Best CB Radio Reviews

Travelers looking to communicate with others and stay in touch for safety will often use Citizens Band or CB Radios.

A CB radio is basically a system of short-distance radio communications, whereby people can speak over long distances using the cord-tethered microphone.

CB radios are best known for their use by truckers, who can communicate with each other, or alert each other of road conditions.

But a good CB radio is for more than truckers. Off roaders, campers and long distance travelers often install them in their vehicles.

CB equipment is also sometimes used in homes, to communicate with others, or in industrial settings.

And some top CB radios have a public address capacity for business use as well.

If you were looking for the best CB radio ever made, what would you be considering as the top features and functionality?

Let’s take a look at our picks for top CB radios, and then walk through the features in a good CB radio.

CB Radio Buying Guide

What Is a CB Radio? 

A Citizens band or CB radio is used for person-to-person communications. 

This land mobile radio system uses two-way radios that have 40 channels in a specific high frequency (shortwave) band. 

The CB radio system is different from other radio systems in that it doesn’t require a licence to operate it, and it can be used for personal or business communications.  

There’s also no age requirement for using a CB radio.

CB radios are best known for use by truckers, who alert each other of road conditions, and stay in touch with each other and loved ones.

But more than truckers make use of CB radios. 

Those who travel regularly, or back-country adventurers and off-roaders will often install them in their vehicles as well, using them to communicate with friends while on the road, or communicate back home in the event of an emergency. 

The loved ones at home must have a CB radio as well, and people do sometimes use them in their homes, to communicate with others.

CB radios can have industrial applications as well, such as when one warehouse needs to communicate with another.

And some top CB radios have a public address capacity, allowing people to communicate into a warehouse setting to notify staff of alerts, for instance.

To communicate, the multiple radios in a local area share a single frequency channel, but only one can transmit at a time.

The radio consists of the radio body and a microphone attached by a cable. The radio is usually wired into the vehicle to power it, similar to a stereo, but some have a DC adapter. 

The radio typically sits in receive mode to allow the user to hear transmissions of other radios on the channel, and then when they wish to communicate, there’s a talk button on the radio to turn on the microphone or transmitter. 

There are two other important features that make a CB radio a CB radio: They have a limit of 4 watts of transmitter power, and they have 40 channels in AM mode. 

That’s in contrast to a more expensive and more powerful unit, like a 10 Meter Radio, which requires a license. 

10 Meter Radios also operate on different frequencies than CB radios, which are unrestricted by the Federal Communications Commision (FCC). 

That’s where the name “Citizens Band” comes from.

CB Radio Range

A CB radio generally has a range from about 3 miles to 20 miles, depending on the terrain, but it can transmit much farther in certain conditions. 

Since all CB radios transmit with the same 4 watts of power, as required by law, there usually isn’t any difference between them when it comes to range and power. 

Here are the factors that can impact range:

• Antenna length, type and quality
• The location where the CB antenna is mounted
• The quality of antenna installation
• Surrounding terrain

Sometimes it seems like you’ve got a long range CB radio if the signal “skips” naturally depending on atmospheric conditions, in which a signal can be sent or received hundreds or thousands of miles – unintentionally. 

The FCC prohibits attempts to intentionally communicate with CB stations over 155.3 miles away. 

Part of the benefit of a CB radio for reliable communications, especially in an emergency, is because they don’t rely on cellular networks, which can be hit-and-miss depending where you travel, and they are also not dependent on satellite transmission.

The fact they operate on frequencies that are common and easy to use could mean the difference in getting help in an emergency. 

In fact, there is a dedicated channel, channel 9, which is used only for emergencies. You can use any channel for emergency communications, to provide alerts, or to give traveler assistance. 

And you must give priority to emergency communications on all channels.

Portability

Some users want to be able to walk around with their CB radio, so they opt for a portable CB radio. There are some important considerations before choosing one of these.

Handheld CB Radio

A handheld CB radio, also known as a transceiver, communicates with other CBs. 

Despite looking like a walkie talkie, they cannot communicate with other handhelds like walkie talkies and ham radios. 

As well, handheld CB radios have the same power limit of 4 watts, while only having the antenna of the handheld to provide transmission. 

That means they will likely only transmit less than 1 mile. If you need to transmit farther, you’ll have to use an external antenna. 

Standby CB Radio

When a trucker says they are “on standby,” it means they are monitoring or listening to a channel. 

But there’s another meaning to standby, which is when you use the squelch adjustment and the receiver isn’t receiving a signal. 

With squelch adjustment, the radio doesn’t turn on or receive a signal when there’s just static. 

Some radios have what’s called a standby time, which lets you know how long it will sit idle, in standby mode.

Uses

While CB radios have a history of being used by truckers, they do have other uses.

Truck Driving

This remains the most popular use for CB radios, as truckers use it to provide road information, get weather alerts, stay in touch with each other, and have a communication resource in the event of an emergency. 

The best CB radio for truckers is one that has options for day and night displays, provides good range (which is highly dependent on the external antenna), and is easy to use while driving. 

An extra-long microphone cord is one example of a valuable feature for a trucker.

Motorcycle

Motorcycle riders sometimes like to have a CB radio on their bike, for many of the same reasons as a trucker: stay in contact, get weather alerts, and contact emergency help. 

But a motorcycle CB radio must be small enough to mount on a motorcycle, and it must be able to withstand every type of weather condition. 

For this reason, it’s probably best for a motorcyclist to look to a waterproof handheld version as the best motorcycle CB radio. 

Car

Choosing a car CB radio isn’t much different than one for a semi truck, other than size. 

If you have a small vehicle, you’ll want to look for a compact car CB radio that will fit nicely under your dash when you install it.

Camping

Campers often wish to have a CB radio to allow them to communicate with the outside world, to contact help in an emergency, and to receive weather alerts. 

A good camping CB radio is a waterproof handheld, although range will be limited. 

Or, purchase a regular CB radio and antenna and bring along an external battery, if you feel strongly that you need a CB, even at the expense of the extra gear. 

If you typically do car camping, in which you drive to your campsite, you can get a CB radio in your car, allowing you to stay in touch when camping.

Size

Size is a consideration if you’re looking for a small CB radio for a smaller vehicle. 

While semi trucks have large cabs and can handle a large radio set, cars and motorcycles will want to find a smaller size, which we’ve included in our reviews. 

There’s a flipside to have a big rig, however. Truckers with a big cab will want to ensure the cord that attaches the hand-held microphone is long enough that it easily reaches from the radio to the driver’s seat.  

Power

As mentioned, CB radios are required to have a maximum power of 4 watts. You don’t have to spend time looking for the most powerful CB radio, since they’re all the same.

The one exception is what’s called Single Sideband or SSB radio, which is more obscure than a CB radio and is used sometimes by ham radio operators, ships at sea, aircraft and air traffic control, and even spy networks. 

SSB equipped radios transmit at 12 watts of power, so will legally give you more range, but the person with whom you’re communicating will also have to have a SSB radio, making them less convenient for common uses than a CB radio.

Features

Since CB radios all have the same power and usually all have 40 channels, the difference lies in features and functionality. Here are some of the features available on CB Radios.

Squelch Control

Rather than listening to endless background static, a squelch control ensures your radio only activates if a CB transmission is received.

RF Gain

Use this to create a filter so that a strong radio frequency and transmission is received, and weak transmissions are blocked out. 

This means less background noise.

Automatic Noise Limiter

This is another feature that boosts reception and sound quality by filtering out interference, static and engine noise. 

This is particularly handy for truckers, as a large engine will create a lot of noise from static and interference.

NOAA Weather Channels

Some CB radios have the capacity to scan through and find signals from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA®), which provides a National Weather Service. 

These channels allow you to hear weather conditions and weather alerts. 

If your CB radio has this capacity, you’ll get an alert when conditions are changing or there’s inclement weather in your area.

If you are only interested in this feature, you should focus on finding an affordable weather radio. 

Instant Channel Functions

The ability to instantly access the emergency channel 9 is a handy feature on some CB radios.

PA Functionality

With a CB radio that transforms into a public address system, you can transmit to a group, and some truckers even mount a speaker on their hood to use to communicate.

Choice of Displays

A night driver may want to choose a CB radio with a backlit display. 

Other options are those with day and night settings, and those with different display colors from which to choose. 

Water Resistance

Since CB radios are generally mounted inside vehicles, there really isn’t a waterproof CB radio, unless you decide to purchase a hand-held one. 

Or, you can choose a marine waterproof radio, but be careful because they likely operate on marine-specific frequencies. 

Battery Life

The best way to run your CB radio in a vehicle is by wiring it in, just like a car stereo or other car accessory. 

Then you won’t have to worry about battery life as long as you remember to turn it off. 

In your home or in a commercial setting, you can connect the CB radio to an external battery. 

If you purchase a handheld CB radio, then you will have to purchase batteries and keep extras on hand if you’ll be using it for an extended period of time.

Bluetooth

Some top of the line models have the technology to allow you to run it as a bluetooth CB radio. 

To do this, you synchronize your cell phone with the bluetooth CB radio to enable hands-free phone calls. 

You can also purchase a bluetooth headset, which allows for hands-free driving by connecting wirelessly with the CB radio. 

The headset will come with a bluetooth accessory that plugs into a 4-pin microphone jack, and then the headset syncs with your CB radio. 

CB Radio Channels

CB Radios operate on 40 channels, with Channel 9 being dedicated for emergencies. 

Channel 19 is most commonly used by truck drivers, who use it to communicate with each other, particularly about road conditions. 

Many radios have buttons that provide instant access to channel 9, and some even have a button to give access to channel 19.

Ham Radio VS CB

Amateur or Ham Radio is another form of communication using a radio, but it requires operators to pass an examination for the FCC license, and then operate on radio frequencies known as the “amateur bands.”

Here are the main differences between a ham radio and a CB radio:

• A CB radio’s maximum power allowed by the FCC is 4 watts; ham radio is capped at 1500 watts.
• Ham radio requires a license to transmit and is licensed by the FCC.
• Ham radio has 20+ bands, whereas CB radio has 40 channels on one band.

CB Radio Frequency

CB Radio frequency is authorized for 40 channels between 26.965 MHz and 27.405 MHz.

CB Radio Antenna

It’s important to note that when you purchase a CB radio, you need to also purchase a CB radio antenna. 

A handheld CB radio has an antenna attached that provides minimal range. 

CB radios don’t include antennas, meaning you will need to purchase an antenna and mount it on your vehicle or home. 

Performance and range will depend on the type of antenna you choose and where you install it. 

Some are magnetic, making them easy to install and adjust on a vehicle.

CB Radio Amplifier

A CB radio amplifier or linear amplifier is an accessory that connects to your CB radio to increase its output. 

If you choose to purchase one, it should be within the maximum power allowed by the FCC, which is 4 watts, and within the 20MHz to 30MHz range. 

CB amplifiers generally boost power higher than that, which is illegal. A simpler solution to frustrations about your CB range is to check the antenna setup, since adjustments to the antenna will usually help with range.

Pricing Range

There are CB radios for every budget, but they usually are not an exorbitant price. If you choose a cheap CB radio, you’ll likely get what you paid for. 

Some of the higher models provide additional bells and whistles, like the NOAA weather channels and alerts. 

But in the end, that may be worth paying a bit extra to receive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Verdict

There are a few reputable companies that have made CB radios over the years, and we’ve covered them in our reviews of the best CB radios.

When you’re deciding among the choices, keep this in mind: CB radios have the same power at 4 watts, and they have 40 channels available to use.

So your decision will come down to some of those extra features, what kind of display you want, size, and perhaps even preference for a certain brand.

However you make your decision, you can’t go wrong with one of our CB radio selections.