If you find mornings unpleasant with a regular alarm clock, a sunrise alarm clock, also known as a wake-up light, might help you wake up feeling more refreshed.
We did extensive research on circadian rhythms and tested 10 different sunrise alarm clocks and two non-clock lighting devices by waking before dawn.
Our favorite choice is the Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light HF3520, which emits calming, red-tinted dawn-and-dusk simulations and gentle wake-up sounds.
Our recommendation
This sleek alarm has the most calming simulated sunrise and sunset, which may help you feel less groggy. It offers a good variety of alarm sounds and other useful features, but programming the clock is cumbersome.
Many sunrise alarms use white light to wake you up, which can be harsh early in the morning. The Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light HF3520 starts with a more soothing, red-tinted light that gradually turns into a bright white light. This approach feels more natural and may be more effective at helping you feel less groggy when you wake up.
The HF3520 offers a good range of five alarm sounds, a backup alarm, a backup power source in case of a power outage, and a decent radio. However, it lacks an app, and manually programming the clock is awkward.
Upgrade option
This Bluetooth-connected model offers many of the same features as our top pick, with some nice extras such as a USB charging port, soothing sunrise lighting, and multiple alarms. It’s also easier to change the settings via the intuitive app.
The Philips SmartSleep Connected Sleep and Wake-Up Light shares many features with our top pick, including a natural, red-tinted sunrise and sunset light.
However, it provides more alarm sounds, a wider range of brightness levels and programmable sunrise options. It also features sensors that detect temperature, humidity, noise, and light levels, a built-in nightlight, and a USB port.
What truly makes the upgrade worth it is the intuitive app, which allows for easier programming of sunrise and sunset times and other features compared to navigating the clock’s buttons. It’s also possible to set multiple alarms during the week, and the sunset component offers several “wind down” routines.
