Life
Keeping a consistent sleep schedule and wakeup time are essential to getting better rest, and the best bedside alarm clocks will help you get there. They also promote good sleeping habits by reducing blue-light exposure from your phone before bed and are less of a distraction than using your smartphone in the mornings. Plus, many of these have features you just wouldn't get with your phone. For those that have trouble waking up in the morning, consider the extra-loud alarm that also shakes your bed below. There is even a light therapy alarms to wake you up gently.
These alarms can vary wildly in style, too. Do you want a clock with a large visible display that can be seen from across the room and get you out of bed? Maybe a retro analog clock is more your aesthetic?
Next, there are a couple of features worth considering. A backup battery can go a long way in avoiding disaster if the power cuts out, and all of the following either run on batteries, have a battery backup option, or have integrated technology that keeps your alarm running steady if there's a power outage. If you and your partner have different wake-up times, a dual alarm feature is a good idea, too, and all but two of my picks have them.
From a budget-friendly basic clock to an alarm that'll get even the heaviest sleepers up, scroll on for my roundup of the best bedside alarm clocks to help get you up in the morning.
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1
The Best Budget Alarm Clock
The AmazonBasics small digital alarm clock is a space-saving option that’s also budget-friendly. It has an easy-to-read LED display with a handy nightlight option. There’s also a repeating snooze button for those days when you need an extra few minutes of sleep. Plus, it features a AA-battery backup in case of any power outage. There’re no dual alarms, radio, or other bonus features, but for just under $10, it’s a great deal if you don't need bells and whistles.
According to a fan: “Not too bright but easy to read in a dark or bright room. All I wanted was a clock by my bed, and this is perfect.”
2
A Projection Alarm Clock With Dual Alarms
The Magnasonic projection alarm clock is a dual alarm that makes the time visible from just about anywhere in the room with a 180-degree projection allowing you to display the time and temperature on your ceiling or walls, so you don’t even have rollover to know what time it is.
This clock also features dual alarms for you and your partner and a weekend cancellation setting. There’s a built-in radio that you can set to go off instead of the buzzer as well. For those who like to take mid-day naps, this alarm has a nap function that can be set for up to 90-minute power naps. It also lets you to keep in a backup battery. Choose from a black or white unit.
According to a fan: “Alarm 1 doesn't come in loud and obnoxious like traditional alarm clocks; instead, it starts with several light tones, then faster tones, then even faster tones, then eventually a constant stream of tones. Alarm 2 just instantly hits you with the final stage until you turn it off or hit snooze.”
3
The Best Alarm Clock For Heavy Sleepers
If it’s hard for you to wake up in the morning, the Sonic Bomb extra-loud alarm clock can help. This bedside dual alarm clock features a bed shaker you place under your pillow or mattress that's a lot more intense than your phone's vibrate setting. It can get up to 113 decibels loud (as loud as a rock concert) and set off red flashing lights but there are multiple settings, if that's not for you. You can set your alarm for a one minute to 59-minute duration and set snooze for up to 30 minutes. There’s a dimmer switch that allows you to adjust the clock’s brightness levels, and it also has a battery backup. The only drawback might be that there's no radio option.
According to a fan: “YOU NEED THIS if [you're] a heavy sleeper. The bed shaker will make it feel like you are in fact having an earthquake. It's very strong so strong that I could hear the vibrations through the ceiling below his bedroom. The alarm is so loud that I could hear it all the way in the basement while doing laundry.”
4
A Best-Selling Alarm Clock That Wakes You Up Gently
For a more gentle approach to waking up, you may want to consider the Philips SmartSleep light. This sunrise dual alarm clock shines soft red light that slowly adjusts within 30 to 40 minutes into a vivid white light to simulate the sunrise to wake you up more naturally. Other handy features include a fall-asleep timer, 20 brightness settings, and a backup sound alarm with five different sounds, including a bird song. You can also use the built-in radio to start your day with some tunes. And though it doesn't have a battery backup, its PowerBackUp+ feature keeps the unit running for eight hours, if there's a blip with the power.
The only downsides are that you can’t add any of your own custom sounds and it's pricy. However, if you want an alarm clock that makes getting up more gentle, it’s a well-tested favorite, with more than 7,000 reviews clocking in a 4.2-star rating. Plus, no replacement bulb is necessary.
According to a fan: “This alarm clock is freaking awesome! The book guides you through the setup, which is very easy. To snooze, you simply gently tap the front of the light. The light stays on, but the sound turns off for 9 minutes. I wake when it's in the orange phase. I love that I don't need a startling sound to wake me up in the morning anymore.”
5
A Budget Sunrise Clock Still Packed With Features
If you want a dual alarm sunrise clock that's less than $50, consider the Fitfort wake up light alarm clock. Although this clock doesn't have as many reviews, it still works well and has won a 4.6-star rating. Like the previous pick, it simulates natural sunlight to help you gently wake up with seven colors and seven natural sounds. There are also 20 adjustable levels of brightness. It has a built-in radio, too and you get a backup battery feature with this one. However, some reviewers noted that this wasn't the easiest to set up.
According to a fan: "This dramatically improved my mornings. [...] The clock itself gradually increases in brightness prior to “going off” (I set it to start 30 min early). I wake up to a fairly natural sounding birds chirping (one of several programmable alarms). It actually reminds me of some fond memories of waking up naturally on early summer mornings as a kid... I miss having nothing to do. I have mine set to only 3/4 brightness. It gets VERY bright!"
6
A Battery-Operated Analog Clock That’s Silent
Unlike traditional analog clocks with that annoying ticking sound, this Marathon alarm clock only sounds off when you set it. This retro-style alarm also has an optional auto-night light feature that illuminates the face of the clock for better visibility in the dark. This alarm comes six color combos including black, gold, and silver to look good on any bedside table or desk. Plus, it’s battery operated, and two AA batteries are included inside the box. However, there's no dual alarm option.
According to a fan: “It's quiet - no ticking when it's on a nightstand right next to my head. It wonderfully backlit - You can either leave the light on all night - or turn off the all-night switch and use the handy button on top of the clock to get it to turn on for a couple of seconds (a bit brighter than the all-night light).”
