Midland ER40 review
Midland ER40 Emergency Crank Weather Alert Radio
By Tom Calder
Key specs
The maker's figures.
- Power
- Hand crank, solar, rechargeable battery
- Bands
- AM, FM, NOAA weather
- Alerts
- NOAA weather alert
- Charges a phone
- —
A compact crank and solar weather radio from Midland with NOAA alerts, a flashlight and a backlit display. Smaller and simpler than the ER310.
- Best for
- Midland's smaller crank radio with alerts
- Skip it if
- You want to charge a phone properly
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Researched, not used. We haven't used this product. This review is built from the maker's specifications, owner reports and our own sizing.
What we like
- NOAA weather alert
- Crank and solar
- Flashlight
Worth knowing
- Smaller speaker than the ER310
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Our review
Midland's ER40 is a small crank and solar weather radio with AM, FM, NOAA alerts and an SOS flashlight. This researched review covers how the manual says its alert works, including a useful power-off behavior, what stops alerts from arriving, and a box-contents mismatch in Midland's documents.
What it is and who it suits
The ER40 is a handheld radio with a hand crank, a solar panel, a telescopic antenna, a wrist lanyard and a flashlight that can flash an SOS strobe. Midland says it brings alerts straight from the National Weather Service, and the large backlit LCD shows the clock, battery and channel. It suits a go-bag, a nightstand or a car where you want a compact alert radio.
This is a researched review, not a tested one. It draws on Midland's product page, owner's manual and spec sheet as read on November 2, 2026.
Power and charging
The manual describes a 3.7-volt, 2,600 mAh lithium-ion cell of the 18650 type, charged by USB, crank or solar panel. It says to remove the yellow battery pull tab before first use and to use only the provided Midland lithium-ion battery, because the radio does not support alkaline batteries. Midland's page calls the battery replaceable.
Midland's documents disagree about the cable. The manual tells you to use the provided USB cable, but the page's box list and the spec sheet name the radio, battery, lanyard and manual only. Have a micro USB cable ready.
How the weather alert works
This is the ER40's strength. The manual says you press the weather alerts button and a WX icon flashes. When an alert arrives, the radio sounds a siren and flashes the flashlight, then switches to the weather station you have tuned, and any button cancels the alert. The manual also says the ER40 will receive alerts while powered off if it is tuned to a local weather station and alerts are activated, and that the display then shows the clock, battery status and alerts.
There are two catches. The manual says the radio will not receive weather alerts while it is charging an external device, and it says to charge the radio fully before charging other devices. The manual does not describe county filtering, so expect an alert for the whole broadcast area, including tests. The National Weather Service says SAME receivers respond only to the areas you pick, and recommends the Public Alert or All Hazards logo.
Reception
The manual says the ER40 can receive broadcasts up to 50 miles from the weather station, depending on terrain and weather, and suggests a spot near a window if indoors. It points to weather.gov/nwr/counties to find the channel for your location. The National Weather Service says reliable service typically extends about 40 miles from the transmitter on level terrain, and that NOAA Weather Radio sends a 1050 Hz tone alarm before most warnings.
Phone charging
Midland's page lists a USB output and says it keeps critical devices powered, but the manual gives no output rating or charging time. It describes cranking as perfect for a short charge to get a phone call made, so treat the USB port as a small top-up. For more, look at the radios on our hand crank radios page that list larger batteries.
How it compares
The Midland ER210 is similar in size but its documents give three different battery sizes, while the ER40's page, spec sheet and manual all say 2,600 mAh. The Midland ER310 is bigger and lists up to 45 hours on its Li-ion battery. For what each feature means, see weather radios and hand-crank radios.
Verdict
A tidy, clearly documented alert radio whose power-off alerts are its best feature. Skip it if you want to charge a phone while keeping alerts, need county-only alerts, or want a bigger speaker.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and US listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: Midland: ER40 product page; Midland: ER40 owner's manual (PDF); Midland: ER40 spec sheet (PDF); National Weather Service: NOAA Weather Radio receivers; National Weather Service: NOAA Weather Radio and SAME.
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy it if you want to charge a phone properly: pick a power-bank radio.
This is a Researched review: we haven't used this product. We check every specification against at least two independent sources, re-check the US price on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and say plainly who it isn't for. Commissions never change a rating.
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Read the review →Questions
Will the Midland ER40 sound an alert when it is turned off?
Midland's manual says yes. The ER40 receives weather alerts while powered off if it is tuned to a local weather station and the alerts are activated, and the display shows the clock, battery and alerts. Test it after setup.
Can I charge my phone and keep weather alerts on?
No. Midland's manual says the ER40 will not receive weather alerts while it is charging an external device. Charge phones from a separate power bank when you need the radio to stay alert.
Does the ER40 have a warranty?
Midland's manual gives a one-year limited warranty from the initial consumer purchase, with a 90-day warranty on accessories, including charge cables and batteries. It does not cover water damage or battery leaks.