Emergency Hand Crank Radio, FORNORM Solar Radio 2000mAh Power Bank Wind Up Radios with Phone Charger and 4 LED Reading Lamp, AM/FM/7 NOAA, 4 Power Methods, Green

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On top of that, the flashlight was noticeably less powerful, offering only about 20% of the brightness of our top pick’s light.

You can rotate the top-mounted solar panel up to a 90-degree angle to orient it toward the sun, and you can charge the radio from dead just with solar power (although the manufacturer recommends against doing so, as it can damage the battery capacity). A double-tap of the flashlight button triggers a blinking red SOS light from this position, as well. The hand crank sits between those knobs, at the intersection of the X, and folds away neatly when not in use; unfortunately, we found the crank to be somewhat disappointing in our tests, as it generated only about one minute of radio time per minute of cranking (about a third of what the company promises). Even if you don’t live in an area that’s prone to hurricanes, earthquakes, or other natural disasters, it’s still a good idea to be prepared.Whether you're out of service range or out of power, these emergency radios will provide the necessary resources to keep you safe.

SAME alerts can be especially useful if you live in an area that’s prone to certain extreme weather events and you don’t want to be bothered with other warnings from the standard NOAA alert system, which can get annoying with enough frequency. Case in point: At my home in Boston, I still receive NOAA alerts for thunderstorms, hurricanes, and cold-weather warnings from two hours away in New Hampshire or Cape Cod. With no automatic alert function built into the lightweight travel companion, you may need to keep this tuned — thankfully it has the power to do so — when concerned about incoming weather or hazards. In addition, Thom has written extensively about climate change, including reporting from the Paris Climate Accord in 2015 as part of a UN media partnership and working on a more recent commission from Cornell University that focused on community-based responses to, and preparedness for, extreme weather events.

The ER310 has all the power and charging options we look for, and it lasts three times longer than its smaller cousin, the ER210. Maybe you’re more concerned about tornados than flash-flooding, for example—with SAME alerts, you can program your Eton Sidekick to alert you only when there’s a tornado warning that might affect you.

In our tests, the pivoting antenna on the ER310 made it easy for us to home in on radio signals everywhere, from a basement in Boston to the middle of the woods in Tompkins County, New York (although we did encounter some sparse patches in the Catskills). A tough design will be able to withstand difficult situations, and integrated lights can illuminate the way.We paid mind to a number of different factors, including reception, run-time, charging capability, durability, and more. I have had only one, thank you Lord, occasion to use this in an emergency situation and it worked flawlessly. With easy-to-use alerts, four charging options, a bright LCD screen, a powerful flashlight and straightforward controls, the Midland ER310 outperformed the other radios we tested in every area and makes a valuable addition to your household emergency kit.