Roberts Rambler Mini DAB+/FM Bluetooth Radio

A 460 g DAB, DAB+ and FM portable with Bluetooth 5.0 and a built-in rechargeable battery that runs for up to twelve hours between USB-C charges.

At a Glance

• Rechargeable battery life: 12 hrs
• Station presets: 20
• Weight: 460 g
• Charging: USB-C

The Rambler Mini is the small, take-it-with-you member of the Rambler family: 180 mm wide, 460 g on the scales, and finished in retro fabric and leatherette with a carry handle. It suits anyone who wants digital radio in the shed, the garden or a holiday cottage without dragging a mains lead along.

The battery is built in and rechargeable, giving up to twelve hours from a full charge, and it tops up over USB-C using the cable in the box. That keeps charging simple, with one cable and no separate power adaptor to find room for. Bluetooth 5.0 handles streaming when you would rather play something of your own.

Twelve hours of battery, 460 g in the hand and USB-C charging: the Mini is built around being carried, not around sitting on a shelf.

Ideal For

• Garden and shed: Light enough to carry out with a mug of tea and back in again, with up to twelve hours of battery so it never needs a socket outdoors.
• Travel and holidays: At 460 g it packs without argument, and charging happens over the supplied USB-C cable rather than a bulky mains adaptor, so there is one less thing to pack.
• Second radio: A useful extra set for a bedroom, workshop or spare room, with 20 presets, a clock on the LCD and Bluetooth 5.0 for a phone nearby.

Key Features

• Up to 12 hours: The built-in lithium battery runs for up to twelve hours from a full charge, which covers a long day in the garden or a weekend away.
• 460 g in total: Small enough at 180 x 110 x 58 mm to sit on a shelf or a windowsill, and light enough that the carry handle is genuinely useful.
• USB-C charging: Charging is over USB-C with the cable supplied, so there is no mains adaptor to carry, store or replace when it eventually goes missing.
• DAB, DAB+ and FM: Digital and analogue bands are both covered, with a telescopic aerial serving both and 20 presets split ten to DAB and ten to FM.
• Bluetooth 5.0: Pair a phone and the Mini becomes a portable speaker for podcasts and playlists; it also drops into standby on its own when Bluetooth playback stops.
• Class AB amplifier: A Class AB amplifier into a 4 ohm mono speaker gives a rated sound pressure level of 92 dB, which is more than enough for a room or a patio.

• Twelve hours away from a socket: The Rambler Mini charges rather than takes batteries, which changes how it gets used. A full charge gives up to twelve hours of listening, so a day in the garden, an afternoon in the workshop or a long journey does not need planning around power. When it does run down, the supplied USB-C cable is all you need. There is no mains adaptor in the box and none is required.
• Digital and analogue in one: DAB and DAB+ carry the national digital multiplexes; FM stays useful for local stations and for places where digital reception is patchy. The Mini covers both, tuning 174.928 to 239.200 MHz on DAB and 87.5 to 108 MHz on FM through a telescopic aerial. Twenty presets, ten per band, hold the stations you return to, and the LCD shows a clock when you are not looking at anything else.
• What you give up for the size: Making a radio this small means choices, and Roberts has been straightforward about them. There is no aux input, so a wired source cannot be plugged in; Bluetooth 5.0 covers streaming instead, and a 3.5 mm headphone output is there for private listening. There is no mains adaptor either, because the Mini is designed to run from its own battery and charge over USB-C. The speaker is mono rather than a stereo pair. In exchange you get 460 g, a carry handle and up to twelve hours of playback.

How It Compares

The Verdict

Strengths

• Built-in rechargeable battery, up to 12 hours per charge
• USB-C charging with the cable included in the box
• DAB, DAB+ and FM with 20 station presets
• Bluetooth 5.0 for streaming from a phone or tablet
• 460 g with a carry handle for easy portability
• Class AB amplifier rated at 92 dB sound pressure
• LCD with clock and automatic standby in Bluetooth mode

Considerations

• There is no aux input, so wired sources cannot be connected; streaming is over Bluetooth 5.0 or you use the radio itself.
• No mains adaptor is supplied: the Rambler Mini charges over USB-C using the cable in the box, and runs from its battery.
• The speaker is mono, so Bluetooth music plays through a single channel rather than as a stereo pair.

What's in the Box

• Rambler Mini radio x1
• USB-C charging cable x1
• Quick start guide x1
• Warranty documentation x1