Baofeng UV-21R vs Radtel RT-860

The Baofeng UV-21R is the clear winner for most buyers. The single most important differentiator is owner satisfaction: the UV-21R has earned a 4.5 out of 5 rating from 775 Amazon reviews, while the Radtel RT-860 scores 3.9 from 139 reviews. This substantial difference in owner feedback reflects what customers actually report experiencing with each radio in the field.

The UV-21R also offers better value at $27 compared to the RT-860's $39, despite delivering 6W of transmit power that we can verify. For the RT-860, we lack the transmit power specification, which is a notable gap in our data. The UV-21R includes CHIRP programming support, giving you more flexibility for customization. The RT-860 is lighter at 255g versus 300g, but this modest weight difference rarely matters in practical handheld use.

Buy the Baofeng UV-21R if you want strong owner satisfaction at an economical price point with proven CHIRP compatibility. Buy the Radtel RT-860 only if weight is your primary concern and you're willing to accept fewer owner reports and less published specification data. For nearly everyone else, the UV-21R delivers better documented performance and user confidence.