Best overall in radios and alerts
A grab-and-go outage radio: AM/FM anywhere, NOAA channels for US owners, a flashlight and a phone top-up, charged by USB, crank, solar or AA cells.
Our score: 7.9/10 out of 10Researched, not lab-tested
- Radio type
- Portable crank/solar radio
- Battery capacity
- 3,500 mAh
- Charging input
- Micro-USB
- NOAA weather channels
- 7
Is it right for you?
Pros
- Charges by USB, crank or solar; runs on 6 AA cells as a backup
- USB port to top up a phone
- LED flashlight with SOS strobe
- AM/FM works anywhere, Canada included
Cons
- Charges by micro-USB, not USB-C
- No SAME: it sounds for every alert on its channel, weekly tests included
- Solar only stretches a charged battery; it won't revive a dead one
- Midland's own pages give two battery sizes (3,500 and 2,600 mAh)
- Best for
- Anyone building a go-bag or outage kit who wants one radio for news, a flashlight and a phone top-up, with NOAA alerts for US owners.
- Not for
- Bedside alerting for one county (choose a SAME tabletop radio), or Canadian buyers expecting weather-alert broadcasts, which ended in March 2026.
Our verdict
The ER310 is the radio to grab when the lights go out or you have to leave. It does several jobs in one box: AM/FM for local news anywhere, NOAA weather channels for US owners, an LED flashlight with an SOS strobe, and a USB port to top up a phone. It charges from micro-USB, a hand crank or its solar panel, and if the built-in pack runs flat it also takes six AA cells (not included).
Two limits matter. Its weather alert has no SAME filtering, so with alerts on it sounds for everything on the tuned NOAA channel, the weekly test included; for bedside warnings for one county, the Midland WR120 is the better tool. And the charging port is micro-USB, not USB-C. Midland’s own pages also disagree on the battery: the current product page says 3,500 mAh and up to 45 hours of normal use, an older spec sheet 2,600 mAh and 32 hours.
Setup and use
Charge it by USB first. Midland says solar only stretches a charged battery and won’t bring back a flat one, so give it a full charge from the supplied micro-USB cable before it goes in the kit. After that, kept in a sunny spot, Midland expects two to three weeks between charges, and about a week without sun.
It is never quite off. The ER310 is designed to stay on and show the time; holding BAND only stops the sound. For long storage fully off, take the battery pack out and keep it separately. When you top up a phone, the radio stops charging it once its own battery runs low, so it keeps enough to stay on.
In an outage, use its flashlight and a lantern rather than candles, as CPSC advises. Keep a set of AA cells with it as a last resort.
In Canada? Environment and Climate Change Canada says Weatheradio Canada is no longer in service (it closed in March 2026). Near the border the ER310 may still pick up a US NOAA transmitter, with US alerts only. For Canadian warnings use the free WeatherCAN app and Alert Ready, which reaches TV, radio and compatible phones. The ER310’s AM/FM, flashlight, crank and phone charging work anywhere. More options in our radios and alerts hub.
Specs
Midland ER310 Emergency Crank Weather Radio
Radio
| Radio type | Portable crank/solar radio |
|---|---|
| AM/FM radio | Yes |
Alerts
| SAME county alerts (US) | No |
|---|---|
| NOAA weather channels | 7 |
Power
| Solar panel | Yes |
|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 3,500 mAh |
| Charging input | Micro-USB |
| Batteries | Rechargeable lithium-ion pack; 6 × AA as a backup (not included) |
| Charges a phone (USB out) | Yes |
Build
| Flashlight | Cree LED, 1400 lux, SOS strobe |
|---|---|
| Weight | 662 g |
Other details
| Hand crank | Yes |
|---|
Maker’s figures, checked 3 Nov 2026.
ER310 questions
Can the ER310 charge a phone?
Yes, from its USB port, using the radio’s own battery. Midland says it stops charging the phone when the radio’s battery runs low, so the radio itself stays usable. Midland doesn’t publish the battery’s watt-hours or the port’s output, so we can’t say how many full phone charges to expect.
Will the solar panel charge a dead battery?
No. Midland says solar only extends a battery that is already charged and won’t revive a flat one. Charge it fully by micro-USB first, then leave it somewhere sunny: Midland expects two to three weeks between charges that way. The crank and six AA cells are the fallbacks.
Why does it go off for weekly tests?
The ER310 has no SAME county filtering. With weather alert switched on, it sounds for every alert broadcast on the NOAA channel you tuned, including the weekly test. If you want a radio that wakes you only for your own county, a SAME tabletop model is the better choice.