Best GMRS handheld radio to get

[WRUU653]

There is no one radio that is the best. The question is how are you going to use it? What are your needs and does the radio you are looking to get meet those needs?

Some good things to think about.

How do you want to program your radio and does it have that for your OS? Good point by @Lscott

Do you want a dual receiver?

How many channels will it hold and is that enough for you?

Will the radio be used outdoors and how well can the screen be viewed in the sun?

Do you need the radio to be waterproof?

Do you plan on handing to a non radio person and should it be simple and/or inexpensive?

Customer service, return policy, do a lot of people return or have problems with the radio?

What can you afford or how much do you wish to spend?

Does it have what it takes to impress the chicks?  @OffRoaderX can help you with this.

You won’t be able to tell the difference between super heterodyne and system on a chip. You just won’t. The other day someone said to me that I must be using a Kenwood radio and I was on a KG-935H.

Finally the true answer is this…

The best radio is the one that comes out the day after you bought the one you just got. 

[WRYZ926]

17 minutes ago, WRUU653 said:

The best radio is the one that comes out the day after you bought the one you just got. 

I see plenty of people fall into that trap. I learned right away to NOT chase the latest and greatest as that is a sure way to go broke in a hurry.

[Raybestos]

7 hours ago, LeoG said:

I have the KG20G and the 1000G.  Haven't had any issues with the 20G, but it is possible I have with the 1000G.  On very rare occasions it doesn't open my repeater on try #1.  I can't tell if it's the radio or the repeater.  Never have an issue with incoming signals and just about everything I have stored in memory for GMRS has a Tx/Rx code either CTCTT or DPL.  Certainly nothing I've complained about.

Is yours a receiving or transmitting issue?

At first, I thought it might be encode and decode.  After additional observation it appears to be mostly or all an issue with the CTCSS/DCS decoder.  I have had this problem when receiving other Wouxuns, Motorolas, WLN's, Baofengs, etc, with noted Wouxun radios.

[HHD1]

My favorite so far is the Wouxun KG-Q10G.  I like the 2 stage menu system along with the top selector knob. It makes navigation of the settings quick and easy. The dual push to talk buttons are slick. Channel Wizard makes programming without a computer a breeze. Custom display colors are fun. IP67 rating is a must for my outdoor adventures. And of course, the SuperHet Receiver never lets me down.

[Lscott]

11 hours ago, WRUU653 said:

Does it have what it takes to impress the chicks? 

I have other equipment hanging around for that.

[amaff]

On 10/6/2025 at 7:10 PM, Lscott said:

I have other equipment hanging around for that.

Wallet on a chain?

[Lscott]

24 minutes ago, amaff said:

Wallet on a chain?

Without photo ID’s, or PIN numbers, the plastic is useless. They’re not going to get those.

[WQVW925]

On 10/5/2025 at 9:06 PM, Raybestos said:

I have purchased no less than four KG-905's, for myself and others.  Of all the Wouxun KG-series radios I have owned or used, they were the very worst with regard to PL decoder issues I have experienced, whereby the CTCSS/DCS decoder will sporadically fail to open for another base, mobile, ht, or repeater, that transmits the same tone as the decoder is set for.  FWIW, I have experienced this issue with every single Wouxun KG-series radio I have owned or used.  The list includes the 905G, 935G, 935G+, S88G, and 1000G.  Many will swear they have never experienced this problem with their Wouxuns and that may be.  Reasons they may not have experienced it might include not using the PL/DPL decoder often, not using the radios much or often, or perhaps they were really lucky in getting a good radio.  I find it difficult to believe that all of the radios with the decoder issue have wound up exclusively in my possession.As this has been an intermittent issue for me across a number of frequencies, PL's and DPL's, and brands of radios received, it is very difficult to diagnose.

I love the basic Wouxun platform and channel layout, which allows for use of all thirty GMRS channels PLUS being able to program a variety of simplex and repeater channels to your liking, using differing PL/DPL tones; but the decoder issue has become a deal killer for me.  I will not be buying any more Wouxuns unless and until they acknowledge the issue and fix or change the decoder algorithm to eliminate this issue.

This is happening to me with my KG905G+'s!

Totally intermittent opening squelch using DCS.  I've been setting up my repeater and troubleshooting with CTCSS... switched over to DCS and suddenly my Wouxun's weren't working. Then one did work. Then it didn't again. Enraging. It seems like it has to hear the DCS between 4 and 9 times after it tunes to a channel before it starts working.  Have you found anyone else documenting this?

[dugcyn]

disclaimer I have not read the full thread. question in general is subjective to your use. Just want to add if no one has the bowfang uv32r is worth looking at for some? I like the multi band ability, dual vfo and especially ability to program different banks for scanning. not my only go to radio but think it is the best feature packed hand held I have. have uv5r and h3. they work well and are smaller but miss some bands and selective scan features. they do fine with Gmrs including repeaters.

[Lscott]

The obvious answer is the best GMRS radio is the one you can’t afford to buy. I’ve seen some very good commercial radios that will work on GMRS, but I’m not spending the 4-figure plus price tag to buy one.

[WRTC928]

Before you buy a radio, ask yourself, "Will anyone lose their life, health, property, or money if my radio fails?" If the answer is "No", then it doesn't really matter which radio you buy. Get the one one which has the features you want. If the answer is "Yes", then you probably aren't operating on GMRS. But if so, get one of the handful of brands used by professional emergency services personnel. 

Within the lower tier of radio quality -- which, let's be honest, is what most of us will buy for GMRS -- no one brand of radio is consistently better than the others, as far as I can tell. There is often some variation in the performance of one model compared to another, but you can't really say a Midland is better than a Retevis or vice-versa. Which Midland vs. which Retevis? Sometimes that question can be answered. 

[AdmiralCochrane]

Midland has better marketing; paid ads, packaging etc

[SteveShannon]

41 minutes ago, AdmiralCochrane said:

Midland has better marketing; paid ads, packaging etc

And support.

[Raybestos]

On 11/29/2025 at 4:20 PM, WQVW925 said:

This is happening to me with my KG905G+'s!

Totally intermittent opening squelch using DCS.  I've been setting up my repeater and troubleshooting with CTCSS... switched over to DCS and suddenly my Wouxun's weren't working. Then one did work. Then it didn't again. Enraging. It seems like it has to hear the DCS between 4 and 9 times after it tunes to a channel before it starts working.  Have you found anyone else documenting this?

So far, only one on "Not A Rubicon's" YouTube channel, according to him.  I thought I had seen more in the past but maybe not.  Thank You for coming forward with this information!  Every KG-series GMRS radio I have, and a few owned by friends, have exhibited this problem at one time or another.  I was starting to feel gaslighted on this issue as so many said they have never experienced this problem.

I believe the lack of complaints from others may be because many do not use their PL/DPL squelch and/or do not use their radios regularly enough to notice.  I cannot believe that I personally, have been a magnet for the faulty Wouxun KG-series GMRS radios and that they all somehow wound up in my hands or the hands of close friends of mine.