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Top 3 Best Weather Radios In 2024!

Looking for the best weather radio?

We have done an extensive review of the Top weather radios and we rated them according to Features, Build Quality, Audio Quality, Ease of Use and Value for Money.

Price information and all weather radios mentioned in the video are available in the description.

Number 3. Midland WR120B – Best Budget Weather Radio

The Midland WR120B, also called the Midland WR120EZ, is an updated version of the Midland WR120 and the WR100 models with the modifications designed to make it easier to use and program, and it certainly is simple to operate.

This desktop radio takes 3 AA batteries which you can keep installed as a backup in case the power goes out. They seem to last around a week and will kick into use when unplugged from the mains or during power outages.

Like its more feature-rich counterparts, this public-alert certified weather radio receives NOAA weather alerts, and you can set it to receive from the strongest weather station in your area, though it will scan for others in the background.

The radio has S. A. M. E localized programming with the ability to store up to 25 S.A.M.E locations. In addition, you can set the radio to receive one S.A.M.E alert, multiple, or all (or even none if you forget to turn the alert switch hidden on the side on).

You can turn some notifications off, but not all. Those that can’t be disabled won’t show up on the Edit Alerts menu when programming, so don’t worry, you’re not going mad if you can’t find some of them when you’re scrolling through and setting it up.

Three LED colors indicate warning, watch or advisory alerts. If the weather alert radio doesn’t receive an alert for 10 days, it will activate a test alert itself. However, most areas will have some kind of weekly test, as long as it doesn’t jeopardize genuine emergency situations.

When weather alerts come through, you can turn them off by hitting the biggest button on the top, which also doubles as your snooze button if using as an alarm clock.

Unlike some other weather radios, this radio can detect the “end of message” after which the radio goes back into standby mode which preserves the battery when not using mains power.

You can choose tone or voice alerts as well as visual LED flashing lights. It also comes with an external alert port which enables you to connect external alert mechanisms like strobes or a vibrating pillow mechanism which is especially useful if you are visually or hearing impaired. The alert sound is loud, up to 90 dB though the sound is adjustable.

The speaker and reception aren’t as good as some radios but the WR120 does come with an RCA antenna jack meaning you can attach an old-style antenna to massively improve reception.

The radio doesn’t receive normal AM/FM radio bands but does have an alarm clock which wakes up to your choice of buzzer or weather reports.

Most of the buttons for operation are on the top of the radio, so there is less scrabbling around the side trying to find switches. Do make sure the alert button on the side is set to “on” if you want to use it for weather alerts.

The white casing has hinged feet and can be wall mounted. The display faces up, rather than at an angle so may not be visible across the room on a desk.

Overall, it is a decent budget pick as a basic, desktop weather alert radio and clock.

Number 2. C. Crane CC Skywave SSB 2 – Best Premium Weather Radio

C. Crane CC Skywave SSB 2 is remarkable with its features and versatility. That’s impressive because this radio isn’t one that does a little bit of everything. Instead, it’s pretty good at many of the things it does.

While this isn’t a dedicated weather radio, it’s better at handling weather notifications than most weather radios. And that same performance energy is carried on to other bands as well, including AM, FM, SW, Airband, SSB, and scannable civilian frequencies.

As a weather radio, CC Skywave SSB 2 can receive all NOAA channels, including alerts. Setting the radio to the weather channels is relatively simple. The first button (WX SW AIR) on the controls will let you listen to, or switch between, WX (weather channels), airband, and shortwave.

Setting up NOAA alerts is handled through the AM-FM/Alert button. A quick press of this button will switch the radio between AM and FM modes. However, a long press will activate the weather alert.

Users can choose to activate the alert for 4, 8, or 16 hours. To deactivate the NOAA alert feature, you’ll have to long press the AM-FM/Alert button again, for approximately two seconds.

It’s worth noting that when in alert mode, the radio will continue to function and scan for alerts even if the radio is switched off. So, if conserving batteries is your priority, you may want to switch alerts off. Speaking of
batteries, the radio can work off two AA batteries. If you choose to use NiMH (please say “Nickel Metal Hydride”) batteries, they can be recharged while placed inside the radio. A 5V microUSB port is available on the side of the
radio to make this possible.

The availability of the microUSB port in the C. Crane CC Skywave SSB 2 is an upgrade over the use of the mini USB port in its predecessor, the CC Skywave SSB. There are a few such incremental upgrades in the SSB2. These include a slightly better speaker, wider feet for more stability, and an external antenna jack with adapter for better SW reception.

With all these features of note, it’s very easy to forget how tiny this radio actually is. CC Skywave SSB 2 measures just 4.75″ Windth x 3″ Height x 1.1″ Depth.

It fits in nicely with competitors like the Tecsun PL990. Both radios have similar performance, but the Tecsun is more expensive. This is partially due to the presence of a built-in Li-ion battery and a microSD card slot that lets the Tecsun radio work as an mp3 player.

The small size of the Skywave also means that though the speaker is an improvement over the previous model, it isn’t very impressive. It’s still pretty good, but you might get better audio quality with decent earphones. On that note, the device comes with CC Buds Earphones, which are pretty good.

Other accessories in the package include a faux leather carry case, shortwave antenna adapter, and 23 feet portable shortwave reel antenna.

Overall, the Skywave SSB 2 is a remarkably versatile radio with excellent performance as a weather radio. It’s easy to set up alerts or listen to weather channels and it does remarkably well on other bands as well, including AM, FM, SW, and Airband.

To sum up, what we like is the…
● Good performance as weather radio
● Easy to set up alerts
● Works on FM, AM, SW, Airband, and more
● Can connect to external SW antenna
● Can work with 2 AA batteries, rechargeable NiMH batteries, or DC adapter.

On the downside…
● Compact size can be something of a surprise
● “pop” noise when using headphones and switching bands

Our Ratings

Features: 9/10
Value for Money: 8/10
Audio Clarity: 8/10
Ease of Use: 9/10
Overall Rating: 9/10

Number 1. Midland ER310 – Our Top choice

The Midland ER310, like other portable emergency weather radios, doesn’t receive S.A.M.E alert notifications but does scan the 7 NOAA weather channels and receive weather alerts.

A small red light to the left and above the operating buttons comes on for an hour after a weather notification comes in to prompt you to check the NOAA weather channels for the last update. You have the option to set the radio to scan by channel or frequency.

It comes with both day-to-day and emergency features. It has AM, FM and the NOAA weather radio stations but while you can switch between the three, you can’t pre-set the stations so you will return to the last one you were on in each mode.

Compared to the older model Midland ER210, this radio is slightly bigger but sturdier, has an easier hand crank, longer battery duration and additional battery capacity by containing an additional battery space for 6 AA batteries in case you need an alternative to the proprietary Midland battery.

The lithium ion battery is fully rechargeable via a USB cable from the mains over about 6 hours.

The battery can also be recharged using the solar panel, also taking up to 6 hours, though some reports suggest it will do so faster, while others suggest it will never get to full charge on the solar panel. Once charged the battery should last 32 hours compared to 25 hours for the ER 210 model.

You can also use the Hand crank for emergencies. You can get a few minutes of charge from it after a decent burst of cranking.

In addition to the instructions, USB cables, and battery, the set comes with an emergency kit checklist – a thoughtful extra! Seriously though, you must make sure you test and maintain this emergency radio if it is part of your camping or survival kits. Don’t leave it plugged in all the time, but do set yourself a reminder to check, test and recharge the battery every 1 to 3 months.

The 2600 mAh batteries are proprietary to Midland so replacing them is not always straightforward. Make sure you also have fresh AAs in your kit.

The radio has a flashlight with high, low and strobe settings. The low setting will prolong the battery, and the strobe is bright enough to attract attention, along with the silent for people, dog whistle for rescuers if required.

The LCD display will show a dog icon flashing if the dog whistle is on so use this to double check you’re not freaking the neighborhood dogs out. The display screen shows the time which it alternates with the radio station playing, has a battery life indicator and can be backlit.

The speaker volume has 12 settings and can reach around 87 dB, again good for attracting attention when using the siren. Sound quality isn’t great but is adequate to hear messages. It has a nifty little tuck-away slot for the antenna, but it can be quite hard to pull out and push back in.

The connector ports are under a rubber seal, for earphone jack, battery and USB charger and the radio can charge your mobile device if required.

Overall, it’s a great compact portable emergency weather radio with a comfortable grab handle and plenty of useful functions for day-to-day outdoors and in emergencies.