Review: Etón FR-350 radio

Bright orange, and with a very loud alarm, the FR-350 is described as a waterproof emergency radio. It can also charge mobile phones.

Covering the FM, AM and short wave frequencies, the FR-350’s reception is as good as any portable radio and the telescopic aerial helps to improve the signal if things get a little crunchy.

The FR-350 can be powered in any of three ways, an AC adapter, three AA batteries or via a built-in battery that is charged by the hand crank. None exclude the others, so it's possible to leave non-rechargeable batteries in the radio even if the hand crank is used most of the time.

If elbow grease isn't your thing, plugging in the AC adapter will also charge the internal battery. The crank handle itself is a little small for sustained use but fine for topping up the battery.

An impressive extra of the FR-350 is that it can be used to charge mobile phones. A set of common mobile phones adapters are supplied and while a phone won't charge itself from the radio's battery, it can be brought back to life by winding the hand crank.

We tested it with a lifeless phone and after ten minutes of cranking it was able to switch on, albeit with a severely depleted battery life. It’s therefore fine for emergencies but not what you'd want to use as your phone's primary charging method.

Another negative point was how easy it was to accidentally activate the emergency siren, which although very loud and probably useful when stuck on a mountain, will cause some alarm in the home.

Unfortunately it's not a DAB radio but for £35 and some unique features, we don't think it's a bad investment for outdoorsy people.

Also consider
Pure Digital One
Overall: You really can’t ask for more from a DAB radio at this price. If you can forgo styling, the Pure Digital One is a top buy.
Rating: 5
Price: £50

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