When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn moreMidland's three best emergency radios each have their use-cases.James Brains/Business InsiderThe weather here in Michigan has been wild, with hail, thunderstorms, and tornadoes. I need to keep up with the latest weather advisories, watches, and warnings to keep my family and house safe. Since my family doesn’t watch local television or listen to the radio, we don’t get the local weather alerts in the traditional way. Plus, during a power outage, I want to conserve my phone battery. This is where an emergency radio comes in handy.When you think of emergency radios, you may envision storm chasers or doomsday preppers. Yet, they’re really just practical for emergency preparedness as the climate crisis increasingly impacts the weather everywhere.While researching the best emergency radios, one brand kept coming up repeatedly: Midland. The company has been a mainstay in emergency communications since 1959, thanks to its focus on making reliable devices.In this review, I’ll compare Midland’s most popular models — the home-focused WR120, the travel-friendly ER210, and the heavy-duty ER310 — and break down their sound quality, portability, and durability.Our picks of the best Midland Emergency radiosBest overall: Midland ER310 – See at AmazonBest basic: Midland WR120 – See at AmazonBest portable: Midland ER210 – See at MidlandWhat to look for in an emergency radioNOAA band and weather alerts: Your radio is only good if it can tell you about weather alerts and other hazards. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations that broadcast the weather and alerts for your area. Your emergency radio should have the NOAA band and have an audio and visual signal when there’s an alert in your area.Power source: An emergency radio must have power when you need it. Common power sources are Li-ion rechargeable battery, solar power, hand crank, alkaline battery, and simply plugging into a wall outlet. Since emergencies may knock out your electricity, you should look for a radio that has a variety of power sources.Portability: During an emergency, you may have to be on the move, so your radio must go with you. The best emergency radios are easy to carry and can fit in a go-bag.Durability: When you’re bugging out, your radio is likely to get banged up. It should be able to withstand getting tossed around a bit.Other features: Many emergency radios serve as an all-in-one survival tool. Common extras include a flashlight with SOS signaling and a power bank for charging your phone.Best overallWhile each Midland radio has its use, my favorite was the ER310. This heavy-duty powerhouse is a beefier emergency solution with versatile power options: hand crank, rechargeable Li-ion battery, solar charging, and battery backup using AA batteries.Its design is remarkably similar to the more portable ER210, but only the ER310 is about 30% larger and more durable. When I dropped it onto cement, it just turned off; no pieces broke off, and it functioned fine afterward.By my measurement, the flashlight was brighter (55 lux for the ER310 versus 40 lux for the ER210). It has the same SOS flash mode but also adds an ultrasonic dog whistle to aid a rescue team in finding you.The rechargeable battery was impressive, powering the unit for 7.5 hours on top volume and brightest light, and it recharged in six hours using a wall outlet. I was less impressed with hand-crank charging. I only got 10 minutes of use after a minute of cranking, but the solar charging was better, though it has the same solar and device charging limitations as the ER210.Midland addresses this in the product page’s FAQs: “The solar charging is meant to extend the charge of the radio, but not fully charge it. For best results, fully charge the radio via the USB, and then place it in a sunny spot.”The product page addresses another limitation: device charging. The ER310 has a USB port for charging devices. However, it would start charging my phone or laptop, then stop after a minute or two. The company states that the ER310 was created in the early 2000s and wasn’t designed to charge today’s phones. Instead of relying on the ER310 to charge your devices, you’ll want to keep a portable power bank with your emergency supplies.When enough sunlight is hitting the ER310 for it to charge, the red light between the lightning symbol and Band illuminates.James Brains/Business InsiderThe ER310’s audio clarity and loudness were closer to those of the WR120, though the differences between the three radios were negligible. Most people wouldn’t notice the five-decibel difference between them.The ER310 is the only model I used in an emergency scenario, and it worked like a charm. When the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for my county, the radio’s siren went off loudly, and the flashlight started flashing on and off. It was startling, but that’s what you want in an emergency. We immediately received the details and guidance from our local weather channel. It helped keep us informed while my family huddled in the basement.When power, flexibility, and durability matter more than portability, the ER310 is our pick for emergency preparedness.Best basicThe Midland WR120 is a stationary weather alert system in your home. While other emergency radios offer AM/FM bands, this radio exclusively provides weather information through the NOAA broadcasts. The WR120 relies on the SAME system for localized programming: Just enter your county, and you’ll get alerts that apply to your area. You can also program it for up to 25 other counties.The WR120 alerts you to floods, tornadoes, civil danger warnings, thunderstorms, hurricanes, and over 60 other emergencies and weather hazards. The alert’s severity — advisory, watch, or warning — is displayed on the radio. You can also customize your alerts by choosing from alert tones with three loudness levels. The radio doubles as an alarm clock and is backlit for visibility in the dark.The Midland WR120 handles weather radio exclusively.James Brains/Business InsiderUnlike the other Midland radios in this roundup, the WR120 doesn’t have a flashlight or rechargeable battery, though it has battery backup for power outages. I tested the reception in my basement and the sound clarity at its maximum volume (79 decibels). The reception was sometimes fuzzy, but I had no trouble understanding what was being communicated.Since WR120 is mainly powered by a wall outlet, I didn’t test its portability or durability. However, it performed its job as intended. It alerted me during the weekly NOAA weather alert test, and it just sat quietly on my shelf when not sending alerts, though it was fun to press the Weather button now and then to get the forecast. This is a solid option for folks who want a simple at-home way to get weather alerts.Best portableThe ER210 is Midland’s versatile emergency radio, built for everyday use and crisis situations. It’s equipped with three charging options: a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a hand crank, and solar. I was most impressed with the hand crank option. After just one minute of cranking, the radio ran for three hours on top volume with the flashlight on its brightest setting. For reference, the fully charged Li-ion battery lasted six hours and took roughly six hours to charge from empty.While this is the smallest of the three Midland radios I tested, it's packed with features, including NOAA weather scanning across all seven weather channels, SOS mode for the flashlight, and a loud siren and flashing lights when there’s a weather alert near you.The compact size of the Midland ER210 makes it a great choice for staying informed on the go.James Brains/Business InsiderI was impressed with the ER210's sound quality. It had the clearest reception of the three and was also the loudest at 83 decibels. The durability was impressive but not perfect. I dropped it from a height of 7 feet onto cement, and the solar panel popped off, revealing the radio’s innards. Other than this cosmetic issue, everything functioned fine after the drop.The ER210 has a few weak spots. The solar charging underwhelmed me. I love that the charging light comes on when the sun is charging it, but after two hours in the sun, it only provides a few minutes of radio broadcasting. It was also ineffective at charging my phone via USB.Despite these cons, the ER210 is an excellent compact solution for tracking what’s happening during an emergency. Its size and weight make it great for tossing into your everyday carry or bug-out bag.How we tested emergency radiosReception and sound quality: I took the radios to my basement, where the reception is poor, and tuned them to the same stations (AM/FM/NOAA) to compare the sound quality. I also cranked them to their highest volume and used a decibel meter to measure how loud they got.Weather alerts: In my area, the weekly NOAA weather alert test is at 11:15 a.m. each Wednesday. I set up each radio to sound the alarm when this test was going on. I also lucked out during testing and was under tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings, which also triggered the alert system.Power options: I tested all the radios' power options. If the radio had a rechargeable battery, I timed how long it took to charge from empty to full using a wall outlet. To test solar, I timed how long the radio and flashlight ran after two hours of solar charging. For the hand crank, I cranked the depleted radio for one minute and timed how long the flashlight and radio ran.Runtime: I evaluated how long the radios ran from fully charged until empty when I blasted the radio at high volume and shone the flashlight at its brightest setting.Flashlight brightness: I used the same test we use for our best flashlight guide. I shined the flashlight on its highest setting into one end of a 42-inch-long box. The light reflected off the white surface on the other end of the box, and the light meter on the same side as the flashlight measured the lux output. I did it this way because you are likely to use a flashlight to reflect light off of objects you’re trying to see, rather than pointing it directly into your eyes.Durability: With the radio blaring, I dropped each unit from a height of 7 feet onto cement. Then, I observed any pieces that flew off, whether they were busted off for good or could be snapped back on, and if the radio continued to function well after the drop.Usability: With the help of my 11-year-old son, I assessed how user-friendly each radio was, including portability, setting weather alerts, and adjusting the channel, band, and volume. If my kid could perform these tasks easily, then it was user-friendly.Extra features: If there were extra features, I made sure they worked as advertised. For instance, the ER310 and ER210 were unable to charge my phone for reasons we cover in those reviews below.Which should you buy: the Midland ER210, ER310, or WR210?The ER310 isn't as compact as the ER210, but it's more durable.James Brains/Business InsiderER310WR120ER210Best for:Long-term use, serious emergency kitsHome weather alertsCamping, travelPowerRechargeable Li-ion, solar, hand crank, AA batteriesWall outlet with AA-battery backupRechargeable Li-ion, solar, hand crankBattery life7.5 hoursn/a6+ hoursHand crank efficiency10 minutes after one minute of crankingn/a3+ hours after one minute of crankingFlashlightYes, up to 55 lux brightness and SOS modeNoneYes, up to 40 lux brightness and SOS modeSpecial featuresNOAA weather scan, USB charging, ultrasonic dog whistleAlarm clock, continuous backlightingNOAA weather scan, USB chargingPortabilityHeavier, bulkier, but still portableStationary designHighly portable, lightweightDurabilityExcellent (passed drop test)Indoor use onlyGood (vulnerable to breakage)MSRP$69.99$49.99, often $39.99$49.99When preparing for weather and other emergencies, Midland radios have you covered no matter your situation. The WR120 is your best option if you stay in the house and want reliable weather alerts, doing its one job well. Outdoor enthusiasts and travelers should opt for the compact, lightweight ER210, which you can operate for hours with just a minute of cranking. Lastly, the durable ER310 is for serious preppers who want flexible power options and useful emergency features.Whichever you choose, ensure you properly maintain your emergency radio: test it regularly, maintain battery health with regular charging cycles, and keep spare batteries on hand.
