With the dark winter mornings we’ve all been enduring, and because it’s both prime resolutions time (maybe to wake up earlier?) and cozy-bed season, it’s great timing for an alarm clock roundup. We’re featuring the best alarm clocks in a range of prices to help you get out of bed and get to work (or brunch) on time.
What are your favorite alarm clocks, readers? Or do you prefer to use your phone and/or smartwatch?
Apps are an option, of course, and I currently have a subscription to Alarmy (iPhone & Android), which I’d recommend. It makes you perform a task(s) before it will turn off (the sound does stop in the meantime), and you can set a second alarm to go off after you complete it, in case you fall back asleep. Sample actions it can require you to do are scanning a barcode on an item in another room, doing math, and doing squats.
related: sleeping well: share your favorite mattresses, pillows, and more!
The Best Alarm Clocks
Hatch Restore 3
Sunrise alarm clocks like this one are often recommended for rousing you gently with gradually brightening light, and they’re also popular amongst the Corporette team. (In the past, Kat reviewed one of hers, and over at CorporetteMoms, Ann wrote up the Smartsleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light. I once used the Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light Alarm and would recommend it.)
The newer ones are both easier to use and more appealing to the eye — one of the main ones of note here is the Hatch Restore 3. It comes in three muted colors and a very minimal design. The setup is through an app, but there are also controls on the device to allow for a phone-free morning. You have a large option of lights to wake you up (from colorful progressions to basic sunlight), as well as a large number of sounds you can choose to pair with the lights, including unusual ones like “Parisian morning.”
The Hatch Restore 3 is $169.99 and is available in three colors. The basic sounds and colors are included with the device, or you can upgrade to a Hatch+ subscription (about $50/year) to get more light and sound options, from comedians to wake you up to ASMR or quiet stories to put you to bed.
Looking for something more affordable? Check out the Glocusent Sunrise Alarm Clock, currently on sale for $49.99 (full price $99.99) at Glocusent.com.
related: how to optimize your sleep
Loftie Alarm Clock with Sound Machine
Here’s a splurge-y option for people who take their alarm clocks very seriously. The Loftie Alarm Clock is under $175 at Amazon and $169.99 at ByLoftie.com, and the latter offers 20% off two colors, plus a 30-night trial. The clock is available in several color combinations and also acts as a sound machine.
This Loftie clock has many, many features that include an adjustable nightlight (plus blackout mode), bedtime reminders, and a two-phase alarm. You can play your own streaming music if you like, but the machine offers classical music, white noise, nature sounds (rain, waves, forest), sleep stories, and “wellness” features like breathwork and guided meditations.
The clock, which connects to WiFi, though that’s optional, has a companion app, but it’s only necessary for setting up the device, and after that, it’s also optional. Note that this is a wired alarm, but it has a 5-hour backup battery, just in case.
related: how to wake up more easily when it’s dark out
Capello Extra Large Display Digital Alarm Clock
Over at CorporetteMoms, our morning Corporette writer Elizabeth recently recommended the Capella Extra Large Display Alarm Clock, so we’re excerpting her review here! Because she’s a “bad sleeper and a parent of a teenager” who has a curfew, Elizabeth likes this inexpensive clock’s features, though of course it’s a great model for anyone! It’s only $20 at Target.
This alarm clock’s features include an extra large display (almost 2″ high), dual alarms, adjustable snooze, and adjustable dimmer, and you can use it to charge your devices. (The product description notes that it has “USB-C and USB” charging ports, and I assume it means USB-C and USB-A.)
Here’s how Elizabeth uses this clock for handling her teen’s curfew:
Lately we’ve been trying a new arrangement that involves this basic alarm clock. It sits on a console table outside my bedroom. When I go to bed, I set it for a few minutes past curfew time. When she comes home, she turns it off so the alarm doesn’t sound. This way, I can still get some sleep knowing that if she’s not home by the agreed-upon time, something will rouse me so I can track her down. (Do I still wake up in a panic sometimes? Sure, but I think that’s just parenting.)
So far, it’s worked fantastically. We did have one close call, but she called me from down the street to let me know she was on her way so the alarm wouldn’t be the thing to wake me.
Elizabeth wrote that while any alarm clock would work here, “this one blended in well with some of our other decor, and the display is big enough for me to read without my contacts in.”
(Btw, interested in learning more about Elizabeth’s experiences providing foster care as a single woman? She wrote a post about it!)
related: waking up: how to make it easier
Clocky Rolling Alarm Clock
If you have MAJOR issues with waking up, Clocky, aka “the Runaway Alarm Clock,” is for you. I’ve heard this recommended frequently for heavy sleepers, and I think I might actually bite the bullet and buy it myself. The company declares that “Clocky makes waking fun!” and while I seriously doubt that, I’m sure it’s effective. (You know what would actually make waking fun? “Clocky” from “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”)
ANYWAY, this alarm clock comes in both neutral and fun colors, and it’s under $30 at Amazon (with a “limited time deal”) and $37.99 at Clocky.com. Here’s how it’s unique: If you snooze its alarm (only allowed once), it literally runs (or more accurately, rolls) away from you, beeping all the way with its “loud R2D2-like robotic sound.” (Note that you can also disable snooze and and the rolling-away function in case you just can’t take it anymore.) It’s well-made enough to roll off from three feet high.
My favorite customer review reads, “This will most definitely wake you up. it sounds like you are being attacked by robots. I wake up every morning thinking the robots are taking over.”
related: “I’m exhausted” — how to investigate why you have no energy (open thread)
Readers, please share your recs! What alarm clocks effectively get you up and out of bed? Do you care about aesthetics for clocks? (Also, has anyone out there who tends to turn off multiple alarms while you’re half asleep found solutions to that?!)
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