Best Shortwave Radio Of 2026 – Review and Comparison

There are many good shortwave radios on the market and the one that is most suited for your particular needs will depend on how are you planning to use the radio, specifically the operating environment. As we’ve considered most aspects – keep reading to discover the best shortwave radio for you.

Best Shortwave Radios – Top 10 Quick Comparison

1. Best Stationary Shortwave Radio – Eton Elite 750

You can store your favorite channels in the receiver’s impressive 1,000-channel memory.

The radio is a pleasure to use and play around with. The rotating ferrite AM antenna is excellent, and I wish more radios had it. The tuning knob and the Fast/Slow tuning speed button are easy to use, giving you a nice tactile feel. For those needing an alarm clock, you get a dual alarm clock function as part of the package.

Eton Elite 750 is big on compatibility with 2 BNC outputs for external antennas, stereo line output, and wide and narrow filters. The receiver runs on 4 D size batteries and is relatively lightweight at 2.38kg – it makes it one of the smallest desktop-style world band portables you can buy.

The radio supports all radio bands, including HF, Short Wave (1711-30,000 kHz), Long Wave (100-519 kHz), Medium Wave (520-1710 kHz), FM Stereo (88-108 MHz) with single sideband (SSB) and VHF Airband (118-137 MHz) for hours without needing to plug it in.

2. Best Compact Shortwave Radio – Eton Elite Mini

Eton Elite Mini is a pleasure to use because of its well-thought-out design. The buttons and controls are intuitive to use, tactile, and well placed, all the good qualities that a compact SW radio needs. You can lock the radio to prevent accidental station changes in your pocket while you are running or going about your business around town.

Although its built-in speakers are pretty good for such a small travel radio, using the 3.5mm headphone jack adds better sound and private listening. On the downside, you might lose a bit of sensitivity when you plug in your earbuds.

Eton Elite Mini also has a high-contrast digital display and clock/alarm. Since the display and clock are always on by default, you might find your batteries drained within days. However, you can turn off the display to make your radio more energy-efficient or install good Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.

Personally, after using this radio for travel and quick road trips as a shortwave radio of choice, my experience was extremely positive, making me want to keep this radio for a longer run.

3. Most Versatile – Eton Elite Executive

Besides receiving transmissions, it also packs many advanced features, like 5 different tuning modes (including automatic and manual tuning) and automatic station storage that stores up to 700 stations. Thanks to the well-written user manual, you can learn all the functions quickly with some practice.

With that said, once you spend a couple of hours learning the radio, everything becomes clear. Every ergonomically-sized button serves at least one purpose and is placed in a position that makes the most sense. The tuning knob is a treat, giving you the satisfying but subtle click you need to confirm your selection. The LED screen displays clear and concise information without cluttering up the screen.

Eton Executive’s energy management is pretty decent as well, as it gives you weeks of usage powered by 4 AA batteries.

Our personal experience with Eton Executive has been nothing but smooth and enjoyable. It is not a shortwave radio that eclipses others, but it gets everything right and definitely feels like a ‘Jack of all trades and a master of none’.

4. Best Emergency Shortwave Radio – Kaito KA900

Besides, KA900 offers ample charging options. You can charge the radio with USB, a built-in solar panel, hand cranking, and an AC wall power adaptor that you can buy separately. You can also use it as a battery bank to power your phone.

Since it is an emergency radio, it provides many useful features for when things go south. For example, its built-in LED flashlight enables you to see about 10 feet or so in the dark. It also has a 5-LED reading lamp.

In terms of entertainment, KA900 is one of the rare SW radios equipped with Bluetooth. Its dual 1.5-inch speakers deliver crystal clear audio quality with minimal distortion. You can pair your device with the radio via Bluetooth or use it as an MP3 player by inserting a 32GB SD card.

Lastly, KA900 has also been shortlisted in our best emergency radio review – so you have a double winner here!

5. Best Premium – Tecsun PL880

Tecsun PL-880, remarkably being a portable radio, despite its small size, has the ability to minimize static. This is achieved through Tecsun’s patented Easy Tuning Mode, which simplifies the tuning process.

Once you have tuned in, you have 100-150 memories per page per band at your disposal, storing a total of 25 pages.

Besides that, this portable shortwave radio features an alarm clock and a sleep timer. If you are a radiohead, you might like the thrill of discovering hidden features like enabling the DNR option and calibrating medium waves.

Tecsun PL-880 uses an 18650 mAh rechargeable battery, which is a huge departure from the usual AA batteries or a built-in battery. It lasts at least 15 days of heavy usage, more if you are a casual user. Because of the long battery life, you can leave the backlit digital display turned on without it draining your batteries.

6. Best Pocket-Size – Retekess TR103

Since the TR103 doesn’t have a numerical keypad, you can only access the scanned stations with its automatic tuning and storing function. Although the speaker is small, the sound is loud and decent. As it is made to be portable, you can use your stereo earphones with it as well. It can also be used as an MP3 player, supporting up to 64GB of storage.

The built-in 600mAh battery takes about 4 hours to charge with a micro-USB cable but lasts around 7. Since it is non-removable, you would either have to replace the battery with some ingenuity or take it to a shop when the battery gives out.

To keep it light and compact, certain features were sacrificed on the TR103. One such example is the small LCD screen that makes it hard to keep track of your radio settings.

7. Top Value – Retekess V115

The recording feature on this shortwave radio is great. It saves recording directly on an SD card and retains the recorded quality. Audio playback sounds clear and deep. This feature is also incredibly versatile since you can record off the radio, your voice, or from an external source via the USB port.

It uses four AA batteries, so if you run out of electric power, they are easy to replace.

Its audio quality exceeds all expectations, especially for such a modestly-priced AM FM shortwave radio. It delivers clear sound and great audio depth with its surprisingly powerful speaker. Not only that, but it can handle its volume range with no distortion, hissing, or cracking at high or low volumes.

The only thing to complain about the Retekess V115 is its shorter antenna. As a result, shortwave reception isn’t very impressive as stations picked up sometimes sound scratchy. It is easily fixable with a feedline though.

8. Best Display – Sangean ATS-909X2

ATS-909X is easy to use. Besides better tuning options, it can also store up to 406 memory presets across all bands for your convenience.

Its bright and large LCD screen helps as well since it lays out all relevant information about the station you are listening to and your settings.

Moreover, Sangean ATS-909X2 has pretty decent sound performance, thanks to its 3” speaker. You can also use the mono/stereo switch to choose your preferred speaker mode.

Besides that, it comes with a range of accessories like individual headphone amplifiers, earbuds, and a leather carrying case. It has three alarms: Wake to the Radio, Humane Wake System, and a buzzer.

However, shortwave reception can sometimes be a bit muddy and weak, but extending the included 23” wire antenna solves this issue.

9. Best Mid Range – C. Crane CC Skywave

Thanks to its impressive 23” external antenna, C Crane CC Skywave offers great reception across all five bands – AM, FM, SW, WX, and AIR.

It also has excellent sensitivity and selectivity, allowing you to finetune your frequency search on most bands (except the weather band) with selective tuning. If the notary knob is too coarse, you can always enter your desired frequency with the keypad for precise tuning.

The built-in signal strength indicator serves as a handy visual prompt to gauge the reception strength.

CC Skywave has an auto-scan feature that works accurately across all bands and allows you to save up to 400 channels at once. The speaker isn’t mind-blowing, but you can use the selectable audio filters and the headphone jack to enhance the audio. As an added feature, not found in many portable radios is a built-in clock and timer.

Conclusion

Shortwave radios can be very useful in remote areas or as an educational pastime. It acts as a portal as it allows you to access interesting and important news and music out in the world.

Tecsun PL880 has long been a favorite among avid radio operators for its versatility. Its main strength is its sensitivity and selectivity, as it catches weak signals that many other radios can’t. This Tecsun radio also offers a treasure-hunting experience as the more you use it, the more hidden features you will find.

If you are in the market for a compact-size travel radio, Eton Elite Mini is the best shortwave radio for travel. It doesn’t compromise quality and style in favor of size. Rather, it offers intuitiveness and well-thought-out features that work well with its size.

Kaito KA900 Voyager Max will be great for you if you live in a disaster-prone area. This emergency radio allows you to access weather reports and entertainment no matter what, thanks to its charging options.
C Crane CC Skywave SSB deserves an honorable mention as well for being one of the smallest SSB radios on the market.

The best SW radio is the one that works well for your needs and situation. No matter what you are looking for, your needs will indeed be satisfied by one of these top-notch SW radios. We hope you liked our shortwave radio reviews and encourage you to check other categories.

If, however, you are after radios that are better suited for your living room or internal use in general, make sure to check our top 10 tabletop radio review that we have just published or other radio reviews on our website.

How Do Shortwave Radios Work?

Shortwave radio technology, like all other radio technologies, uses radio waves. It has been around for over 70 years and has played crucial roles throughout history. Based on frequency modulation, it started as analog shortwave radio, yet some digitalization, in particular, the radio data system added along the way.

Before the Internet age, shortwaves allowed people to access important information and cultures around the world. More than that, these handy communication devices helped coordinate military communication in many wars.

Although smartphones and the internet have brought the popularity of analog radios to a halt nowadays, these communication devices are still very useful in remote areas where mobile internet and analog radio signals can’t be easily received. They are also very commonly used for camping trips, in the military, as emergency radios, and to receive interesting broadcasts across the world.

Shortwave radios use very high frequencies, ranging from 3 to 21 MHz. It is beamed into the atmosphere until it reaches the ionosphere,  the ionized part of Earth’s upper atmosphere.

The ionosphere acts as a mirror, reflecting shortwave radio frequencies back to Earth. This is called ‘skywave’ or ‘skip’ propagation, and from here, the frequencies can travel thousands of miles on Earth.

What Are Shortwave Radios Used For?

Domestic and International Broadcasting

These handy little radios can be used to transmit signals across countries and continents economically, which is why it is primarily used to broadcast religious, political, and alternative media. Apart from domestic programs, you can also access international news, music, and even propaganda in certain countries!

Emergencies

Shortwave radio technology is a wonderful tool during a disaster as it can be used to transmit and broadcast information from halfway around the world. When the power is cut off, the best emergency radios can be powered through alternative means like solar power or hand cranking. Some radios can even receive automatic NOAA weather reports to update you on the latest weather patterns.

Hobby

Some amateur radio operators use shortwave radio technology as a pastime, especially ‘DXing’. This means that these radio hobbyists monitor distant stations and frequencies to communicate with other like-minded people or host radio shows.

Long-distance communication

Aside from hobbyists, many professional services also utilize shortwave bands for long-distance communication. For example, organic air traffic control and utility stations use the frequencies to transmit weather reports and encrypted messages. It is also used in marine and military communication extensively.

Entertainment

Like all communication devices, AM FM shortwave radios provide loads of entertainment. Besides domestic news and music, you can also learn about cultures and entertainment all over the world from home. It opens up a whole new world and perspective, making it an educational entertainment tool.

shortwave radio buying guide

Modern shortwave radios often include a wide range of features and perform better than their ancient counterparts. But with so many different brands and models, how do you pick the right shortwave radio for you? To help you get started, here is all the information you need to pick out the best shortwave radio and our top ten recommendations.

Selectivity Options

When your radio receives a large amount of transmission, it must reject nearby signals and tune into your desired frequency. The best shortwave radios have great sensitive options that give you the best chance of receiving and transmitting clear and static-free signals.

Modes

Some shortwave radios only play AM stations, while others come with advanced modes like SSB and NOAA Weather Radio. While getting a radio with SSB mode/modulation capabilities will significantly expand your listening options, it’s important to keep in mind what you need your shortwave radio for. There is no need to get an advanced AM FM shortwave radio with fancy bells and whistles if you only want to listen to your favorite FM frequencies.

Antenna connections

Built-in antennas are decent for listening to major broadcast stations but might perform poorly if you live in a building with steel frames. Because of this, it might be worth getting a shortwave radio with a jack for an external antenna. If you tend to use your radio from home or your workplace, desktop radios might be a better idea since they usually come with connections for an external antenna.

Digital frequency display

Old-school radios have a “slide rule” frequency readout that can be difficult to read. Modern radios, however, often come with a digital or LCD display to indicate the precise frequency band and frequency your radio is receiving and other relevant information. Not only that, but the digital display can also help enormously when you are tweaking your radio settings.

Desktop radio or portable shortwave radios

Shortwave radios come in all shapes and sizes, depending on their portability. Desktop radios typically have more features and better sound quality since the size is not a concern. A portable travel radio, on the other hand, often has to sacrifice certain features to make it easy to travel around with.

Ease of Usage

There are many factors to consider when it comes to intuitiveness. Do you prefer tuning knobs or buttons? Do you want everything displayed on the screen or just the essentials? Do you like buttons that click or soft buttons? This might seem trivial, but these things can make or break your experience.

Battery life

A shortwave radio that uses a Lithium-ion rechargeable battery will last you longer as these batteries tend to have long battery lifetimes. If you prefer to use a desktop radio at home, you can buy an AC adapter to keep it plugged in at all times.

Extra features

Besides band selections and modes, many modern shortwave radios also offer a range of useful functions. Some come with built-in alarms or timers, while others provide micro-SD support. Ultimately, it depends on how basic or multi-purpose you want your radio to be.

Frequently Asked Questions