Make sure you're not influenced by cost, style or brand alone when deciding on a radio, as you could easily end up with one you'll regret buying. Some budget, fashion or nostalgia-focused radios in particular may look great, but can have tinny sound and awkward menus and buttons that are a frustrating pain to use. We’ve also found a surprising number of disappointing radios from the biggest brands. Best DAB radio features to look for Additionally, there’s the option to connect your own devices through a Bluetooth connection too. The system works easily with everything from Apple Music to Spotify. They’re also particularly useful for radios with lots of functionality, such as internet radios, where performing a long series of button presses can get clunky.

Roberts and Pure are the two best-known British radio brands. However, our testing shows that their radios are not always the best, and that they even make some real duds. You can listen live or use the catch-up service to listen to older shows from those stations that provide them. According to the design team at VQ, The Retro Mini radio was their chance to create something capable of standing the test of time with modern functionality and unbeatable charm. You should also consider getting a smart speaker instead of an internet radio. These are also connected via wi-fi, and you control them with voice commands rather that with buttons. You can use a smart speaker as an internet radio by asking for your favourite radios stations, and it will play them through services such as TuneIn Radio. This gives you more choice of models, starting at lower prices – the only disadvantage is that smart speakers don’t also have DAB and FM radio like internet radios typically do. On average, sound quality is often better on smart speakers, too. For more information, see our guide on how to buy the best smart speaker. Five ways to listen to the radio for free The buttons feel a little cheap and plastic, but they are responsive – which is really what’s important. The LCD screen works well too – and it’s easy to read from a range of angles.

Some radios have a dedicated remote control, or an accompanying smartphone app that can act as a remote control. These can be very handy if you’re choosing a radio for a living room or dining room, so you won't have to get up every time you want to adjust the volume or switch stations. You’ll usually get better reception with a long, rigid, telescopic aerial than from a wire aerial, so it’s worth trying a model with one of these.

The Retro Mini features DAB & DAB+ Digital Radio along with traditional FM, meaning you can listen to all the available stations broadcast in your area from the likes of; your national, commercial, and local broadcasters. Finding new stations couldn’t be easier. The auto scan finds all your available stations with a simple alphabetical list to scroll through. Once you find a new favourite station, save it to one of sixty available presets. There are also a few modern features thrown in for good measure, like a USB charging port, so you can keep your phone powered while you’re jamming to your favourite tunes. VQ Retro Mini radio: Features With a stunning design that splits into no fewer than 19 different colour options, you really can’t go wrong from an aesthetic perspective. People often find that it’s easier to access these internet features via your smartphone’s touchscreen anyway, as it can be fiddly to navigate them using the buttons on a radio. Some internet radios have an accompanying app to solve this issue. It allows you to stream internet radio, and any other audio on your smartphone, to your DAB radio – so you can listen to everything from podcasts and audiobooks to your personal music collection. NFC (near field communication) is simply an easier way of connecting via Bluetooth – instead of finding the radio in the Bluetooth menu on your smartphone or tablet, you can simply touch your device on the ‘N’ symbol on the radio.Unfortunately, there are currently no plans to transition most BBC and commercial radio stations to DAB+, with both consumers and the industry generally happy with the audio quality of DAB stations. Most non-budget DAB radios are also compatible with DAB Plus, although the UK is well behind the continent in taking up this technology. For radio stations that support it, DAB+ offers improved sound quality. Below, we round up the various options for listening online, and explain how to access thousands of major radio stations worldwide. Smart speakers The VQ Retro mini radio comes with DAB and DAB+ connectivity, as well as standard FM, so you can listen to any station you like.