The Best Stores To Buy Weather Radios (Online and Off)

Weather radios are life-saving tools that operate via crank, solar panel, or electricity to keep you updated during natural disasters and severe storms in your area.

You’re in the market for weather radio, so where can you buy one?

This exhaustive list of resources for buying a weather radio will help you stay weather-wise no matter what Mother Nature brings.

The Top 9 Online and Offline Retailers to Purchase Weather Radios

1. Amazon

You can’t go wrong shopping for a weather radio on Amazon.

As you browse, you’ll find a selection of top models from brands like Midland, Kaito, and FosPower. If you’re seeking an NOAA emergency radio, a quick search will reveal those are abundant.

Although Amazon is an online-only retailer, it has warehouses and fulfillment centers worldwide.

You can order a radio today and possibly have it arrive within the same day or within the next 24 hours, especially if you’re a Prime member.

Amazon is upfront with its product pricing and has a section for reviews on every product available.

Many of the top weather radios on the site have amassed thousands of reviews, including some with photos, so you can make a confident purchasing decision.

2. Best Buy

Tech giant Best Buy carries the latest in audio and visual entertainment. Although most of its radios are for everyday enjoyment, Best Buy has a selection of emergency radios.

You can buy a radio in-store or online, depending on what’s most convenient for you.

The Best Buy website allows you to search for a store nearest you and determine the availability of the radio model you’re interested in.

Your radio can be ready for pickup in as little as an hour, so you can be adequately prepared if a storm is on the horizon soon.

As Amazon has popularized same-day shipping, other retailers have had to follow suit. That may explain why Best Buy can ship your radio and get it to you within the same day or the next day.

The radios available include models with different price points from manufacturers like Eaton and Midland.

You can review what you’ll pay for shipping before adding an item to your cart, and some items are eligible for free shipping.

Each product overview includes a description, features, specifications, questions and answers by customers, and reviews.

With this user-provided information, you’ll narrow down the best weather radio.

3. Home Depot

Although you might mostly go to Home Depot to pick up nails and paint for your home improvement project, the retailer has a variety of home security and safety products.

You can shop for weather radios from top brands at Home Depot, including Jensen, Eton, and WeatherX.

Please search for a Home Depot nearest you and see its selection of in-stock emergency radios before taking the time to drive to the store. If the radio you had your eye on is unavailable, you can always order it online through Home Depot’s website.

However, Home Depot doesn’t offer same-day online order shipping. Next-day shipping is available.

When shopping on the Home Depot website, you can pay an additional fee to protect your item for two years as part of the Home Depot Protection Plan through Allstate.

You can also check out with PayPal or pay traditionally with a credit or debit card.

The product pages reveal product details, specifications, user-provided questions and answers, and reviews.

Home Depot users have left hundreds of reviews on the most popular emergency radios.

4. Lowe’s

You might also consider Home Depot’s direct competitor, Lowe’s, for your emergency radio needs.

Since they’re home improvement stores, the Lowe’s and Home Depot websites share much in common.

For example, you can narrow your items by price or rating, see detailed product information (including reviews), and learn whether you get free shipping at a glance.

The brand variety through Lowe’s is better than what you’ll find at Home Depot. Your options include Uniden, Dolphin, WeatherX, Sangean, and Eton. Some orders are even eligible for free delivery.

So, why didn’t we rank Lowe’s above Home Depot? It comes down to shipping times.

None of the radios on the website were available for next-day shipping. Many of them shipped several days later or into the following week.

That’s not conducive if a storm is in the immediate forecast and you need a weather radio now. Of course, you could always take your chances at the store, but with weather radios a specialty product, you might not find what you’re looking for.

5. Walmart

Stay prepared with weather radios from Walmart, one of the largest retailers in North America.

The sheer number of Walmart stores means you can surely find one near you to stock up on emergency supplies.

Walmart is known for its low prices, which include emergency radios. Some radios go on sale for half off, making even more expensive models more attainable.

The brand selection from Walmart is good, whether online or in the stores. You should expect to find weather radios from TSV, Doosl, WeatherX, and Midland.

The online variety of emergency radios ranges from ultra-portable models to average-sized radios.

Clicking on any radio you’re interested in takes you to a detailed product page with specifications and features.

You also have the option to add a protection plan for two or three years when shopping online.

Further, Walmart offers premium security and tech support for an additional fee.

Walmart stocks many third-party items, which impedes shipping speed. You might have to wait several days for your weather radio to arrive.

6. Red Cross

You rely on the Red Cross for emergency preparedness, updates, training, and resources. You can also use its website to purchase emergency supplies, including weather radios.

So, why didn’t we rank the Red Cross higher? It has a small selection of emergency radios, with only two available as of this writing.

That doesn’t give you the most variety, and none of the options are particularly budget-friendly.

Another issue is the lack of reviews, with both radios accruing fewer than 50. This might not be a large enough sample size to inspire your purchase.

That said, you can complete your purchase exclusively online after reading reviews and selecting the radio you like best.

The smooth, secure online checkout should be no surprise, considering the trust the Red Cross has behind its name.

7. C. Crane

US-based electronics retailer C. Crane sells portable radios, including emergency models. It doesn’t have the name recognition of your Amazon or Walmart, but it’s still a great option.

It stocks a generous supply of weather radios from its own brand and Orphan.

If an item from this California brand is about to run out, you’ll see a low-stock alert with the number of radios left.

Shoppers have rated each radio available between one and five stars. There are few reviews per product, likely due to C. Crane being a smaller brand.

The detailed product page includes a full radio description, manuals in PDF format to download, FAQs, and specs.

The reviews are also insanely detailed, featuring verified buyer status for shoppers, a shopper’s location, their pros and cons, and their recommended best uses.

8. Midland Radios

If you like Midland radios, why not buy straight from the source?

Midland Radio Corporation is a Missouri manufacturer specializing in weather and two-way radios.

It only sells NOAA radios on its website, ensuring you buy a quality product you can rely on in dangerous weather.

Midland has a smaller selection, but there are enough that you should be able to purchase your favorite radio from them.

The prices are sometimes better buying direct, and you can also read programming docs and other information to help you make the most of your radio when it arrives.

9. EmergencyKits.com

An excellent resource for stocking up during any emergency situation, EmergencyKits.com sells emergency food and water, first-aid supplies, and emergency supplies like weather radios. Many are NOAA-ready for finding the frequency you need for updates.

This online-only retailer carries emergency radios from Midland and Voyager, including accessories like an all-weather field operating guide or AC adapters.

All items on EmergencyKits.com are cheaper than the MSRP, and with frequent sales, you can save even more money.

Most products ship within 24 hours, so you’re not stuck waiting when severe weather rolls in.

One downside is many radios on this site lack reviews.

Wrapping Up

You have many excellent options for buying weather radios, whether big-box retailers like Best Buy or Walmart, home improvement stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot, online-only giants like Amazon, or specialty shops from EmergencyKits.com to C. Crane.

Happy shopping!

Now that you’ve sorted the where, it’s time to decide on the what. Luckily, we’ve got articles solely dedicated to finding the 9 Of The Best Weather Radio Options To Handle Any Storm based on these Critical Features To Have.

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