Sony ICFS79W AM/FM/Weather Band Digital Tuner Shower Radio (White)

This sony radio is a good shower radio and clock. It has an external antenna that suction cups to the wall.

There are a few parts of this design to note that make this a good product, not a great one. First, the radio has a strap that clips on the back and while hanging, it does not lay completely flat. Second, it takes C batteries and three of them. They are generally sold in packs on two or four and they are not included. Third, the buttons are on top. Style-wise this is a good decision, but because the radio needs to be high enough to see the clock, it makes it more difficult to see the buttons. There is a sleep timer built in to the on button. It would be great if I did not have to push the button five times to get the radio to turn off after 10 minutes. Lastly the volume control; it is well designed and simple to grip, but has only one purpose, unlike all the other pieces on the radio. It stands out as odd.

I wish there were another sleeker option for a clock radio for the shower, but until this one breaks it is good not great.

This is a great radio. We use it in our bathroom and have bought a second one for our son. He's a lifeguard and can listen to music during his shift. He was always borrowing our radio from our bathroom. So we bought him one of his own.

I was disappointed in this radio. The antenna does not do much for it; it is very noisy with static; it only pulls in 2 or 3 stations.
I don't feel this radio is worth the money I paid for it.
Maybe it is just my location but it just does not work well for me.

We have had several of these for years. In fact, my 83 year old mother has used hers so long she has worn the buttons through. She uses it on her kitchen table, and it's about the only radio she can manage with low vision. I had no idea this model was still available. We'll buy several for Christmas this year, so she can stay tuned to NPR for the rest of her life!

The Sony ICFS79W AM/FM/Weather Band Digital Tuner Shower Radio is really well designed for its purpose. I spent a long time trying to find a shower radio that had more than just AM/FM, like a CD player for example. I eventually gave up that quest and gave this a try. Perhaps there are just too few options in radios designed for use in the shower.

Quite frankly, I am kicking myself in disbelief over this product. I was open minded but skeptical when I got this. The strong reception is really the best feature, and the weather band and auto on / off timers are nice extras.

This guy is probably a 5 star product for most people, but I do tend to be picky. For me, it would be almost perfect if not for a few cons. Still, it's hard to find alternatives so it's difficult to know if there is a better alternative.

PROS
+ Absolutely GREAT reception; it's actually really surprising how good it is
+ Nice simple controls that are mostly intuitive
+ Nice extras, like the Weather band
+ Convenient timer to get you going
+ Nice Auto-Off feature for easy morning operation

CONS
- Analog volume adjustment provides little control at lower volumes
- Still requires large C batteries, that are less convenient than AA when using rechargeables
- List price is quite high
- Wire Antenna is difficult to stick up and often comes loose
- Weather band has more static than AM or FM

Granted, the last two cons are minor. Still, this guy could use some improvements. It's hard to believe that for this price only AM / FM and Weather bands are included. Still, while the weather band has static from time to time, the AM and FM are some of the strongest I have heard in a radio of any kind. I am not sure what kind of internal antennae and supporting electronics they have to compliment the standard external wire antenna. But whatever they did, the reception is surprisingly strong and clear.

Having to worry about replacing those large batteries is also a throw-back to 1989, and it would have been nicer if they could have used four AA batteries or some such more standard configuration instead. Most people with lots of electronics already have rechargeable AAs, but few people have rechargeable C batteries on hand. Better yet, if possible perhaps a rechargeable battery might have been an option given the size. Still, perhaps the extra juice of the batteries helps the strong signal. While I have only tested this guy for a few weeks, I have also heard that the batteries last a really long time in it. I will update my review after the first batch run out of power.

Still, if you need a shower radio, this is one of the better options. There are some that offer more features, like a CD player, but most have low satisfaction numbers. I will continue looking for other models. For the time being, it seems like despite a rather high price this might be the one to go with.

Enjoy.