These days, sunrise alarm clocks come with much more than just a light bulb and a gentle alarm tone. Some of them can offer features like meditation and breathing exercises to help calm you down before bed and even rainbow lights. Whether you’re looking for a no-frills sunrise alarm clock or one that can help you calm down before bed with voiceover narratives, you’ll be able to get one that will wake you feeling refreshed and ready to tackle your work day long before the sun rises. Below are our picks for the best sunrise alarm clocks. The Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake Up sunrise lamp ticks all our boxes for a great sunrise alarm. It can simulate both a sunrise for the morning wakeup and a sunset to help get you to sleep at night. You’ll be able to choose from nature sounds to ambient gongs to even your favorite radio station when the alarm gently rings, and you can customize the brightness and noise level of the alarm up to 20 different levels each. Aside from a nice, modern design, the lamp comes with a handy soft, adjustable, one-touch adjustable light for getting up to go to the bathroom or check on kids. The touch screen display also uses easy-to-navigate buttons to quickly set an alarm before bed or start that breathing cycle just before bedtime. On a personal note, I’ve used this sunrise wake-up lamp for a few years now and feel it helps me rise out of bed much faster. It’s a much more relaxed way to wake up, and I really enjoy how the alarm is a gentle bell gong when the light doesn’t wake me up or how it can handle two alarms when my partner needs to wake up at a different time in the morning. Pros:
True sunset simulationEasy display navigationGradual alarm audio increase
Cons:
No accompanying app with this modelLarge and bulky on a nightstandCannot stream own content for an alarm
This no-frills, sleek alarm clock from JALL can wake you up with the sunrise simulation as early as 10 minutes or as long as a 30-minute brightening. It can be programmed for two different alarms, and you can snooze it up to five times at nine minutes per snooze, so you can catch a few extra minutes of serenity before you start your day. The alarm comes packed with multiple smart light colors and seven different audio sounds, including wind bells, piano, and more, with up to 16 different noise levels. It can play FM radio if you’d prefer to wake up to a station like NPR. If you’re someone that prefers complete darkness at bedtime, you can also turn off the display, so it’s dark while you sleep. Pros:
Multiple audio colorsBudget-friendlyAdjustable sunrise simulation time
Cons:
Three brightness settingsManual alarm settings only
Trying to train a toddler when it’s time to get out of bed? You absolutely need to pick up the Hatch Rest Smart sound machine. The sleep machine comes with 11 different sounds and 10 colors so that you can customize it from ocean waves to light lullabies. You can control the lights, sound, and programs with the ease of the smart app, making it easy to adjust wakeup times and sleep times from across the house. The wake time feature allows you to help young ones learn rising times in the morning via a special “wake up” color, so when it changes to your designated color, kids know when it’s time to wake up for the day. The earliest recommended age to use the time-to-rise feature is two years old, so while they’re training to be a “big kid”, they can learn the wakeup cues. You can also use it as a nightlight so kids can see they’re safe from those pesky nighttime monsters under the bed. Pros:
Designed just for kidsCan program regular schedulesColor-coded to let kids know when it’s okay to wake up
Cons:
Recommended for two years and olderNot a true alarm clockApp required to use the Hatch
If you’re one that absolutely needs a white noise machine in the background to feel well rested, the Hatch Restore combines both your sleep needs and your waking needs into one. In the accompanying app, you can program the clock to play white noise while you sleep and wake you up with the sunrise simulation at the time of your choosing. Choose from mediation, deep breathing exercises, or just the white noise machine with the Hatch Restore. In addition to these features, you can use the app to program a schedule for your sleep and waking needs to feel more rested when waking up. Like others on this list, the light on the clock doubles as a reading light before bedtime, too. Pros:
White noise machine featuresComprehensive app with deep breathing exerciseProgrammable routine
Cons:
Most app features blocked by subscriptionIt doesn’t work on mobile hotspotsYou cannot stream your own content
Additionally, you’ll need to decide what kind of sunrise clock you want. Most come with a 30-minute wakeup sunlight simulator, while a few can be adjusted to as little as 10 minutes. If you prefer a different color other than the traditional yellow LED smart bulb, you’ll have to make sure that the alarm clock you choose offers different colors.
