Tech Editor Fox Morgan put the Icom M25 Handheld VHF Marine Radio through a comprehensive hands-on test - here's how it performed

Product Overview

Overall rating:

Pros:

  • Great value, Impressive battery life, USB connector/universal charging

Cons:

  • Not fully waterproof, No GPS

Product:

Icom M25 Handheld VHF Marine Radio Review

icom 25 handheld vhf radio - Best handheld VHF marine radio:

Icom M25 Waterproof Handheld VHF Marine Radio – Blue

Best value handheld VHF marine radio

The Icom M25 Handheld VHF Marine Radio is a lightweight low spec VHF handheld radio suitable for taking with you paddleboarding or in your tender as well as for use to augment a fixed VHF unit on a larger boat.
The float and flash system works well too so if you do drop it in the water it’ll carry on functioning and you’ll be able to retrieve it easily. Rated to IPX7 you won’t want to leave this submerged for too long but it certainly will keep on functioning with the odd dunking.

The slim design means that it is one of the lightest units on the market at a mere 225g. The radio also has a tidy micro USB connector for convenient charging from a variety of electronic devices in much the same way as a mobile phone.

Even though it is a small unit, it does still feature plenty of screen real estate and it boasts an LCD screen that is 30% larger than its predecessor, the IC-M23. Battery life is impressive too, offering 29 hours on standby, charging back up to full in 3 hours.
It is not a DSC radio and does not have built-in GPS, so is not particularly a safety-feature heavy radio, but for those looking for a reliable, budget, but dependable handheld VHF, this will do the job.

In our volume test this scored an impressive 80db coming only second to the more powerful Icom 37 unit.

The Icom M25 Handheld VHF Marine Radio would have scored a solid 5 stars if the waterproofing was a little more waterproof for paddleboarders and kayakers who would benefit greatly from this VHG handheld.

Specifications
• Battery life: 29 hours on standby monitoring VTS CH12
• Waterproofing: IPX7
• Floating: Yes
• Weight: 225g
• DSC: No
• GPS: No

Buy Icom – M25Euro from Amazon UK

Buy Icom – M25Euro from Gael Force Marine

Buy it now on Amazon US

Buy it now on Walmart


If you’re looking for more handheld VHF marine radios read more in our buyers guide: Best handheld VHF marine radio: 11 feature-rich options for your boat