Midland BR200 and MB400 Business Walkie Talkie Review

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Written By Martin C

Midland is one of the most popular brands of walkie talkies in the world, and for good reason. They have a great track record of producing high quality two way radios, with great range, battery life, and durability for many decades. Midland products are particularly well known to stand the test of time and the elements and also for being backed up by a generous warranty and service program. The MIdland BR200 and Midland MB400 are Midland’s best business walkie talkies, with both having great range, battery life, and value at their reasonable prices. Our Midland BR200 review and MIdland MB400 review dive into the details of each business two way radio and will help you choose which one is best for you.

Midland BR200 Business Walkie Talkie

Midland MB400 Business Walkie Talkie

Midland BR200 Review

Midland introduced the Midland BR200 walkie talkie as entry-level business two way radio to meet the needs of business customers at a reasonable price point. Unlike some high-end and very expensive business walkie talkies, the Midland BR200 retails for under $100 but still offers high performance. It has 2 watts of power and offers 16 different channels for you to operate on as well as privacy codes to ensure safe and secure communication. It has good range and battery life, and a tough and sturdy yet easy to use design. Overall, the Midland BR200 walkie talkie is a great choice for schools, construction sites, retail shops, restaurants, and other small businesses looking for an affordable and dependable walkie talkie with solid range and battery life.

Range

The Midland BR200 offers up to 2-3 miles of range, but is best suited and truly thrives in providing multi-level communication with up to 200,000 square feet of coverage. This means penetrating through walls and inside / around buildings or construction sites with its UHF frequencies. This makes it uniquely suited for business use and its range is on par with some much more expensive business walkie talkies. The BR200 wouldn’t be the right choice for a camping trip or a fishing expedition, but it certainly will serve you well for your business walkie talkie needs.

Battery Life

The Midland BR200 has an impressively long battery life, with its Lithium Ion technology offering up to 20 hours of use. This is at the top end of the market despite the low price of these walkie talkies, which make it easily one of the best features of the BR200. This means you can charge up your BR200 walkie talkie and then use it for a few days without needing to constantly plug it in or worry about a low battery. 

Durability

With a decently solid outer shell and a grippy design, the BR200 is durable. That said, it does not have the super high drop proofing or weatherproofing that some other models like the DeWalt DXFRS800 have. Because of this, if you work in a dangerous environment like a construction site or warehouse where your walkie talkies could be easily damaged, you might want to go with something sturdier. That said, for most businesses these will be completely solid and will last for several years. They are also backed up by Midland two-year warranty. 

Midland MB400 Review

The Midland MB400 is designed as Midland’s heavy-duty business walkie talkie offering, aiming to compete with industry heavyweights like Motorola and DeWalt. It is best suited for use in construction, industrial production, logging, and other high-intensity environments where the walkie talkies might be exposed to damage. It has 16 UHF business channels which are ready to use out of the box. The MB400 is fully IP67 waterproof and dustproof, and can also survive drops from a few meters high with minimal impact. Its 4 watts of power offer great range and honestly rivals that of more expensive Motorola walkie talkies like the RDU4100 for a fraction of the price. Throughout our MB400 review we were super impressed with its performance, and honestly at its reasonable price point it is hard to beat its overall value. 

Range

The Midland MB400 has 4 watts of power which allow it to pack a punch and offer great multi-level range. With up to 350,000 square feet of coverage, even large construction sites, hotels, and job sites become accessible for communication with the MB400. They work seamlessly inside and outside a construction site, as well as for city use for a mile or two. That’s tremendous performance for a business walkie talkie just over a $100!

Battery Life

The Midland MB400 has similar strong battery life of up to 20 hours to its little brother the BR200. You can feel confident in its battery life and can easily charge multiple walkie talkies at once with a gang charger. 

Durability

The MB400 definitely shines at its price point for its very solid durability. It’s got that IP67 weatherproofing we mentioned as well as a tough exterior shell. It’s designed to take a beating, and that shows. We found that it easily bounced back from drops and water damage, and expect it to last several years. It is also obviously covered by the Midland warranty in case you have issues with it.

Midland BR200 vs. Midland MB400 – Which is Better?

Midland BR200 Business Walkie Talkie

Midland MB400 Business Walkie Talkie

We love both the Midland BR200 and the MB400 walkie talkies, so it is hard to pick one that is outright better than the other. If you run a small business and just need a business walkie talkie with good range and long battery life that will be dependable then the BR200 will work great for you. However, if you work on a construction site or in a more demanding environment you should opt for the Midland MB400 as its heightened durability and range are definitely worth the mild bump up in price. 

Overall the Midland BR200 and Midland MB400 stand out as very solid business walkie talkies which meet the needs of all types of businesses, from small shops to large construction sites. We highly recommend both models and suggest you go with the one that best fits your expected use case!