Best walkie-talkie for kids 2023: The best two-way radios to keep kids (and adults) entertained
Walkie-talkies are a fun and useful product loved by children and adults alike. Over!
There is yet to be a child who has been disappointed to receive a walkie-talkie set as a gift. Always sure to be a hit, walkie-talkies are fun, useful and often a child’s first venture into the world of (albeit old-school) technology.
Walkie-talkies are not so much a toy as an educational learning tool that can teach kids about radio waves, encourage them to share (walkie-talkies are not much fun to play with alone), and get them out and about exploring nature instead of racking up screen time.
When on the hunt to buy the best walkie-talkie for your kids, however, what should you look for? What are the best walkie-talkies on the market? Where do you get them from, and how much do they cost? Our buying guide below will help you find the right set of walkie-talkies for your children.
Best walkie-talkies for kids: At a glance
- Best-rated walkie-talkies for kids: Nestling Walkie-Talkies | £27
- Best walkie-talkies for toddlers: Retevis RT30 Kids Walkie-Talkies | £23
- Best walkie-talkies for ages 5-8: VTech KidiGear Walkie-Talkies | £30
- Best walkie-talkies for tweens: NEHOPE Walkie-Talkies | £22
- Best walkie-talkies for whole family: Motorola T42 Talkabout Walkie-Talkies | £48
- Best wearable walkie-talkies: QNIGLO Rechargeable Kids Walkie-Talkies | £38
- Best budget walkie-talkies: LC-dolida Kids Walkie-Talkies | £12
How to choose the best walkie-talkie for your kids
There are many fun features that walkie-talkies for kids come with, and we take a closer look at these below.
What types of walkie-talkies for kids are available?
Your kids are unlikely to need professional-grade walkie-talkies, so let’s limit the options to the types on the market specifically for children. The main kinds you can choose from are sets containing two or more walkie-talkies, wearable walkie-talkies, or walkie-talkies that can offer more than just two-way radio services. These can include built-in games, flashlights, FM radios, and voice-changing technology.
Though a belt clip is a pretty standard feature, some of these units can be worn as watches, hung around the neck, or attached to a bike or scooter’s handlebar, and many have voice activation, meaning they can be used hands-free.
What features should I look for in a good walkie-talkie?
The main features to look out for in any walkie-talkie set for kids are:
Range: Whereas professional walkie-talkies are available with a range of up to 30 miles, regular walkie-talkies and models for kids tend to only reach up to around two or three miles. For simple home and garden use, anything with a range up to a mile would likely be sufficient. Even when out exploring, a shorter range will mean that they have to stay closer to each other, so it’s not exactly a bad thing. However, for camping or family hiking trips, a larger range may come in handy. The maximum stated on a walkie-talkie set is usually the range that can be reached in open terrain, such as a large garden or an unobstructed field, but when taking into consideration obstacles, structures or buildings, the effective range will usually be about half that amount, unless specifically stated otherwise.
Channels: Walkie-talkies that feature lots of channels are convenient if you live in the city or a congested area as you’ll have more chance of finding a free frequency. However, for use in a rural area or when you’re out camping, you’re unlikely to need a lot of channels. A privacy code feature that scrambles the communication on these open radio lines is always a good option in walkie-talkies for kids as this ensures their conversations remain private.
Power: The two main ways to power a walkie-talkie are with regular or rechargeable AAA (or similar) batteries, or with a rechargeable lithium battery that can easily be plugged into a power outlet, USB, or an in-car charging port.
Talk technology: Walkie-talkies are known for their push-to-talk function, but many newer models come with voice activation (voice-operated exchange, or VOX), which offers hands-free usage – perfect if your kid is on a bike or scooter.
Whether you’ve got preschoolers, tweens, teens or anything in between, we’ve found some of the top walkie-talkie sets on the market so that you can find the perfect kit to keep your little ones entertained for hours.
The best walkie-talkies for kids in 2023
1. Nestling Walkie Talkies: The best-rated walkie-talkie for kids
Price: £27 | Buy now from Amazon
With a long range of up to three kilometres, eight different channels and three handsets included in the set – great if you have a multi-kid household, or if the adults want a bit of the walkie-talkie action too – these Nestling units are the best-rated walkie-talkies on the market and come highly recommended by thousands of happy customers.
They have a bunch of features, including a flashlight and a belt-clip, and they’re drop-resistant too. Buyers have been particularly impressed with how clear the audio is. Though they’re available in a more subtle black with camo print, they also come in a set of three much brighter colours that will be harder for your kids to lose.
Key specs – Ages: 3+; Powered by: 4 x AAA batteries; Channels: 8; Range: 3 kilometres; Units in pack: 3
2. Retevis RT30 Kids Walkie Talkies: The best walkie-talkies for toddlers
Price: £23 | Buy now from Amazon
Perfect for those littler little ones, the Retevis RT30 owl-shaped walkie-talkies have everything that any three- to five–year-old will need in a two-way radio system: a cute design, a large and easy-to-use talk button, an easy-grip and drop resistance. What’s more, these units turn off automatically after 30 minutes to save battery power.
There’s only one channel and two simple buttons so toddlers will get the hang of them in no time. Satisfied shoppers called these lightweight walkie-talkies delightful, and noted that the range is amazing for kids. Many also felt that they’re great value for money. While we particularly love the owl design, there’s also a hamster version with light-up ears available.
Key specs – Ages: 3-5; Powered by: 3 x AAA batteries; Channels: 1; Range: Up to 0.6 miles; Units in pack: 2
3. VTech KidiGear Walkie-Talkies: The best walkie-talkies for ages 5–8
Price: £30 | Buy now from Amazon
These KidiGear walkie-talkies by Vtech are sure to keep kids entertained for hours on end. Not only do they feature a two-way secure digital connection system, they also incorporate five other functions including voice-changing effects, picture messaging and two-player games.
Though the product states that these walkie-talkies are ideal for kids aged five years or over (and not less than three), many buyers claimed that their much younger, and more tech-savvy, ones enjoyed them too. Happy customers describe these walkie-talkies as a top-quality and reasonably priced product with a good range and a nice variety of games.
Key specs – Ages: 5+; Powered by: 2 x AAA batteries; Channels: 1; Range: 650 feet; Units in pack: 2
4. NEHOPE Walkie Talkies: The best walkie-talkies for tweens
Price: £22 | Buy now from Amazon
For that in-between stage when kids don’t like to be referred to as children but they’re not quite yet teens, a walkie-talkie set that’s less toy and more the real deal is in order. These professional-feeling walkie-talkies from NEHOPE have a long range of up to four miles, 22 channels, and are made from a durable material that can handle a drop (or two) of up to 1.2 metres.
Other features include a flashlight, a belt clip, and a clear LCD screen that displays remaining battery life, signal, and the time. They’re also voice-activated, have anti-interference technology, and are lightweight at only 90 grams per unit.
Key specs – Ages: 3+; Powered by: 3 x AAA batteries; Channels: 22; Range: 6 kilometres; Units in pack: 2
5. Motorola T42 Talkabout Walkie-Talkies: Best walkie-talkies for whole family
Price: £48 | Buy now from Amazon
If you have older kids or teens and you want to bring the whole family in on the action, this set of four professional walkie-talkies from Motorola is just the ticket. They’re perfect for your family’s camping trips, for outdoor games, or even just to keep tabs on each other during excursions.
There are two orange and two blue walkie-talkies in the kit. Each handset needs three AAA batteries to work and there’s an indicator to let you know if the battery is running low on each one. They’re not stated as being a kids’ toy, but they’re easy enough for children to use, and they’re as useful as they are fun for the entire family.
Key specs – Ages: Not stated, but we suggest 6+; Powered by: 3x AAA batteries; Channels: 16; Range: 4 kilometres; Units in pack: 4
6. QNIGLO Rechargeable Kids Walkie-Talkies: The best wearable walkie-talkies
Price: £38 | Buy now from Amazon
With a super cute design and range of eight different pastel colour combinations, these QNIGLO walkie-talkies have plenty going for them, aesthetically. But what really sets them apart from the rest is that, in addition to holding them the traditional way, these walkie-talkies can be worn on the wrist like a watch, strapped to bike or scooter handles, or worn around the neck.
The battery life on these walkie-talkies is impressive, with up to five days of standby or 24 hours of continuous use, the sound is crystal clear and the range can reach up to two miles.
There’s also an FM radio for listening to their favourite stations, and the privacy code means there won’t be any random interference from other radio users.
Key specs – Ages: 3+; Powered by: Lithium polymer batteries; Channels: 8; Range: 2 miles; Units in pack: 2
7. LC-dolida Kids Walkie Talkies: The best budget walkie talkie set for kids
Price: £11 | Buy now from Amazon
These fab and funky walkie-talkies are, as per many of the five-star reviews, excellent value for money, great looking, entertaining, brilliant, robust, and big fun at a small price. There is a voice-activated function for hands-free use, an easy-scan feature to sync channels effortlessly, and there are also ten different ringtones to choose from.
They’re quite petite, so even smaller hands can comfortably get a good grip, and the battery life is quite remarkable too, with up to 12 hours of talk time. There’s even a built-in flashlight, perfect for those nighttime ghost stories.
Key specs – Ages: 3-12; Powered by: 4 x AAA batteries; Channels: 8; Range: 3 miles; Units in pack: 2
