A radio CD player is a quick, easy and cheap way to listen to the radio and CDs. They’re portable and easy to carry around. Some models even allow you to play audio from an external device such as a phone or USB stick. Here are 10 of the best radio CD players for your entertainment. You can also read our short reviews of each model below.
Scroll across at the bottom of the table / mobile and tablet users just swipe... Sony CFDS50 |  Philips AZ105S05 |  Sony ZS-RS70BTB |  Philips AZ127/05 |  Lenco SCD-24 |  Roberts CD9960 |  Roberts CD9959 |  Duronic RCD99W |  Duronic RCD008 |  Groov-E GVPS713 | ||
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| Our Rating |  |  | |  | |  |  |  |  | | Our Rating |
| Available Colours | Black | Black / Silver / Pink | Black | Silver | White / Blue / Red / Green / Pink | Silver | Silver | Black / White | Black / Black & Red | Black / Blue / Red / Pink | Available Colours |
| Watts | 1.7 + 1.7W | 1+ 1W RMS | 2.3 + 2.3W | 1 + 1W RMS | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1.6 + 1.6W RMS | N/A | N/A | Watts |
| Radio | FM / AM Digital Tuning + 30 Presets | FM | FM / AM / DAB / DAB+ Radio + 30 Presets | FM | FM | FM / MW / LW | FM / MW / LW | FM / AM | FM / AM | FM / AM | Radio |
| Cassette |  |  | | | | | | | | | Cassette |
| MP3 CD Playback | | | | | | | | | | | MP3 CD Playback |
| CD Programmable | | | | | | | | | | | CD Programmable |
| Clock | | | | | | | | | | | Clock |
| Connections | • Line-In (iPods/mobile phones/MP3 players) • Headphone Out | Line-In (iPods/mobile phones/MP3 players) | • USB • Bluetooth • NFC • Line-In • Headphone Jack | Line-In (iPods/mobile phones/MP3 players) | Headphone Jack | Headphone Jack | Headphone Jack | • USB • SD Card • Line-In (iPods/mobile phones/MP3 players) • Headphone Jack | • Line-In (iPods/mobile phones/MP3 players) • Headphone Jack | Line-In (iPods/mobile phones/MP3 players) | Connections |
| Battery or Mains | Both (6 x Size C / LR14 Batteries) | Both (6 x Size C / LR14 Batteries) | Both (6 x Size C / LR14 Batteries) | Both (6 x Size C / LR14 Batteries) | Both (6 x Size C / LR14 Batteries) | Both (6 x Size C / LR14 Batteries) | Both (6 x Size C / LR14 Batteries) | Both (4 x Size C / LR14 Batteries) | Both (4 x Size C / LR14 Batteries) | Both | Battery or Mains |
| Dimensions | 34 x 22 x 14cm | 26.2 x 24.5 x 12.3cm | 38 x 15.8 x 23.5cm | 30 x 24 x 13.3cm | 24 x 21.5 x 13cm | 28 x 16.5 x 27cm | 24.5 x 13.5 x 25cm | 27 x 21 x 11.5cm | N/A | N/A | Dimensions |
| Weight | 2 KG | 1.1 KG | 3 KG | 2 KG | 1.5 KG | 2.56 KG | 1.84 KG | 1.3 KG | 1.2 KG | 1.3 KG | weight |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | 1 year | Warranty |
| Price | **CHECK PRICE** | **CHECK PRICE** | **CHECK PRICE** | **CHECK PRICE** | **CHECK PRICE** | **CHECK PRICE** | **CHECK PRICE** | **CHECK PRICE** | **CHECK PRICE** | **CHECK PRICE** | Price |
Top Features | Best Radio CD Players
- Our Rating – This is based on our own research in product testing and user feedback. Clicking on each product takes you to the product page where you can read reviews on the radio CD player you’re interested in.
- Best Value / Top Rated / Top Specs / Best Choice – Products that we consider to excel in a certain area such as value for money, reputation or technology have been given one of our aforementioned labels of recognition.
- Radio – What type of radio is it and how many presets (stations that you want to save as a favourite) does it have?
- Cassette – Does it have a cassette player for older generations to playback their cassettes?
- MP3 CD Playback – Can it play MP3 files that have been recorded onto a CD from a computer?
- CD Programmable – Allows you to control aspects of the CD such as play, pause, stop etc.
- Clock – Some CD players have a built-in clock display which may or may not have an alarm.
- Connections – Other connections such as a line-in or USB allow you to play music through an external device such as a mobile phone or USB stick.
- Price – If you want to know the price of any of the models, just click on the Buy Now button or Check Price and you’ll be redirected to the product page. The reason we don’t put prices is because they constantly change and there are so many sellers offering different prices.
Best Buyers Guide For Radio CD Players
Everyone has their personal preferences when it comes to how and where they listen to their favourite tunes, from a local radio show to a CD of retro favourites – the best radio CD player combines many listening options to keep you entertained.
Here, we take a look at some of the most important considerations when buying a radio CD player.
Appearence
Nowadays, a radio not only has to sound good but it can look good too, enhancing your environment with some serious eye-candy. Recently we’ve seen a rise in the availability and popularity of retro radio cd players, combining classic good looks with a high quality sound, providing the ultimate in music enjoyment.
If that appeals to you, you will be pleased to find that there is a stunning range of classic designs available on the market today. But don’t make the mistake of thinking that a old-fashioned design means lack of quality or choice, these modern-day classics feature everything from radio CD players, to MP3 compatibility, USB ports and even bluetooth options.
You have more choice than ever before, so whether you are looking for an ultra modern slimline design or a classic 1950’s rock ’n roll radio, the world is your oyster.
Radio Options
Far from a thing of the past, radio is more popular than ever. Gone are the days where you had to listen to your favourite shows through a mess of static interference, today’s tuners are easy to operate and feature multiple auto-tuner options.
Of course we are no longer limited to local radio stations either, so take some time to think about the music that you want to listen to, maybe it’s an internet only channel? Maybe the station you love to wake up to is available on DAB radio? Or maybe you are just happy with basic AM/FM channels.
Presets
With a wide range of different radio stations, one-click station presets are incredibly useful as it allows you to quickly tune to your favourite stations without searching for them.
Essentially, the more presets a radio CD player has, the more stations you can save for later access. You can spend your precious time listening to music, not trying to find it.
DAB Radio
DAB radios pick up a digital radio signal, offering you a much higher quality that your usual FM channels, to put it in context, it’s rather like moving from an analogue to a digital tv signal.
Not all radio stations are available on DAB, although there are also some that are DAB only too but this does vary from area to area, so take a few minutes to see if your personal preferences are available.
There’s nothing worse than bringing your shiny new DAB radio home and realising that you can’t connect to your favourite station.
Internet radio offers a fantastically clear sound and connects via your home wifi connection, so while it may trump the rest with quality and a massive choice of radio stations from all over the world, you are limited to where you can use it and it certainly adds quite a lot to the price of the unit.
Connectivity
USB Port
MP3’s are the most widely used digital forms of music available today and many of us love nothing more than the ability to listen our own tunes. Some of the best radio CD players will likely have a USB port. If so, you can pop your songs directly onto a USB stick, plug it in and listen to them.
If you enjoy burning your own music cd’s you should also check the supported formats of any CD player you might be considering, as not all of them, even in today’s market will be compatible with the MP3 format.
Wireless Bluetooth
Bluetooth is another little ray-of-sunshine in ever increasing ways to enjoy music. Chances are, if you enjoy your music and you have a smartphone, you’ve played around and connected it to a portable bluetooth device at some time.
Bluetooth connectivity is wireless, it provides the means for your smartphone or tablet to connect and pair with your radio, allowing you to stream your favourite songs, by directing the audio directly to your new bluetooth unit.
Wireless NFC
NFC (near field communication) is another name you may see mentioned. This is quite similar to bluetooth and can offer a much faster connection from one NFC chip-enabled device to another but if you like to wander round the house while belting out your favourite tunes, it’s not for you.
NFC has a very short distance imitation and is often used more for data transfer than playing music.
AUX In
The best radio cd player on the market will be no good to you at all if you like to lock yourself away from the world and unwind at the end of the day, but find your beloved pair of headphones have nowhere to connect.
Whether you want a closer listening experience or you simply don’t want to disturb anyone else at night, you’d need a 3.5mm headphone jack to plug in your earphones or headphones.
An Auxiliary (AUX) or Line-In port also allows you to connect other audio devices including speakers and amplifiers. Some radio CD players even have two seperate ports for headphones and another audio device.
Clock Radios
This isn’t a term you hear as much of nowadays but there is still no shortage of people that like to wake up to the sounds of their tried and tested breakfast radio presenter and of course, a bedside radio is of little use without a reliable and clear clock face.
Again some units have these and some don’t; whether you want one is down to you but there are many options available, from a traditional ticking time face to a glowing digital display that lights up the entire room.
If you struggle to drag yourself out of bed in the mornings, you might also need one that features a full-blown alarm, loud enough to wake the dead, so have a look around and find one that works for you.
Theres nothing worse than glancing over to see the time and finding it isn’t there and a radio without an alarm may just be your worst nightmare!