emergencies

Maximum volume allowed by law

Cons

Heavier design so slightly less portable

Not the greatest range in dense forestry

8

Motorola Talkabout T460 Walkie Talkie

If you’re planning a trip into the wilderness, you need a way to stay connected. Whether you’re hiking, skiing, cycling, or even working in an area with no cell service, you need the Motorola Talkabout T460 Rechargeable Two-Way Radio. With an IP54 weatherproof rating, these walkie-talkies are designed to keep working even when the weather turns against you. They also have rugged housing that can withstand being dropped, left outside, and much more.

These walkie-talkies have an impressive range of 35 miles, which is more than enough to keep connected. There are 22 channels to choose from and each channel has 121 privacy codes so you can ensure that no one is listening in. Other features include a built-in flashlight, emergency alert button, and PTT Power Boost. It makes an ideal addition to your survival gear collection.

Pros

Weatherproof

Rugged housing

Consistent range

Competitively priced

Cons

Mic and speaker quality are not great