Best sunrise alarm clock

(Image credit: HeimVision)

published 17 March 2021

The best sunrise alarm clock will simulate sunsets and sunrises in your bedroom to help you get into a better sleep routine. This lighting trick fools your body's diurnal rhythm into thinking it's naturally time to sleep and wake so that drifting off and coming to is easier. We've found a selection of the best sunrise alarm clocks to help you with the daily sleep struggle, including smart home-compatible devices and options with companion apps for high-tech sleep aide solutions.

Staff pick

Philips SmartSleep wake-up light

High-end option offers realistic light curve

There's some serious science behind Philip's SmartSleep range of wake-up lights, including a totally natural "light curve" that, with 20 gradual increments, will take you from darkness into a slowly building orange glow to a fresh, morning light of 300 lux. This alarm clock has an intuitive, automatic dimming display that works perfectly alongside the sunset simulation to help you fall asleep naturally. This option gives you the choice of waking to the built-in FM radio or five natural wake-up sounds. Philips' customer research for its SmartSleep products has found that about 90 percent of users found it easier to get out of bed using the more natural sunrise method.

With voice control

HeimVision sunrise alarm clock

Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant

This alarm clock is a great choice with excellent connectivity options. It works with Amazon Alexa, is compatible with Google Assistant, and can be controlled via a companion app for iOS and Android devices. The alarm clock can simulate both sunsets and sunrises to offer you a more natural way to fall asleep and wake up. The sunrise lighting gradually builds from a soft glow to bright yellow light, but there is a 15-minute snooze function should you need a little more time in bed. If you want to use this option as a lamp or bedside table lighting, you can choose from seven colors and 20 brightness levels. The device has four separate alarm settings, and you can choose to wake to FM radio or one of seven sounds, such as birdsong, ocean and stream sounds, and piano music. It can also produce soothing white noise to help you fall asleep.

Best budget choice

hOmeLabs sunrise alarm clock

Cheap, cheerful, and colorful

This attractive option from hOmeLabs is an affordable choice that is fully featured from an alarm and lighting point of view; it just lacks the voice and app control of higher-end models. The alarm clock uses a warm LED light that gradually brightens half an hour before the alarm time to gently wake you up. It also offers a sleep timer with sunset simulation to gently dim the room for a relaxing way to drift off at bedtime. This device can also be used as a nightlight and lamp, offering eight different color options. It features an LED touchscreen clock face that shows either a 12 or 24-hour time display and has three brightness settings. The alarm clock allows you to wake to FM radio, or you can select sounds from the nature-inspired choices. It also features a snooze button that will give you a five-minute reprieve.

Best smart sleep assistant

Hatch Restore sunrise alarm clock

All-in-one sound machine, smart light, and wake-up clock

The Hatch Restore works alongside the Hatch Sleep app to create a smart sleep assistant solution, helping you devise a successful rest, sleep, and wake routine. This alarm clock can be completely personalized to your needs, including sounds to sleep and wake to and the color and light level. This comprehensive device can help you create a mood any time with a library of soothing sounds and content, various light options, and soothing white noise. The Hatch Restore also works brilliantly as a bedside lamp as you can relax with a soft-glow reading light that is free from eye-straining blue hues. This option boasts intuitive touch-based controls on the light itself, as well as the option for app control.

Best kid's sleep trainer

Icode Sun and Moon Rise kid's alarm clock

Dual time-for-bed and wake-up alarms

This alarm clock is specially designed for nurseries and children's bedrooms. As younger children do not understand telling the time, this clock uses visual references — a sun and moon icon — to teach kids when it's time for bed and when it's fine to wake up. You can set time-for-bed and wake-up alarms concurrently or separately and choose if the alarm goes off with audio, light, or both. Also, there's a sleep timer option that plays one of 17 soft, soothing sounds up until a certain time. This alarm clock can also work as a nightlight, offering seven different colors.

Rise and shine

These sunrise alarm clocks can help you improve your sleep routine. Our overall staff pick, the Philips SmartSleep wake-up light, is highly recommended if you're looking for a solution that closely replicates a natural sunrise. This device has some very smart lighting technology that gradually increases the light from a tiny glow to over 300 lux.

We're also big fans of the more affordable HeimVision sunrise alarm clock. This is a great option that can be voice-controlled as well as operated via an app, has a comprehensive audio library, and offers no less than four separate alarm settings.

Anyone who is trying to improve their kid's bedtime and wake-up routine should look at the Icode Sun and Moon Rise kid's alarm clock. This option is specially designed for children's bedrooms, with easy-to-see sun and moon icons that let them know, at a glance, when it's time to rest and time to rise.

With over 10 years of experience writing for popular websites Amy-Mae is a freelance features writer with a focus on writing reviews, how-tos, and buyers guides. She lives near the sea in Devon with her family, two naughty cats, and two much-loved dogs. Her beloved daughter ensures she has very little spare time but if she manages to wrangle any you'll find her on the sofa watching box sets and drinking gin.