Looking for a garage radio?
Most people that spend a lot of time in their home garage working with their tools are those who like the garage environment and find garage work therapeutic. They can easily spend entire weekends working on their cars, bikes or even boats.
Many enthusiasts often pursue passion projects in the form of restoring old classics or creating their own from scratch. These passion projects typically require a lot of time and effort, especially if only one person is working on them from their home garage.
Spending hundreds of hours on these restorations and other garage projects and jobs can become an even better experience with some music and radio. Which is why garage radios are an excellent choice for people who spend hours on end in their garages.
Even on larger garage sites where many workers are constantly working to meet deadlines, a nice garage radio can cut down tensions and create a healthy work environment for workers. They feel less stressed if they have their favorite tunes playing as they work.
The 4 Best Radios for Garages
For these purposes, we have done the research for you and come up with our list of the best radios for garages. Here are our winners.
1. DEWALT 20V MAX Portable Radio & Battery Charger
The 20V MAX Portable Radio from DEWALT is a 15 lbs., highly rated and popular garage radio among customers looking for the best radios for garages. It has the ability to deliver rich sounds at all volume levels and a Bluetooth connectivity range of one hundred feet.
This means you can connect your smartphone through Bluetooth and easily move around any garage with your phone in your pocket. This product is especially beneficial if you already use other DEWALT tools in your garage.
The 20V MAX lithium-ion battery is the same that DEWALT uses for its fastest growing system of tools with over 180 products. You can use any 20V MAX battery for the radio regardless of amp hour, from the compact 1.5-amp hour to the larger and longer running 12-amp hour 20V MAX batteries.
It also has an AC power cord that can charge batteries while plugged in for use. It features an auxiliary input, a USB charging port and 2 additional AC power outlets. This is a premium priced, rugged and potable garage radio that comes with a frustration-free certification and 3-year limited warranty.
2. Sangean LB-100 Ultra Rugged Compact AM / FM Radio
The Sangean LB-100 Ultra Rugged Compact AM/FM Radio is a highly rated inexpensive garage radio that weighs under 7 lbs. It has a compact roll-cage protective design that effectively resists impacts and drops while remaining highly portable.
It features rubber shock blocks that make it shock resistant along with rugged rotary tuning and volume controls with durable ABS plastic body. It is also dust and rain resistant, has IPX4 rating and features a 5.2-inch water-resistant high-powered speaker, backlit display and a flexible compact antenna.
It is powered by a nine-foot attached AC power cord or by 4 C batteries for cordless use. It features 10 station presets with 5 for AM and 5 for FM radio channels. This is one of the best radios for garages due to its low price, rugged design, water resistance and high output speaker.
3. DEWALT ToughSystem Radio and Battery Charger
Another great product from DEWALT, the ToughSystem Radio and Battery Charger is popular, especially among DEWALT tools users, because of its dual function of playing radio/music while charging two DEWALT batteries simultaneously.
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It also allows Bluetooth connectivity to any capable device up to a hundred feet. It has a highly durable, stackable and portable design that delivers crisp and clear sounds, thanks to 4 premium full-ranged tweeters, a subwoofer and an assisted bass resonator.
It has an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance. It can run on 12V MAX or 20V MAX DEWALT batteries or through plugging it into a wall outlet. It is capable of charging 2 DEWALT batteries at a time and features a 3.5mm auxiliary input and USB charger port.
This is one of the best radios for garages, especially if you use other DEWALT tools and require frequent battery swaps for seamless working.
4. Panasonic RF-2400D AM / FM Radio, Silver
Panasonic is an industry giant that has been producing quality radios since the 1930s. The RF-2400D AM/FM Radio is a portable radio that works great as a basic garage radio. It is not a rugged device, rather a compact and very cost-effective radio for listening to music while working in your garage.
It features a ten-centimeter speaker and ferrite antenna for decent sound delivery and can be used with four 6V batteries or by plugging into a 120V AC power cord. It also features a 3.5 mm headphone jack to plug in earphones or headphones, has an FM frequency range from 87 to 108MHz and an AM range from 520 to 1730kHz.
This is a great garage radio if you do not want to spend a fortune to enjoy the radio during your time in the garage. The low price does come with the drawback of not being able to connect other devices to listen to your own music.
Our Final Thoughts
Whether you work in a busy commercial garage or in your home garage on passion projects, a garage radio can elevate your experience and let you enjoy music while working. It is even more advantageous if it is a rugged, shock-proof or water-proof premium product that can charge your batteries.
Regardless of its features, even a basic garage radio can be one of the best radios for garages as long as it is functional, portable and practical. A limited budget should not stop you from enjoying your garage experience.