
Wind up radios
Philips TAR1659
Philips
Analogue torch radio with solar and crank charging that Philips UK sells directly.
Where to buy in
What you get
An analogue torch radio with a 3.7 V Li-ion battery rated for up to 32 hours. USB-C, solar panel and hand crank all charge it and three AAA cells serve as backup. The USB-A port tops up a phone and the SOS alarm flashes for attention.
- FM/AM analogue torch radio
- Li-ion battery charged by USB-C, solar or hand crank, with 3 x AAA backup
- USB-A output to charge a phone
- SOS alarm with flashing light
- Sold directly by Philips UK
Pros and cons of the Philips TAR1659
Pros
- Sold directly by Philips UK.
- Rated for up to 32 hours on the built-in battery.
- Torch, siren and USB-A charge-out in a 390 g body.
Cons
- Philips' spec table says FM only while its description says FM/AM.
- Out of stock in Philips' own UK shop at the time of research.
Specs
- Bands
- FM/AM per Philips description (Philips spec table lists FM only)
- Power sources
- built-in Li-ion 3.7V (USB-C), solar panel, hand crank, 3 x AAA (not included)
- Charges a phone
- USB-A charge out
- Weight
- 390 g (13.8 oz)
- Bluetooth
- No
- Size
- 15 (W) x 9 (H) x 6.8 (D) cm
Why it scores 7.0
7.0/10
Shortlist score. How it is calculated
Emergency features
- Runs on standard batteries too
- Hand crank and solar charging
- Charges a phone
- Battery of 2,000 mAh or more
- Built-in flashlight
- Water resistance rating
Tester picks
No pick by the testing outlets we track.
Search demand
Number 8 of 19 on this shortlist for Google searches by model name.
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