Rapid Radios is the only 2-way radio walkie-talkie with nationwide range and no monthly fees. Enjoy crystal clear, private communications with Rapid Radios!
Rapid Radios (rapidradios.com) has 359 customer reviews on Five Star Index, with an average rating of 4.6 out of 5.
Also known as
rapidradios.com
Website
rapidradios.com
Category
Computers & Phones
Location
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Listed on Five Star Index
2026
About these reviews
Replies
The company replied to 73% of reviews.
Latest
Most recent review: October 2026.
Edits
Reviews are shown as their authors wrote them. The company can reply, but cannot edit them.
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Radios themselves are sub par at best. Definitely not water proof or resistance. Company themselves have very very poor customer service. No matter what rapid radio company tells you there is a 50$ a year fee for this service. 0/10 stars will not do business with.
Response from Rapid RadiosMar 4, 2026
We’re truly sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback.
We would like to clarify that the Rapid Radios G1 model is not waterproof, while our newer RAD1 model is designed with waterproof capabilities. Since the RAD1 was released more recently, we’re not certain which model you received, and we would be more than happy to confirm that with you to ensure the product specifications match what you were expecting.
Regarding the $50 annual service fee, this fee is included with the first year of service at the time of your initial purchase. The renewal information is disclosed on our website within the product description, specifications section, and FAQ page so customers are aware of the annual renewal requirement after the first year. If there was any confusion surrounding this, we sincerely apologize and would appreciate the opportunity to clarify it further.
We also take customer service very seriously, so it’s concerning to hear that you felt your experience did not meet expectations. That is never our intention, and we always aim to provide prompt and helpful support.
Due to the limited information provided in your review, we have requested your contact details so we can reach out directly to better understand your concerns and work toward a resolution. Our goal is always to make things right, and we genuinely hope for the opportunity to turn your 1-star experience into a 5-star one.
We look forward to connecting with you soon.
– The Rapid Radios Team
DW
Daniel W.
FALSELY ADVERTISED
All advertising states Radios will work without Cell coverage. I only researched after the purchase and found it when SHTF, and we have no cell coverage, THESE RADIOS WILL NOT WORK!
DO NOT BUY, FALSE ADVERTISING
Response from Rapid RadiosJan 26, 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about your frustration and appreciate the opportunity to clarify.
Rapid Radios operate on a nationwide push-to-talk network that uses LTE infrastructure, which is different from traditional cellular voice and text services. This allows the radios to work in many situations where cell phones may struggle, but they do require network infrastructure to function and are not designed to operate if all networks are completely offline. We understand how this distinction can be confusing, especially for customers purchasing with emergency preparedness in mind.
We do aim to be transparent about how our products work. Information regarding coverage, service requirements, and limitations is outlined on our product pages, FAQs, and coverage map so customers can confirm availability in their area prior to purchasing. For those specifically looking for a network-independent option for emergency or SHTF scenarios, we also offer My Emergency Radio, which is our HAM radio solution designed for that purpose.
We will be reaching out to you directly to discuss this further and are hopeful to turn your 1-star experience into a 5-star one.
– The Rapid Radios Team
IH
I hate rapid R.
These radios suck
These radios suck. They constantly cut in and out and shut off randomly or disconnect from the group. For $1000 I would’ve kept using phones if I knew these were gonna be that bad. I tried reaching out to customer support and of course no response on their junk product.
Response from Rapid RadiosJan 22, 2026
We’re very sorry to hear about the issues you’ve experienced and understand how frustrating this must be. With the lack of information provided, we cannot find any correspondence or locate you as a customer in our system. We have requested your contact information so we can further assist you.
We are more than happy to help troubleshoot your radios to determine the cause of the issues and find the best solution. Our team takes all feedback seriously, and we want the opportunity to work with you directly to ensure your radios are functioning properly and resolve this experience.
– The Rapid Radios Team
WC
William C.
RAPIDLY RUN AWAY!
RAPIDLY RUN AWAY!
Rapid Radios completely failed to deliver on their own promises. I paid for expedited shipping—1 to 2 business days—and not only did nothing ship by then, but a full week later, my event day has arrived and my order still hasn’t left their warehouse. Despite their listing, they claimed it was about “processing”—but even that wasn’t done. They gave me a tracking number that never got to UPS. i thought they would be better than an overseas fly by night company but they are worse! If you want reliability, do yourself a favor—run from “Rapid” Radios, because there’s nothing rapid about them.
Response from Rapid RadiosJan 21, 2026
We’re truly sorry to hear about your experience and understand how frustrating this situation must have been, especially with an important event on the line. This is not the level of service we strive to provide, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused by the shipping and processing delays.
Our team is currently reaching out to you directly so we can review what happened, address your concerns, and work toward a resolution as quickly as possible. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention and hope to have the opportunity to make this right.
– The Rapid Radios Team
AL
Albert
“Misleading by Design: Read This Before You Buy”
To bad i can't give a negative 10 stars
I didn’t misunderstand Rapid Radios — I was misled.
There is a clear and repeated pattern in their advertising and responses: they avoid plain language and rely on technical wordplay to obscure material facts that would obviously reduce sales if stated honestly upfront.
Here are the facts, stripped of spin:
• These “radios” REQUIRE a cellular SIM card
• They REQUIRE active LTE/4G infrastructure
• If cellular networks go down, these radios DO NOT WORK
• That fact is not clearly disclosed in their advertising
• “No monthly fees” is technically true but deliberately misleading, because a mandatory annual SIM renewal exists after year one
• Contacts and functionality can be remotely controlled or disabled by the company
• This is not independent radio communication — it is a locked, talk-only cellular device
Rapid Radios repeatedly uses phrases like:
“not the same as cell phones,”
“different infrastructure,”
“nationwide coverage,”
“no monthly fees,”
—all while carefully avoiding the one sentence that actually matters to consumers:
These devices are useless without cell towers.
I purchased these specifically for emergency preparedness — when networks fail. That use case is exactly what their marketing strongly implies, while quietly excluding the critical dependency that defeats the purpose entirely.
Reading through dozens of reviews shows the same response pattern over and over:
• deny deception
• redefine words
• redirect to fine print
• claim transparency without practicing it
This is not honest marketing — it is semantic manipulation.
In my opinion, this crosses from aggressive advertising into deception. A reasonable consumer would absolutely believe these radios function independently during outages. The company knows that clarifying the cellular dependency would drastically reduce sales — and that is precisely why it is buried, minimized, or framed in evasive language.
People should know exactly what they are buying:
A proprietary, subscription-dependent, cellular push-to-talk device — not an emergency radio, not a prepper solution, and not a network-independent communication tool.
I regret the purchase, and I regret trusting a company that relies on word games instead of transparency.
“These Are Not Radios — They’re Locked Cellular Devices”
“Emergency Radios That Don’t Work Without Cell Towers”
“Misleading by Design: Read This Before You Buy”
“Not What Reasonable Buyers Are Led to Believe”
“This Product Fails the One Scenario It’s Marketed For”
“Requires Cell Towers — That Fact Changes Everything”
“Works Only If Cellular Networks Are Up”
“Critical Dependency Not Clearly Disclosed”
“Marketing Relies on Wordplay, Not Transparency”
“Read the Fine Print Before Trusting Your Safety”
“When ‘No Monthly Fees’ and ‘Nationwide’ Don’t Mean What You Think”
“Semantics Over Substance”
“This Is a Cellular Service Disguised as a Radio”
“Confidence in Advertising, Silence on Reality”
“If You’re Buying for Emergencies, Read This First”
“This Is Not Emergency Communication — Period”
“False Sense of Security Is Worse Than No Radio at All”
“Selling Safety While Hiding the Catch”
Response from Rapid RadiosJan 20, 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. We’re sorry to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations, and we appreciate the opportunity to clarify a few important points for anyone considering our products.
Rapid Radios are Push-to-Talk (PTT) devices that operate over nationwide LTE infrastructure. This information is disclosed on our product pages, FAQs, landing pages, and in our post-purchase emails. The first year of service is included with each radio, and after that, the annual service renewal is $50 per radio. There are no monthly subscriptions, contracts, credit checks, or automatic billing requirements.
Our radios do rely on network infrastructure to function, which is why we also provide a coverage map on our website so customers can confirm service availability in their area before purchasing. While they operate on a different system than standard cell phone voice and text services, they are not intended to replace traditional emergency communication tools in scenarios where all infrastructure is unavailable.
For customers specifically seeking off-grid or emergency-only communication, we also offer the My Emergency Radio, which is our HAM radio solution designed for emergency preparedness use cases.
We have requested your contact information and are hoping to speak with you directly regarding your experience so we can better understand your concerns and address them appropriately.
We would genuinely appreciate the chance to turn your 1-star experience into a 5-star one.
– The Rapid Radios Team
SC
Shayne C.
If You Are a Prepper
If you are a prepper, don’t waste your money. They get around saying that the radios will work when s*** hits the fan, but if all cell networks go down, they will not work. To truly ensure your family’s safety when the time comes, get a different radio.
Response from Rapid RadiosJan 15, 2026
Thank you for sharing your perspective. We want to clarify that Rapid Radios are Push-To-Talk devices, which rely on existing cellular networks to operate. They are designed to provide nationwide communication where traditional two-way radios and cell phones often struggle—especially in areas with limited local coverage.
While no cellular-based device can function if all networks are completely offline, Rapid Radios are intended to offer reliable long-range communication during everyday emergencies, natural disasters, travel, and remote work scenarios where standard walkie-talkies fall short.
For customers who are specifically looking for an option designed for emergency-only use such as prepping, we also offer the My Emergency Radio, which is intended for critical communication situations.
We always strive to be transparent about how our technology works and are happy to answer any questions to help customers choose the solution that best fits their needs.
– The Rapid Radios Team
