12 Best Crank Radio for Grid Down Emergency in 2021

Why is a crank radio essential?

A crank radio is a must-have in your emergency kit – it will aid you in times of emergencies.

“But what is a crank radio?” you may ask.

In a nutshell, a crank radio is a portable device that receives AM/FM signals and can be powered manually through its hand crank. The best crank radios will save you and get you through the worst situations than any other high-tech devices out there. 

In this age of virtual or digital technology, a crank radio may seem outdated to some (or even to most), people.  But in extreme weather conditions, the Internet will probably stop working and you won’t get a signal on your phone. It is during such critical times that a crank radio will come in handy because of its life-saving features.

Quick Navigation What should I consider when choosing a crank radio? Top 12 Best crank radios iRonsnow Solar Emergency NOAA Weather Radio topAlert Emergency Solar Hand Crank Radio RunningSnail Crank Radio Solar Crank NOAA Weather Radio RegeMoudal Emergency Solar Hand Crank Radio

Emergency Weather Flashlight Radio Raddy SW3 Emergency Crank Radio Esky Emergency Crank Radio FosPower Emergency Solar Hand Crank Portable Radio 5-Way Powered Solar Hand Crank NOAA Weather Alert Radio American Red Cross Emergency NOAA Weather Radio Indeed, a crank radio is a must

Life-saving features

Are you and your family ready to face storms, hurricanes, power outages, and other emergencies? Are you ready to go hiking or camping? Do you have the right tools in your emergency or survival kit?

You do not have to fumble in the dark or be surprised by drastic weather changes or natural disasters. With a good crank radio, you will get NOAA weather alerts to warn you of any incoming storms or weather changes as well as get manually-generated power to light your way through a power failure. 

The best models not only offer the basic features, such as weather alerts and manual power generation. They provide a bunch of other features too, such as a flashlight, USB port for charging your mobile devices, and SOS alarm, to name a few. With all these multi-purpose functions, having a crank radio in your emergency kit will definitely help during an emergency.

What should I consider when choosing a crank radio?

Getting a crank radio  is a good step to prepare for any scenario – be it for emergencies, disasters, outdoor activities, or trips. Getting the right one to suit your specific needs can be mind-boggling at first, due to several various types or models that are out there. 

So, before you jump into buying a crank radio, you need to consider some important things…

Your budget and the crank radio model that is suitable for your needs.

Are you going on a trip? Or going to do an outdoor activity such as camping or hiking? Then a compact and lightweight crank radio is just right for you.   If you are on a tight budget, you need to look for one that has all the basic features — this will serve you well when you are on a trip or doing your favorite outdoor activity. Most good crank radios come with all the basic features such as NOAA or weather alerts, AM/FM broadcasts, and built-in flashlight in case of a power outage.

A crank radio is great to have in your emergency kit at home, too, especially if you live in a hurricane-prone or disaster-prone area. You can spend within your budget and get one with all the standard features. If you do not mind spending more, you can get a crank radio that has those extra cool features.

You want to get one with all the bells and whistles.

Although a bit on the pricey side, most good to great crank radios come with extra or special features (aside from all the basic features). One such extra feature is a USB port (or two) to use the radio as an emergency power bank for your mobile devices. Another special feature is the preset NOAA broadcasts that will provide real-time weather alerts. Other extra features also include high power capability, ultra-bright built-in flashlight, reading lamp, and a lot more.

Thus, with all those considerations in mind, read on these top 12 crank radios.

Top 12 Best crank radios

1. iRonsnow Solar Emergency NOAA Weather Radio

This crank radio is an affordable buy at a little less than $20, and yet has all the basic essential features that you will need. Read on about this crank radio’s features:

• This crank radio is equipped with a built-in 2000 mAh polymer battery, which is the best battery type in the market. It supplies enough power to let you stay tuned to the radio broadcasts, keep the LED flashlight working, and activate the SOS alarm in case of an emergency. It also lets you power up your mobile or USB devices.
• It comes with a 3.5 mm earphone jack so you can listen to NOAA/AM/FM weather broadcasts or enjoy some entertainment. 
• It has an SOS alarm that you can activate by simply pressing a button.
• You can recharge it in four ways: via USB charging, hand crank, solar energy, or its replaceable battery.

Specifications

At a glance, here are the radio’s specifications:

At Amazon

You can buy this radio for $24.99 from Amazon. Check out this weather radio!

2. topAlert Emergency Solar Hand Crank Radio

Features 

If you are looking for an affordable crank radio, then you must consider getting this model.

This crank radio comes with the most basic features and still stays within your budget. Here are its features:

• It is light-weight and easy to carry.
• You can recharge this crank radio via solar energy, hand crank, 110 outlet, or 3 AA batteries.
• It can get transmissions from AM/FM/SW/weather stations.
• It comes with a mobile charging jack, an earphone jack, an LED flashlight, and an LED reading light.

Specifications

At a glance, here are the radio’s specifications:

At Amazon

You can buy this radio at an affordable price of $20.99 from Amazon. Check out this emergency solar crank radio!

3. RunningSnail Crank Radio

Features

This crank radio is an Amazon’s Choice. Retailing at a little under $25, it is the best option if you are leaning towards affordability and want to get all the basic useful features of a crank radio.

Here are the reasons why it is an ideal buy:

• It can provide NOAA/AM/FM broadcasts, thus you get updated about the latest weather and hazard updates.
• This crank radio has a 2000 mAh power capacity. It lets you use it as a power bank to charge your mobile devices such as iPhone or smartphones.
• It is compact and comes with a 1W LED flashlight feature that is useful when you are camping, hiking, or when there is a power outage. 
• You can recharge this crank radio through USB charging, solar energy, or hand cranking.

Specifications

At a glance, here are the radio’s specifications:

At Amazon

If you think that this model is an ideal choice for you, you can buy it for $32.90 from Amazon. Check out this crank radio!

4. Omew Portable Crank Weather Radio

Features

This portable crank radio is ideal to take with you on fun outdoor activities such as hiking and camping. It comes will all the basic features of a good crank radio, plus some extra features thrown in.

Here are the reasons why it is an ideally affordable buy:

• It receives AM/FM broadcasts as well as 7-preset NOAA weather broadcasts.
• This portable crank radio has an SOS alarm feature. When this feature is activated, infra-red light is emitted, thus letting rescuers get a quick hold of or a lock on the location of the person who badly needs help.
• It has 4 charging modes. It can be charged through AAA battery, hand cranking, solar power, and USB.
• It is equipped with a 3-in-1 lighting mode – two flashlights and an LED reading lamp. It comes with an ultra-bright flashlight as well as a mini waterproof handheld flashlight. The solar panel has a small motion-sensing reading lamp which serves as a reading light and night light.
• It has a 2000 mAh power capacity that is capable of recharging your mobile devices.

Specifications

At a glance, here are the radio’s specifications:

At Amazon

You can buy it for $28.99 from Amazon. Check out this portable crank radio!

5. Solar Crank NOAA Weather Radio

Features

This crank radio contains the cool features that the best models have. This makes it one of the best options to add to your emergency or survival kit.

Here are the reasons why this radio is one of your best options:

• This crank radio broadcasts from WB/AM/FM channels.
• It comes with a flashlight, six LED reading lamps, SOS alarm with flashing red light, and 5-in-1 multi-purpose radio function.
• It is equipped with a rechargeable 2000 mAh battery that provides up to 12 hours of light and 4-6 hour of radio usage. It can also be used to power up your mobile or USB devices.
• You can power up this crank radio in four ways. You can charge it via its USB cable, solar energy, or hand cranking. 

Specifications

At a glance, here are the radio’s specifications:

Power Source	Solar energy, battery, hand crank
Brand	Etxian
Dimensions	5.63 x 2.99 x 1.57 inches

At Amazon

You can buy this radio for $31.99 from Amazon. Check out this solar crank weather radio!

6. RegeMoudal Emergency Solar Hand Crank Radio

Features

If you want to get the best and price is a non-issue, then this one should also be included in your options for a crank radio, too.

Here is why you will make the perfect choice when you opt to get this crank radio:

• This crank radio broadcasts NOAA/AM/FM weather alerts for your area.
• It has a 2000 mAh power bank that provides up to 12 hours of light or 4-6 hours of radio time. It also lets you recharge your mobile devices.
• You can recharge this crank radio via USB charging, solar energy, AAA batteries, and hand cranking.
• Its six LED reading lights and 1W flashlight provides you with enough light in a dark place or during a power outage.

Specifications

At a glance, here are the radio’s specifications:

Power Source	Solar energy, battery, hand crank
Brand	RegeMoudal
Dimensions	5.7 x 3 x 2 inches

At Amazon

You can buy this radio for $32.99 from Amazon. Check out this emergency solar hand crank radio!

7. Emergency Weather Flashlight Radio

Features

If you are looking for a practical and energy-saving crank radio, one that will serve you well in times of disasters or emergencies, then this one’s for you. 

Here is the breakdown of this crank radio’s features and what it can do:

• It comes with an SOS alarm button. When you find yourself in a situation wherein you need help, you simply press this button and the alarm can be heard from miles away.
• It comes with a unique motion-sensing reading lamp that you can set to automatically turn on when it detects motion within three meters. It automatically turns off after 30 seconds when it does not sense anything within the three-meter range.
• It is equipped with a three-mode high intensity flashlight that is much brighter than any normal emergency flashlight. You can set any of the three modes to light up your way during a power outage or when you find yourself in a totally dark place. 
• It is the newest weather radio that transmits loud and crisp audio from NOAA/AM/FM channels or stations, bringing you clear weather updates.
• It is a 4000 mAh emergency radio that allows up to 30 hours of usage.  You can use this radio like a power bank and charge your mobile device to help you stay connected with the rest of the world. 
• It can be recharged in any of these four ways. You can charge it via its micro-USB cable, solar energy, manually winding it up, or via the replaceable battery.

Specifications

At a glance, here are the radio’s specifications:

Power Source	Micro-USB charging, Li-ion battery, solar energy, or hand crank
Brand	Greadio
Weight	0.83 lbs
Dimensions (LxWxH)	6.3 x 2.48 x 3.18 inches

At Amazon

You can buy this radio at Amazon for  $35.90. Check out this weather flashlight radio!

8. Raddy SW3 Emergency Crank Radio

Features

This top-quality crank radio, like the previous ones. comes in handy during an emergency or when you are on your favorite outdoor activity. 

This could become your favorite emergency device due to the following reasons:

• It has a reflective hazard strip, an upgraded dual-power 4000mAh rechargeable battery, longer hand strap, analog controls, and carabiner clip.
• You can easily power up this radio in four ways – hand cranking, USB charging, solar panel, or via its rechargeable 18650 Li-ion batteries.
• It acts as a power bank to juice up your mobile devices.
• It gets NOAA/FM/AM transmissions so you can easily get the latest news, sports updates, and weather updates or alerts.
• It comes with a motion sensor light function, as well as adjustable super-bright LED lights.

Specifications

At a glance, here are the radio’s specifications:

Power Source	USB charging, Li-ion batteries, solar power, or hand crank
Brand	Radioddity
Dimensions (LxWxH)	6.3 x 3.19 x 2.48 inches

At Amazon

You can buy this radio for $35.90 from Amazon. Check out this emergency crank radio!

9. Esky Emergency Crank Radio

Features

If you are the outdoorsy type and you are planning to go on a trip, you can pack this in your survival kit along with other belongings or gears.

Here are the reasons why:

• It can receive weather alerts from seven pre-programmed NOAA, keeping you informed about the latest weather or disaster updates such as tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.
• Its 4000 mAh replaceable batteries can work for over 30 hours. You can also use this radio to charge your mobile or USB devices.
• It can be recharged via hand cranking, solar energy, USB charging, or via its 18650 batteries.
• It has three flashlight modes that can keep working for over ten hours and can keep illuminating up to a range of ten meters.
• When you are in trouble, you can activate the SOS alarm, which is loud enough to get you rescued in time.
• It comes with a two-mode reading lamp. You can set the reading lamp to manual or motion sensing mode. When set to motion sensing mode, the reading light automatically turns on when it senses motion within three meters and automatically turns off after 30 seconds when it does not detect any motion within the three-meter range.

Specifications

At a glance, here are the radio’s specifications:

Power Source	Micro-USB charging, 18650 replaceable batteries, solar energy, or hand crank
Brand	Esky
Weight	1.1 lbs
Package Dimensions	8.03 x 3.86 x 2.91 inches

At Amazon

You can buy this radio for $35.99 from Amazon. Check out this emergency crank radio!

10. FosPower Emergency Solar Hand Crank Portable Radio

Features

An Amazon’s Choice, this crank radio is ideal for outdoor activities such as camping, mountaineering, and hiking. It is a portable companion, which has all of these functions:

• This radio transmits sports, entertainment, news, and NOAA weather alerts from AM/FM and preset NOAA weather channels. Its alert function gives off a siren sound notifying you that your local NOAA station is sending out a warning message.
• It comes with a 4000 mAh high-power capacity battery that lets you listen to the radio for up to 20 hours and can also recharge your mobile devices for emergency use.
• It includes a bright and energy-efficient LED flashlight. In case of an emergency, you can activate the SOS function that emits both a siren sound and an SOS light signal.
• You can power up the radio with replaceable batteries, USB cable, solar energy, or via hand cranking.

Specifications

At a glance, here are the radio’s specifications:

Power Source	Micro-USB charging, batteries, solar energy, or hand crank
Brand	FosPower
Weight	1.08 lbs / 490 g
Dimensions	79.5 x 35.4 x 31.5 inches

At Amazon

You can buy this radio for $39.09 from Amazon. Check out this hand crank portable radio!

11. 5-Way Powered Solar Hand Crank NOAA Weather Alert Radio

This stylish and lightweight crank radio is an ideal option for your outdoor activities. You can easily pack it with your other stuff when you go camping, hiking, and other such activities. It comes with these useful features:

• You can get daily forecasts and weather alerts from AM/FM and seven preset NOAA stations. Even when the antenna is down, you can still get good transmission from shortwave stations.
• You can recharge this crank radio in five ways. You can manually wind it up or recharge via solar power, micro-USB charging rechargeable Li-ion battery, or operate it using three AAA batteries.
• It has a 2500 mAh power capacity battery. You can use it to recharge your mobile devices.
• It is equipped with a bright 3W LED flashlight.
• It comes with six LED reading lamps. Simply flip up the solar panel to use it as a reading lamp.
• It comes with an SOS alarm function that when triggered, flashes a red SOS beacon and is loud enough to catch someone’s attention from miles away.

Specifications

At a glance, here are the radio’s specifications:

Power Source	Micro-USB charging, Li-ion battery, 3 pcs AAA batteries, solar energy, or hand crank
Brand	Mesqool
Radio bands	7 Pre-configured NOAA stations
Weight	12.8 ounces
Dimensions (LxWxH)	6.77 x 3.7 x 2.91 inches

At Amazon

You can buy this radio for $39.99 from Amazon. Check out this hand-crank portable radio!

12. American Red Cross Emergency NOAA Weather Radio

Be ready for emergencies and disasters with this Red Cross crank radio model.  Read on and learn why this model is included in this list:

• This weather radio keeps you updated on the latest weather forecasts from NOAA/AM/FM stations.
• It features an alarm clock display, LED flashlight, and red flashing light.
• Turn the alert function on to get automatic emergency weather alerts for your area such as hurricanes and severe storms.
• Power up your mobile devices with this radio’s 2600 mAh battery.
• Recharge this radio via solar energy, hand cranking, or through its built-in rechargeable battery.

Specifications

At a glance, here are the radio’s specifications:

At Amazon

You can buy this radio for $40.60 from Amazon. Check out this Red Cross weather radio!

Indeed, a crank radio is a must

Nothing beats being prepared – especially for an emergency or disaster.

A crank radio in your emergency or survival kit will make a big difference. When you or your loved ones find yourselves in the middle of nowhere or in severe weather conditions, you can take out your trusty crank radio. 

Your crank radio will provide light during a power outage and can give you the latest weather alerts. It can power up mobile devices, let you send out an SOS alarm, and has other helpful features.

Getting a crank radio does not need to put a dent in your wallet. There are good crank radios that are affordable, or if you do not mind spending a bit more, you can get good crank radios with all the additional features.