Midland WR400 Review: Is It Better Than the WR120?

When the Midland WR400 NOAA weather alert radio first came out, I wanted to try it. I already owned the older WR300, an early version of the WR120, and the Sangean CL-100, which had excellent audio. But the WR400 looked like Midland’s newest deluxe desktop weather radio, adding support for 80+ emergency alerts, more county codes, and more alert-type choices, including Voice, Display, Tone, and Siren.

Quick verdict: The Midland WR400 is worth considering if you want a desktop NOAA weather alert radio with SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) county alerts, AM/FM radio, an alarm clock, USB charging, and more control over which alerts interrupt you. For a home or bedside weather alert radio, the WR400 offers more convenience than the simpler Midland WR120/WR120B, which remains an excellent choice if you only need a basic, reliable alert radio.

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→ Check Price & Availability of the WR400
→ Check Price & Availability of the WR120/WR120B

Midland WR400 vs WR120: Which One Should You Buy?

Feature	Midland WR400	Midland WR120 / WR120B	Best choice
NOAA weather alerts	Yes	Yes	Either
S.A.M.E. local alerts	Yes	Yes	Either
AM/FM radio	Yes	No	WR400
Alarm clock / bedside use	Better	Basic	WR400
USB phone charging	Yes, when on wall power	No	WR400
Simpler setup/use	More features, more menus	Simpler	WR120
Price/value	Higher price	Usually cheaper	WR120
Best for	Bedside/home command-center radio	Basic alert-only radio	Depends on need

Buy the WR400 if you want AM/FM radio, alarm-clock use, USB charging, external alert accessories, and more of a bedside radio feel. Buy the WR120/WR120B if you only want a simpler, lower-cost NOAA weather alert radio.

Midland WR400 Pros and Cons: What I Like and What Could Be Better

Here are the key things I like about the WR400, along with a few things I think could be better.

What Could Be Better on the Midland WR400

Unlike most reviews that start by listing all the good stuff, I’m going to begin with two small things I think could be better. Neither one is a deal breaker, but I want to point them out before getting into what I like about the WR400.

Radio vs Weather Volume Offset

As one would expect, there is a volume control on the side. A thumbwheel. It adjusts the volume from the radio and the volume of the weather alert spoken report or announcement. When you set the playback volume of the AM/FM radio for a good listening level, it leaves the weather alert (spoken announcement / report) too quiet.

If the volume is adjusted for a good listening level of the spoken weather report (which is activated by pressing the ‘WEATHER’ button), then when returning to the AM/FM radio, it’s too loud. It is a volume offset annoyance. They could have done better with this.

I have the original version of the WR400. If you have their recent version, let me know in the comments if they have fixed this.

Slight Audio Distortion Near a Strong NOAA Transmitter

One thing I noticed with my WR400 is that the NOAA weather audio actually sounds a little better with the telescoping antenna lowered. My nearest NOAA Weather Radio transmitter is roughly 15 miles away, line-of-sight, and I can see the mountain-top tower site with the naked eye. With the antenna fully extended, the audio sounds slightly more distorted to me, almost as if the radio front end may be getting a bit too much signal or nearby RF energy. Lowering the antenna seems to tame it.

I cannot say for certain that this is receiver overload, but I have seen other radio users mention WR400 sensitivity and RF-susceptibility issues in strong-signal environments. In my case, the simple fix is to leave the antenna mostly lowered, protruding only about six inches, which gives me cleaner audio at my location.

The WR400 also has an external antenna jack. I do not need it at my location, but it could be useful for someone in a weaker reception area who needs to place an antenna near a window or in a better signal spot.

👉 NOAA Frequencies and Weather Radio Station Near Me (Maps & List)

Adjustable Weather Alert Siren/Alarm Volume

This is separate from the radio/weather broadcast volume offset issue I mentioned above.

This appears to have been addressed on newer/current WR400 versions. My original WR400 had a fixed alert siren volume, but Midland’s current WR400 guide now lists a Set Alert Volume menu option. That is a welcome improvement, especially if you plan to keep the radio on a nightstand.

Thank you Midland!

What I Like About the Midland WR400

Selectable Alerts

One of the WR400 features I like most is the ability to choose which alert events will sound the siren alarm. Some life-safety alerts remain locked on, which makes sense. But for many other alert types, you can decide what you do or do not want interrupting you.

That matters to me, and it may matter to you too. Not every NOAA alert is equally important for every location. The WR400 gives you several preset options, including ALL ON, ALL OFF, ALL DEFAULT, and EDIT EVENTS. The EDIT EVENTS setting is the one I especially like because it lets you customize individual alert types.

To be clear, this feature is not unique to the WR400. Other capable weather alert radios, including the Midland WR120/WR120B, also allow selectable alert control. Even so, it is still one of the features I value most in a desktop NOAA weather alert radio.

Note: Midland publishes a selectable-alert chart for its weather alert radios. Alerts marked with an asterisk are always on and cannot be disabled. In other words, the WR400 does allow many alerts to be turned off, but not every alert. Certain higher-priority warning and emergency alerts remain locked on by design and do not appear in the Edit Events menu.

Selectable Weather Alert Choices Reference Chart PDF
Midland WR400 Owners Manual

Easy To Set Your Local Area for Weather Alerts

The WR400 makes it easy to set up local weather alerts because you do not need to look up your SAME county code ahead of time. During setup, simply choose your state from the menu, then select your county name. That’s it.

This is especially convenient if you are setting up the radio for someone else, or if you travel with it and need to change the alert area to a different county.

Color-Coded Alert Indicators

Another useful WR400 feature is the color-coded alert indicator. When an alert comes in, the radio uses the display and alert light to show the general severity level, such as Warning, Watch, or Advisory. It is a simple feature, but I like being able to glance at the radio and immediately get a sense of urgency.

We just recently had a Tornado Watch and I snapped a photo to illustrate the Orange “WATCH” color:

One thing to understand about the WR400 display is that the colored alert lights are general severity indicators. Red means Warning, orange means Watch, and yellow means Advisory. The specific alert name will appear on the display when the alert is received, and active alerts can be reviewed from memory by pressing the down arrow. However, at a quick glance, what you will most likely notice is the Watch, Warning, or Advisory light staying on while the alert remains active.

USB Charge Port

I do not use this particular radio in my bedroom, but the USB charge port could be convenient if you keep the WR400 on a nightstand. Since it also has a clock and regular alarm function, either by radio or tone, it can serve as a bedside weather alert radio while also charging your phone overnight.

One important note: the USB port is for charging external devices. It works when the WR400 is connected to wall power, but not when the radio is running on backup batteries.

External Accessory Jack

The WR400 also has an external accessory jack for add-on alert devices, such as a strobe light or pillow shaker. This can be especially useful for anyone who is hard of hearing, sleeps deeply, works in a noisy area, or wants a visual alert in another part of the room.

I use the accessory jack with a strobe light. I am not hard of hearing, though Mrs. J might say I occasionally have a touch of selective hearing. Either way, the strobe is a useful add-on. When it triggers, it adds a very noticeable visual sense of urgency to the alert.

→ Midland STR180 Strobe Light(Amazon)
→ STR180 Strobe Light and SHKR100 Pillow Shaker

Backlit display with adjustable brightness

The backlit display is also adjustable, with high, low, and off settings. That matters if you plan to keep the WR400 on a nightstand and do not want a bright display lighting up the room.

Midland WR400 FAQ

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