Best Solar Radio: Hands on The Best Solar Radios on The Market

An emergency radio would definitely benefit you in the wilderness or in an emergency situation. Of course, it is much more useful for those natural disaster incidents, when you may be cut out from the world for days and yet need to know what’s going on out there. While most emergency radios have batteries and hand cranks, this may be insufficient in a critical situation.

What if you’re injured and can’t use the hand crank, or if your batteries are out and you don’t have extra batteries? This is why, lately, lots of manufacturers have added to their emergency radios the ability to recharge in the sun. It saves you a lot of trouble managing the radio and making it work continuously. As long as it’s exposed to the sun, you will have a working radio.

In this article, we will present the best solar radios currently available on the market. Most have the option to change the batteries and to use a hand crank, but our main focus will be the solar charging option.

List of the best portable solar radios

Kaito KA888 Portable 4-way radio

At first glance, this may be yet another ordinary solar-powered portable radio, but in fact, it has features that hardly any other radio can boast about. For example, Kaito’s radio has a built-in thermometer and even a compass. On top of that, it’s among the few that have the option to listen to the radio using headphones. When it comes to storing your matches and keeping them dry, there is a small waterproof compartment built into the radio. You can also put some tinder or cotton balls in case you need to start a fire urgently.

Otherwise, you will also find useful the flashlight, alarm clock, and a siren, which isn’t a big surprise since most portable radios have those too. It may come as an unfortunate surprise that there are no weather radio channels and no severe weather forecast alerts. If we think of this portable radio as an emergency radio, these missing features may render it useless. On the other hand, if you are just planning a 2-day trip somewhere in the nearby wilderness, you may be just as happy with the available features.

We still have to point out that you can catch different radio channels, which may provide you with some basic information in case of severe weather conditions. The band tuning button glows in the dark, so you can easily tune in to any existing channel without a problem, at any time of the day or night.

When it comes to the radio’s external body and feel, you shouldn’t expect it to be rugged enough. In fact, it lacks a rubber body, and it’s also not water-proof (only the matches compartment), so you have to keep that in mind if you want to use this radio long enough.

Another thing that may be slightly disappointing is that there’s no way to attach the radio to your backpack and sun-charge it while you’re hiking, but for the price of this solar radio, you still get features you will need in the wilderness.

Kaito KA500 5-way portable solar radio

While still in the Kaito category, you will be happy to learn that Kaito can offer much more than just a built-in compass, thermometer, and flashing band button. The Kaito KA500 is far better equipped to serve as a solar-charged emergency radio. The price is double that of the Kaito KA888, but this also means more features, both AM and FM broadcasting, including the highly important NOAA weather station broadcasting. This makes the Kaito KA500 radio much more efficient in difficult and life-threatening situations related to natural disasters.

The radio also offers USB ports for charging your smart or mobile phones. To do that, though, you will need to use the hand crank. When it comes to the radio stations, they are all pre-programmed and conveniently numbered from 1 to 7.

Of course, we need to talk about the solar panels on this radio. They are adjustable and turn 180 degrees to always pick up the sun’s light and charge optimally. Also, there is an LED lamp on the back of the solar panels. It helps you keep track of the charging process.

Finally, you can also plug in headphones, which is a typical feature of the Kaito series. Overall, it’s a quality product, although some customers didn’t like the radio’s cheap feeling, as some switches tend to fall off and need to be put back in, etc. However, as a whole, the radio serves the purposes it was built for, and according to most users, it can still withstand some rough handling.

American Red Cross FRX3 NOAA weather alert radio

With this radio, you won’t be lacking anything—you will have all types of charging options, plus a hand crank, batteries, and a solar panel on the handle. It can be tuned to all AM and FM frequencies and broadcast all 7 NOAA-approved radio channels.

In addition, you can charge your mobile phone and make a 30-second call after one minute of hand cranking. You’ll also like the LED flashlight, which isn’t really a unique feature but is nonetheless important in any emergency situation. The DC input is also connected conveniently with a USB for those who need to charge smartphones and other USB devices.

Some additional features include a warranty card and a detailed manual, as well as a mini-USB cable and a hand strap to keep it close to you. The only minor drawback is that there is no indication about the battery charge—if it needs charging or if it’s fully charged.

Overall, it delivers all that the manufacturer advertises, and according to some customers, it does it exceptionally well. The radio is rugged enough, and the solar panels give you the best option – you can charge wherever you are and make a phone call even if the batteries are very low. The sun will quickly charge them, and you can make an emergency call.

Scorpion Multi-purpose solar-powered digital emergency radio

This is yet another product (like the above American Red Cross radio) by the Eton Corporation. The Scorpion radio is among the best solar-powered radios available. When it comes to broadcasting, you’ll have all the necessary 7 NOAA channels, plus the option to catch AM and FM bands. Unlike Kaito’s products, you need to fine-tune the 7 channels manually. On the other hand, if you have a problem catching the radio channel you need, you can plug in an MP3 device and use that temporarily.

Although flashlights aren’t considered among the brightest and most reliable, if you need a good one, you have to find a dedicated product. The Scorpion solar radio delivers, nonetheless, the best available flashlight among other solar-powered radios.

Another useful feature is the presence of a carabiner. You can clip the radio to your backpack, pocket, belt, etc., so you can listen to it at all times, or at least have immediate access to it. This also makes more room in your backpack, so that you don’t have to put the radio among all your other stuff. While you may find that a dangling radio doesn’t make your hiking trip more pleasant, it’s still nice to know that you have the option to clip it somewhere close at hand.

As for the most important feature – charging, you will have batteries, a hand crank, and, of course, the solar panels built into the radio’s body. Whenever you need to charge your phone or other USB device, plug it in and let the radio charge under the sun’s light. The hand crank is useful when it’s overcast or at night. One customer even likes to keep the radio only sun-charged without changing any batteries or using the hand crank. The radio remains functional even after several years of use.

Duronic Hybrid solar-charged radio

This is a bit of a surprising product since it doesn’t need batteries to keep it charged. It may not be suitable for emergency situations, but it is ideal for hiking, camping, fishing, and spending some time out in the wilderness.

The solar panels are of high quality, durable and reliable. The hand-crank is also ideal for those days when it’s overcast, and charging goes too slow, and finally, you can charge the radio using a USB cable to plug it into a computer. When it comes to the hand crank, one customer shares his experience that he had to use the hand crank for only 2 minutes in order to have 45 minutes of radio listening, which is impressive since most average solar-powered and wind-up radios must be hand-cranked every 15 minutes with only 2 minutes of charging.

As for the solar panels, these charge very easily and quickly and can power up the radio almost instantaneously upon light hitting the panels.

The radio itself is small, compact and very light – no more than 200 grams/7 oz. This makes it ideal for campers and backpackers. It will offer you exactly what you need – radio band reception, solar panels plus a hand crank, and a long-life product. Overall, this is one of the most loved solar radios currently available.

Ambient Weather Adventurer WR112 solar radio

The great thing about this particular radio is that it can be charged in five different ways, making it virtually impossible to go without power. Any method can be used in a particular situation. From hiking or camping to an emergency situation, either the hand crank or the solar panels will make sure to recharge your radio.

The radio is small enough to fit in tiny areas or pockets, either on your jacket or your backpack. The hand crank is small and may be considered clumsy to use, but in fact, the size makes it even easier to handle. The radio’s body is made of rubber, which makes it sturdy and can withstand some bumping or an accidental fall. It’s also waterproof, so there’s no risk of losing contact with the world because of moist weather.

When it comes to charging your radio, 2 minutes of hand cranking will power it for 20 minutes of use. As for the solar panels, they are definitely not super powerful (they are small, after all), but if you let them outside during the day (provided it’s sunny and the radio isn’t entirely in a shady place), you can have a fully charged radio within 8-10 hours of exposure. With a fully charged radio, you can go on for 6 hours total before the next recharge.

Of course, the radio comes with all those other extras like a flashlight, emergency beacon, siren, etc. As for the NOAA radio channel transmission, it works perfectly and can easily transmit even at large distances, producing crisp and clear sound (without noise). While solar panels may be considered a bonus, they are still powerful enough for portable radios to charge the battery when exposed to sunlight.

One customer explained how he set the radio by the window, and the LED indication for the battery immediately flashed, showing that the battery instantly began charging. Within several hours, his cell phone, which was plugged into the radio, was fully charged.

With all that said, the Ambient Weather Adventurer may be a great product to spend money on, as it has some great features, a reliable radio, and the option to solar-charge it whenever you have access to sunlight.

Kaito Voyager Pro KA600 solar and hand crank radio

Here’s yet another Kaito product, but while Eton Corporation is a leading manufacturer, Kaito is a worthy rival.

This radio won’t surprise you that it has all 7 NOAA channels, shortwaves, and both AM and FM broadcasting. The average performance after a minute of hand cranking is 20 minutes of radio transmission at the lowest volume setting. This is also the average taken into account all other available radios on the market. It’s rechargeable in four different ways: hand crank, batteries, USB charging, and solar panels.

While these are, again, not the best solar panels available due to their small surface area, they can still be extremely handy during camping, hiking, or emergency situations. The best thing about these particular solar panels is that they can be rotated according to the sun’s position, thus catching the UV light at the optimal angle.

Keep in mind, though, that the radio isn’t water-resistant, so you have to take care of it and keep it away from any water sources, rain, or humid weather conditions. The Kaito Voyager is nonetheless sturdy, although a bit bulky, it won’t sustain damage that easily. The only problem with the radio is that the hand crank isn’t the sturdiest possible, and could be easily broken if you forget to be careful with it. With kids, it may be even trickier since playing with the radio may leave it without a hand crank in no time.

Most customers have positive experiences with this radio and recommend it. Many have relied on it for several years. The receiver may not be able to pick the best sound, but it should be enough to understand the weather forecast and situation.

Kaito KA332W portable solar radio

This Kaito radio has all the features the above-mentioned radios have—they are all standard, and quality-seeking manufacturers won’t miss the opportunity to add these features. After all, Kaito is popular with their quality portable solar radios. So, you’ll have four different ways to charge your radio—AAA batteries, a DC outlet, solar panels, and the hand crank. Of course, you’ll have the needed 7 NOAA channels and AM/FM broadcasting.

While the solar panels will provide the radio with enough power to run, they won’t be able to charge your cell phone, which may be considered a downside. So, you may have to consider this radio only for camping and hiking, since it may not provide enough power to keep it working for hours after hand-cranking or solar charging. Yet overall, if you don’t have high expectations for this radio, it will serve its main purpose – to get you to listen to some radio and tune in to the weather stations now and then.

While all of the above products have similar features and offer more or less the same, some can broadcast for longer than others, and that, of course, means a change in cost. While the cheaper versions are ideal for hiking and camping, if you need to rely on a real emergency solar radio, you would have to consider the pricier products.