Customer Reviews

Shower Radio

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I have both the Sony ICFS79W Shower radio and the Brookstone. I needed another radio because the on/off switch on the Sony wore down (that is, the rubber covering wore down) after only a couple years of use--in my opinion, this is a pretty significant flaw for a "water-resistant" radio. In any case, I've been more than happy with the Brookstone. The sound is, perhaps, slightly better than the Sony and build-quality seems significantly better. No signs of wear, for example, on the on/off button. Speaking of which, the Brookstone has a nice feature: there are two on buttons; if you press the larger one, the radio will automatically shut off after 20 minutes. That's an almost perfect amount of time for me--I rarely listen to the radio for more than 20 minutes at a shot (it is, after all, for the bathroom).

Other reviewers have noted that the suction feature is problematic. That's true. In fact, I don't use that feature any more; I just set the unit on a shelf. if you need to place to put your radio, then this would be a definite issue. However, compared to other products with a suction feature, it works reasonably well -- that is, it'll stay put for a couple of weeks. Still, after falling a couple of times (fortunately, from a very low height over the counter and with no damage whatsoever), I decided to be safe than sorry.

Battery life has been OK. The first set of batteries lasted about 6 or 7 months. Not great, but not as bad as one reviewer indicated (of course, he/she may have been playing the radio for 10 hours a day, in which case, yes, I can see the batteries being used up quickly). Again, though, it's important to reiterate that this radio is meant for the bathroom, not as a primary-use radio (in which case a plug in radio would obviously be a more logical choice).

Update: The Brookstone is very well made. After several years of use, there is still no visible wear on any of the buttons. The product is holding up extremely well--much better than the Sony.

Upgraded to this one after putting up with the crappy iSing $15 model for 10 months. Could not ask for anything more except a digital clock. I thought I would hate the analog clock, but it is surprising easy to read, even to the minute. Love the presets (a must have if more than one person uses the shower.) The 20 minute timer is an awesome feature. Great, loud, clear sound. Mine was missing a manual, but the Brookstone website had it on-line. The manual gave an incorrect procedure for setting the presets. (After tuning to the desired station, press M, then the desired preset button, then press M again. Great purchase. (P.S. It does not tell you, but an AAA battery is required to run the clock.)

Also, ours fell off the shower wall and broke part of the suction mechanism off after about a week. My husband said, "I thought it was kind of weird that it moved a little when I pushed the buttons". Seriously! Now we just have it set on a shelf we mounted above the shower. It fell from about 6 feet and still works great. Wish it was designed so you could use the suction and the hanging mechanism at the same time.

I have had this radio for about 2 years. It still works good, i have dropped it a few times and the back is duck taped on, but still sounds good. the volume knob only works sometimes and the batter life is the worst. It uses 4 "C" that must be changed about every month, which makes it a little pricy to use.

Overall i would say it's a good shower radio but too expensive to keep buying batteries for it.

My husband and I went through two cheap shower radios pretty quickly, so we decided to get this one to see if more money offered a better product. So far, so good. We've had it for a year or two and have only changed the batteries 2-3 times. Once the preset radio stations are programmed, you don't have to think about it again (has a separate long-life battery for this feature). My husband loves the auto-off feature and uses it all the time. Great sound and durability. I do find myself looking at the radio station numbers for the time, which is annoying, but analog clocks are sometimes better for quick glances anyway. The one big con for this is that it's just too heavy to trust the suction cups. We quickly found an alternative - a waterproof Command hook that holds very strongly to the shower wall, then use their lanyard to hang it on the hook.

This radio is solidly built and sounds good. When I purchased mine 15 months ago, a thin plastic-coated cable was included in the box (not the antenna). The instructions didn't refer to it but it seemed just right for tethering the radio to the neck of the showerhead. Then when the suction cups inevitably and periodically lose their grip, the radio just hangs rather than crashing.

In the time I've had it, I've changed the batteries twice, which seems reasonable. The only feature I'd like improved is the number of resets. It has 3 AM and 3 FM, and I wish it had a couple of more FM resets. Highly recommended overall.

After researching and purchasing shower radios over the years and being continually disappointed, this is a winner. It is extremely well made and easy to use. The sound is rich and full. It is also very easy to set up and use. My mornings get off to a good start.

First problem was the suction cups were not sufficient to hold the radio up. After it fell several times, we built our own metal hanger to hang over the shower wall top. Then after about 6-7 months the FM tuner started to fail, and we couldn't get stations under 92.5. It gradually got worse and now we can get NO FM stations. Brookstone store AND customer service department won't do anything about it. Very disappointing. We will not be buying anything from Brookstone in the future.

This was a reasonably functional shower radio, while it lasted. The problem was that about every 2 weeks, the suction cups would fail, dropping it on the floor (no, no one was in the shower to knock it down at the time). And, as it fell, the features began dropping off, too. First the timer quit working. Then the station pre-sets. Then the power button. Then the tuning. And so on... Long story short, for $50, I expect something that's not going to self-destruct in a few months. (I might have given it a 2 star rating, but this is the story with every Brookstone product I've ever had.)

This is the only well-made shower radio I've found at anywhere near the price. I give it high marks for ease of use and overall design/quality of construction. I wanted a radio with a clock and this has one. It is analog and easy to read. I listen to news/talk and the speaker is more than adequate for that (better clarity with the volume up a bit). For those who prefer to listen to music, it should satisfy, as the overall sound quality is good. One small point regarding the instructions for mounting the radio using the suction-cup bracket: the lanyard must be attached to the bracket, not the radio. I've had the radio attached to the shower wall for a month now and the bracket is still holding firm. But don't forgo the lanyard. You will need a hook, handle or something comparable to place it over. One last point: I recommend mounting the radio at or slightly above ear level for better sound, as there are louvers that partially cover the openings on the speaker cover to protect the speaker from water. These tend to direct the sound downwards.

The radio portion functions fine, but the radio comes with no realistic way to mount it. Don't buy this unless you have a shelf to set it on. The suction cup mount is completely worthless. I've tried to mount it MANY times with varying degrees of moisture on a tile wall and the suction cup mount can't even hold itself up for more than a minute or two, let alone this relatively heavy radio that's supposed to attach to it. (In contract, I have a suction cup soap holder on the same tile that hasn't fallen off in over a year and I assure you my kids are not gentle with it). And the lanyard that comes with it is no solution either. Due to where the lanyard attaches to the back of the radio, and the weight distribution of the radio, if you just try to use the lanyard to hang it from the shower head or a towel bar, the whole thing hangs in such a way that it's pointing downward and looks ridiculous (but I'm sure your feet will be able to hear it well). What is just comical is that Brookstone manual that comes with the radios says "...an unyielding commitment to excellence, we maximize the quality of our products...". I am confident that the person that wrote that has never used this product.