Best Emergency Weather Radios | Tested & Reviewed
Emergency radios have come a long way since the WWII lifeboat radio above. Extremely versatile and found in virtually every bug-out bag and survival kit list, they now come with rechargeable batteries, solar, and crank power as standard options. All emergency agencies (FEMA, CDC, CERT, etc) agree that every family should have one, and you won’t find a prepper who disagrees. There are plenty of brands and types to choose from when it comes to emergency radios.
This is where we come in. We’ve researched the best survival radios, tested each of them, and the results are in: the overall best, a starter option, and an upgrade option. If you need a radio that will keep you informed in a survival situation, one of our suggestions will help keep you up to speed.
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In this latest update of the best emergency weather radios, many additional recommendations and pictures have been added. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Disclosure»
Best Emergency Weather Radio
Siyegk
Versatile, 5,000 mAh, and Effective
Solid, dependable function paired with a solid 5,000 mAh battery makes this the ideal pick for your radio Swiss army knife.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
This radio is feature-packed and has a larger rechargeable battery, making it the top pick of our review roundup.
Specifications
- Bands: Weather, AM, FM
- Display: LCD
- Flashlight: 3W flashlight, 2.5W flip-up reading lamp
- Alarm Loudness: 120 dB
- Battery Storage: 5,000 mAh
- Power Generation: Crank, solar
- Ports: Headphone, USB, USB-C
- Weight: 16.0 ounces
The 5,000 mAh gives you 50 hours of continuous radio play on a single charge, but the other methods let you power the radio on demand with extreme versatility. Pick up this easy-to-use radio and you’ll be adding tons of versatility to your survival kit and setting a solid foundation.
Budget Emergency Radio
iRonsnow
Cheap, 2,000 mAh, and Dependable
A small and lightweight option that will get the job done on the go- and for cheap!
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
This small and lightweight option is smaller in length and width than most smartphones, making it ideal for mobile kits.
Specifications
- Bands: Weather, AM, FM
- Display: Dial
- Flashlight: 1W flashlight
- Battery Storage: 2,000 mAh
- Power Generation: Crank, solar
- Ports: Headphone, USB, USB-C
- Weight: 7.8 ounces
The radio will run up to 12 hours on a fully charged battery, making the iRonsnow Emergency Radio the clear pick for those on a budget or looking for an on-the-go solution.
Best Home Alert Radio
Midland WR-120
Good Reception, Easy to Set Up, and Dependable
Be alerted to any hazard with programmable alerts for your local area.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
This tabletop alarm radio is ideal for those who live in tornado or earthquake-prone areas. Leaving it on to receive alerts for your localized area can give you the seconds you need to get you and your family to safety.
Specifications
- Bands: Weather
- Display: LCD
- Flashlight: None
- Alarm Loudness: 77dB
- Battery Storage: 3xAA
- Power: 120V AC
- Ports: External alarm, external antenna, clone
- Weight: 16.0 ounces
When you first get it, you’ll want to set the time and program your location so it’s S.A.M.E. technology can alert you only to local hazards and emergencies. Besides the alerts, it can also function as an alarm clock. It has flip-out feet (like a computer keyboard) to tilt the LCD display. The device features a backup battery compartment on the back, allowing it to continue operating during power outages.
The Midland WR-120 Home Alert Radio is the clear pick for those who need a weather alert system.
Upgrade Emergency Radio
Eton Odyssey
Rugged, Versatile, and Effective
Powerful lights, strong radio reception, and a rugged rubberized case make this radio ideal for survival situations.
*Price at time of publishing; check for price changes or sales.
This radio picks up more than the rest, hitting all of the weather bands easily, as well as the AM/FM channels. It can also pick up shortwave, which can give you a little more versatility in an emergency.
Specifications
- Bands: Weather, AM, FM, Shortwave
- Display: LCD
- Flashlight: LED spot/floodlights
- Battery Storage: 2,000 mAh, 3xAAA
- Power Generation: Crank, solar
- Ports: Headphone, USB, USB-C
- Weight: 22.0 ounces
Juice this thing up, and you’ll be sitting pretty through any emergency. It can run through USB, crank, solar, built-in 2,000 mAH battery, or three AAA batteries you put in the back.
One of the downsides is that it weighs more than most emergency radios- well over a pound. You’ll also need a small Phillips screwdriver to access the battery compartment- not always convenient in an emergency, but necessary for its rugged IPX4 rating.
The Eton Odyssey Emergency Weather Radio is a solid upgrade pick for your survival kit.
Comparison Table
| Emergency Weather Radio | Recommendation | Price* | Bands | Internal Battery | Add. Power | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siyegk | Best Overall | $24 | WX, AM, FM | 5,000 mAh | 3AAA | 16.0 oz |
| iRonsnow | Best for Budgets | $14 | WX, AM, FM | 2,000 mAh | 7.8 oz | |
| Midland WR-120 | Best for Home Alerts | $50 | WX, AM, FM | AC | 3AA | 16.0 oz |
| Eton Odyssey | Most Durable | $46 | WX, AM, FM, SW | 2,000 mAh | 3AAA | 22.0 oz |
| RunningSnail | $17 | WX, AM, FM | 2,000 mAh | 7.8 oz | ||
| Yesiwtc | $27 | WX, AM, FM | 2,000 mAh | 3AAA | 13.4 oz | |
| FosPower A1 | $30 | WX, AM, FM | 2,000 mAh | 3AAA | 10.9 oz | |
| Leaton | $33 | WX, AM, FM | 10,000 mAh | 21.8 oz | ||
| Midland ER210 | $49 | WX, AM, FM | 2,200 mAh | 14.8 oz |
The Weather Radios We Compared
Our research narrowed the field down to several radio brands that we tested: RunningSnail, Red Cross, Kamapulo, Midland, Tenergy, FosPower, RCA, and more.
There are a lot of brands that make emergency radios these days, with a wide range of prices. We found that price doesn’t necessarily line up with function, power, and versatility, and as a matter of fact, you can find several different brands selling the same unit at very different prices.
Many of these brands are using the same manufacturers, so it is important to make sure that you aren’t getting fleeced when there is a better deal from another ‘brand.’ You can see our full list of review criteria below in the What to Look For section, with an explanation for each.
Like other radios (walkie-talkies, CB, ham), we have compared and reviewed, and you will be hard-pressed to find equipment that isn’t from China (or Japan in amateur radio’s case). One stand-out with these radios is the brands that don’t shy away from sharing specs.
Analysis & Test Results
The best emergency radio has several important features to look for.
- Value
- Reception
- Battery Capacity
- Durability
- Versatility
When you get the right blend of these, you can find a reliable radio that will keep you informed in an emergency. Below, we break down what each of these features means for a truly dependable emergency radio:
Value: Cost vs. Benefit
The amount of money you spend on something like a radio shouldn’t blow out your budget. Having one is better than having none, but the same applies to other tools and gear you may need for an emergency. Budget according to your risk and your needs rather than just spending lavishly.
On the flip side, you don’t want to go too cheap. You can still find emergency radios in big box store bargain bins that won’t hold a candle compared with our budget pick. Don’t get too frugal when it comes to something you will rely on in an emergency.
You never want to spend too much money on one resource, especially something like a radio. It’s better to diversify your tools and preparedness gear to make sure you are covered for a wide range of scenarios. There is a sweet spot where you get high value out of the best features at not too high a price, which is where our top pick sits.
Reception
A radio is not worth a damn if it can’t reliably pick up a signal. Integrated, extendable, and positionable antennas work best when you are trying to pick up reception in a remote area. That’s why each of our picks has this. The downside is that you could possibly break or damage the antenna if you are not careful.
This is worth the risk compared to housed antennas, which don’t match the reception of these models. Emergency radios with housed antennas may be tough and durable, but you need to be able to receive the emergency communications, or the radio is essentially useless.
Battery Capacity
Battery capacity in these radios is measured in mAh (milliampere/hour), and they step up as you step up in price. A few of the ones that we reviewed didn’t list mAh or had misleading numbers that people may assume mean battery capacity (but don’t). Steer clear of those, because the capacity was lower than 1000 mAh in the unlisted or ‘misleading’ products.
All of our picks use rechargeable batteries, and a few of our picks have extra battery compartments for common batteries, like AA or AAA. This can let you pop in some new batteries to quickly regain function if you drain the rechargeable batteries. It’s not built-in battery capacity, but having more options to power your radio is always good.
Durability
While the emergency radios of today are not made of steel like the WWII lifeboat radios, the ABS plastic is strong enough and much lighter. We did notice the durability of the knobs, antenna, lights, and radio housing does scale slightly with price, but most of the radios were the same.
You will need to take care of your radio. Our top pick does have IPX3 waterproof and shock-resistant housing, but even that should not get crushed in your bug out bag, sat on, or fully submerged in water.
Versatility
Emergency radios have an amazing number of uses these days. With all of our picks, you have these versatile options:
- Weather Band radio
- FM radio
- AM radio
- Flashlight
- Crank charging
- USB charging
- Solar charging
- Charge your USB device (cellphone/smartphone)
A few of our picks have these extra features, which make them slightly more versatile:
- Shortwave radio
- Headphone jack
- SOS Flashlight
- SOS Alarm
- USB-C port
- micro USB port
- Compass
- Red Flashlight
- AAA battery power
Larger battery capacities also contribute to versatility, since they will let you use these extra features more often.
How to Use an Emergency Radio
The basic function of any emergency radio is the weather radio. You’ll want to learn how to tune in to updates by setting your radio to the NOAA weather band. You’ll need to set the radio to “WM” or “WB”, usually with a switch on the unit. Some radios will let you scroll between weather band frequencies, or turn a know between presets.
All of the other radio bands, charging methods, compasses, lights, and other tchotchkes are icing on the cake and easy enough to figure out. Most of the time, you’ll have better lights, chargers, and compasses, but combo radios make for excellent back-ups.
The Shootin Guy (TSG) shows how to use our top pick:
Who Needs an Emergency Radio?
Everyone can use at least a basic emergency radio. The combination of functions that they provide gives everyone a cheap and easy building block to work towards preparedness.
This is one reason it pops up on almost all of our survival kit checklists.
Emergency radios are essential for:
You can always use the radio for things beyond emergencies and survival kits, too, of course. It can come in handy while you are camping, or you can sneak a listen to the big game out in the yard. There are better tools for those, but like any multitool or combo tool, an emergency radio makes it easy to keep track of and compact.
Sources & References
All of our experience and the testing we do to determine the best emergency radio is useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our hands-on testing and practical military and prepping experience:
Jones, J., et al. (1987). NOAA Weather Radio: The Source of Weather Information 24 Hours a Day. Natl Weather Service Forecast. (Seattle, WA). (Source)
Kupec, R. (2008). Tuning In: Weather Radios for Those Most at Risk. Journal of Emergency Management. Volume 6, Issue 4. (Source).
Troutman, T., et al. (2001). The Importance of Educating the Public Regarding NOAA Weather Radio Reception and Placement within a Structure. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. (Source)
Conclusion
Emergency radios save lives every day. Staying informed during an emergency could be the difference between life and death. It isn’t the only radio you can use for emergencies, though: How Will You Communicate in an Emergency?
To go along with a solid emergency radio, you should also consider a few other tools that can help keep you in touch:
- The Best Survival Walkie Talkie for Emergencies
- The Best Emergency Whistle for Outdoor Survival
- Home Survival Kit List | 53 Essentials
See more of our expert-written guides, resources, and reviews in your search results – add TruePrepper as a preferred source.
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