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Top 3 Best Budget Emergency Radios For 2025

Looking for the best budget emergency radios? After careful research, we’ve picked three great radios that won’t break the bank.

First, a reliable choice with versatile power options. Next, a compact, no-frills radio for essential use. And finally, a cheap emergency radio that blends durability and efficiency for the best value.

Let’s dive in…

Number 3. FosPower Original

FosPower Original is a compact portable emergency weather radio that is simply designed using analogue functionality and manual switches to move between modes, improving power usage compared to LCD display counterparts.

It picks up NOAA, AM and FM radio stations but won’t receive weather updates unless the radio is turned on and you are tuned into a weather station.

Sound quality is reasonable, and reception can be improved by extending the small telescoping antenna tucked neatly into the body of the radio.

The radio’s greatest feature is its multiple power options as it comes with a 2000 mAh battery which can be recharged:

Via a micro-USB port from the mains
From a hand crank
And via an in-built solar panel on the top

In addition, it has a separate battery compartment which takes 3 AAA batteries which can be turned on by switching the battery mode over.

Main power charging is the most effective way of keeping this radio fully charged however.

A steady hand crank over 4 hours can also fully charge the battery if you have the time, patience and endurance. The solar panels are not recommended for charging the device as it is very slow. It is best used to elongate battery use on sunny days.

A small light near the tuner panel glows red when the radio is recharging and will turn green when the battery is fully recharged.

This radio can act as a cell phone charger, though of course it will drain the batteries to do so. However, especially with the crank handle option, you can get enough power into a mobile device to make calls.

Don’t expect it to charge the phone fast or fully though.

Underneath the radio is a toggle switch between SOS alarm, off and cell phone charger mode which people seem to forget about. Switching this toggle to SOS activates an incredibly loud siren and turns on a flashing red beacon, though the radio doesn’t emit an SOS radio signal.

A reading light is tucked under the solar panels, which you tilt up to access and a small telescopic antenna is tucked into the body of the radio, well out of the way. The flashlight beam focus is adjustable by twisting the casing at the front.

Overall this is a great budget emergency radio for outdoor use as its fairly durable hard-plastic casing is water resistant and it comes with a lanyard and carabiner making it easy to carry around. Note that this model was upgraded in 2020 and you can now get versions with a 4000 mAh battery and/or digital LCD screen.

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Number 2. Midland ER10VP

Though it takes the spot of a basic emergency radio on a budget, Midland ER10VP is a very capable radio with remarkable features.

It is a tiny radio, smaller than the Midland ER-210 and the ER-310.
In a way, this series trends towards fewer features when moving from the highest model to the lowest. The design language and the overall appearance retains some similarities but the Midland ER10VP gives up some features seen in the ER210 to take on a much more compact and lightweight form factor. The radio measures just about 5x3x1.5 inches and weighs only 8.8 ounces.

The low weight and compact dimensions make it more compatible for use for camping and by ultralight backpackers.

Midland says the included wrist lanyard helps keep the radio with you at all times. It’s a nice touch and fairly practical too. I wouldn’t carry it along on the wrist, but tying it on the backpack or a carabiner sounds like a good idea.

Now that we’ve considered its usability, let’s see what features this radio gives up to carve a niche for itself.

The ER10VP doesn’t offer a rechargeable battery, hand crank, or solar panels as seen with most emergency radios. Instead, it solely relies on three AA batteries for power.

To some extent, this factor explains the reduction in cost, size, and weight of the radio.

In a way, the removal of these options is also a good choice for the consumer. You may not want the whole shebang of the multiple power options. Skipping the battery could also increase the lifespan of the radio and make it easier to store.

You no longer have to worry about the battery leaking, bloating, or doing similar weird things. So while it sacrifices a few features, it remains a competent emergency radio – and that’s what it’s supposed to do!

The simplified features also help with the radio’s most important function – weather alerts. According to Midland, the radio’s batteries will run for 26 days when in alert mode. Of course, they’ll deplete faster if you choose to listen to AM, FM, or NOAA weather reports.

Number 1. RunningSnail MD-090p

Like other affordable and manual emergency portable radios, the RunningSnail MD-090p Emergency Radio doesn’t automatically turn on or alert you when there is a weather warning.

You must turn the radio on and tune it to a weather station to hear weather updates. But, like other manual/analogue designed radios, by not being on standby, or having an “always on” LCD display, it uses power more efficiently. The telescopic antenna for improving radio reception clips neatly on the outside of the casing.

You can move between the weather, AM and FM stations using the sliding switch mechanism. You have analogue dials for tuning and volume and on/off which can be quite small and stiff to manipulate so watch out if you have big sausage fingers.

Power options, usage and functionality are a bonus on this model and for such a compact size it carries a replaceable 4000 mAh battery making it well suited as a cell phones charger out in the wilds or during power cuts. The hand crank is supposed to generate 20 minutes of radio time per minute of cranking and a bit longer for the flashlight, however, don’t rely on the solar panels to recharge the battery.

Solar power will be more useful for prolonging a charged-up battery during. Note that using the tilt function to position the solar panels will turn on the reading lamp underneath resulting in some unnecessary drain of the battery at the same time. You’re better off awkwardly angling the entire radio in the direction of the sun. The radio connects to the mains using a micro-USB power cable.

It comes with a battery indicator light which is red when charging and green when done and shows battery life going down in 25% increments.

Nice touches are the carabiner and adjustable wrist strap, but this model doesn’t come with an earphone jack. The 4 LED reading light and adjustable flashlight are useful for nighttime activities or power cuts. It comes with that soft touch type of coating over the casing which is nice to begin with but may degrade over time.

It doesn’t come with an SOS radio beacon, but there is a toggle switch underneath which switches between cell phone charger mode, off, or SOS siren and flashing light to alert rescuers in the vicinity. Overall it’s a pretty decent cheap emergency radio and great value for its price.

So what do you think? Is this the best cheap emergency radio for you?

Or do you think another budget radio is better? Check another video where we reviewed the top 3 emergency radios and see if any of these is a better option for you.

Tell us in the comments below.

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Have An Awesome day!