Best Walkie Talkies for Schools
The Best Walkie Talkies for Schools
Four licence free radios that keep staff connected across the site, from the playground to the far end of the corridor.
Schools are demanding, fast moving places. Making sure pupils receive the finest education possible in a secure and organised atmosphere is a teacher's top priority, and walkie talkies help staff stay in contact so the day runs smoothly.
If there is an issue in a department, a radio puts staff in touch instantly. Teachers can react quickly and offer assistance where it is needed, without hunting for a phone or leaving a class unsupervised.
Working out which walkie talkies to buy is the hard part, because it is difficult to know which will suit the way your school actually runs. Here are our top four picks, and what each one is best at.
Motorola XT185, Twin Pack
A newer walkie talkie from Motorola, set to be one of their next best sellers. The small, lightweight radio is easy to carry around all day and offers up to 24 hours of battery life. IP54 rated, so it is weatherproof and dust tight. Easy pairing means every radio in the set can be paired at once at the push of a button, and they arrive with ear buds, short lanyards and belt clips, so there is nothing else to order.
- Motorola's next generation radio, replacing the XT180
- IP54 rated, water and dust tight
- Compact and lightweight
- Easy to set up and simple to use
- Up to 24 hours battery life
- USB charger with UK plug
- Comes with charger pods
Motorola XT420
The step up from the XT185, and the one to look at if your site is larger or your staff are harder on kit. Eight channels mean you can keep site team, office and pastoral traffic separate instead of everyone talking over one another. IP55 rated and built to MIL-STD ruggedness standards, so it copes with being dropped on a hard floor or carried across a wet yard. Up to 20 hours from the lithium ion battery covers a full day with plenty to spare, and at 116 x 58 x 40mm it still sits comfortably on a belt. Available in twin, quad and six packs, which makes it straightforward to kit out a whole team in one go.
- 8 channels, keep departments on separate talkgroups
- IP55 rated, water and dust protection
- MIL-STD rugged construction
- Up to 20 hours battery life
- Lithium ion battery
- Compact at 116 x 58 x 40mm
- Twin, quad and six packs available
- Licence free, no Ofcom paperwork
Kirisun DP405s Digital Licence Free PMR446
The DP405s is a professional licence free radio, built for business use. A rugged design and IP54 rating protect it against dust and water spray, and up to 16 hours of battery life covers a full school day comfortably. Digital voice encoding cuts background noise, which matters in a busy corridor or dining hall. There is a licensed version of this model too, see the Kirisun DP405 for more.
- Professional and robust
- Meets US Military 810 standards, IP54 rated
- Loud and clear audio
- 1W loudspeaker
- Up to 16 hours battery life
- 2000mAh lithium ion battery
- Digital voice encoding, reduces background noise
Motorola T82 Extreme, Twin Pack
With an IPx4 rating the T82 Extreme is weatherproof, so it stands up to harsh conditions and works just as well indoors as it does on the playground. The sleek design uses a hidden display to save battery, giving 18 hours of use before a recharge, and there is a built in LED torch for emergencies. Belt clips, lanyards and earpieces are included, so staff can set up with whichever attachment they prefer straight away.
- Robust and hard wearing
- Compatible with Motorola T80 Extreme and accessories
- IPx4 rated, weatherproof against rain and splashes
- Up to 18 hours battery life
- Sleek hidden display
- Built in LED torch
Compare them at a glance
| Radio | Battery life | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorola XT185 | Up to 24 hours | IP54 | All day staff use, easiest to set up and pair |
| Motorola XT420 | Up to 20 hours | IP55, MIL-STD | Larger sites, 8 channels to split departments |
| Kirisun DP405s | Up to 16 hours | IP54, MIL-STD 810 | Noisy areas, digital clarity on a tighter budget |
| Motorola T82 Extreme | Up to 18 hours | IPx4 | Outdoor duty, playground and trips, LED torch |
Not sure which fits your school?
Tell us your site layout and how many staff need a radio, and we will recommend a set.
Related guides
All four radios shown are licence free PMR446 models, so no Ofcom licence is required. Battery life and ingress protection figures are manufacturer stated and will vary with use.
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