DAB or FM ear defenders
Updated: 21 October 2026
You have named the station, the mower is waiting, and the cup you just bought will not find it. That miss is almost always a tuner problem, not a broken aerial. DAB or FM ear defenders are different radios in the same shape of cup: an AM/FM set can take a service that is still on FM, and it stays silent on a station that exists only on DAB or DAB+. This page is the choice between those paths, using the seven amazon.co.uk listings on the [ear defenders with radio](/hub/hearing-protection/ear-defenders-with-radio) comparison. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have named the station, the mower is waiting, and the cup you just bought will not find it. That miss is almost always a tuner problem, not a broken aerial.
You have named the station, the mower is waiting, and the cup you just bought will not find it. That miss is almost always a tuner problem, not a broken aerial. DAB or FM ear defenders are different radios in the same shape of cup: an AM/FM set can take a service that is still on FM, and it stays silent on a station that exists only on DAB or DAB+. This page is the choice between those paths, using the seven amazon.co.uk listings on the ear defenders with radio comparison. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Radio | Stated attenuation | Bluetooth | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  ZOHAN ZOHAN 042 AM/FM, grey | AM/FM | SNR 30 dB | No | 8.8 | about £49.99 | View offer |
 PROTEAR PROTEAR E8830BT FM/AM, blue | FM/AM | SNR 30 dB | 5.0, colour line | 9.3 | about £78.60 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  PROTEAR PROTEAR E8830BTDAB+ | DAB/DAB+ and FM | SNR 30 dB | 5.4 | 8.3 | about £108.60 | View offer |
On this page
Three ways to hear a station
FM is analogue radio on VHF. If your station is still on FM and the signal reaches the garden, an AM/FM cup can store that frequency without a phone. If the programme has left FM, turning the dial longer will not invent it. DAB and DAB+ are digital multiplexes. DAB+ is the more efficient system, and a DAB+ set can also receive ordinary DAB. A DAB-only tuner misses DAB+ services, which is why BBC Reception says to check the radio itself before you blame the mast. None of these seven listings is DAB-only, and none prints a Digital Radio Tick. Bluetooth streams the handset and is not digital radio. One ZOHAN review says digital stations could not be received, which matches an AM/FM listing.
What is still on air in the UK
FM has not been switched off. The government's 2021 Digital Radio and Audio Review said FM would still be needed at least until 2030. A GOV.UK note in 2026 says almost three quarters of listening is already digital or online, and that ministers are looking at a possible managed move away from FM in the 2030s. That is not a date when your FM cup goes silent this year. If the station has already left FM, waiting for 2030 does not help. Ofcom's March 2023 report put BBC national DAB at about 97.4% of homes and local DAB at about 92%. Those figures describe homes, not a cutting or the far side of a hedge. PROTEAR DAB reviews call reception occasionally patchy. Retune outdoors before you decide the cup is faulty. A metal shed can drop a signal that was fine on the drive. Both DAB listings here also claim FM.
When to buy DAB and when FM is enough
Buy DAB or DAB+ when you have checked that the service is no longer on FM. In this set that means the Doohoeek AC195 or the PROTEAR E8830BTDAB+. A claim on the title is not a Digital Radio Tick and not a coverage promise for your postcode. Skip DAB if you will only play a phone. FM is enough when the station is still on FM and you would rather not pay the premium. The grey and yellow ZOHAN 042, both £49.99, the PROTEAR FM/AM pair at £78.60, and the green PROHEAR 033 at £89.99 sit in that group. The ZOHAN saving disappears if you then buy a second pair for a DAB-only station. The PROTEAR FM/AM file, 4.3 from 1,374 ratings, still cannot receive DAB. The buying guide keeps tuner, SNR and power in that order. Conditional picks are on best ear defenders with radio.
What these listings actually print
Five rows are AM/FM only. The grey ZOHAN 042 (B07YRHPDKH) and the yellow ZOHAN 042 (B082PVMFDM) list AM and FM, with FM from 87.5 to 108 MHz. The green PROHEAR 033 (B0CQWXPG74) is AM/FM plus Bluetooth 5.4. The blue PROTEAR E8830BT (B08L8ZSVZV) and the red PROTEAR (B08L9169C6) say FM/AM with 40 presets. Do not add 1,374 to 1,374. None of those five claims DAB. Two rows claim digital broadcast radio. The Doohoeek AC195 (B0H8CRZ174) is £72.99, with DAB+, DAB and FM, Bluetooth 6.0, 30 dB of passive isolation rather than an SNR, 500 g, and 5.0 from six ratings dated from 20 September 2026 to 1 October 2026. The PROTEAR E8830BTDAB+ (B08L91TPJ8) is £108.60, with DAB/DAB+ and FM, Bluetooth 5.4, SNR 30 dB, and 4.0 from 603 ratings. Reviews call DAB patchy, and charging is the repeated complaint. Comfort on a mower is what the mowing page is for.
Common questions
Will an AM/FM cup get a DAB station?
No. An AM/FM ear defender receives analogue AM and FM only. A station on DAB or DAB+ stays silent on the ZOHAN, the PROHEAR 033 and both colours of the PROTEAR E8830BT. Bluetooth can play a phone app, and that is a stream, not the multiplex.
Is FM being switched off?
Not on a date you can shop against this year. The 2021 government review said FM would be needed at least until 2030. In 2026 ministers opened a review of a possible transition in the 2030s. An FM cup is wrong only for a service that exists on DAB+ alone.
What is the difference between DAB and DAB+?
DAB+ is a more efficient digital system. A DAB+ set can receive DAB. A DAB-only set misses stations that are DAB+ only. Both digital listings here claim DAB and DAB+, not DAB alone. Neither prints the voluntary Digital Radio Tick.
Does Bluetooth count as digital radio?
No. Bluetooth links the cups to a phone or another player. It does not tune a DAB multiplex by itself. If the handset is in the house or out of charge, you get silence even where DAB coverage is fine. Use Bluetooth when you want podcasts or a call, and a DAB or FM tuner when you want a station with the phone left inside.
Which listings in this set have DAB?
Two. The Doohoeek AC195 at £72.99 claims DAB+, DAB and FM, with 5.0 from six ratings and no printed SNR. The PROTEAR E8830BTDAB+ at £108.60 puts DAB/DAB+ and FM in the title, prints SNR 30 dB, and has 4.0 from 603 ratings. The other five are AM/FM.
Why is DAB patchy in a field?
Ofcom's March 2023 figures are about homes: about 97.4% for BBC national DAB and about 92% for local DAB. A garden, a cutting or the inside of a cab is not that sample. PROTEAR DAB reviews call reception occasionally patchy. Retune outside before you send the cups back, and keep FM on the same set as a fallback when the multiplex drops.
Should I still want FM on a DAB cup?
Yes, if the same set offers it. FM is still on air, and a DAB dip should not end the afternoon. Both DAB cups here claim FM as well. An FM-only cup is the better value choice only while every station you use is still on FM.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts are from the seven listings in this comparison. Page updated 21 October 2026.
- Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005, regulation 4 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE hearing protection (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE real-world derating (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE RR1183 chainsaws (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- EN 352-8:2020+A1:2024 record (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- GOV.UK digital radio and audio review (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Ofcom DAB radio report 2023 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE tree-work noise (retrieved 21 October 2026)