While most people nowadays use their smartphones for an alarm, an actual, physical alarm clock (with high-tech specs, of course) can help you fall asleep, stay asleep, and gradually wake you up, so you feel well-rested in the morning.
We’ve rounded up the best alarm clocks on the market today with features like morning meditations, gentle lights that wake you up, voice assistant compatibilities, and much more.
Also: The best sunrise alarm clocks: Wake up smarter and brighter
The Hatch Restore 2 is a sound machine, sunrise alarm, smart light, meditation app, and alarm clock, all in one device. One of its standout features is its lighting: It provides a reading light, a soft, soothing night light, and a gradual glowing light that allows you to wake up with light rather than an obnoxious sound.
Of course, if you do need sound to wake you up, the Hatch Restore 2 has sounds like gentle chimes and nature sounds to wake you gently out of sleep. There are also guided meditations you can listen to either right when you wake up or right before bed, as well as sleep stories if you need extra help falling asleep.
Review: I replaced my phone alarm with this smart sunrise clock. The results were night and day
While the Hatch alarm clock comes at a high price, when you factor in all the features you get with it, it might be worth it for some people.
If you’re a deep sleeper, you’re going to need something a bit more customizable, and that’s where the Loftie clock comes in. You can customize your alarm tone, volume, and day of the week in your settings. There are also two phases to this alarm clock: The first sound is gentle to get you out of your sleep cycle, while the second is meant to get you out of bed.
Loftie’s other features include an adjustable nightlight, a noise machine for white noise or nature soundscapes, and a Bluetooth connection so you can fall asleep to a customized playlist or an audiobook. Like the Hatch Restore clock, Loftie also has meditations along with breathwork and sound bath wellness content.
At almost $150, this is by far the most expensive option on our list. Other downsides are that the clock’s numbers can be too small for some and that the clock must always be connected to Wi-Fi for it to work.
A much cheaper option for an alarm clock is the iHome Bluetooth clock. While it works with iOS and Android devices for Bluetooth connectivity to listen to music or audiobooks, it doubles as a charger for iOS devices. And, since it connects to your smartphone, its speakerphone function lets you talk to others on the phone hands-free.
The alarm clock sound can be set to your own Bluetooth audio, AM or FM radio, or a built-in tone. You can also set dual alarms for separate wake-up times. Another feature of the iHome clock is that it has six color displays to let you set the mood, and you can even set one up to come on with your alarm.
Customers note that the buttons for the iHome Bluetooth clock are relatively small and, therefore, are hard to touch and navigate, especially when you’re half asleep and are trying to turn off your insistent alarm.
Aside from choosing different clock styles for your display, the Echo Show 5 can control your other smart home devices, make video calls, and even stream TV shows or movies right to your nightstand.
The only downside customers noted about the Echo Show 5 is that its voice recognition can be wonky. Also, many mentioned that the overall sound quality could be better.
Of course, if you’re looking for a simple, no-frills alarm clock, there’s always the Sony AM/FM Alarm Clock Radio. This clock has limited features, but the basic ones you need to wake up in the morning: A gradual wake-up alarm, a programmable sleep-timer for the radio, and adjustable display brightness.
The Sony Alarm Clock radio automatically sets the time and even adjusts for daylight savings. In addition, it has a battery backup to keep the clock working and your alarm on in the event of a power outage.
While this clock’s limited features could be considered great for some, they could be downsides for others since you are really only limited to radio stations. Also, customers say that the max volume output could be louder.
We also took into consideration verified customer reviews and the experiences (both the good and the bad) customers had with the alarm clock they purchased.
By keeping your smartphone in an entirely different room (or at the very least, across your bedroom) and using a physical alarm clock instead, you won’t be as tempted to scroll your phone before bed or check it in the middle of the night.
