Best Weather Radios

Top-rated radios combine usability and accuracy

No radio gets more positive feedback from both expert reviewers and users than the Midland WR-300 (*Est. $50). Though it's been around for quite a while now, the radio continues to draw raves. On his enthusiast website, Graham McClung compares the WR-300 to two other desktop weather radios and gives it an edge. Among the positives are accessory outlets that let you link the WR-300 to a public-address system or to auxiliary warning devices such as strobe warning lights and pillow vibrators. That means that the Midland WR-300 is an appropriate choice for those who are hearing impaired.

Richard C. Rhodes, a ham-radio enthusiast, performs an extensive test of the Midland WR-300 for his wide-ranging website. Among his comments are points to consider when programming a weather radio with Specific Area Messaging Encoding (SAME). Rhodes notes that the Midland WR-300 requires you to get the SAME location codes on your own (they are available from the National Weather Service website on the Internet; see Useful Links) and enter them manually. On the upside, blocking unwanted alerts is easy in the Midland WR-300 according to Rhodes, who appreciates that the radio lets users add future alert codes.

The Midland WR-300 is also highly rated at most user-review sites, including Amazon.com, where this weather radio has racked up an impressive 4.3 (out of 5) rating after nearly 600 reviews. It also scores well at eHam.net, Cabelas.com and RadioShack.com. Most users laud the WR-300's performance as a weather radio. One fairly consistent gripe is that the Midland WR-300's performance as an AM/FM receiver or as a clock radio is inferior to its weather radio prowess, a problem that Rhodes says arises "when you make a relatively inexpensive device try to do too many things." The WR-300 is Public Alert certified.

Though feedback isn't as extensive, the Sima/First Alert WX-150 (*Est. $35) looks to be a good alternative to the Midland WR-300 weather radio. In terms of features, the only thing lacking is AM/FM reception capability -- perhaps not too bad a thing since that's the biggest weakness of the Midland radio. It has the ability to block unwanted alert codes, and most users say that programming is not too onerous of a procedure. There's also an accessory outlet for outboard devices such as lights, vibration modules or a remote siren, similar to the one found on the WR-300 weather radio. On the down side, some note that reliability might be an issue and we saw some complaints that back-up batteries don't last as long as expected. Still the WX-150 emergency radio draws far more kudos than complaints.

The Midland WR-100 (*Est. $35) is another popular Public Alert-certified weather radio, but it gets mixed reviews. Opinions at eHam.net are split. Some commend the WR-100, but others complain of reception and construction issues. Users at Amazon.com are much happier and more than 300 owners award the Midland WR-100  an overall rating of 4.3 out of 5. The lack of alert blocking is noted, but it seems to be a factor that clearly bothers some users more than others. The Midland WR-100 also lacks a few other features found in the more expensive WR-300, most notably the ability to receive AM/FM radio signals. There is, however, a built-in time and alarm clock feature, plus the ability to store 25 program codes. Its styling seems to fit better in a bedroom than the WR-300, but the inability to block unwanted alerts could lead to some restless nights for owners. Note that there are three versions of the Midland WR-100 on the market: the WR-100, WR-100B and WR-100C. According to the manufacturer, the difference lies only in the packaging; the units are identical.

Portable weather radios

Most weather radios are larger desktop units, usually with a carrying handle. A few models are smaller and more portable, but we found mixed reviews for these handheld weather radios.

The Oregon Scientific WR602 (*Est. $45) is a portable, handheld weather radio that meets Public Alert standards. The WR602 weather radio includes a charging cradle and a power adapter, so as long as it's in the cradle, the included rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack is kept charged (it can also run on three AA batteries). One disadvantage, however, is that while you can use SAME to only receive alerts for your area, and block out ones from more distant locations, you can't lock out specific kinds of alerts. Though the WR602 comes with preloaded SAME codes, it also includes the ability to change those codes should they change for your location.

The radio receives all weather radio bands, but not AM or FM. You can select a specific weather channel frequency or set the Oregon Scientific WR602 to automatically tune to the strongest one. In addition to turning on the radio, when an alert is received the WR602 issues an alarm tone and shows the nature of the alert on its display. Other features are modest, but some might appreciate the built in digital alarm clock.

Most user reviews are positive, but some also complain that the Oregon Scientific WR602 weather radio could have a better reception range. We also saw a few say that while the radio is a good performer, the run time on the rechargeable batteries could be better. Some add that the instruction manual is overly complex and tough to understand.

The Midland HH54VP2 (*Est. $45) is a portable, Public Alert-certified SAME radio that's drawn pretty good user reviews -- though not enough of them for us to draw a definitive conclusion. This radio has a siren, a large, readable screen and receives all NOAA broadcasts. Accessories include a charging cradle, rechargeable battery pack, power adapter and belt clip. The Midland HH54VP (*Est. $35) is the same radio, but comes without the battery pack and charging cradle, running instead on standard AA alkaline or rechargeable batteries. That could be a problem as, while reports are limited, what we saw indicates that battery life is extremely short.

Though it lacks SAME capabilities and is not Public Alert certified, the Sangean DT-400W (*Est. $60) seems to fill the bill for those that want a rugged portable AM/FM radio with emergency alert capabilities -- at least that's what over 100 owners posting at Amazon.com seem to be saying. Coverage includes all seven of the NOAA bands, and the radio will issue a loud tone whenever an emergency alert is issued. One negative is that the earbuds (included) double as an antenna for FM and weather stations, and reception is heavily compromised unless those are plugged in.