For teachers and school principals, student safety is always number one and that requires constant communication. Whether during outside activities, emergencies, or even just to communicate from room to room, teachers and principals alike always want to be able to know what’s going on. Many school districts use walkie talkies and two way radios for education and communication. Walkie talkies offer a quick and easy way to communicate around the school property, on field trips, and even from the school bus to the school. We’ve reviewed some of the best walkie talkies for schools and teachers to help you find the perfect walkie talkie for your classroom, students, teachers, principals, and staff.
Table of Contents
Best Walkie Talkies for Schools and Teachers
Retevis RT22 Walkie Talkie Review
The Retevis RT22 is our favorite walkie talkies for schools. Not only is it well designed and offers 16 channels, you also do not need a license to operate it. This means you can buy, set up, and use the walkie talkies to communicate easily without worrying about complicated licenses, fees, or other issues. These are very powerful walkie talkies and they give you great range of several miles and hands-free VOX capabilities. In addition, the emergency alarm will allow you to ensure that your students are safe at all times, and that you are able to communicate with those around you to ensure student safety, success, and health.
You can expect around 16-20 hours of battery life per full charge for the Retevis RT22, which is powered by rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries. The Retevis RT22 is charged by a USB cable, which means you are always able to charge up the devices overnight or between classes easily. If you are only using these devices occasionally throughout the day, then you could expect them to go a few days without needing to charge them. That said we imagine most teachers and schools will use these walkie talkies during the day and leave them to charge overnight, so this should be the perfect solution for you. The USB power offers fast charging which is great for those who expect a lot of use out of these walkie talkies. It also comes built with features that save power and also remind you when the battery is low. The Retevis RT22 comes with belt clips as well, which means teachers can easily attach them to their pants, and students could potentially attach them to their backpacks. Overall, the Retevis RT22 offers the best combination of affordability, power, durability, and reliability, making it the best walkie talkie for schools.
Retevis RT45 Walkie Talkie Review
Another one of our favorite walkie talkies for teachers and schools in the Retevis RT45. These walkie talkies are extremely easy to use and are very high-value. That’s because a 10 pack of these walkie talkies is only about $150, which means you can get much of your school set up and ready to have safe communication for a very low price of just $15 a walkie talkie. That’s why we are so impressed by these devices because not only do they offer great value but the range, battery life, and overall ease-of-use is fantastic.
The Retevis RT45 is powered by AA batteries and you can expect about 6 to 8 hours of up-time under one set of batteries, though if you use it sparingly throughout the day it could last much longer. The RT45 has an LCD display, as well as a built-in flashlight which means that in the case of a power outage, tornado, or nighttime emergency you can always feel confident that you can use your walkie talkie and communicate with those around you to ensure security. Like other Retevis walkie talkies, the RT45 has Vox capability which offers you hands-free options if that’s important to you. All 10 walkie talkies come with belt clips, which means it’s easy to attach to your pants, backpacks, or clipboards, and we found the belt clip to be decently sturdy. What’s great about the rt45 as well is that it comes which will allow you to operate the walkie talkies out the box easily. The range on the RT45 is solid, especially when you consider the price. You can expect a few miles in most environments for these walkie talkies, though in some more dense environments you may not be able to hear more than a mile.
DeWalt DXFRS800 Walkie Talkie Review
The DeWalt DXFRS 800 Walkie Talkies are built with durability and power in mind. Many construction companies use DeWalt walkie talkies on their job sites because they trust the DeWalt brand and the longevity of the products. These are going to be the best option for teachers in schools who want a walkie talkie that is extremely durable and can put up with demanding environments. They are waterproof and resistant to most drops, and also offer a lifetime warranty which backs up all of these claims.
The DeWalt DXFRS800 is the ideal walkie talkie for a school that is very horizontally and vertically laid out. If you have several stories on your property, the DXFRS800 is going to be the best option because it is built to both go out and around. This is backed up by the up to 300,000 square feet or 25 floors of range that DeWalt advertises for this device, which we found to be fairly accurate. While it would not be necessary to buy this device if you are a small school or if you’re not going to use them that often, if you have a large school property and want to be sure you can communicate at all times. or if you have a demanding environment where the walkie talkies might be exposed to damage, you can’t go wrong with the DeWalt DXFRS800, especially as it comes with a six-pack gang charger to power up all your walkie talkies at once.
DeWalt DXFRS220 Walkie Talkie Review
Another great option from DeWalt is the DeWalt DXFRS220 Wearable walkie talkie. These have a similar level of high-quality design and longevity but are notably different from the DeWalt DXFRS800 because they are smaller, more versatile, and built to be worn on a belt clip attached to plants, a backpack, or otherwise attached to the body. These are great walkie talkies for those who want hands-free capabilities, as the belt clips included with the walkie talkies or sturdy attached to most surfaces.
The up to 10 hours of battery life that the walkie talkies provide is extremely strong given the small size and portability of the device. The DXFRS220 comes with IPX4 waterproofing as well as drop shock resistance, offering great durability to the daily trials and tribulations of your classroom. This would be a great option for schools and teachers who still want the durability and quality of the DeWalt brand as well as the strong vertical and horizontal range of the 100,000 square feet of range from this device, but who do not want to spend as much money as they might on the DXFRS800.
Retevis H-777 Walkie Talkie Review
Like the other Retevis walkie talkies, the H-777 has a Vox function that allows for hands-free operation, an emergency alarm button which allows you to stay safe and seek assistance when necessary, and also offers strong sound quality. The package comes with 20 belt clips and hand straps which make the H-777 very portable and versatile for use in many different environments. With 16 different channels to access and a few miles of range that will penetrate through most school buildings and areas, the Retevis H-777 is a great walkie talkie for teachers and schools who want high-quality performance and lots of value for bulk walkie talkies.
Motorola T460 Walkie Talkie Review
Motorola is one of the most well-known walkie talkie brands on the market today and has been for decades. The Motorola T460 is one of their most popular walkie talkies because of its strong feature set, range, and durable design. This Motorola T460 6 Pack bundle comes with six walkie talkies and six belt clips AND with six high-quality ear pieces which can be plugged into the walkie talkie for higher audio and sound quality. Though the Motorola T460 is a bit more expensive than some of the other walkie talkie on this list, it is well worth the money.
The Motorola T360 offers almost 26 hours of battery life when you use AA batteries. You can also use rechargeable battery packs if you prefer, as you can plug these in overnight. Motorola advertises a range of up to 35 miles for the T46, but you should expect a few miles in your school and surrounding areas. Finally, if you’re worried about emergency or safety, the T460 comes with plenty of privacy codes as well as an NOAA weather alert which will keep you safe and warn you of incoming adverse conditions.
Best Walkie Talkie for School Security
School security has the very important job of ensuring that students and teachers alike stay safe. And as has unfortunately happen across the United States over the past decade or two, many bad people come to schools to inflict harm on innocent people. Because of that the job of a school security officer has never been more important than it is today. Because of that, constant communication along with high power and reliability is he or any walkie-talkie for school security. We’ve identified the best walkie talkies for school security so that you can be sure that even in an emergency you will be able to communicate at all times.
Samcom 5 Watt Walkie Talkie Review
The Samcom 5 Watt Walkie Talkie is definitely the most powerful device on our list, and our choice for best walkie talkie for school security. With 5 watts of power, you can always be confident that no matter the buildings or obstacles that are between you and those you wish to communicate with you will be able to hear them, answer them, and solve problems. This is a perfect choice for schools, teachers, school security officers who want a high-power walkie talkie to use either out and about away from the school, or on a large school property.
The Samcom 5 Watt Walkie Talkie offers 20 channels for you to use throughout the day. Samcom promises up to 30 miles in open areas and in densely populated areas you can still get four to five miles, which is amazing considering that most walkie talkies will only give you one or two miles in those areas. Built with battery-saving capacities and capabilities, even though you are getting crazy good range you will not drain the battery and you can expect a full day of use with these walkie talkies. They are also extremely durable, coming with IP54 waterproofing as well as resistance for most drops from 5-6 feet. These devices can operate as FRS/GMRS radios, business radios, and as a ham radio, so you’re truly getting a lot of bang for your buck when you buy these. Because of the power you will need to get an FCC license to operate on the five watt channels in some regions.
Ultimately we would recommend these for schools and teachers seeking a walkie talkie with high-power or for someone who is experienced with communication devices. The Samcom 5 Watt Walkie Talkies are well worth the price if you need strong range and performance at all times.
Best Classroom Walkie Talkie
Teachers might want a walkie talkie specific for use in their classroom and maybe even by their students. In this case, teachers are more focused on a device that is easy to use and mobile than on a walkie talkie that is super powerful or complicated. We’ve found the perfect classroom walkie talkie which is small, affordable, and durable. It also comes with a neck strap so you can keep your hands free!
Retevis RT22 Walkie Talkie Review
If you’re looking for a small walkie talkie that is highly portable, yet still offers good communication around your school, the Retevis RT22 is the perfect option. These tiny walkie talkies come on a necklace which means that you can hang them your body and not worry about using your hands, which as we know can be especially useful if your students are getting up to mischief. The compact design is intentional, and offers the most portable and easy to use walkie talkie on this list. Like all Retevis walkie talkies you have a function which allows you to activate the device just with your voice, Vox. Further, the 20 channels and the many privacy codes provide you a guarantee of safety and privacy so that your communications can be secure at all times.
The RT22 is powered by several included Lithium Ion batteries, which can be charged by a USB charger. You can set up a charging station in your classroom or office and leave it to charge overnight knowing that they’ll be ready to go the next morning. We were satisfied with the battery life of these walkie talkies, and you can expect a full day’s use out of them, but you will need to charge them in the evening. We would note that unlike some of the more expensive Retevis walkie talkies, these are not completely waterproof or drop proof. That said, if you’re buying these you’re looking for a low-cost and small option that you will wear it around your neck, so the risk of damage or spillage are very low.
Best Walkie Talkies for Schools Buyer’s Guide
Pack Size
One of the main things you’ll want to consider when choosing the right walkie talkie for your needs is how many you want to buy. Many walkie talkies come in packs of 4, 8, 10, and even 20 or more, which means we are sure you can find the exact right fit for your needs. If you’re a smaller school, we recommend starting with four or six walkie talkies, while other larger groups might want to buy 10 to 20 packs and unlock some value by buying in bulk.
Price
Most teachers and schools want to get a good deal to ensure they have money to save and spend on actual education. That’s why we were sure to analyze the relative value and price of all of the different models and pack sizes of the walkie talkies we reviewed. Sometimes you might be seeking a powerful walkie talkie, because you need to communicate across a massive school yard. Other teachers might just want to communicate from the lunch room down the hall to the classroom, in which case you might not need an expensive or powerful walkie talkie. Be sure to consider the distance and range that you expect to use your walkie talkies from, as this is generally what you are paying extra money for.
Range
As we mentioned in our reviews, different walkie talkies will have different ranges. If you find a low-cost model you might only end up getting one to two miles of range, whereas if you spend more money on a more powerful and more expensive model you might actually get better value by getting up to 20 miles of range. This means that you can use the devices on camping trips and other outdoor activities where you might be separated from different groups or from students in an emergency. That is the main difference between powerful walkie talkies like Retevis or Samcom compared to consumer walkie talkies from the likes of Cobra, Motorola, or Midland .
Design and Durability
When buying a new walkie talkie you want to be sure it can put up with the demands of your job as a teacher. These walkie talkies might be getting abused by young kids, thrown around or tossed on field trip, and may go through who knows what else. Because of that, be sure to analyze the durability and the design of each device for your needs. Regardless, we ensured that all of the devices we selected today had high quality and durability.
Professional Use vs Toy Use
if you’re looking for a serious walkie talkie to be used by your teachers and administrators, we’ve definitely got great selections for you. We also know some teachers might be looking for walkie talkies for their students to use, particularly young students. If that is the case, don’t worry. Check out our Best Walkie Talkies for Kids guide and find the perfect model for your students!
Walkie Talkie Lingo For Schools
Teachers and schools want to be able to communicate using walkie talkie lingo to ensure fast and clear messages, especially in emergency situations. We’ve gathered some of the most important walkie talkie lingo for schools so that teachers will always know what is going on and how to use their walkie talkies properly:
- 10-1: This means you are having trouble receiving the message. If you hear static or garbled sound, let your partner know with this code.
- 10-4: This is a popular code you may know already, but this means that you have received the message and that you understand what was said.
- 10-20: This code is to be used when you aren’t sure where your fellow teachers or administrators are. Ask them “what’s your 20” to learn their location so that you can better understand the situation.
- Copy: Use this to affirm your receipt of the message
- Over and Out: This is another popular one you may know, and you can use it to indicate that you are exiting the conversation and getting off the walkie talkie.
- Roger: Another way to say that you have received and understood the message.
- Eyes On: A fellow teacher might ask you if you have eyes on a student, an item, or a situation or vehicle. This one can be useful in an emergency.
Best Walkie Talkies for Schools and Teachers Conclusion
Overall, the Retevis RT22 and Retevis RT45 are our top picks for best walkie talkie for schools. but we honestly love all of the options we’ve reviewed today. The DeWalt models offer great durability, and the Motorola T460 bundle value is fantastic. If you’re looking for more specialized usage like walkie talkie for school security, we love the Samcom 5 Watt Walkie Talkie, while the Retevis RT20 is the best walkie talkie for classrooms. We are sure that you can find the perfect model which balances price, pack size, and power in these walkie talkies for teachers to use in schools for both education and security purposes.
