Best DAB Job Site Radios 2024

What’s the best site radio with DAB?

The majority of job site radios on the market are still AM/FM radios, but we’ve researched the market and selected what we consider to be the top 8 job site DAB radios currently available in the UK.

These radios are all designed to be used on building sites and other worksites and are built to be rugged and withstand the elements.

Best DAB Site Radios in the UK

1. Makita DMR112

Made by respected Japanese power tool brand Makita, the DMR112 is an FM/DAB/DAB+ radio specially designed for using on worksites.

One great thing about this radio is that it has Bluetooth capabilities, meaning you can play music from your phone or other devices without the need for any cables.

Features

Dimensions: 43.1 x 26.2 x 16.3 cm
Weight: 4.3 kg

Verdict

As you’d expect from Makita, the DMR112 is very sturdy and well made. It’s quite heavy but can still be carried around by its comfortable handle.

The radio is tough, has good sound quality and has an attractive masculine design.

Overall, it’s probably the best DAB site radio for most people due to its versatility.

 

2. DeWalt DWST1-81079-GB TSTAK Radio

The DeWalt DWST1-81079-GB TSTAK is an expensive product, but it’s one of the most rugged and feature-rich DAB job site radios on the market.

This product has lots of useful features that make it ideal for use on-site, such as a USB port for charging your phone and the ability to charge DeWalt XR and FlexVolt batteries.

Features

Dimensions: 52 x 40 x 18 cm
Weight: 7.5 kg

Summary

The DeWalt DWST1-81079-GB TSTAK is an excellent radio. However, it’s very pricey, so it’s not ideal for those on a budget.

If you don’t mind investing a bit more in a site radio, this is one of the best you can buy. Like with most site radios, batteries aren’t included.

 

3. DeWalt DCR020-GB

The DCR020-GB is a specially made Jobsite DAB radio from US power tool manufacturer DeWalt. It’s quite a small radio that offers a more compact and easily portable alternative to the Makita DMR112 reviewed above. Despite being small, the DCR020-GB is strong and has a roll cage to protect it from impacts.

Features

Weight: 3.2 kg
Dimensions: 25.8 x 25 x 18.8 cm

Verdict

The DeWalt DCR020-GB is a great jobsite radio overall, especially if you want something small and light. It appears to be a bit less reliable than the Makita DMR112, which is why it’s the runner up in this list.

 

4. Dewalt DWST1-75663 TOUGHSYSTEM

The DeWALT DWST1-75663 TOUGHSYSTEM is a bit different to most of the other radios here. In addition to offering FM/DAB/DAB+, it also works as a battery charger for DeWALT batteries. This is a large and heavy radio that might be a good choice for bigger job sites.

Features

Dimensions: 55.8 x 38.4 x 16.4 cm
Weight: 8.6 kg

Summary

The DeWALT DWST1-75663 is a very useful radio for site workers as you can use it to charge DeWALT batteries or your phone while the radio is playing.

The sound quality is great and it delivers plenty of volume, though the DAB reception can be weak and it’s a shame there’s no clock display.

 

5. Makita DMR109

The Makita DMR109 is essentially a slightly older version of the Makita DMR112 reviewed above. It has very similar features but a relatively lower price tag.

Features

Dimensions: 35 x 30 x 17 cm
Weight: 4.6 kg

Verdict

Like the Makita DMR112 reviewed above, the Makita DMR109 is a well made and sturdy DAB site radio. It could do with an equaliser as the bass level is quite high, but otherwise this is a fine product.

 

6. UEME Job Site DAB and FM Radio Stereo

This radio from UEME is one of the cheapest DAB site radios on the market. It’s also one of the few site radios to offer both DAB radio and Bluetooth.

Features

Dimensions: 31.8 x 17.8 x 10 cm
Weight: 1.3 kg (boxed)

Verdict

As long as you don’t need something particularly heavy-duty, this radio is a good budget site radio.

The build quality could be higher, and the aerial in particular is quite flimsy. It would also be useful to have a battery charger for C-size batteries as the batteries might not last a full working day.

 

7. Hitachi UR18DSDL Cordless Site Radio

The Hitachi UR18DSDL is a modern site radio with DAB/DAB+, Bluetooth and a USB port for charging a phone.

Features

Dimensions: 46.8 x 36.8 x 30.8 cm
Weight: 6 kg

Verdict

The Hitachi UR18DSDL has great features, especially for charging a smartphone and streaming music from it via Bluetooth. It also has a rugged design and should hold up well when used on work sites or in the garden.

 

8.UEME Rugged DAB/FM Radio

This “rugged” radio from UEME is smaller than the other radios reviewed here, making it a good choice if you want something that’s easy to carry around. It’s pretty lightweight too, making it even easier to transport.

It’s also the cheapest radio on this list (at the time of writing), so it’s worth considering if you want something that bit more affordable.

Features

Dimensions: 12.5 x 9.5 x 16.5 cm

Weight: 1 kg

Summary

If you want something for a small workshop, this radio is a good choice. It might not be powerful enough for large worksites, but it’s a good budget option for less noisy environments.

It’s best used plugged into the mains otherwise you will need to replace or recharge the AA-size batteries it takes frequently.

 

What to Look for in a DAB Site Radio

Choosing a radio to use on a building site, factory or another place of work is completely different from choosing one for your kitchen or lounge. Here are some of the key things to consider:

• Ruggedness: A site radio needs to be ultra-tough and capable of withstanding shocks as well as light rain. Look for shock-absorbing bumpers around the edge of the radio, and check its IP rating to see how well it can cope with water and dust exposure.
• Volume: A site radio needs to be very loud to be heard over the noise of drills and other machinery.
• Bluetooth: This is a useful feature to have for streaming audio from a phone or other device. Bluetooth will allow you to play music or other audio from your phone through the radio’s speakers. One alternative to using Bluetooth is to connect the phone via a cable to the radio’s aux-in port if it has one.
• USB charging point: This will allow you to charge a phone or other device.
• Battery type: Some of the radios reviewed here such as the Makita DMR112 are compatible with power tool batteries, which can be quite convenient if you’re working on a job site. These batteries are also likely to last longer than regular batteries.

 

Which DAB Site Radios Have Bluetooth?

There aren’t many site radios with both Bluetooth and DAB—lots of radios have AM/FM radio and Bluetooth or have DAB radio but no Bluetooth. Here’s a list of site radios with both DAB and Bluetooth:

• UEME Job Site DAB and FM Radio Stereo
• Hitachi HITUR18DSDL
• Sangean U4DBT
• Makita DMR112

When a radio has Bluetooth, this means it has a Bluetooth receiver rather than a transmitter. You can connect the radio to your phone to play music through the radio’s speakers, but you can’t connect a Bluetooth radio to Bluetooth headphones.

 

Do DAB Site Radios Come with a Battery and Charger?

Site radios usually don’t come with a battery or batteries. Radios from Makita and DeWalt use those brands’ batteries and chargers which need to be bought separately.

Some site radio such as the UEME Job Site DAB and FM Radio Stereo use regular C batteries, which aren’t included. Most site radios come with a mains adapter so you can use them without batteries.

 

Can You Get a Job Site Radio with a Built-In CD Player?

We don’t know of any specially designed site radio that comes with a built-in CD player. There aren’t any products from site radio brands such as Makita, Bosch or DeWalt that come with a CD player.

If you want to listen to CDs, your best bet is to use a portable CD boombox such as the Roberts Zoombox 3.

 

Cheap DAB Site Radios

A good site radio usually costs at least £80. However, there are a few options available for about £50 or less. Some of the cheapest DAB site radios include the following:

• UEME Job Site DAB and FM Radio Stereo
• Labgear DAB Radio

 

AM/FM Site Radios

If having digital radio isn’t particularly important, you might want to consider one of the FM site radios reviewed below.

Makita DMR107 Job Site Radio

The Makita DMR107 is essentially the same as the Makita DMR112 reviewed above except that it only has AM/FM radio rather than FM/DAB radio.

The Makita DMR107 and DMR112 have the same design and are the same size. As you might expect, the DMR107 is a bit cheaper as it doesn’t have DAB radio.

Features

Dimensions: 32.5 x 29.5 x 17.5 cm
Weight: 4.83 kg

Summary

The Makita DMR107 is one of the best AM/FM site radios on the market. However, bear in mind that it doesn’t have DAB radio or Bluetooth.

 

Bosch Professional GML SoundBoxx Cordless Jobsite Radio

This compact jobsite radio slots perfectly into one half of a Bosch L-BOXX toolbox, making it easy to carry around.

Features

Weight: 2 kg

Summary

This is a very tough little radio that’s easy to carry around and has good sound quality. However, it’s quite limited by today’s standards (no Bluetooth or DAB), and it isn’t cheap.

 

Conclusion

If we had to recommend just one of these products it would be the Makita DMR112, which is one of the most popular DAB site radios in the UK.

This radio is a good all-rounder with a robust design, plenty of volume and decent sound quality. It also has Bluetooth connectivity and can be used to charge your phone, so there are definitely some extra features which are reflected in the higher price.

 

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