Are Retevis Walkie Talkies Worth It for Camping, Cruises, and Family Trips?
By Maya Bennett, kitchen & home · updated 2026-07-26
A no-subscription way to stay in touch when cell signal quits
Worth it, for short-range coordination, not for the range numbers on the box
around $40price at time of review — check Amazon for current
- Worth it ifYou need short-range coordination for a family, camping group, or small crew without a monthly bill
- Skip it ifYou need reliable range measured in miles across open or hilly terrain
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Picture losing sight of your kid on a cruise ship deck, or watching your hiking buddy disappear around a bend on the trail, and reaching for your phone to find zero bars. That gap, the space between where cell service quits and where you actually need to reach someone, is exactly what a set of retevis walkie talkies is built to fill. The real question is whether four small plastic radios in a blister pack can actually close it.
These are FRS radios, which means they talk to each other directly over radio waves, no towers, no SIM, no monthly bill. That's the whole appeal: turn them on and they work, right up until something physical blocks the signal, because FRS range depends on line of sight. Walls, trees, hills and buildings eat into it fast, which is why the same radio that reaches across an open field struggles inside a hotel. The RT22 leans into practicality over bragging rights: the antenna is thumb-length and blunted instead of the usual long whip, safer to have near a kid's face, at the cost of a little theoretical range. A squelch function cuts the hiss between transmissions so voices come through clean instead of buried in static, and the 300 mW speaker pushes that voice loud enough to hear over wind or engine noise. USB-C charging means you're not hunting for AAAs, and a separate belt clip lets you pull the radio off without unclipping the holster, useful when you're fumbling with one hand.
You're not buying range, you're buying a private channel that keeps working in the exact spots where your phone gives up: below deck, deep in a campground, out of signal on a trail. The antenna, the squelch, the clip, they're all small trade-offs made in favor of something you'll actually carry and use, not something built to win a spec sheet.
Worth it if
- You need short-range coordination for a family, camping group, or small crew without a monthly bill
- You want a backup for places cell signal disappears, like ships, basements, or backcountry trails
- You'd rather carry a small, blunt-antenna radio than a bulky long-range unit
Skip it if
- You need reliable range measured in miles across open or hilly terrain
- You're expecting phone-call clarity indoors through multiple walls
- You want a single radio with a headset boom mic setup out of the box
Not for anyone expecting mile-plus range through buildings, trees, or hilly terrain
If you need to keep a family or small group coordinated across a campsite, a cruise ship, or a store floor, this is a quiet yes. If you're picturing genuine multi-mile range across open country, that's a different, licensed radio, not this one.
Check price on Amazon · around $40 or Add it to your Amazon cart to sit on it
Before you go
How far do retevis walkie-talkies reach?
Like any FRS radio, range depends on line of sight, so expect a few hundred yards through buildings or trees, opening up considerably more in open, flat terrain with nothing in the way.
How long does a Retevis walkie-talkie last?
The RT22 charges over USB-C and runs for about ten hours per charge, which covers a full day out before you need to top it up.
Are Retevis walkie-talkies any good?
For short-range, no-subscription communication between a small group, they do the job well, especially with the safer blunted antenna and clear squelch audio, though they're not built for long-distance range.
Full spec sheet
| Brand | Retevis |
|---|---|
| Color | Black |
| Number of Channels | 16 |
| Special Feature | USB-C charging, compact and lightweight, license free |
| Frequency Range | FRS |
| Talking Range Maximum | 2 mile |
| Voltage | 3.7 volts_of_direct_current |
| Water Resistance Level | Water Resistant |