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Seven sunrise alarm clocks lined up next to each other on a neutral stone background Credit: Reviewed / Felicity Warner

The Best Sunrise Alarm Clocks of 2023

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Seven sunrise alarm clocks lined up next to each other on a neutral stone background Credit: Reviewed / Felicity Warner

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Editor's Choice Product image of Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light
Best Overall

Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light

A vividly realistic sunrise alarm, the Philips SmartSleep is a step above the rest, as our tester always woke up feeling less groggy. Read More

Pros

  • Realistic sunrise and sunset
  • High-quality nature sounds
  • Intuitive interface

Cons

  • Lack of special features
Editor's Choice Product image of Jall Sunrise Alarm Clock
Best Value

Jall Sunrise Alarm Clock

The Jall Wake Up Light is a no-frills, quality sunrise light for its affordable price range—and beats out high-end lamps for its wake-up abilities. Read More

Pros

  • Good light quality
  • Variety of light options

Cons

  • Device feels cheap
  • Poor sound quality
  • Buttons may take some getting used to
Editor's Choice Product image of Philips SmartSleep Connected Sleep and Wake-Up Light
Best Smart Alarm

Philips SmartSleep Connected Sleep and Wake-Up Light

For an upscale device that provides helpful tips to help you get a better night’s sleep, the Philips SmartSleep Connected may be worth it. Read More

Pros

  • Several light color schemes
  • Insights to improve ambient environment
  • Easy to control and navigate

Cons

  • Not as bright as some
  • Occasional connectivity issues
Product image of Hatch Restore 2

Hatch Restore 2

The Hatch Restore 2 is a smart lamp, bedside alarm, and sound machine all-in-one, but it's more expensive than other similar options out there. Read More

Pros

  • Stylish design
  • Easy to set up and use
  • Routines can improve sleep

Cons

  • Certain features require payment
  • Needs more sounds and flexibility
Product image of Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300

Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300

This dome-shaped alarm produces a gorgeous and downright realistic glow with plenty of sounds to choose from—but that’s really all you’ll get. Read More

Pros

  • Dome shape provides a bright sunrise
  • Aesthetically pleasing
  • Easy to use
  • Unique sound options

Cons

  • One color scheme
  • Lacks special features

We’ve all been there—struggling to fall asleep, tossing and turning at night, and waking up groggy. With electronics at our fingertips, getting a perfect night’s sleep is harder than ever. When our circadian rhythm is off, it can affect how we perform in day-to-day activities, our mood, and even our overall health.

That’s why we’ve researched sunrise alarms. These sunrise simulator clocks aim to recreate natural dawns and purport to help ease you into the morning. Our favorite is the Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light (available at Amazon for $98.52) for its realistic sunrise light, high-quality speakers, and easy-to-learn interface. But with different needs in mind, we came up with a list of the best sunrise alarm clocks for anyone.

Editor's Note:
The recommendations in this guide are based on thorough product and market research by our team of expert product reviewers. The picks are based on examining user reviews, product specifications, and, in some limited cases, our experience with the specific products named.
Image of the Philips SmartSleep sunrise alarm at full brightness in a room on a clear end table next a bed with a grey pillow
Credit: Reviewed / Felicity Warner

With a stunning lamp that provides realistic sunrise and sunset effects, the Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light can't be beat.

Best Overall
Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light

The Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light is one of the pricier sunrise alarm clocks we found. Most of the investment clearly goes into the light itself, which is what pushes this clock to the top of our list.

The frosted matte plastic produces one of the most realistic wake-up light sunrises (and sunsets), growing from a deep red into a bright, warm white over 30 minutes.

While you won’t get features like colorful lighting, breathing or meditation exercises, a plethora of soundscapes, or connection with other smart home gadgets from the SmartSleep, you will get basic necessities. The SmartSleep has five fairly-realistic nature sounds and a few small buttons around the top to set the alarm, get ready for bed, or listen to a built-in FM radio.

The features this device lacks aren’t necessarily helpful for sleep, nor even useful in general. The real focus here are the 20 gorgeous brightness settings to personalize the intensity of your sunrise. This alarm excels at what it’s designed to do: simulate sunrise with a high quality light.

As far as bedtime routines, it offers a realistic, soothing sunset function (basically, the sunrise in reverse) that can work as a reading light before your room fully darkens. You can control the settings with the simple, intuitive LED screen.

Overall, for those who want a realistic sunrise and sunset, the Philips SmartSleep is our top choice. The light engulfed my room in a saturated glow that felt extremely natural and woke us up feeling ready for the day.

Pros

  • Realistic sunrise and sunset

  • High-quality nature sounds

  • Intuitive interface

Cons

  • Lack of special features

Image of the Jall sunrise alarm starting to brighten the room on a clear end table next a bed with a grey pillow
Credit: Reviewed / Felicity Warner

The Jall Wake Up Light looks like our best overall choice and provides a similar experience at a significantly lower price.

Best Value
Jall Sunrise Alarm Clock

Despite the Jall Wake Up Light feeling a bit cheap, the light works beautifully and has a range of intensity choices. The product description says it's designed "especially for heavy sleepers," so if you’re a snoozer, this could be the pick for you.

Besides the sun simulation, the light has seven colorful glows that make for a nice touch in creating ambiance. The directions aren’t straightforward so be sure to read them thoroughly to learn the controls.

The low price becomes more evident when the speakers are in use. All three alarm tones—forest insect, ocean waves, and creek sound—sound muffled and low quality.

For the price, we think this is a decent choice. Just know you get what you pay for in terms of quality. It may not last forever.

Pros

  • Good light quality

  • Variety of light options

Cons

  • Device feels cheap

  • Poor sound quality

  • Buttons may take some getting used to

Image of the Philips Connected sunrise alarm at full brightness in a room on a clear end table next a bed with a grey pillow
Credit: Reviewed / Felicity Warner

With a built-in sensor, the Philips Connected Sleep and Wake-Up Light provides insights to create a better sleeping environment.

Best Smart Alarm
Philips SmartSleep Connected Sleep and Wake-Up Light

For a more deluxe bedside device, the Philips Connected Sleep and Wake-Up Light offers some cool “smart” features. You still get a great sunrise and sunset experience, but you also get an intuitive touchscreen interface and a light-guided breathing exercise for mindfully winding down or starting your day. A free, in-depth app, the Philips SleepMapper, offers real-time data about your sleeping environment.

One major drawback: The doughnut design doesn’t produce the same light intensity as dome shaped models. Still, the quality of the light is just as stunning. The simulated sunrise gradually shifts from a deep red into an orange, then a bright, warm white—just not as brightly.

SmartSleep Wake-Up Light only has one sunrise color scheme. The touchscreen controls are intuitive and the app is easy to navigate, and both give you access to all of the alarm’s features.

Another standout feature is that the device monitors the bedroom’s ambient environment. It records room temperature, humidity, light level, and decibels to provide analysis and advice on how to improve sleep quality.

One small downside is that the setup process is more involved than others. We paired the alarm to my home’s Wi-Fi and the SleepMapper iPhone app, and it took a moment for the alarm to reconnect with both every night. Despite this minor flaw, it’s a great tool for learning more about and potentially improving your sleep. As long as you’ll use the lofty features, they’re worth shelling out for.

Pros

  • Several light color schemes

  • Insights to improve ambient environment

  • Easy to control and navigate

Cons

  • Not as bright as some

  • Occasional connectivity issues

Product image of Hatch Restore 2
Hatch Restore 2

The Hatch Restore 2 is one of the most aesthetically pleasing smart alarm clocks. It is a noise machine, night light, sunrise simulator, and alarm clock wrapped into one compact bedside device.

While the new design has the same semi-circle shape as the original, the front and back are fully covered in linen fabric, and it comes in three colors—an improvement over the previous generation. In addition to an upgraded appearance, the Restore 2 has a few additional improvements over the original version. Its new design is easier to operate with large, easy-to-find buttons, and it has three built-in speakers for improved sound quality. It also offers 21 new sleep sounds, 10 new alarm sounds, and new light and sound pairings for the sunset setting.

The Hatch app walks you through the processes of creating Unwind, Sleep, and Rise routines, which you can edit and customize at any time. The app is also where you can control the light brightness and volume. The Restore 2 also works with Alexa.

We found the soothing noises helped us fall asleep and minimized interruptions throughout the night, helping improve our overall sleep routine.

One caveat: The “Hatch Sleep Membership” is the best way to use the device, but it costs $49.99 annually. It gives you access to the app’s curated playlists of music, dreamscapes, guided rest exercises, and sleep stories. You don’t have to opt in, but your device will have notably fewer sound and light settings without it.

The Hatch Restore 2 makes an attractive addition to your nightstand, and we found that it’s easy to use and effective at creating a relaxing sleep environment. However, it's one of the more expensive options out there—especially once you factor in the subscription cost.

Read our full review of the Hatch Restore 2.

Pros

  • Stylish design

  • Easy to set up and use

  • Routines can improve sleep

Cons

  • Certain features require payment

  • Needs more sounds and flexibility

Product image of Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300
Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300

We thoroughly enjoyed the Lumie Bodyclock Shine, despite its limited lighting options. As the “sun” began to rise, we pleasantly awoke before the alarm sounded, and found the quality of the bulb almost as good as our top pick.

The Lumie only has one color scheme. However, you can adjust the brightness, the dome diffuses light efficiently across the room, and it offers a gorgeous sunset. While the light woke us up with no problem, it doesn’t feel as realistic as the other options. Despite its gorgeous pinks and reds, it lacks some of those more natural yellow and orange hues.

This alarm clock ranks high in aesthetics with its bright LED display and a decorative cloth base covering the speakers. The clock itself feels lightweight—almost cheap—but nothing I’d be afraid of breaking anytime soon. The Bodyclock Shine 300 features 15 sounds—including some unique ones, like “Kitten Purring” and “Café” (which sounds like a bustling coffee shop).

Unfortunately, we had difficulty with the snooze button the first few mornings. We gingerly tapped the device's bulb, but the alarm didn’t stop. It wasn’t until we tapped it with more force that the snooze function finally kicked in.

Pros

  • Dome shape provides a bright sunrise

  • Aesthetically pleasing

  • Easy to use

  • Unique sound options

Cons

  • One color scheme

  • Lacks special features

Can Sunrise Alarm Clocks Improve Your Sleep?

We wouldn’t go as far as to say these will fix your circadian rhythm, especially if you continue to use phones at night. But morning sunlight exposure is key to maintaining your body’s natural cycle, and these devices might help.

Meet the testers

Camryn Rabideau

Camryn Rabideau

Contributor

@CamrynWrites

Camryn Rabideau is a full-time freelance writer and product tester with eight years of experience. She's been lucky enough to test hundreds of products firsthand, and her specialties include bedding and pet products, which often require help from her two dogs, three cats, and flock of rambunctious chickens.

See all of Camryn Rabideau's reviews
Felicity Warner

Felicity Warner

Senior Staff Writer, Audience

@fwarnz

Felicity Warner is a Boston-based writer, covering all things timely and trending with Reviewed's Audience Development team. In her spare time, Felicity enjoys thrift and vintage shopping and perfecting the art of latte-making at home.

See all of Felicity Warner's reviews
Ceara Perez-Murphy

Ceara Perez-Murphy

Staff Writer, Search

@

Ceara Perez-Murphy is a staff writer at Reviewed. In her free time she likes trying out new recipes in the kitchen, exploring new restaurants and spending time outdoors with her dogs.

See all of Ceara Perez-Murphy's reviews

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