Best Sunrise Alarm Clocks From Consumer Reports' Tests
If you’re tired of being jolted out of bed by your current alarm, a dawnlike wake-up light just might brighten your morning in more ways than one. Here’s Consumer Reports' take on six popular models.
CR engineer Dana Keester evaluates the user-friendliness of a selection of popular sunrise alarm clocks.
By Tanya A. Christian
Whether you struggle to get a good night’s sleep or are simply not a morning person, a sunrise alarm clock may be your new best friend.
These clocks wake you up with a faux sunrise, and many give you the option of replacing the jarring sounds of a typical alarm clock with pleasant wake-up tones, such as chirping birds or wind bells, or even glorious silence.
“Light is responsible for regulating our sleep-wake cycles,” explains Nilong Vyas, MD, owner of Sleepless in NOLA, a sleep consultancy in New Orleans, and a medical review expert at SleepFoundation.org. “The type of light and the amount of lux [a measure of illuminance an object produces] can stimulate the retina of the eye and give signals to the body that it is time to wake up or go to sleep.”
Bright light signals the brain that it’s time to wake, even when your eyes are closed; dim or no light has the opposite effect. That’s why sleep doctors suggest that if you feel sleepy at wake-up time, you should pull up your shades, or even better, get outside and reap the benefits of daylight.
Sunshine triggers your circadian rhythm to start off on the right foot, and syncs your brain to a 24-hour cycle—one in which you feel alert and energized to start your day in the morning, and ready to wind down by bedtime. You can, of course, leave your shades up and wake up with the sun (though not everyone has sufficient light streaming into their bedroom). Depending on the time of year, relying on the sun might mean you’ll wake up earlier or later than you want to.
With this in mind, a growing number of brands are selling sunrise alarm clocks, and we set up a test to take a closer look.
Often called wake-up lights, these devices gradually brighten over the course of a designated window of time (typically 10 minutes to up two hours), before reaching its highest level of brightness at your desired wake-up time. The higher-end options tend to emit light resembling a natural dawn, incorporating more nuanced shades of yellow, orange, and red.
Generally speaking, to effectively wake you up, a light should fill your room. While we didn’t measure the light intensity in this round of testing, we found that a manufacturer’s advertised intensity can vary from clock to clock.
The maximum intensity of two of the devices we tested fell around the 300 range (measured from a distance that roughly approximates what’s between a sleeper’s eyes and the nightstand where the clock would presumably sit). The cheaper clock options fell below that. One clock in this round of testing emits 500 lux from about a foot away, according to the manufacturer. Another provided no information, even when we reached out to customer service.
Waking up with light, albeit artificial light, isn’t just helpful for people seeking a more pleasant way to start the day—it’s also great for those struggling with time changes (hello, fall!), jet lag, and shift work.
“The impact can predispose the body to wake up as if it were receiving direct access to [sun]light,” says Girardin Jean-Louis, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of Miami.
Of course, these clocks aren’t a replacement for how refreshed you might feel after 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep. But for those who are not morning people, it can make waking up easier.
As one user told CR, “I have an extremely hard time waking up early for work. I also get seasonal affective disorder in the fall and winter. I noticed how my mood is greatly impacted by the sun and thought a sunrise alarm clock would help. It does.”
There may be some scientific evidence for this. While the effect of light on sleep and waking is still a relatively young field, research suggests that dawn simulation may be helpful. One study found that it may ease subjective feelings of grogginess. Another reported that adolescents experienced enhanced alertness, performing significantly better than baseline on computer tests that evaluated how well they paid attention.
As the category has continued to evolve, the devices have also evolved to help you sleep. Many now come with a white noise option or calming nature sounds (ocean waves, rain), breath-work guidance, even an assessment of your room’s temperature, humidity, and noise and light levels. (Most of the models from CR’s tests have at least one of these capabilities.)
How Consumer Reports Assessed Sunrise Alarm Clocks
To better understand consumer needs in this area, Consumer Reports reached out to 15 sunrise-alarm-clock users to find out what they value in the products they own. Dana Keester, an engineer on CR’s Consumer Experience and Usability Research team, then used their responses to help organize a set of criteria with which to compare the popular models we chose to review. Each model was then scored according to:
Ease of setup: The clock should come with clear, simple instructions. The process should be easy to navigate and fairly intuitive. You should also be able to preview the settings (such as the alarm sounds and the brightness of the light).
Ease of use: Buttons and switches should be accessible and easy to maneuver. The time on the clock, alarm indications, and other markings should be easy to read and understand. You should also have the freedom to customize the alarm settings (such as with light and sound).
Available features: Clocks that scored well in this category include the three features that the users we interviewed found most desirable. Interestingly, two of those three features are sleep-related—namely, having a “wind-down” sunset mode and the option of white noise. The third feature is the ability to preset multiple alarms. This comes in handy if you wake up at different times on weekdays and weekends.
Six CR-Tested Sunrise Alarm Clocks
To make a fair comparison, we limited our roundup to standalone devices with a clock interface. Ultimately we landed on popular models from six brands: JALL, Philips, Lumie, iHome, La Crosse, and hOmelabs. All have backup-battery capabilities (though a battery may or may not be included) that saves the clock’s time and alarm settings in case of a power outage, or if the clock is accidentally unplugged.
Here, we list the clocks in order of how they fared in our evaluation, from most to least user-friendly. (This test did not assess brightness or color of the light or quality of the audio.) Prices below are approximate and may change.
CR’s take: The JALL Wake Up Light Sunrise Alarm Clock is at least half the price of the Philips and the Lumie, but from an ease-of-use standpoint, this model comes out on top. It has two independent alarms (so you can set them for different times depending on your routine), seven alarm tones (including “wind bells” and birds chirping), an FM radio, and a fall-asleep mode that simulates a sunset (though no white-noise option). It was relatively easy to set up and use. According to the manufacturer, it emits a maximum light intensity of 240 lux. Tapping the snooze button will temporarily shut off both the light and the sound. (The advantage: You’re more likely to fall back asleep in the dark. The disadvantage? You’re more likely to fall back asleep in the dark.)
Buy at: Amazon
CR’s take: With the Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light HF3520/60, you can wake up to one of five nature-inspired sounds or an FM radio. According to the manufacturer’s description, the clock glows with red, orange, and yellow hues that ultimately brightens to a maximum intensity of 300-lux (which you can adjust down, according to your preference). Pressing snooze will temporarily shut off the sound alarm but not the light, which may keep you from falling back asleep (a good thing, if you truly want to wake up). The SmartSleep is pretty easy to set up and use, receiving high marks in both categories. Those looking for assistance falling asleep will also appreciate its simulated sunset. (But for wind-down sounds and programs, you’ll need to upgrade to the HF3650 or HF3670.)
CR’s take: The Lumie Bodyclock Glow 150 has a simple, straightforward interface and an eclectic mix of 10 audio options, including tropical birds, crickets, and goats. Silence is also an option, but an FM radio is not. Lumie’s light glows with dawn-inspired oranges and reds before it rises to an intensity of 500 lux, assuming it’s placed about a foot away on the nightstand, says the manufacturer. Unlike most sunrise alarm clocks, the Lumie is dome-shaped and emits light from its entire top side, not just from its face. When you tap snooze, both the light and audio alarms shut off. The Lumie also has a customizable sunset mode, that can be used with soothing sounds, such as white noise, a thunderstorm, or ocean waves. You can program the light to fade out over 20, 30, or 45 minutes, or leave it barely on for use as a nightlight.
Buy at: Amazon
CR’s take: The iHome Zenergy Sunrise Bedside Therapy Machine (iZBT3) feels more like a great sound machine than a true sunrise alarm clock, thanks, in part, to its bluetooth speaker. While it has a clock, a light alarm (with a maximum intensity of 300 lux from a foot away), and a choice of alarm tones, we found that it’s hard to set up: The controls are confusing and the buttons don’t respond immediately. Fortunately, this device is easier to use once you’ve programmed it. Press snooze, and you’ll temporarily halt the sound and the light at the same time. This wake-up light’s best assets are, in fact, its sleep offerings, complete with 15 soothing tones (from melodies to nature sounds) and a guided breathing exercise. The iZBT3 also offers a sunset mode, though its inability to fade the light or sound gradually over time (it simply shuts off), may be jarring to some users.
Buy at: Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy
CR’s take: The La Crosse Soluna Light Alarm Clock features five light modes, including one that pulses for guided breathing exercises. In all, there are a total of 20 color settings. But when it comes to functionality, it falls a bit short. It has just one audio alarm (“melody”), one light alarm, and no FM radio nor white-noise function. Worse, it’s challenging to set up. However, the display does show temperature and humidity — two contributors to sleep quality and something none of the other clocks offer. For those who prefer to will themselves awake, this clock helpfully leaves the light on when you press snooze, shutting off only the sound.
Buy at: Amazon, Home Depot
CR’s take: You can set only one wake-up alarm time with the hOmelabs Sunrise Digital LED Alarm Clock, though you have a choice of seven alarm tones (including birds chirping, ocean sounds, and an FM radio). The clock emits eight colors, but you can use only the white light for the sunrise-alarm feature. This model is one of the least expensive you’ll find, but its light (at 130 lux, according to the manufacturer) is considerably less bright than others on this list, and it’s not very intuitive to use (you may have to refer to the instruction manual every time you set it up, at least in the beginning). Tapping snooze will shut off the alarm tone, but the light will remain on. hOmelabs also offers a dedicated sunset/sleep mode, with the option to fade the light out over 15, 30, or 60 minutes. This clock does not offer white noise.
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