Best weather radios of 2025, according to our tests

Weather radios from Midland, Sangean, Eton, and others battle for the top spot

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The best weather radios might keep you safe before, during, and after a natural disaster. Emergency and weather radios are a far better way to stay on top of weather alerts and often warn you ahead of any weather app on your mobile phone. This is especially important in quickly changing weather conditions, which are all too common in dangerous weather. That’s why we’ve written this guide to help you choose the best weather radio for your needs.

While weather and emergency radios may seem similar, they serve distinct purposes.

A weather radio is designed specifically to receive NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) broadcasts, providing continuous updates on weather conditions, severe weather warnings, and emergency alerts. These radios are essential for people in storm-prone areas or anyone who wants to stay ahead of developing weather threats.

An emergency radio is a more versatile tool that includes weather radio capabilities but also provides other emergency-related functions. These radios are built to help you stay informed and powered during disasters, power outages, or outdoor adventures.

Our Top Picks

Midland WR400 Weather Radio with SAME
Editor's Choice

Midland's top-of-the-line weather alert radio can do it all. It doubles as an alarm clock and weather radio, has a USB outlet to allow you to charge your other devices, and has up to 25 programmable locations to receive alerts.

Midland WR120B Weather Radio with SAME
Budget Pick

Midland's best-selling weather radio offers SAME support and decent performance at a price that anyone can afford.

Eton Quest Hand Crank Emergency Radio
Best Emergency Radio

The successor to the Sidekick is pretty impressive.

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Below, we’ve split our picks between weather and emergency radios.

Best Weather Radios

1
Midland WR400 Weather Radio with SAME
Editor's Choice

Midland WR400 Weather Radio with SAME

Midland's top-of-the-line weather alert radio can do it all. It doubles as an alarm clock and weather radio, has a USB outlet to allow you to charge your other devices, and has up to 25 programmable locations to receive alerts.

It might be one of the market’s most expensive desktop weather radios, but the Midland WR400 is the company’s top-end model and the best weather radio. We own the WR400: it does much more than alert you to severe weather. It also includes an alarm clock and can tune into AM and FM radio stations. If an alert comes through while listening to an AM or FM station, the WR300 automatically switches to the weather radio broadcast, allowing you to hear it. There’s even a USB port to charge a device.

The Midland WR400 is Public Alert certified, meaning it can receive the standard SAME alerts and newer ones, including non-weather alerts. A large, easy-to-read display tells you the warning so you can react accordingly. The WR400 depends on 4 AA batteries for emergency power, but battery life will be an issue during long-term power outages (see our emergency radio options further down this guide).

What We Liked
  • Replaces your alarm clock
  • 4 'AA' for emergency power
  • AM/FM radio and clock included
  • USB-A port to charge a device
What We Didn't Like
  • One of the most expensive weather radios on the market
2
Midland WR120B Weather Radio with SAME
Budget Pick

Midland WR120B Weather Radio with SAME

Midland's best-selling weather radio offers SAME support and decent performance at a price that anyone can afford.

To our understanding, the Midland WR120B is the company’s best-selling model. If you can’t afford the WR300, you can still find a radio that supports all the features we think are critical, including SAME technology in the Midland WR120. It’s also Public Alert certified.

It’s not as easy to use as the WR300, but with some extra work, you should be able to set up the alerts for your location. It even features a built-in clock with an alarm and snooze so you can wake up to the latest weather report each morning. The biggest issue with the WR120B is that there is no battery backup, so when the power’s out, the radio doesn’t work. 

What We Liked
  • SAME support
  • Affordable
  • Built-in clock
What We Didn't Like
  • No battery backup
3
Sangean CL-100 Weather Radio

Sangean CL-100 Weather Radio

While Sangean isn't that well known in the United States, its radios are known for their quality worldwide. the CL-100 is no exception.

Sangean isn’t a well-known name in the US market but is better known overseas. Their shortwave radios are high quality, and the CL-100 SAME weather radio is no exception. The radio is Public Alert certified, which means it meets specific requirements (full SAME support is one) to warn of severe weather adequately. While the radio is bulky, the CL-100’s design hasn’t changed much in the two decades (yes, you read that right) it’s been out.

Verified purchasers report that the alarm is loud and the overall performance of the radio is good. However, the battery backup doesn’t last as long as the Midland radios, which scored higher in our tests. However, the overall quality of this radio is excellent, with 70% of ratings on Amazon five stars.

What We Liked
  • SAME support
  • Louder volume and better audio quality
What We Didn't Like
  • Poor battery life
4
Midland ER10VP Emergency Alert Radio
Best Compact Weather Radio

Midland ER10VP Emergency Alert Radio

The ultra-portable (and cheap) ER10VP is perfect for hikers, boaters, or anybody who needs a portable weather radio.

The Midland ER10VP looks like an emergency radio, but it’s more like a weather radio since it requires 3 ‘AAA’ batteries and has no hand crank. The biggest feature is its size, which is meant to fit in your pocket. We could see this being useful for outdoor activities especially. While the Midland ER10VP doesn’t support SAME alerts, it automatically turns on when an alert is detected. Also included is an AM/FM radio and a flashlight.

What We Liked
  • Auto-on for Alerts
  • Compact
  • Runs on 3 'AAA' batteries
What We Didn't Like
  • No SAME support
  • Battery life
5
Reecom SAME Weather Alert Radio
Budget Alternative

Reecom SAME Weather Alert Radio

It's not a Midland, but its well reviewed and supports SAME.

While Reecom is an off-brand, Amazon reviews on this one are pretty good, and it's one of the few non-Midland radios that supports SAME technology (this allows you to see the alert type on the screen). We'd love to hear from readers about your experiences if you own this particular model.

What We Liked
  • Often on sale
  • Supports SAME
What We Didn't Like
  • Unknown brand
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Best Emergency Radios

1
Eton Quest Hand Crank Emergency Radio
Best Emergency Radio

Eton Quest Hand Crank Emergency Radio

The successor to the Sidekick is pretty impressive.

The Sidekick was our former best pick, but the newer (and more expensive) Quest is crazy good, with AM, FM, Shortwave, and NOAA weather bands with RDS. The radio includes multiple sustainable power options: a solar panel to charge the internal battery via sunlight and a hand crank for recharging during power outages or when off-grid. 

What We Liked
  • SAME support
  • Bluetooth
  • Huge ambient light
What We Didn't Like
  • Battery life
2
Midland ER310 Emergency Radio
Best Performance

Midland ER310 Emergency Radio

Midland's top-of-the-line emergency radio is rugged and well-reviewed.

The Midland ER310 is perfect for areas with frequent power outages due to severe weather. It features a hand crank and solar panels with a 2600mAh internal battery. The included USB port is great for charging a device (like the phone pictured above).

While the Midland ER310 does not include SAME technology, it does have the same scan and alert function when on standby. The radio monitors all seven channels for weather alerts and automatically signals when a warning is broadcast on the strongest frequency. In addition to the weather, AM and FM bands are supported, including a USB port to charge your devices, a LED flashlight, and even a dog whistle.

What We Liked
  • Solar charging
  • AM/FM radio
  • Auto-on for alerts
  • Includes a dog whistle and flashlight
What We Didn't Like
  • Battery capacity is small for the price
3
Midland ER210 Emergency Radio
Best Compact Emergency Radio

Midland ER210 Emergency Radio

The Midland ER310's smaller brother, the ER210 has a smaller capacity battery and overall smaller size, but still as fully-functioned as the ER310.

Think of the ER210 as the ER310’s “younger brother.” It’s smaller and a bit sleeker, but also cheaper. But in exchange for a more affordable price, you’re getting a significantly smaller battery, which might be a pain as it will require much more cranking to keep it charged.

What We Liked
  • Compact
  • Nearly the same features as the ER310
What We Didn't Like
  • No SAME Support
4
Eton American Red Cross FRX3 Emergency Radio
Supports the Red Cross

Eton American Red Cross FRX3 Emergency Radio

The eton American Red Cross Emergency Radio is a great device to have in emergencies, and you're supporting the ARC, too.

The Eton American Red Cross FRX 3+ Emergency Radio is a rebranded Eton radio. It is very similar to the Sidekick. However, it lacks Bluetooth connectivity, SAME support and doesn’t have the large light found on the backside of the Sidekick (an antenna replaces it). However, other features, like the 2600mAh rechargeable battery and flashlight. And it’s also considerably cheaper — and you’re supporting the American Red Cross.

What We Liked
  • Supports the ARC
  • Very similar to the Sidekick
  • Competitively priced
What We Didn't Like
  • No SAME or Bluetooth support
TWSE participates in Amazon Associates and other affiliate programs and may earn a commission as a result of clicking on one of the above links.

How We Test

Unlike many sites, we test the products we recommend or have direct experience with the company. We test select weather and emergency weather radios for several weeks, giving us critical insight into long-term reliability, something a quick review cannot. You can see our testing protocol here and our rating formula here.

We’ve also developed a 100-point rating system that judges each weather radio and emergency radio are tested on the same metrics. We judge accuracy (or performance), affordability, durability, feature set, and ease of use. These categories are weighted to emphasize accuracy and affordability, making up half of a radio’s score.

However, candidates for the Best Weather Radios of 2025 or Best Emergency Radios of 2025 can’t only be a great value: they must perform well, receive alerts correctly, be user-friendly, and have excellent build quality. Our review staff has years of experience using weather and emergency radios: some are degreed meteorologists and scientists. Our writers independently research each device: we do not recommend a device simply because a manufacturer sends it to us.

Wrapping Up

If there’s a chance of severe storms in your area, having a weather radio is essential. It is the best way to stay informed and protect yourself. You can’t leave everything up to local authorities or TV/radio stations since they may not continuously broadcast the most urgent warnings. You’ll never have to worry about missing an alert with a weather radio.

Midland is the best weather radio manufacturer, in our opinion. However, the Eton camping radio differs from the traditional emergency radio, and we could see plenty of uses for that bright ambient light around the fire at night.

But any of these models will do a great job keeping you safe!


Why you can trust our reviews

We have experience with all the products and companies we recommend here on TWSE. Our review staff includes degreed meteorologists and scientists, some of whom have owned the products they review for several years. Our staff has reviewed home weather gadgets for over a decade both on TWSE and elsewhere.

How we test

A weather station or gadget must score highly in our scoring metrics in several key areas, including accuracy, value, durability, ease of use, and feature set. We accept products for review, but we do not accept compensation in exchange for a positive review.

Affiliate Disclosure

The Weather Station Experts participates in affiliate programs including Amazon Associates. We may receive a commission from clicking links on our site.

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