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BaoFeng is hands-down the most popular option when it comes to handheld two-way HAM radios. It also offers a few great two-way walkie talkies as well.
BaoFeng radios are super functional, extremely durable, and priced surprisingly cheaply. If you’re looking for a two-way radio on a budget, stick around as we walk you through the 5 best BaoFeng options you have.
Best BaoFeng Two Way Radios
Here are our BaoFeng two way radio reviews.
1. BaoFeng BF-F8HP
The BaoFeng BF-F8HP is one of the most popular two-way radios on the market, and that’s for a reason. It offers excellent functionality at a very affordable price, while packing a great performance and boasting a solid build quality.
It comes with 8 watts of power, which is great at this price and goes a long way in hitting local repeaters at a significant distance. It’s also great for travel, thanks to its portability and build quality.
It performs great on both the VHF and UHF bands, while being easy to learn, program, and operate, which makes it a great choice for beginners as well. The sound quality is better than you would expect for the price.
Pros:
- Amazingly functional at a great price
- Solid performance with 8 watts of power
- Portable and durable
- Easy to use and program
Cons:
Nothing that’s worth a mention.
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2. BaoFeng UV-5R
The BaoFeng UV-5R is another extremely popular two-way radio from BaoFeng, and another one that blows us away with what it offers in terms of functionality for the price. The range is incredible for the price, both for transmitting and receiving. You can easily reach about 15 miles, perhaps a lot more if you use it at high power and in better conditions.
There are 128 channels, dual frequency bright display, emergency alert, LED flashlight, 4 watts of power and other impressive features. That said, you need to get a license to use this radio to the fullest, which usually costs $75 for 10 years.
The programming is easy and as with all BaoFeng radios, the build quality is nothing to complain about. The sound quality is good too.
Pros:
- Blows away with its functionality at this price
- Lots of impressive features, including weather alert functionality
- Programming is easy
- Great build quality for the price
Cons:
- The operation can be a bit tricky and take some time to get used to
3. BaoFeng GT-3TP
BaoFeng has no shortage of amazing value for money options for you, and the BaoFeng GT-3TP is another one of them. It’s amazingly functional with 8 watts of power at a surprisingly cheap price as well.
The functionality is truly amazing, with tri-color display, brightly backlit keyboard, great battery life and more. The receiving and transmitting capability of this radio is second to none as well in this price range, and the audio quality on both the sides is beyond impressive for the price too.
The build quality is usually never an issue with BaoFeng radios, and the same goes for this one as well, with the build being waterproof as well.
Pros:
- Super functional with 8 watts of power
- Great transmit and receive capabilities
- Impressive sound when both receiving and transmitting
- Waterproof build quality
Cons:
- The manual it comes with is pretty much useless
4. Baofeng DM-1701
The Baofeng DM-1701 is one of the more expensive BaoFeng two-way radios on the market, but if you’re after a more professional, advanced radio experience, then it’s going to be a great choice for you. It comes with both digital and analog mode, up to 3000 channels, color TFT display, digital monitor mode, DMR encryption and a lot of other advanced features.
The product also includes a free programming cable, charger and a PTT earpiece. You can download free programming software from Radioditty’s website, and it makes the programming surprisingly easy for users familiar with DMR radios.
The sound is loud and clear, and the build quality is solid. Despite all the advanced features, it’s easy to use with a great battery life. The power output is 5 watts.
Pros:
- A more professional, advanced two-way radio option
- Very functional with lots of impressive features
- Easy to program and use and comes with a free programming cable
- Loud, clear sound and great battery life
Cons:
- If you’re not familiar with DMR radios the programming can get a little tricky
5. BaoFeng BF-888S
If you’re looking for a BaoFeng walkie talkie option, then the BaoFeng BF-888S was designed exactly for you. It’s cheap but functional, and works very well as a two-way radio.
The sound is particularly impressive for the price, as it’s crystal clear and loud enough. The programming allows activating additional features during the process.
These walkie talkies are small and very portable, and the overall range is fairly good. The build quality is pretty good even at this price. It’s a BaoFeng product after all.
Pros:
- Great BaoFeng two-way walkie talkie option
- Very functional with 2 watts of power
- Sound is loud and crystal clear
- Programming allows activating additional features
- Very portable and durable
Cons:
- The programming can be a struggle for beginners
BaoFeng Two Way Radio Buyer’s Guide
There are many brands offering two-way radios. But when it comes to two-way HAM radios, which also tend to be the most popular type of two-way radios, BaoFeng is unbeatable.
It offers most of the best options you can go for, especially in the handheld HAM radio category. BaoFeng radios come with rock-solid durability, great overall performance and impressive functionality, but at surprisingly affordable prices.
BaoFeng handheld two-way radios are some of the most popular and highly-rated options, so they are indeed a no-brainer over other brands. We did also include a BaoFeng walkie talkie in our list, which is a good option too though you will find many other options in Cobra two-way radios as well for walkie talkies.
Advantages of BaoFeng HAM Radios as a Two-Way Radio Option
HAM radios offer many advantages over the other types of two-way radios, especially if you’re looking for something that’s more than a basic communication device.
HAM radios are much more versatile and functional. The dual band ones allow you to receive and transmit on both the VHF and UHF band. All the radios we picked above are dual band two-way HAM radios.
In addition, they can also cover a much larger range than their walkie talkie or CB counterparts. They are also very powerful with their ability at hitting faraway local repeaters.
Features to Look For
We have picked 4 HAM radios and one walkie talkie as our best BaoFeng two-way radios. They all offer all the necessary features and are very functional, but just for your information, here are some of the features to look for when choosing one.
- Dual band or not
- Overall functionality with the range
- Performance, power output and receiving and transmitting capabilities
- Sound quality
- Durability and build quality
- Ease of use and programming
- Battery life