BAOFENG BF-88A Walkie Talkies Handheld FRS Radio License-Free Walkie Talkie for Adults Long Range 16 Channels Two Way Radio with USB C Charger Pack of 6

Rock solid, dirt cheap, no gimmicks.
As a licensed amateur radio guy, I’m a longtime user of Baofeng’s handheld radios. I’ve liked the models they have on the ham side for VHF/UHF transmission, and have always admired their knack for building machines of pure function and doing so in smaller packages. Baofeng has been manufacturing and innovating handheld radios for years, and are trustworthy. Like the rest of their models, the BF-88s are rock solid at a barebones price.These radios operate on the FRS band, and are your stock-standard walkie talkies. Since they’re hardwired to transmit only on the Family Radio Service frequencies and are only 2W, anyone can operate them, without a license. This BF-88 model packs in a lot of the internals from their popular ham radios, and afford you the ability to use a Baofeng without getting your ham license.It’s a well-built, lightweight little radio–everything you need, nothing you don’t. It has sixteen channels, which you scroll through by clicking the middle knob through sixteen detents while a recorded voice announces which number you’re on. The knob’s detents are sturdy and seem near impossible to accidentally scroll through. The power/volume knob works the same as it does on any professional handheld radio, and would be a little easier to accidentally turn up or down. There’s a squelch button, which allows you to bypass the squelch filter and listen to your tuned frequency regardless of whether your radio thinks someone’s broadcasting on it–this allows you to hear the channel if you suspect someone’s broadcasting too faintly to trigger your radio.There’s a built-in flashlight, activated by the button under the squelch, which toggles between steady and flashing. The light looks to be about 5 lumens, and casts a noticeable shadow from the antenna and channel selection knob, since the LED rests between those. It’s an odd choice, but its top-center positioning allows it to be used as a beacon when clipped to your backpack or chest rig–and chances are, if you’re carrying a radio like this, you’re almost guaranteed to *also* be carrying a flashlight for whatever your use case is. The LED on this one is basically a keychain light, and is more than serviceable for a quick search through your backpack or looking for something you dropped.The radio, as expected from a company that specializes in them, works fine and has decent range. In my test, I went about 1,000 feet away from my partner with mild-to-moderate urban obstacles and the signal was five by five, perfectly understandable. I even went on the other side of a large, five-story apartment building and experienced no loss of signal. Line of sight becomes more important at further distances, but if you’re running a team in an urban environment (or maybe, a family trip to a theme park), these will do you just fine.The included earphone is the stock model that Baofeng includes with all their radios, and… works. I use mine on my VHF/UHF ones when I want to monitor radio traffic, but these aren’t meant for long-term wear. The battery can be removed easily, but it’s the only user-serviceable component on the radio. The USB-C port is located unobtrusively on the back so you can charge it while standing on a countertop, or of course you can use the charging cradle if it’s more of a grab-and-go radio. The charging cradles run USB-A cables and have indentations ready to be labeled.I think the only drawbacks I could find are the lack of a simple LCD screen, and the non-swappable antenna. An LCD screen would have been a welcome inclusion for knowing which channel the radio is set to without having to click the selection knob up once and down once, and knowing that you’re on channel 15 by hearing the guy say “Sixteen! Fifteen!” If you were to inadvertently change the channel somehow, you would never know and may miss transmissions. Additionally, there’s no way of knowing the battery percentage left, which would be handy. I’d gladly pay an extra dollar or two to have a screen, and think it’d be unbeatable if it had one. The locked antenna is just the radio geek in me–I have so many laying around from my other Baofengs that I’d like to be able to swap them over to eke a little more transmission clarity out of the BF-88.Overall, I think it’s a 4.5-star radio, but the price point really brings them to five-star territory. If I weren’t licensed, I’d gladly rather take these radios into the backcountry than other off-the-shelf FRS radios.

Awesome Walkie Talkies!
These are not the most amazing or expensive walkie talkies out there but man do they compete with some of the best ones! Their range is about half a mile through the hilly area we used them in, and their sound clarity was seriously impressive. I am really happy with these and can’t wait to use them with my family for hide and seek in the dark type or other fun family outing stuff lol. There are 16 channels to choose from, they are rechargeable and can either be placed on the charging dock or just plugged in with a usb-c charging cable. They each come with a headset, and a clip that is screwed on, making them easily attached to clothing and the clips won’t easily pop off like the ones on other sets that just click onto the walking. Overall, these are pretty excellent walkie talkies, especially for the price.

Reliable radios with clear sound and strong range
The sound quality is clear, and the range easily covers long distances in open areas. The build feels solid and comfortable to hold, and the simple controls make them easy for anyone to use right out of the box.Charging through USB C is fast and convenient, and the battery life lasts several hours of steady use before needing a recharge. The radios communicate clearly across all channels, and the included earpieces add extra convenience when used in busy or noisy environments.These are dependable, license free radios that work perfectly for hiking, events, or small work crews. For the price, the set offers excellent value, strong performance, and durable construction that feels like it will last a long time.