Top 5 compared
The best hand-crank radios
Radio, flashlight and phone charger in one, for hurricane season, winter storms, power outages and the car trunk.
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The top 5 at a glance
A hand-crank radio keeps the news and a light going when the power’s off, charging from USB, sunlight or its own crank, and every one here can top up a phone too. Each picks up the NOAA weather band, which the National Weather Service broadcasts around the clock from more than 1,000 transmitters across all 50 states.
Charge it fully when it arrives, then keep it where you can find it in the dark. The crank is the last resort: a minute of winding gives only a short burst of radio or light. Some also take ordinary AA or AAA batteries, a backup that doesn’t depend on the weather or a strong arm.
What matters
- A big battery, in mAh, if phones need charging too.
- An automatic NOAA alert, if it should wake you for a warning.
- A large solar panel rather than a thin strip.
- A loud SOS siren and a bright flashlight.
#1Mesqool CR1030 Emergency Weather Radio (12,000mAh)
$50–$75
A big-battery emergency radio built for long outages: the 12,000mAh battery can keep a phone going as well as the radio and lights, and the solar panel is much bigger than the usual strip, so a sunny windowsill does real work. A large tuning knob makes it easy to find a station in the dark.
What owners say: Owners find it reliable on every band, with a crystal-clear speaker and a loud SOS siren, and say the big solar panel keeps it charged for a long time; its compact size makes it easy to store.
A closer look: Charge it fully by USB-C when it arrives, as Mesqool asks, then leave it on a sunny windowsill to stay topped up. Flip up the frosted lamp for soft light around a table during an outage, and save the focused flashlight for the walk to the breaker box.
- Large tuning knob
- Extra-large solar panel
- 260 ft flashlight beam
- 3-year replacement promise
Best for: Long outages and charging phones
- Bands
- AM/FM/NOAA
- Charging
- USB-C, solar, crank, 3 AAA
- Battery
- 12,000mAh
- Charges a phone
- Yes
- Light
- Flashlight + reading lamp
- Extras
- SOS siren
#2Emgykit Pocket Hand Crank Radio (AM/FM/NOAA)
$10–$20
Pocket-size, about 5 by 2 by 2.5 inches and half a pound, so it fits a glove box, a go-bag or a desk drawer at work. It still gets the NOAA weather band, charges by crank, sun or USB-C, and has a three-LED flashlight and an SOS siren.
What owners say: Easy to tuck into a bag, a basement shelf or an emergency kit, owners say, with clear sound and a bright light; some call it a tiny powerhouse, others find it smaller than they pictured.
Heads up: With a 2,000mAh battery it gives a phone a top-up rather than a full charge, so keep it for the radio and light first.
A closer look: Hold the SOS button for three seconds and it sounds a siren of over 80 decibels to draw attention. It charges from a laptop’s USB port as well as a wall charger, so an afternoon at the computer is enough to top it up.
- Weighs about half a pound
- Charges from a laptop’s USB
Best for: Glove boxes and go-bags
- Bands
- AM/FM/NOAA
- Charging
- USB-C, solar, crank
- Battery
- 2,000mAh
- Charges a phone
- Yes
- Light
- 3-LED flashlight
- Extras
- SOS siren
#3Midland ER310 Emergency Crank Weather Alert Radio
$75–$100
From Midland, a Kansas City radio maker since 1959, and the one here with a true NOAA alert: when the weather service issues a warning it sounds a siren, flashes and switches to the weather channel. Six AA batteries back up the rechargeable one, and the Cree flashlight has an SOS beacon.
What owners say: Heavy-duty and easy to use, owners say, with intuitive controls and a loud alert; most find the battery holds a good charge, though a few had one stop recharging.
A closer look: Switch the alert on before bed in storm season and it stays quiet until a warning comes through. Keep six AA batteries in the compartment as a backup and move the switch from Li to AA if the built-in battery runs down; the radio pauses while it’s charging a phone.
- Radio pauses while charging phones
Best for: Weather warnings at home
- Bands
- AM/FM/NOAA
- Charging
- USB, solar, crank, 6 AA
- Battery
- 2,600mAh
- Charges a phone
- Yes
- Light
- Cree LED flashlight
- Extras
- Weather alert, SOS, dog whistle
#4RunningSnail Emergency Crank Radio with Reading Lamp (4,000mAh)
$30–$50
A step up from the classic pocket crank radio: a 4,000mAh battery that can charge a phone, a three-mode flashlight, an external antenna and a reading lamp with a motion sensor that comes on by itself.
What owners say: Clear reception and good sound for its size win owners over, along with the bright light and phone charging; some expected a bigger radio, and a few batteries stopped holding a charge.
A closer look: The motion-sensor lamp makes a good night light in a hallway during an outage, coming on as someone walks past. Charge it every few months even when it isn’t used, so the battery is full when the storm arrives.
- External antenna
- 3-mode flashlight
Best for: Hurricane kits and night lights
- Bands
- AM/FM/NOAA
- Charging
- USB, solar, crank
- Battery
- 4,000mAh
- Charges a phone
- Yes
- Light
- Flashlight + motion lamp
- Extras
- SOS alarm
#5PRUNUS J-369 Emergency Weather Radio
$20–$30
A small, retro-styled radio with four ways to power it, including three ordinary AA batteries, which is handy when there’s no sun and no time to crank. The extra-long antenna helps pull in weather stations.
What owners say: Reception impresses owners, some picking up stations 150 miles away, with loud, clear sound and a handy light; several found the solar panel wouldn’t charge it.
A closer look: Flick the switch to AA mode when running on batteries and to Li-ion before charging a phone, as the instructions explain; the AAs power the radio only. Pop out the solar panel and it becomes a reading lamp, and it’s small enough for a glove box or a weekend bag.
- Extra-long antenna
- Solar panel doubles as lamp
- AAs power the radio only
- Retro-styled case
Best for: AA backup and the car
- Bands
- AM/FM/NOAA
- Charging
- Micro USB, solar, crank, 3 AA
- Battery
- 3,000mAh
- Charges a phone
- Yes
- Light
- Flashlight + reading lamp
- Extras
- SOS alarm
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Mesqool CR1030 | #2Emgykit | #3Midland ER310 | #4RunningSnail 4,000mAh | #5PRUNUS J-369 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Best weather alert | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.6 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Price | $50–$75 | $10–$20 | $75–$100 | $30–$50 | $20–$30 |
| Bands | AM/FM/NOAA | AM/FM/NOAA | AM/FM/NOAA | AM/FM/NOAA | AM/FM/NOAA |
| Charging | USB-C, solar, crank, 3 AAA | USB-C, solar, crank | USB, solar, crank, 6 AA | USB, solar, crank | Micro USB, solar, crank, 3 AA |
| Battery | 12,000mAh | 2,000mAh | 2,600mAh | 4,000mAh | 3,000mAh |
| Charges a phone | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Light | Flashlight + reading lamp | 3-LED flashlight | Cree LED flashlight | Flashlight + motion lamp | Flashlight + reading lamp |
| Extras | SOS siren | SOS siren | Weather alert, SOS, dog whistle | SOS alarm | SOS alarm |
| Best for | Long outages and charging phones | Glove boxes and go-bags | Weather warnings at home | Hurricane kits and night lights | AA backup and the car |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.
