We researched radios across price ranges and considered options that receive National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather alert broadcasts at a minimum and offer other emergency features like flashlights and charging. We also consulted preparedness expert John Ramey, founder of The Prepared and a leader of the “sane prepper” community, about the benefits and key features of these devices. “Emergency radios are near the top of the priority list,” Ramey says. “Communication during a crisis is essential.” Based on our research, the Midland ER310 E+Ready Emergency Crank Weather Radio has the best combination of weather alerts, power options, durability, and additional features that offer emergency value. Here are our picks for the best emergency weather radios. One downside, though, is that the ER310 lacks the Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) functionality that lets you program codes specific to your county, so you may get alerts that don’t necessarily affect you. Also crucial for an emergency radio is staying powered when you need it, and the ER310 can run on six AA batteries, solar power, or a manual hand crank. Its rechargeable internal battery has a solid 2600-milliampere hour (mAh) capacity, enough for over 30 hours of radio use or just remaining on standby mode to wait for weather alerts. You can even use it to charge your phone or other devices through USB. In general, the ER310 is well built, with a sturdy, water-resistant exterior, easy-to-press buttons, and an easy-to-read display. An ultrasonic dog whistle and a bright LED flashlight with an SOS signal add extra emergency benefits. The KA500 also provides extra options when it comes to its power supply. You can insert three disposable AA batteries, recharge the internal battery through a Micro USB cable, plug in an AC adapter from a wall outlet, or use the built-in solar panel. A hand crank is available if those other options fail you, though the mechanism isn’t the sturdiest. Still, the radio’s overall construction feels durable enough thanks to its somewhat water-resistant, rubberized casing. Rounding out the KA500’s features are a headphone jack and three varieties of LED lights you can use for reading or in flashlight modes. Finally, a 5-volt USB output can charge devices like your phone, but you won’t get too much mileage from the radio’s meager 600mAh battery. It’s not powerful enough to replenish other devices fully, but you may be able to use it to raise the charge level on smartphones and other gadgets—as long as they still have a little battery life. The FRX3+ has a well-rounded feature set that helps it earn the endorsement, including a receiver that picks up the seven NOAA weather bands. It delivers alerts with any nearby emergency weather broadcasts (though it doesn’t support SAME codes for specifying your exact location). It has a digital tuner for AM/FM radio, an alarm clock, an LED flashlight/beacon, and USB charging capabilities for some smartphones. The FRX3+ also offers three charging methods: hand crank, solar power, and charging the internal battery via a Mini USB cable. The radio’s squarish, X-shaped construction gives it a distinct look that matches the Red Cross branding, and it’s compact enough for most go-bags. However, besides the easy-to-grasp handle at the top, the design sacrifices some practicality. It’s not rated water- or impact-resistant, and the manufacturer recommends avoiding rain and moisture. The ES-CR01’s decent-sized 1000mAh lithium-ion battery is estimated to last for 7 hours of operation, and you can charge it through a Micro USB cable, solar panel, or hand crank. You can also use it to charge other USB devices. Like most portable emergency radios, it includes an LED flashlight but no other light modes or a reading lamp. Esky manages to fit these capabilities into a device that fits in your pocket, much like a smartphone would. The tradeoff is that plastic construction isn’t the sturdiest option available, and it doesn’t come with any durability or waterproof ratings. However, it weighs only about half a pound, so it has the portability to go pretty much anywhere. Despite its small size, the Vondior NOAA Weather Radio is capable of surprisingly strong sound quality. It produces loud, clear audio and gets strong reception through its advanced signal processing chip and 6-inch telescopic antenna. Its manual tuner, while potentially more difficult for large fingers to operate because of its tiny size, allows for finer audio signal control than you can get with automatic tuning. This radio also has a port for headphones, which can be hard to find among emergency radios. Unfortunately, this model doesn’t offer any recharging options, but it’s still simple enough to power it for a long time with just a pair of AA batteries. Defining this model is the SSB feature, in contrast to the less expensive Skywave radio without it. SSB refers to single-sideband mode, which essentially lets you hear two-way communications from ham radio, military and marine broadcasts, and other shortwave stations that you typically wouldn’t have access to. It takes extra effort to identify and tune to the right signals (which can change throughout each day) but opens up many possibilities for radio enthusiasts. The Skywave SSB doesn’t include the same array of features that most emergency-oriented radios do, forgoing a flashlight and USB charging for its radio focus. It can’t recharge with solar power or hand cranking, but it can run for an estimated 70 hours on two AA batteries. It also comes with a carrying case and earbuds. In terms of its radio functionality and other emergency features, the Scorpion II is in line with other (often cheaper) weather radio alternatives. It supports AM/FM and NOAA weather radio, and charging methods include a hand crank, solar panel, and Micro USB cable. It provides a 5-volt USB output, but the 800mAh battery doesn’t offer much charging power. A decently bright half-watt LED flashlight makes the Scorpion II a useful tool for camping trips outside of emergency situations, as do a couple of unique extras: an aluminum carabiner loop at the top and a bottle opener on the side. It includes a reading lamp, but unlike the basic lamp on other radios, the MD-090P’s adds a motion sensor; the lamp kicks on if it detects movement within 3 meters and turns off after 30 seconds of inactivity. Finally, the light comes into play as part of an SOS alarm with a loud siren to signal for emergency help. The MD-090P also has an impressive 4,000mAh battery capacity by way of a pair of replaceable 2000mAh-sized 18650 lithium-ion batteries. In comparison, most weather radios don’t top 1000mAh capacity, with some going up to 2000mAh. Besides providing long-lasting power when fully charged, the battery is also better equipped to charge other devices like phones (even more than one at a time) and tablets. On the back of the device are ports for various outputs, including an external antenna for better reception and external alert devices like outdoor sirens or flashing lights for the hearing impaired. The CL-100 also comes with a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary input if you want to feed in audio from an external player. Designed to stay stationary on a tabletop, the CL-100 works well as a radio alarm clock with the benefits of a full emergency weather radio. At the same time, it’s fairly compact and easy to move around at a little over 1 pound, and it can run on replaceable AA batteries if you need to take it elsewhere and don’t want to keep it plugged in.
Alert Types
Emergency radios, at minimum, allow you to tune in to AM and FM stations as well as the U.S. government’s NOAA weather radio (usually all seven of its broadcast frequencies) to listen for severe weather or natural disaster updates. Certain radios can stay on standby mode and automatically alert you if there’s a warning about dangerous weather in your area—a feature made more useful when paired with Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME) technology to specify the location you want to receive alerts about. “Imagine how you’d be able to receive information, such as updates about a natural disaster, when you don’t have the internet, TV, mobile networks, etc.,” says Ramey. “Radio is the only dependable way normal folks can communicate without the grid—a grid which we’re becoming more dependent on over time, not less, and has proven over and over again to be vulnerable.”
Emergency Features
Emergency weather radios often come equipped with additional functions that could be useful in disaster situations, such as an LED flashlight, sometimes accompanied by a reading lamp, and the ability to signal SOS in Morse code. Many emergency radios can also double as a portable power bank, allowing you to plug in a USB cord to output power from the battery to phones or other rechargeable gadgets. “Radios are one of the products where manufacturers tend to jam lots of features in, such as flashlights and phone chargers and so on,” Ramey says. “We favor products that do a few things well, rather than the Swiss Army knife versions. It’s okay if an otherwise-good radio has these features, but they are nice-to-have backup extras, not something you should rely on.”
Why Trust The Spruce?
Anton Galang is a freelance contributor for The Spruce and Lifewire who researches and reviews household products with a technology focus, from battery chargers to tablets to all manner of smart home gadgets. He has a background in magazine journalism and has covered tech and education since 2007. “A one-way receive-only radio, like a typical NOAA emergency radio, is fine for most people,” Ramey adds. “One-ways are cheap and easy, but you won’t be able to reach out to other people like you can with a two-way radio that both transmits and receives (a ’transceiver’). Two-ways, like a classic CB radio, can do the same things one-ways can but with extra complexity and cost. They often require more training and government licenses, too.” “Hand cranks are common, but experts don’t like them because they tend to break too easily and quickly,” Ramey notes. “So it’s okay if a radio has a crank, but it should be a second or third backup power source, not the main one.” In narrowing down the top emergency/weather radios, Anton considered offerings from more than a dozen manufacturers, seeking out products with useful features in various situations and favoring options with demonstrated reliability and value. He also brought in the expertise of John Ramey, founder of The Prepared website and a pioneer of the “sane prepper” mindset. As one of the first “outed” preppers in Silicon Valley, Ramey has since taught over 10 million people and helped bring preparedness into the mainstream over the last decade.
