Re-insert the battery pack and AA batteries (if desired), then using the hand crank, crank the radio at a good pace for 90 seconds and try the radio function. And when that runs out, it can be recharged via a hand crank or direct sunlight with its solar panel.

Finally, we tested each radio’s resilience by dropping it into a running shower to simulate getting caught in the rain and then dropping it onto a concrete surface from 5 feet above to see if anything broke. The Kayinuo DF-580 had the biggest battery we’ve ever tested on a weather radio, and it showed—we spent more than a day trying to drain it, but it just kept going. This radio literally shines as well, with its included reading lamp, flashlight, and red blinking emergency light.Stay tuned and track information via AM/FM radio stations and weather conditions via NOAA broadcast regardless of grid power supply. The sound was enough to scare my dog and seems like a great addition to any device that could be used to save your life.

It’s also one of the rare models to offer Bluetooth connectivity, as our upgrade pick does, and the speaker doesn’t sound too terrible, either. However, we found the user interface to be a bit more complicated than what the clean and simple WR400 offers. It’s also more durable against water and drops, and it’s more convenient and comfortable to carry, than most other emergency radios we tested.The brightest of its three flashlight settings is actually a little brighter than that of either Midland model, and it also provides a handy reading lamp underneath the pivotable solar panel. 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).