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Emergency radios
When the internet and the cell network go quiet, a radio still works. It is the cheapest piece of gear on this site and one of the most useful.
By Walter Wolf · Updated November 2026
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In short
- Get a radio with AM, FM and the weather band.
- The same seven weather frequencies are used in the United States and Canada.
- Ordinary AA or AAA batteries are the most dependable power. A crank is the backup, not the plan.
- An alert radio that sounds on its own is worth having for the bedroom.
- Find your local stations now and write them on the radio.
What to look for
- AM and FM. Local stations carry the news that matters to your street. AM reaches a long way at night.
- Weather band (WX). Seven channels between 162.400 and 162.550 MHz carry round-the-clock forecasts and warnings. NOAA Weather Radio in the US and Environment Canada's Weatheradio both use them.
- Alerts. Some radios sit silent and switch on when a warning is issued for your area. Models with SAME coding let you choose your own county or region, so you are not woken for a warning 200 km away.
- Power. Best to worst for a long outage: replaceable AA or AAA cells, then a built-in rechargeable battery, then solar, then the crank.
- A real speaker and a simple dial. You will be using it in the dark with cold hands.
The truth about hand cranks and solar
A crank works, and it means the radio can never be completely dead. But a minute of cranking gives only a few minutes of listening, and charging a phone from a crank is close to hopeless. The small solar panel on top of these radios takes a full day of sun for a modest charge.
So buy a radio that also takes ordinary batteries, and keep spare batteries with it. Treat the crank as the last resort it is.
Picks
Each button goes straight to that product on Amazon.
Midland ER310
AM, FM and weather band with alerts. Runs on its rechargeable pack, six AA batteries, the crank or solar, and has a bright flashlight. The best all-rounder. Not water resistant, so keep it inside.
Midland WR120B
A desktop alert radio with SAME coding, so it only sounds for your own area. Plugs into the wall with AA battery backup. Put it in the bedroom and it wakes you for a warning.
Kaito KA500
AM, FM, shortwave and weather band, with five ways to power it including three AA cells. Shortwave reaches distant stations if local ones are off the air.
Sangean MMR-88
Compact and solidly built, AM, FM and weather band, with a crank, solar panel and built-in rechargeable battery. Note it has no slot for ordinary batteries.
Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA, 8 pack
A radio without batteries is a paperweight. Lithium AA cells keep for up to 20 years and work down to −40, which ordinary alkaline cells do not.
Set it up before you need it
- Find your stations. Tune in your local weather channel and two local news stations, one AM and one FM.
- Write the frequencies on tape and stick it to the radio.
- Program your region if it is a SAME alert radio. The codes are on the NOAA and Environment Canada websites.
- Store the batteries beside it, not in it. Batteries left in a device for years can leak.
- Test it every few months.
Using it in an outage
Listen at set times, such as on the hour, morning and evening, then turn it off. That saves batteries and saves your nerves. Write down anything that matters: boil-water notices, warming centre addresses, restoration estimates and the time you heard them.
Do you need a two-way radio?
For most households, no. Small FRS walkie-talkies need no licence and are handy between a house and a neighbour within a kilometre or so. Anything with longer range, such as amateur (ham) radio, needs a licence and practice. A receiver is the priority. You need to hear more than you need to talk.
Sources
Official guidance this page was checked against. If your local authority says something different, follow them.