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We’ve had several power outages this year, and the storms have gotten strange. I’m in a part of Illinois that apparently decided to audition for tornado alley. So a backup radio moved up my list, because hoping my phone battery holds isn’t a plan.
Pronly sent me this one to try. I pulled it out of the box and it sat in my palm, which is exactly what I wanted. A radio I’ll actually keep charged, not a brick that lives in a closet.
Quick Verdict
- Buy it if: you want a small, charged, no-fuss radio sitting in an emergency kit
- Skip it if: you need NOAA weather alerts, since this doesn’t have that band
- My favorite feature: it’s clearer than it has any business being at this size. I expected tinny.
- Would I buy again? Yes
Why does a palm-sized radio belong in an emergency kit?
The listing puts it at 4.5 by 2.6 by 1.1 inches, and that number is the whole argument. Anything bigger goes in a storage bin and gets forgotten. This one has a carry loop on the side, so it hangs or gets grabbed without hunting.
There’s also a nostalgia thing happening here I wasn’t expecting. It looks like the transistor radios from when I was a kid, right down to pulling the antenna up. That’s not a reason to buy it. It did make me want to pick it up.
Pronly PR-1013 AM FM Shortwave 3 Band Radio
A palm-sized three-band transistor radio with analog tuning, a telescopic antenna and a front-facing speaker. The built-in battery charges over USB-C.
Pronly radio specs
- Bands: FM, AM and shortwave, listed as 3 band DSP
- Size: 4.5 x 2.6 x 1.1 inches
- Tuning: analog dial and control wheels, no screen
- Power: built-in rechargeable battery, charged over USB-C
- Speaker: front-facing, built in
- Antenna: telescopic, extends from the top
- Housing: textured black plastic with a carry loop
- In the box: the radio, a charging cord and an owner’s manual
Who is the Pronly radio for?
Anyone assembling a kit for the week the power goes out. That’s the case I’d make. It doesn’t need wifi, it doesn’t need a cell signal, and it charges off the same cable as everything else you own. Mine is going next to the emergency ration bars I tested, which is where I keep the things I hope to never open.
It’s also a fit if you camp, or if you just want a radio with nothing to set up. No app, no pairing, no menu. If your outage plan runs on stored power, it pairs with the MagSafe battery pack I keep charged, since the radio will take a charge from a power bank.
How does it sound once you land on a station?
I charged it and listened before I filmed anything, and the audio surprised me. It sounds like a radio, in the good way. Crisp and clear on voices rather than thin and boxed in, which isn’t what I expected from something this size.
You do have to tune it. That’s the deal with an analog dial. You roll the wheel, you drift past the station, you come back and settle on it. Once you’re there it holds and sounds clean.
Three things that stood out
- USB-C, not a proprietary brick: it charges off my phone cable. For something meant to sit unused for months, that matters more than any feature on the box.
- Three bands on a radio this small: FM and AM cover local, and the shortwave band is there for long-distance broadcasts if local stations go quiet.
- Wheels instead of a screen: tuning, volume, band switch. Nothing to learn, nothing to charge a second time because you left a display on.
What I liked
- It closes inside one hand, antenna down
- The carry loop means it hangs somewhere instead of sliding into a drawer
- It’s genuinely cute, which isn’t a spec but did make me keep it out
Four things to know before you order
- There’s no NOAA weather band. For a radio you’re buying because of storms, that’s the gap to weigh
- The listing doesn’t include a headphone jack, so it’s speaker only
- Analog tuning means landing on a frequency takes a moment of fiddling every time
- I’ve only listened on AM so far. I can’t tell you how it pulls in distant shortwave stations, because I haven’t put the time in on that band yet
Common questions about the Pronly radio
Can I charge the Pronly radio with a phone charger or a power bank?
Yes. It takes USB-C, so any cable you already have for a phone or laptop works, and the brand lists a wall adapter, a laptop or a power bank as options.
Does the Pronly radio have a headphone jack?
The listing doesn’t include one, so plan on the built-in speaker. If you need private listening, look at a model that names an earphone jack.
Does it pick up NOAA weather alerts?
No. It covers FM, AM and shortwave, and there’s no dedicated weather band on the listing. For alerts you want a radio that lists WB or NOAA separately.
How big is it really?
Small. It closes inside my hand with the antenna down, which is the whole reason I like it.
Is it hard to operate?
No. There’s a tuning wheel, a volume wheel, a band switch and an antenna. No screen, no app, nothing to pair.
Other portable radios to compare
I’ve only used the Pronly. These three are described from their own listings so you can see what a weather band, a digital display, or a removable battery would get you.
- Kaito KA500 Solar Hand Crank Radio: adds seven weather channels plus a hand crank and a solar panel, and the listing includes an earphone jack, an LED flashlight and a USB output that charges a phone.
- XHDATA D808 Multi Band Radio: six bands including longwave, air band and SSB, with digital tuning, an LCD showing frequency and battery, and 500 station memories instead of an analog dial.
- Retekess V115 Shortwave Radio: digital tuning with keypad frequency entry and automatic station storage, a removable lithium battery charged over Type-C, and a TF card slot for playback and recording.
Where it’s going to live
With the emergency supplies, charged. That was the plan when it arrived and it’s still the plan. It’s small enough to forget about until the lights go out, and that’s the only job I’m asking it to do.
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