Roberts Play FM FM/MW/LW Portable Radio

A three-band FM, MW and LW portable with rotary tuning, a large backlit display and four AA batteries in the box ready to play.

At a Glance

• Three band analogue: FM / MW / LW
• 4 x AA in the box: Batteries included
• Mains power option: USB-C
• Weight: 393 g

The Play FM is an analogue radio with three wavebands rather than two. FM covers the music and speech stations, MW picks up the AM broadcasts, and long wave reaches the stations that still use it. A button on the front selects each band, and a rotary dial finds the station. There is nothing to set up.

Four AA batteries come in the box, which is worth knowing: unpack the radio and it plays, with no trip out for cells first. It weighs 393 g and measures 175 x 110 x 60 mm, with a fabric-covered front, rotary dials and a foldaway telescopic aerial that tucks away when the radio is packed.

Batteries in the box and a dial on the front: the Play FM is ready to work the moment it is out of its packaging.

Ideal For

• Long wave listeners: Long wave has its own button here, alongside FM and MW, so a station on any of the three bands is a press and a turn of the dial away.
• Gifts and spares: Because the four AA cells are included, the Play FM works straight out of the box. That makes it an easy gift, or a spare kept in a drawer for a power cut.
• Travel and caravans: At 393 g with a foldaway aerial, it packs without fuss, and mains power arrives over USB-C rather than a proprietary adaptor, using a cable you supply.

Key Features

• FM, MW and LW: Three analogue wavebands, each with its own button on the front, so switching from FM to medium wave or long wave takes a single press.
• 4 x AA included: The batteries are supplied with the radio, so it plays from the moment you open the box rather than waiting for a shopping trip.
• USB-C mains power: Power can come over USB-C when you want to save the batteries, using a standard cable rather than a dedicated adaptor. The cable itself is not supplied.
• Rotary dial tuning: One dial moves across the band, and you stop where the signal is clean. No scanning, no lists, and nothing to relearn if the radio is switched off for a month.
• Large backlit LCD: The display is large and backlit, so it stays legible in a dim room or outdoors as the evening light goes. Brightness aside, there is nothing on screen to navigate.
• 393 g and foldaway aerial: Light enough to carry in one hand at 175 x 110 x 60 mm, with a telescopic aerial that folds flat against the cabinet for storage.

• Three bands, one button each: FM alone is not always enough. The Play FM adds medium wave and long wave, each selected by its own button rather than buried in a mode cycle, so moving between the three is immediate. Long wave is a band some listeners specifically want, and a radio without it simply cannot receive those stations. Tuning on all three is done on the same rotary dial, which keeps the front panel to a dial, a few buttons and a volume control.
• Batteries included, and why that helps: Four AA cells are in the box. It is a small thing that changes the first hour of ownership: the radio can be handed over working, which matters if it is a gift, or if it is going to someone who would rather not deal with a shop. Power can also come over USB-C if you have a cable, which keeps the batteries in reserve for the days the socket is not free.
• A radio you can hand to anyone: There is no pairing, no account and no menu structure on the Play FM. You choose a band with a button, turn the dial until the station is clear, and set the volume. That makes it straightforward for someone who has used radios all their life, and equally straightforward for a child's bedroom or a workshop bench. The large backlit display helps in poor light, the 3.5 mm socket takes headphones when the room needs quiet, and at 393 g the whole thing moves with one hand.

How It Compares

The Verdict

Strengths

• Three analogue bands: FM, MW and LW
• 4 x AA batteries included in the box
• Mains power over USB-C, cable not supplied
• Manual rotary tuning with a button per band
• Large backlit LCD, readable in low light
• 393 g with a foldaway telescopic aerial
• 3.5 mm headphone socket for private listening

Considerations

• This is an analogue radio: FM, MW and LW only, with no DAB or DAB+, and no station presets on any band.
• Mains power runs over USB-C, but the USB-C cable is not supplied, so you will need one you already own.
• There is no Bluetooth and no aux input, so a phone or another wired source cannot be played through it.

What's in the Box

• Play FM radio x1
• 4 x AA batteries
• User guide x1