Goodmans Pocket Sized Digital & FM Radio Review

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The Goodmans Pocket Sized GDPRDAB Radio is a small and light pocket FM/DAB/DAB+ radio with good battery life. It has a built-in speaker, and can also be used with headphones. Let’s look at this reasonably priced radio in more detail.

Features

FM & DAB/DAB+ radio
Battery level indicator
Rechargeable Li-ion battery with up to 13 hours of playback
USB charging
Key lock button so you won’t accidentally change the station or volume when it’s in your pocket
Extendable aerial
Saves 40 preset stations (20 for FM and 20 for DAB)
3.5 mm headphone jack

Dimensions: 8.9 cm tall x 5.2 cm wide x 1.7 cm deep
Weight: 41g

What’s in the box?

In addition to the radio itself, you also get a rechargeable Li-ion battery, and AC adapter and an instructions manual (also available online).

Pros

Battery lasts a long time (up to 13 hours when using headphones, or 6 hours using the speaker)
Small, compact and light
Generally simple and easy to use, without too many buttons
Good sound quality for its size
Built-in speaker is surprisingly loud for its size
Cheap
Receives DAB+ stations

Cons

The sound quality using the built-in speaker isn’t very good
It takes a while to learn how to use features such as preset stations
The small and fragile aerial doesn’t pick up as many DAB stations as you’d get with a more expensive DAB radio
The LCD screen is hard to read when it’s sunny
Doesn’t come with earphones
It’s difficult to remove the back cover to put the battery in
The telescopic aerial is only 10cm long

Performance and use

As with all pocket DAB radios, the Goodmans radio’s DAB reception varies greatly depending on where you use it. Thankfully this radio also lets you listen to FM radio, which is a good backup if your DAB signal is weak. You can improve the signal by adjusting the aerial. However, the aerial is quite flimsy, so it needs to be handled with care.

This radio’s small size and key lock feature make it great for using when you’re out walking or jogging. You can also connect this radio to your car stereo using its aux input, allowing you to listen to DAB radio in your car.

You can recharge the radio using the micro USB cable, which you can plug into a laptop, desktop computer or most phone chargers. The battery life is great, at around 13 hours using headphones, so you can listen to it all day.

The built-in speakers are quite tinny, but they do go quite loud. Unfortunately, this radio doesn’t come with any earphones, so you will need to buy some separately or use some you already have.

Verdict

The Goodmans Pocket Sized Digital & FM Radio is attractively priced, and has a good range of functions. It’s very small and light, making it great for using while walking the dog, cycling or jogging. It also picks up DAB+ stations, making it “future-proof”.

One drawback is the product’s flimsy aerial, which is easy to break if you’re not careful. However, for the price this pocket radio over-delivers.

Alternative radios

For a similar price, you could get the popular Petersfield-Go pocket radio from Majority. This radio offers FM and DAB radio, but doesn’t have a built-in speaker like the Goodmans.

If size is your number 1 priority, you should consider the OXX Clip Pocket Radio, which is the smallest DAB radio in the world according to its manufacturers. It’s more expensive than the Goodmans radio, but it is incredibly small and comes with earphones.

A more expensive and possibly higher-quality pocket radio is the Roberts Radio Sports DAB5 Radio. It has a beautiful white design, and is made by the highly respected British radio manufacturer Roberts Radio.