The best DAB radios for getting your groove on, according to our experts

You may be attracted to Roberts radios due to their sharp retro design – they look like something you’d use to listen to Test Match Special all afternoon while dozing in a leather-bound armchair. This DAB model is a bit more up to date than Radio 4 Longwave, however, with a clear OLED display that tells you what’s playing. This radio also acts as a Bluetooth speaker, so you can stream podcasts and tunes from your phone to the Roberts device when you want to take charge of what’s playing. There's an FM radio as well as the DAB receiver, and you can, of course, set up favourites, so you can switch stations easily.

The sound is rich and full thanks to a bass speaker integrated into the front-facing array. It can fill a room, but the best sound will be heard from sitting in front of the radio. If you want to take it with you, there's a slot for four AA batteries, which can be charged when plugged into the mains, and a headphone socket for privacy. There's also a sleep timer that will gradually reduce the volume as you drop off. Our only criticism is that the display is mounted on the top of the radio, so it isn’t always easy to see. However, that’s a small sacrifice for style.

Somewhat functionally designed, the Osaka is surprisingly loud for something so small. You get a DAB+ and FM radio with 120 presets and 10 hours of playtime from its rechargeable battery. It also has Bluetooth connectivity, so you can stream to it from your phone or tablet, and there’s a USB-C port for power. At just 160g, it’s remarkably lightweight, and it’s pocket-sized. There's a lock switch to disable the controls while you’re transporting it, just so you don’t change settings by accident.

While it’s undeniably loud, the sound quality doesn’t quite match up to some of the other DAB radios on test. The sound quality from DAB+ is usually much better than FM, but that isn’t the case here. You’d only buy a radio this small for pure portability.

This splendid creation is many things in one. It’s a radio with DAB+ and FM tuners, a Bluetooth speaker (so you can stream music and radio from your phone), a 3.5mm aux socket for devices that don’t have Bluetooth, and compatibility with streaming apps such as Spotify, which connect over wifi. There's also a remote-control app, Oktiv, you can run on your phone.

With this in mind, you can see why Ruark calls the R2 a ‘smart music system’ rather than a radio, and it can be a little complex. There's a front-facing colour screen to tell you what’s playing, however, and you can always dip back into the phone app. The sound from these small radios is never going to be as good as that from a dedicated set of speakers, but the R2 still performs well. This is down to the stereo drivers Ruark has been able to squeeze into a surprisingly slim chassis, which Ruark rather grandly calls an ‘acoustically tuned and damped polymer cabinet’. It’s basically a plastic box, but one that offers great sound and functionality. The only downside is the cost. Unless you’re a radio fanatic, you’ll baulk at the price.

Although there are plenty of retro designs on the market, this VQ model is particularly pleasing. It brings a small screen with alarm clock functionality, along with plenty of tactile buttons to adjust the volume or skip between stations. It’s just a shame it doesn’t have a large rotating volume knob to cap it all off.

As a portable speaker with a carrying handle, this model can be powered from the mains or AA batteries, and it has a USB-C port that can be used to charge your phone (but not the radio itself). There are headphone and aux-in sockets on the rear, and you can stream from your phone via Bluetooth.

The speaker inside is just 5W, which is outclassed elsewhere on this list. The retro mini never gets to the heights of volume or presence larger radios, but it certainly doesn’t do a bad job of bringing the tunes indoors.

Along with wood and colourful finishes, the retro mini has polka-dot and floral designs from Emma Bridgewater.

Seen here in its delightfully chintzy Cath Kidston colours (other finishes are available), the Hepburn voice looks very much like a classic upright radio, but it comes with a fantastic voice control function.

Around the back, there are headphone and 3.5mm sockets, along with a handy USB-A port for phone charging. There's also a phone app and wifi streaming with Spotify Connect support. However, the sound quality from the Hepburn voice is less clear than other DAB radios we tested (despite packing in two speakers), so you’ll need to shout at your radio to change stations to choose this one. Unlike other radios on this list, there’s no screen. While the voice control means there’s no need to get up and walk across the room to change the channel, there's also no screen to help you work out what on earth BBC Radio 6 Music is playing.

We love the look of Roberts DAB radios, and this petite model lives up to its name. About the size of a fizzy drink can, it fits in one hand but packs a lot into a small space. There are DAB+ and FM tuners, as well as Bluetooth, so you can stream to the device from your phone or tablet. The radio is rechargeable with a USB-C socket, so you can top up the battery from your phone charger – a full tank offers up to 20 hours of playback.

The sound quality is crisp enough, but you’re not going to get as full a sound as you would from a larger unit. The revival petite 2 doesn’t come with as many extra features as some others on this list, either – but it is adorable. The large dial on the front recalls AM/FM radios of yesteryear, while the four buttons that surround it enable you to make adjustments and switch between presets.

In many ways a smaller version of the Ruark R2 model included in this list, the R1S can’t compete with its larger sibling on sound quality. However, it’s no slouch in that department, though, but it does bring all the same connectivity features. You get wifi connectivity and an app, so you can play streaming services directly through the radio’s speaker. You can hook up an audio device over Bluetooth or a 3.5mm cable, too.

This is all wonderful to have, but you’ll pay £300 for the pleasure. However, Ruark’s design department has played a blinder recently, and the R2 looks every bit the premium product. If you listen to the radio all day and want a player that looks as good as it sounds, this model is well worth considering.

The Monty is a portable DAB radio with a carrying handle, but I was surprised to find clear, loud sound. The sole cone inside is rated for 10W, which is respectable enough. Within the casing, there are DAB+ and FM tuners with 60 presets and a Bluetooth chip, so you can stream to the radio from your smartphone (there’s a 3.5mm aux-in port, too).

The Monty also functions as an alarm clock, with its front-facing screen displaying the time in numbers large enough to read if it’s a bit early in the morning. Finally, this radio is capable of being powered from mains or a battery, with a handy USB-C port for charging. However, it’s fairly expensive for a portable DAB radio, and it’s much larger than the other DAB radios we tested, so it isn’t as portable as the competition.