5 Best Long Range Walkie Talkies

The Uniden GMR5089 is advertised as the longest range walkie talkie we have ever come across. Initially, we were skeptical as many walkie talkie brands like to exaggerate their transmission distance, and the 50 miles claim just sounded too good to be true.

As we expected, we never managed to reach the 50 mile distance claim (it should be noted that we have not once reviewed a walkie talkie model that did live up to the manufacturers claim), but that being said the walkie talkie performed surprisingly well. We were able to get a clear transmission over 12 miles distance. And when we say clear, we really do mean crystal clear.

As well as the amazing value per mile, this handset has all kinds of other features, and the very reasonable price of the Uniden GMR5089 means that we feel this walkie talkie is the best long range walkie talkie buy we have reviewed.

The bottom line: If you want to buy a long range walkie talkie, you don’t need to look any further. The Uniden GMR5089 has impressed us an incredible amount and as a result it is without a doubt our favourite long distance walkie talkie available on the market.

The Cobra CXT1035R has become somewhat of a hikers favorite. It’s sturdy and waterproof design means it’s a walkie talkie that is easy to take with you on any kind of trip. The CXT1035R has an advertised transmission range of 37 miles. We thought this was particularly specific so decided to take these radios for a test.

Upon taking these walkie talkies into the woods, we noticed a surprisingly good transmission quality. Usually in a forest with many trees right in the transmission line many walkie talkies struggle to keep a good connection. The Cobra CXT1035R did very well though. In the woods we managed to keep a conversation flowing at around 3 miles apart. This may not sound like a lot at first read, but this really is incredible.

The bottom line: The Cobra CXT1035R is a great long range walkie talkie, with an exceptional sound quality. The radio performs extremely well, even with many obstructions in the way, which is not something that can be said for many other walkie talkies.

The Motorola Talkabout MT350R is the cheapest radio on this list for long range walkie talkies. Like almost all Motorola walkie talkies, this model has an advertised range of 35 miles, something we are not too keen on. In reality this 35 mile reception is never met, and we dislike the way customers are mislead.

The truth is, to get this kind of long distance connection you would need to be hanging off the side of a cliff in clear weather, without a tree or building to obstruct in sight. That being said, out of all Motorola walkie talkies we have tested, the range seemed to hold up the best. We have managed to make a long range conversation with our base camp around 12 miles away, which for a walkie talkie of it’s price is incredibly good. We’re just not sure why Motorola can’t advertise with this fact instead.

The bottom line: The saying “you get what you pay for” is definitely not the case where the MT350R is concerned. This walkie talkie may be the cheapest option in our list, but it definitely outperforms many others models on the market where long distance communication is concerned.

Cobra is one of those manufacturers that does really make their walkie talkie models better with every release. The Cobra CXR925 comes with an advertised range of 35 miles, and is one of the best models of walkie talkie around.

The CXR925 has many options as regards the power ir uses, which makes the walkie talkie highly efficient. If you are looking to buy a long range walkie talkie, this model is not only affordable, but it will most definitely suit your needs. The sound quality on this handset is just incredible and with many features to improve on both its range and speech quality, we feel the Cobra CXR925 definitely deserves a place in our top 5.

The bottom line: The Cobra CXR925 is a great walkie talkie with a long range. It has many features to improve both range and sound quality and we can recommend this product to everyone.

To round off our top 5 of best long range walkie talkies we have the Motorola MS350R. This model by Motorola has an advertised range of 35 miles as well, and as expected the model just cannot make this claim true.

We have included the Motorola MS350R in our top 5 because it is the cheapest model on the market that is equipped with a built-in relay system. For users that might not know what this is, this relay system can connect to repeaters in the area, to massively increase the receiving range of the walkie talkie. By using repeaters you could theoretically make the MS350R have an infinite range. This does require a licence, but we feel the price for this is entirely justified considering the incredible reception these walkie talkies will be able to cover.

The bottom line: The Motorola MS350R may not initially have the best range, but with the use of local repeaters this model of walkie talkie really shines.