Waking up is hard, but the best alarm clock can make mornings a little bit easier — or at least help you keep to a schedule. From the best sunrise alarm clocks to the best silent alarm clocks, finding the right alarm for you depends on your sleep style. You might like soft sounds and warm light for a soothing, gradual wake-up — or you could prefer a explosion of noise that makes you jump out of bed.
"Light sleepers may want as few distractions and artificial light as possible," said Alex Dimitriu, MD, the founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine. "Deep sleepers may want an alarm that is loud or gradually loud, possibly with light or a sunrise simulator to facilitate waking up from a deep slumber."
Whether you're a light or heavy sleeper, we've found the best alarm clocks on the market. Our top pick is The Loftie, which a sleek smart alarm with features like an adjustable nightlight and Bluetooth speakers.
You can also read more about how Business Insider Reviews tests home products here.
Our top picks for the best alarm clocks
Best overall: The Loftie - See at Loftie
Best sunrise: Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light - See at Amazon
Best for heavy sleepers: Sonic Alert Sonic Bomb Dual Extra-Loud Alarm Clock with Bed Shaker - See at Amazon
Loudest: Emerson SmartSet - See at Amazon
Best for time projection: Magnasonic Projection-Temp-Connection - See at Amazon
Best for kids: Hatch Rest+ 2nd Gen - See at Amazon
Best overall
The Loftie is constantly updating its firmware to provide a unique and healthy wake-up experience with a growing library of pleasant melodies.
- Two types of alarm to help you wake up
- Ever-growing library of content
- Bluetooth speaker
- Relies on WiFi for system updates
- Expensive
What sets the Loftie apart from other best alarm clocks is its two-phase alarm system. The first alarm is a gentle tone that helps my body and mind wake up slowly. The second is a louder melody that gets me out of bed. This method is effective in reducing sleep inertia (morning grogginess).
Since its launch, Loftie has added more sounds, alarms, and new features. It works as a white noise machine, Bluetooth speaker, and sleep timer. You can set multiple alarms from the device and choose the type of sounds you want to wake up to. With only three buttons at the top, it's simple to use.
The Loftie was designed to break the bad habit of scrolling through your phone during your bedtime and morning routines. Instead of looking at social media right before bed, I enjoyed falling asleep to the Loftie's included breathing techniques, sound baths, and bedtime stories. The display dims automatically as the night progresses, and a warm amber glow serves as a gentle, adjustable nightlight.
Setting up the clock includes downloading the required Loftie app (available for iOS or Android). For the most part, you can do everything on the device and stay out of the app, unless it's time for an update.
Overall, the Loftie did a fantastic job at waking me up on time every day in the most pleasant way possible.
Best sunrise
The Phillips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light has a unique spherical design that creates a beautiful sunrise simulation, and features many of the same premium settings as the more expensive Philips Smartsleep Connected.
- Creates the best sunrise simulation
- Very user-friendly and simple
- Fully manual
- Limited sound options
- Doesn't have app connectivity
If you are really looking to set up a morning and night routine, this is a great pick for intuitive sleepers that want to start analyzing their sleeping habits. With the ability to customize which sounds and lights to wake up and wind down with, you are able to relax more naturally during your sleep routine.
While testing, I woke up refreshed each morning. The snooze function is simple: just tap anywhere on the clock to snooze your alarm and sleep for nine more minutes. You probably won't need to snooze it, though, since the gradually increasing warm glow wakes you up naturally.
Read our full Philips SmartSleep Connected Wake-Up Light review.
Best for heavy sleepers
Even if you sleep like the dead, you'll spring back to life at the first blast of the crazy-loud alarm, vibrations, flashing lights, and bright red display of the Sonic Alert Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock.
- Reliable
- Strong vibration
- Optional sound
- May disturb partner
- Not a gentle wake-up
- Not intuitive
With its puck-shaped shaker, the Sonic Bomb Extra-Loud Alarm Clock uses a powerful vibration to help ensure that you wake up on time. It's very abrupt, so it won't rouse you gently, keep this in mind when considering your favorite alarm clock pick.
Vibration alarms might work well for people who have trained themselves to sleep through sound alarms or who can't hear them. You put the puck under your mattress, and you'll feel an intense buzz when your alarm goes off. Even through my very thick mattress, I felt the alarm vibrating on the other side of the bed. I could also hear the sound of it shaking, too. If you're trying not to wake your partner, this isn't a great solution.
For a budget alarm clock, the Sonic Bomb is fairly customizable. You can choose only the vibration, just a buzzing sound, or combine them. There are a few options for the buzzer's tone, and you can turn the flashing lights on or off.
You can also change the snooze duration, which isn't always something you find on similarly priced alarm clocks.
One big drawback is that you have to remember to between the two alarms if you don't want a weekday alarm going off on the weekend. There's no way to set the alarms for specific days, but you can have them both go off every day.
Loudest
The Emerson SmartSet has the best digital LED time display with easy-to-read large numbers and a beautiful cyan nightlight.
- Large, easy to read display
- Number of alarms
- Snooze duration
- Sound
- 2
- 9 minutes
The Emerson SmartSet clock radio has a gradual beeping alarm sound that gets loud enough to wake up even heavy sleepers. Sleep specialist Alex Dimitriu, MD, recommends placing a loud alarm clock for heavy sleepers "far from the bed stand so they would require getting up and walking over to turn it off."
You can also wake up to your favorite FM radio station that gradually increases in volume. Two alarms can be set for weekdays only, weekends only, or all seven days.
Its lovely cyan LED time display is large, clear, and easy to read. A soft cyan nightlight turns on and off via a button on top of the device. Other features include a USB charging port and Bluetooth speaker. Unfortunately, you can't use the speaker to wake up to your own music, though the sound quality is decent for an alarm clock.
The device is easy to navigate, with the buttons located at the top of the device. One issue that I had with this alarm clock was not being able to change the alarm settings while listening to music via Bluetooth. To set the alarms or adjust other settings, you have to stop the radio or music first.
Additionally, even though the nightlight can be fully turned on or off, the time display can only be dimmed and doesn't shut off completely. Overall, the Emerson SmartSet is one of the best alarm clocks for people who like a big time display, a beautiful cyan glow, and a loud alarm.
Best for time projection
The Magnasonic Projection-Temp-Connection alarm clock is a reliable time projector that will ensure you wake up promptly every morning.
- Easy to use
- Convenient time and temperature projector
- AUX audio input
- No Bluetooth of WiFi connectivity
- Only three brightness levels
- Only one alarm sound
The Magnasonic alarm clock is sleek and easy to set up, with a projector for convenient viewing. It features a blue LCD display with a clear view of the time, day of the week, and indoor temperature.
These stats can also be viewed from an adjustable projector that displays on the wall or ceiling. An auto dimmer turns off both the display and light projector when you want total darkness. You can set two alarms and wake up to your favorite AM/FM radio station or the built-in buzzer.
Other features include sleep and nap functions, a backup battery, and AUX audio input to listen to your music (though you can't wake up to AUX audio).
You have the option to set your alarm for Monday through Friday, the weekend only, or just one day. Even though this is a traditional alarm clock, the sound is not abrupt and obnoxious. Instead, it's a gradual sound that gets loud enough to wake up even heavy sleepers. This alarm clock offers reliability for light sleepers like me, without being too jarring.
The Magnasonic alarm clock lacks some nice-to-have features compared to the other best alarm clocks, including more alarm sound options and Bluetooth connectivity. It would be nice if the display dimmer had more than three brightness levels, too.
Overall, the Magnasonic is one of the best alarm clocks because it is reliable, easy to use, and convenient.
Best for kids
The Hatch Rest+ is an excellent choice for parents looking to foster healthy sleep habits in their children. It provides gentle light and sound options along with customizable routines, all in a sleek, compact design. It’s also a more cost-effective option than the original Hatch Restore 2.
- Kid-friendly features, but great for adults as well
- Fully customizable routines through the Hatch app
- Doubles as a portable nightlight and sunrise alarm clock
- subscription is required to access the full library of light and sound options
- WiFi is necessary for initial set-up and updates
- Most functionality is through the app
The Hatch Rest+ 2nd Gen is an all-in-one device that works as a night light, white noise machine, and alarm. Older kids can also use it as their first alarm clock.
For toddlers who are early risers, adults can set the Rise+ to turn a certain color when it's OK for kids to get out of bed. Business Insider Reviews contributor Alicia Betz likes this feature that's popular with a lot of parents. You can turn off the sound so it's less likely to wake anyone who's still sleeping. When kids get a little older and need to get up for school, a combination of sound and light can help gently awaken them at the right time.
While the device is pricey, it does have a nice built-in library of 18 free sounds. The nine different color options can also signal to them it's time to start winding down for the night and stay as a night light as well. With over eight hours of battery, it can even be removed from the base to be used as a portable night light.
All said, for full use of the Hatch Rest+ 2nd Gen, you'll need a Hatch+ subscription. The subscription, which is $4.99 a month, extends the clock's sound and light library. Most functionality is through the app, and the Rest+ does require WiFi to set up.
What to look for in an alarm clock
I spoke with sleep expert Alex Dimitriu, MD, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, and relied on my own experience as a sleep researcher and certified sleep science consultant to write this guide. I also authored Insider Reviews' guide to the best wake up light alarm clock.
Alarm tone: Your alarm clock should wake you up the way you want to wake up. If you want to wake up gently you should choose one of our best alarm clock picks that has soothing sounds. On the other hand, if you are a heavy sleeper you are going to want to go with one of our alarm clock picks that has louder sounds.
Aesthetics and size: An alarm clock should seamlessly fit into your room and its style. Your alarm clock should not be a focal point, so try to pick an option that blends into the colors or style of your bedroom.
Source of power: If your nightstand isn't near an outlet you should look into wireless or battery operated alarm clocks. Make sure the alarm clock you purchase fits into your current lifestyle and habits, not the other way around.
Durability: You want something that's long lasting, reliable, and overall a good investment. Depending on your sleeping habits and how much you want to spend, a simple alarm clock could be a perfect fit for you. If you want something with added features and perks, you are probably going to spend more money.
Extra features: Bluetooth compatibility, sleep tracking, multiple charging ports, and radio, are not included with most alarm clocks. If you are looking for these extras, make sure to check out the features before buying.
How we test alarm clocks
For this guide, I tested eight of the best alarm clocks and evaluated them on the following criteria:
Setup: For each alarm clock, I noted how easy or difficult it was to set up the time and alarms and how helpful the instructions were.
Performance: I used each alarm clock for a minimum of three consecutive days to get used to the routine and noted how effective they were in waking me up on time.
Alarm sound: I carefully assessed each alarm's volume and sound selection and noted whether it was a gradual melodic tune and loud enough to wake up heavy sleepers.
Extra features: I tested any additional features of each alarm clock, including Bluetooth integration, sleep timers, apps, projectors, and voice-control features.
Durability: I tested and noted how durable and resistant each was by knocking them off my nightstand to see if they were easily damaged.
Alarm clock FAQs
What type of alarm clock is best for light sleepers?
If you're a light sleeper, you might not need something very loud, and you'll also want something with lights that can be dimmed and turned off during the night. Light sleepers may also benefit from a gentle alarm like the best sunrise alarm clocks.
Why can't I just use my phone as an alarm?
"Keeping a phone on a nightstand is a bit of a distraction and can negatively impact sleep," said Dimitriu. Plus, it's better to wake up gently, and a good alarm clock has an array of gentle, gradual sounds.
What is the difference between silent and sunrise alarm clocks?
Sunrise alarm clocks simulate a natural and gradual sunrise with a range of soft orange and yellow LED lights. The best silent alarm clocks can also use light to wake you up, but they can use additional methods as well, like vibrations or headphones.
What color alarm clock light is best for sleeping?
Red, yellow, and orange lights have no impact on your circadian clock. So, before bed try to use a dim variation of these colors if your alarm clock allows you to customize the display, and avoid blue and white lights as much as possible if you are trying to fall or stay asleep.
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