Natural daylight is essential for helping us start the day well, but as winter approaches so do the darker mornings, which can make it tricky to get out of bed – especially if you're sleeping on one of the best mattresses for your sleep needs. But, luckily, the best sunrise alarm clocks are here to save the day.
Wake-up lights and alarms simulate natural daylight inside your bedroom to help you wake more gently. They gradually get brighter over a set period without a blaring alarm, and instead feature calming sounds such as birdsong or crashing waves. Most sunrise clocks also come with a sunset function to ensure you maintain a healthy sleep schedule.
We've put together a selection of the latest sunrise alarm clocks from trusted brands, such as Hatch, Philips and Lumie. After testing, the Hatch Restore 2 is our current top sunrise alarm clock thanks to its chic aesthetic, extensive library of sleep and wake-up sounds, and ambient sunrise simulation light. The Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light is a close second as it does an exceptional job of mimicking natural sunlight.
While the top brands come with a matching price tag, we've made sure our guide also includes lights for every budget. We've tested options for under $50 including affordable options from HomeLabs and JALL to guarantee you won't lose sleep over the cost.
Now is a great time to buy a sunrise alarm clock, with several of our favorites being discounted in the extended Cyber Monday mattress deals. Here are our best sunrise alarm clock recommendations, chosen by our top team of sleep tech experts.
The 5 best sunrise alarm clocks you can buy today
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Best overall sunrise alarm clock
The Hatch Restore 2 is currently trending on social media and it's easy to see why. After testing it for ourselves, we declared the Hatch Restore 2 to be the best sunrise alarm clock you can buy right now.
It works as a sunrise and sundown light and includes audio features such as guided meditations, nature sounds and even historical sleep stories to help send you into a peaceful slumber. It looks great too with a sleek design and a stylish fabric finish.
At $169.999 MSRP (a lower price since it launched in July 2023 at $199), the Hatch is at the premium end of the sunrise-alarm market compared with others, however it is by no means the most expensive option out there.
While it does come with a good array of quality features, one drawback of the Hatch alarm clock is in order to take advantage of all the features, you'll have to factor in the app subscription fee, which starts at $4.99/month or $49.99/year.
The app has additional features to help personalize your sleep and wake-up routines, and you can choose different intensities and colors for the lights, as well as more alarm sounds.
On the clock itself, the buttons are simple. There's a ‘rest' button (featuring a closed eye icon) to start your wind-down routine and a ‘rise' button (indicated by an open eye icon) to switch off the alarm in the morning.
Other perks include a soft light feature to help you create a cozy atmosphere, and there's also control over how long you want your wake-up/wind-down routine to be. The Hatch Restore 2 is definitely one that you will want to wake up with.
Best alarm clock at simulating sunrise
The Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light is the best sunrise alarm for simulated natural light without the need for noisy audio. While other sunrise clocks, such as the Hatch Restore 2, have more sophisticated functions (such as meditative breathing guidance and bedtime audio stories), the Philips Sleep and Wake-Up Light puts the main focus on its light and excels at that.
At $179.95, the Philips SmartSleep is not a cheap sunrise alarm clock – costing $10 more than our top-rated Hatch Restore 2 – but for the features and quality on offer, the few extra dollars make it worthwhile.
The design of this alarm clock is striking and stands at almost 9" tall, so if you're looking for something discreet for your bedside table, then it might not be for you. However, the circular build with hollowed out middle make for an authentic sunrise and sunset simulation.
During the testing for the Philips SmartSleep Sleep and Wake-Up Light, our reviewer was impressed by the wind-down function, which includes light-guided breathing that you can do with your eyes shut. This is important for a good night's sleep and overall sleep quality, helping you feel ready for the clock's morning-light simulation.
Our reviewer also used the Philips as a reading light to boost her relaxing bedtime routine. Note that the brightness of the light is easy to lower, ideal if you prefer dim lighting in the evenings.
This light does a great job of waking you up silently and tricking your body into thinking your room is flooded with natural sunlight. Operated via a touch-sensitive control pad, it's also the ideal sunrise alarm clock if you love to start the day without mobile apps or WiFi.
Best sunrise alarm clock for SAD
If you are living with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – a type of depression that typically occurs in the winter due to restricted sunlight – your medical professional may recommend light therapy to introduce more sunshine into your day. While studies show that a specialist light therapy box is the best way to reduce SAD symptoms, a sunrise alarm clock can also go some way to improving your mood.
The Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300 is our top recommendation for anyone looking for more support with their SAD from their sunrise alarm clock, with LEDs with reduced blue-light content to help create an environment conducive to sleep. Replacing your phone alarm with a natural light simulation and a good selection of wake-up sounds (including birdsong, waterfalls and purring kittens), the Lumie Bodyclock 300 aims to stop you scrolling first thing in the morning and last thing at night, which is also known to have a detrimental impact on your mood.
Our reviewer, who has experienced wellbeing struggles as the season changes, said the Lumie made their morning wake-ups much easier. The warm light created a cozy atmosphere, in turn helping them wake up feeling more alert and optimistic. The weird and wonderful alarm sounds, including the sound of goats, also put them in high spirits that carried on throughout the day.
The compact and sleek design of the Lumie Bodyclock 300 was also a hit, and our tester was glad to replace their existing clunky bedside table lamp with such a smart-looking gadget.
At $159 MSRP, the Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300 is a great investment for anyone looking to brighten up those dark, drizzly winter mornings as well as their moods.
4. Best budget sunrise alarm clock
The JALL Wake-Up Light Sunrise Alarm Clock is an Amazon bestseller with an impressive 4.3 out of 5 customer rating from across more than 26,600 reviews. Customers praise the brightness and functionality of the clock, and love how it replaces the jarring sound of a regular alarm clock.
The clock features natural sleep sounds from rain and rivers to birds, frogs, crickets and crackling fire. To accompany the sounds, there are 17 colored lights (including solid colors and 'mood' lights) along with 20 levels of brightness. There is also the option for you to set different alarm times for different days of the week to suit your schedule.
The JALL Wake-Up Light Sunrise Alarm Clock is $34.95 MSRP, making it one of the cheapest models we tested in this round-up. But despite the low price, the JALL is well reviewed with plenty of praise, and our own tests matched the customers' experiences.
While this top wake-up alarm clock doesn't come with all the plush features of our top-rated Hatch Restore 2 (and its sunrise simulation doesn't quite match the same standard of the Philips SmartSleep), for over $150 less it still performs exceptionally well, earning its position as our recommended best budget sunrise alarm clock.
Best sunrise alarm clock for kids
The HomeLabs sunrise alarm clock is one of the best-selling wake-up lights on Amazon and an ideal budget-buy for any member of the family.
At $23 on Amazon, the HomeLabs sunrise alarm clock is truly affordable, however, with this cheaper price (compared to the other sunrise alarm clocks we've tested), it misses out some of functions, such as meditative sleep audio, realistic sunrise simulation and high sound quality. That said, with multicolor light options, a built-in FM radio, nature alarm sounds and a timed light setting, it does the basics well, so it deserves this spot in our guide.
If you are unsure about whether a sunrise alarm clock is the best option for you or younger members of your family, the HomeLabs sunrise alarm clock is a good low-risk option to trial before you consider a more fully featured sunrise alarm clock (such as the Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300). And, in the meantime, kids will enjoy the multicolored mood lighting at the very least.
The HomeLabs sunrise alarm clock is very easy to set up and use. You can adjust the brightness level, alarm sound and time through touch-sensitive icons on the clock-front. There's also a snooze button on top to quit the alarm if you chose to have sound alongside the light function.
It's worth noting that the light on this sunrise alarm clock isn't as bright as the likes of the Philips SmartSleep, so it's not guaranteed to wake you up without audio assistance. Although a more gentle noise-free wake-up is perfect for sensitive sleepers.
At 7" tall, and supported by a small metal base, the HomeLabs sunrise alarm clock is a subtle addition to your bedside table. It is black and white when turned off, blending in with your decor.
In short, the HomeLabs is a budget sunrise alarm clock, but for the price, it reliably does the job of brightening up your mornings with a decent sunrise simulation and gentle (albeit slightly tinny) alarm sounds.
- Read more: hOmeLabs sunrise alarm clock review 2024
How we chose the best sunrise alarm clock
Our guide to the best sunrise alarm clocks is based on thorough, consumer-report research, online reviews, and our own testing. We tested each sunrise alarm clock over a week in October and November as the mornings became darker and colder, and we struggled to get out of bed in the mornings.
With each sunrise clock, we compared and rated the different features including the clocks' ability to wake us up with light rather than sound, the quality of the sound libraries on offer, additional functionality such as sunset features and wind-down routines, and design.
Why buy a sunrise alarm clock?
While it is tempting to use our smartphones as a wake-up alarm, there are several reasons to avoid this. The first is the the temptation to scroll through your phone immediately upon waking. Not only does this not allow your brain and body to rouse gently, the blue light emitted by your device's screen can over-stimulate your brain and disrupt your circadian rhythm, which makes it trickier to fall asleep later that night.
Another good reason to make the switch to one of the best sunrise alarm clocks is that they banish the piercing alarm sounds that jolt you awake. These blaring sounds can make you feel groggy and irritated, which is not a great start to the day. This is where sunrise alarm clocks can help.
The natural-light simulation does a great job of tuning into your body's circadian rhythm, helping you wake naturally and gradually in tandem with the sunrise.
Even if the light alone doesn't wake you up, as some of our reviewers have found, it can still help you feel more alert and energised when your chosen alarm-sound goes off. The alarms are more natural-sounding too, and often includes the noise of waves, crickets and birdsong to help you start the day a little more chirpier…
Are sunrise alarm clocks worth it?
Based on our testing and along with all the great customer reviews, we can confidently recommend wake-up lights and sunrise alarm clocks. Even if you don't use the full set of features, they are still a worthwhile investment for all they have to offer – from the library of sounds to doubling up as a bedside lamp.
Tricking your brain into thinking there's natural light, sunrise alarm clocks can help you get through dark winter mornings with higher spirits and more energy. And in the grand scheme of sleep tech they are relatively affordable gadgets with plenty of low-price options, such as the JALL Wake-Up Light.
If you struggle to wake up in the mornings or want to improve the quality of your sleep overall, a sunrise alarm clock is certainly a great investment.
Do sunrise alarm clocks help SAD?
Light therapy is a common treatment for seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that occurs at winter and triggers the over-production of the hormone melatonin (which can make us feel sleepy) and the under-production of serotonin (the 'happy' hormone, which we need to brighten our moods).
The body use the natural rhythm of sunlight to trigger when to wake up or fall asleep, so when the mornings are dark it can confuse the brain and bring on SAD.
By mimicking natural sunlight, sunrise alarm clocks stimulate the brain to produce more serotonin and less melatonin. The effect of this is that you wake feeling more alert and less sleepy which eases symptoms of SAD such as tiredness and oversleeping.
Sunrise alarm clocks can also help you establish and stick to a regular sleep routine during the winter, which is known to improve overall wellbeing and mental health.
Other treatments for SAD include regular exercise, managing your stress levels, and talking to a therapist who will also advise on how best to use your sunlight alarm clock.
Is it better to be woken up by light or sound?
Our circadian rhythms recognise light as a signal to wake up, which in turn regulates the hormones that make you feel sleepy (melatonin) and awake (cortisol).
Because the human brain responds so well to daylight, being woken up by light is generally considered to be better than being woken up by sound. Light helps you wake more naturally and in sync with your body's natural rhythms.
Waking you up gradually, light is less jarring than being pulled from sleep by a sudden, blaring alarm. This can also help you improve your mood in the morning, and start the day right.
