Midland WR400 review
Midland WR400 Deluxe NOAA Weather Alert Radio
By Tom Calder
Key specs
The maker's figures.
- Power
- AC adapter, 4 AA backup
- Bands
- NOAA weather
- Alerts
- NOAA alert, S.A.M.E., Public Alert certified
- Charges a phone
- USB charging port
Midland's step up from the WR120B: the same county-coded NOAA alerts, plus a choice of siren, voice or flashing light, a dual alarm clock and a USB port. It runs from the wall and keeps going on four AA batteries when the power goes.
- Best for
- The bedside alert radio with the most alert options
- Skip it if
- You only need a basic alert
We earn a commission if you buy through the retailer links on this page. It doesn't change our verdict. How we make money →
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
- Siren, voice or light alerts
- Public Alert certified
- AA battery backup
Worth knowing
- Not portable
- Costs more than the WR120B
ⓘ As an Amazon Associate, PreparedStates earns from qualifying purchases. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes what we recommend. Amazon prices come from Amazon's own product data and can change at any time.
Our review
The WR400 is Midland's tabletop weather alert radio: S.A.M.E. county programming, siren, voice or text alerts, a dual alarm clock, AM/FM and a USB port, running from an AC adapter with four AA cells as backup. This review covers setup, what the alert settings do, and where it falls short of a portable radio.
What the WR400 is and who it suits
The WR400 is a plug-in radio meant for a nightstand, kitchen counter or home office. Midland describes it as a tabletop alert system with Public Alert certification, a dual-alarm clock and USB charging. It listens to the National Weather Service's NOAA broadcasts and sounds when a warning, watch or advisory covers a county you have programmed.
It suits a home where the alert needs to wake someone up. If you only need the core job, Midland's WR120B is the simpler model. For a radio to carry, look at the Raynic crank radio or our weather radio comparison.
Setup: counties and the weekly test
The manual's quick start is to extend the antenna, insert four AA batteries (not included), plug in the AC adapter and follow the setup prompts for language, location, time and channel. Under location, ANY receives every alert and cannot be narrowed. SINGLE or MULTIPLE lets you pick a state and county from a list, or key in a six-digit S.A.M.E. code. Midland's page says it can hold up to 25 counties. The manual says to choose WHOLE COUNTY unless you know partial-county alerting is supported where you live.
One quirk: Midland's FAQ says desktop radios default to a silent weekly test, so you may see the ADVISORY light and a message with no sound. To hear the test, go to Menu, Set Events, then All On. The manual also says the display flashes CHECK RECEPTION if the radio has heard no alerts for 10 days, which is a prompt to recheck your channel and county codes.
Choosing how it alerts you
The ALERT TYPE menu offers three modes. VOICE sounds an alert for 8 seconds and then plays the weather broadcast, TONE sounds a siren, and DISPLAY scrolls the text with no audible siren. Midland's page adds a selectable siren tone of high, medium or low, and color-coded warning, watch and advisory lights on the front.
A separate Set Events menu lets you turn individual event types on or off, though the manual says not all alerts are selectable: even ALL OFF leaves the ones starred in its reference chart switched on. The radio stores up to 10 alerts, and a built-in ALERT TEST lets you hear the siren. Run that test after setup, so you know the volume works for a sleeping household.
Power outages, AM/FM and the USB port
The WR400 runs from the wall and uses four AA cells when the power fails. Midland's FAQ tells owners to install the batteries so the radio has a backup, and the manual's troubleshooting table repeats it. Midland does not publish a runtime on battery in the pages we read, so check the batteries yearly and keep spares.
The built-in AM/FM radio can play while the weather function stays on, and an alert automatically switches the radio to the weather broadcast. Midland says the USB port can keep a phone powered during a long outage. Midland does not say how much the port delivers when the radio is running on its four AA cells, so a power bank is the better phone backup.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you want a radio for a go-bag or the car, since it needs a wall outlet or four AA cells and has no crank. The manual says that turning the weather function off stops all alerts, so leave it on. If reception is weak, the manual suggests moving closer to a window, away from fluorescent lights, or adding an external antenna. Pair it with the power outage checklist.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and US listings; facts checked 30 Oct 2026. Sources: Midland: WR400 Deluxe NOAA Weather Alert Radio product page; Midland: WR400 owner's manual (PDF, November 2025).
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy it if you only need a basic alert: the WR120B does the core job.
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.
If this isn’t the one
Best for The radio that wakes you for a warning
Read the review →Best for The crank radio to keep when the power's out
Read the review →Best for The crank radio that does most things
Read the review →Questions
Does the WR400 work in a power outage?
Yes, if you have installed four AA batteries. Midland says the radio runs mainly from its AC adapter and uses AA cells as emergency backup, but the batteries are not included. Midland does not give a battery runtime in the pages we read.
How many counties can the WR400 monitor?
Midland's page says it can be programmed for up to 25 counties. You choose them from a list in the menu or enter six-digit S.A.M.E. codes, which you can look up on the National Weather Service's county list.
Why was my weekly test silent?
Midland says desktop radios default to a silent weekly test, so you only see the ADVISORY light and a message on the display. To hear it, open the menu, find Set Events and choose All On.
Can it charge my phone?
Midland lists a USB charging port and says it can keep a smartphone powered during extended outages. Midland does not state a charging current or say how the port behaves on battery backup, so plan on a separate power bank for heavier use.