The 9 Best Sunrise Alarm Clocks of 2023

Best Overall

Philips HF3520 Wake-Up Light Therapy Lamp

4.9

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The Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light encompasses the best in sunrise alarm clocks. Our home product tester put this option through its functions and found it to be a gentle, natural way to wake up and start the day. With this option, you can program a 30-minute sunrise routine that reaches a full brightness of 300 lux. Our tester was reliably awoken by the rising light levels—but if the light doesn’t wake you, it’s followed by an audible alarm that includes soothing natural wake-up sounds, like birds chirping or ocean waves. 

This sunrise alarm clock isn’t just about making your mornings better—it has features focused on sleep, too. It also includes a sunset mode that gradually descends through the light’s 20 brightness levels. One potential drawback that our tester noted was the alarm clock’s lack of a sleep timer for its nature-inspired white noises. With this model, the five included audio options can only be played continuously or used for the alarm function. There’s no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi functionality either, but an auxiliary cable port on the back of the device allows you to connect your phone and play music through the clock’s speaker.

While you can’t adjust the color of the light radiating from the circular face of this clock, it gives off a “soothing warm, almost orange, hue” according to our tester. There’s no app to control or modify this sunrise alarm clock, but the buttons around the top edge of the clock are simple and easy to use, with the exception of the snooze button, which our tester found harder to activate. Overall, this sunrise alarm clock is effective and performs well, without posing a major learning curve.

Price at time of publish: $80

_{Dimensions: 10 x 6 x 10 inches | Sound Options: 5 | Brightness Levels: 20 | App: No | Ports: Auxiliary | Connectivity: None}

Best Budget

hOmeLabs Sunrise Alarm Clock

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If you’re looking to spend less on an alarm clock, the hOmeLabs Sunrise Alarm Clock is a basic option that gives you the functionality that you’d expect from this type of device, along with adjustable display brightness, light color options, and wake-up sounds. The circular design is typical of most sunrise alarm clocks, with an LED face in the center of the device. Buttons on the face of the clock control the most utilized functions, like setting up an alarm or sleep timer. Along the top edge of the clock, you’ll find buttons to adjust a variety of functions, including FM radio, snooze, and display brightness.

This sunrise alarm clock starts to gently rouse you with gradually increasing light for a period of 30 minutes before your scheduled alarm time. It’s worth noting that you can’t shorten or extend this sunrise period. When the “sunrise” is complete, the audible alarm chimes to ensure that you’re fully awake. The alarm can be set to one of 15 nature sounds, or you can use the built-in FM radio. This sunrise alarm clock also features a sunset mode, which gently dims the room during your evening routine.

There’s no Bluetooth or Wi-Fi functionality on this sunrise alarm clock, so don’t expect to use an app to control its features or functions. Still, it offers simple operation at a budget-friendly price.

Price at time of publish: $10

_{Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.9 x 7.2 inches | Sound Options: 7 | Brightness Levels: 3 | App: No | Ports: None | Connectivity: None}

Best Splurge

Philips SmartSleep Connected Sleep and Wake-Up Light

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If you’re serious about your sleep habits and want to go all-in with a full-featured sunrise alarm clock, the Philips HF3670 SmartSleep Wake-Up Light is worth the splurge. This option is equipped with Wi-Fi, and you can customize its settings through the SleepMapper app. What’s more, sensors inside this sunrise alarm clock monitor your sleeping environment for variations in temperature, humidity, noise, and light levels. This data can help you identify triggers for sleep disruptions.

As the top-tier sunrise alarm clock in the Philips family, the HF3670 has the most powerful light intensity at 315 lux. There are 25 variable brightness settings to choose from, along with five color hues. An adjustable sunrise cycle gradually increases the light to wake you from sleep before an audible alarm finishes the task. The default is a 30-minute wake-up routine, but you can adjust the timing to suit your preferences on the device itself. Heavy sleepers will find peace of mind in knowing that this sunrise alarm clock features a PowerWake alarm function, which uses flashing light and increased sound levels to ensure that you don’t oversleep. This sunrise alarm clock will help you drift off to sleep more easily, too. It has a dusk simulation mode, along with a light-guided breathing routine to help you relax and rest more soundly.

The futuristic design of this SmartSleep Wake-Up Light includes a touchscreen display that appears when your hand hovers in front of the clock. At the same time, we read reports that the touchscreen functionality can make it challenging to correctly turn off the alarm when you’re just waking. While a USB charger is available to power up your phone, this clock can't wirelessly stream music through its speaker. It does have an FM tuner and auxiliary port to connect a device, though. Overall, the biggest appeal of this high-end device is the advanced controls available through the app, along with the sleep data it collects.

Price at time of publish: $170

_{Dimensions: 8.8 x 4.7 x 8.6 inches | Sound Options: 8 | Brightness Levels: 25 | App: Yes | Ports: USB, auxiliary | Connectivity: Wi-Fi}

Best Smart

Hatch Restore

4.8

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The Hatch Restore is your best bet for a smart sunrise alarm clock, since the easy-to-use app offers plenty of options to customize your morning and evening routines. While some sunrise alarm clocks have no connectivity or a clunky app with poor reviews, the Hatch Restore and its companion sleep app are intuitive and highly rated.

To live up to its name, this sunrise alarm clock aims to wake you more naturally with a gradually brightening light that mimics the sun. Within the app, you can decide what color “sunrise” you prefer, while also adjusting settings for brightness, duration, and audio. A dimmable digital clock display tells you the time at a glance but won’t disrupt your sleeping environment.

Within the app, you have the option to set evening routines for activities such as reading or relaxing. While the app is free, a paid subscription unlocks additional content. Considering that the device itself isn’t the most budget-friendly, some users feel the pinch of being asked to spend more on a yearly subscription for additional white noise options and sleep content. Still, both the device and app are easy to use, making it a smart choice overall.

Price at time of publish: $130

_{Dimensions: 7.5 x 2.75 x 5.75 inches | Sound Options: Not listed | Brightness Levels: Variable | App: Yes | Ports: None | Connectivity: Bluetooth}

Best Design

Daqi Concept Chirp Alarm Clock and Lamp

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Sunrise alarm clocks typically have a familiar form factor, but the Daqi Concept Chirp stands out as unique for its innovative design. A blend of lighting, sculpture, and sound machine, this is likely to be the most beautiful sunrise alarm clock you’ll find. Standing about 8 inches tall, the lamp features a bird-shaped porcelain shade with integrated LED lights. It connects to your smartphone, which you can use to control lighting, alarm, and nature sound functions. The natural marble base features a digital clock display, along with options to control light intensity, play nature sounds, or choose light-only or audio-only alarm settings. 

The Chirp gradually wakes you with increasing light for 20 minutes before your scheduled alarm. In keeping with the beautiful, nature-inspired aesthetic of this sunrise alarm clock, you can create a combination of nature and environment noises from a library of 15 different sound options using the DAQIchirp app. There is no sunset mode on this alarm clock, but it does offer a sleep mode that plays ambient audio for 30 or 60 minutes, with the option to have the light on as well. After the sleep mode ends, the Chirp will turn off, but without gradual light dimming like you’ll find with a true sunset mode. To keep your sleeping environment free from technology interference, the Chirp is controlled by audio transmission rather than Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.

Price at time of publish: $200

_{Dimensions: 3.6 x 3.6 x 8.3 inches | Sound Options: 15 | Brightness Levels: 1 | App: Yes | Ports: No | Connectivity: None}

Best for Kids

Hatch Rest

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A sunrise alarm clock can be a fun and effective way to help children get their days started right. Featuring practical features for parents and customizable colors, the second-generation Hatch Rest is our top recommendation for a kids' sunrise alarm clock. This version of the Hatch Rest is Wi-Fi equipped, allowing caretakers to adjust the light settings from anywhere. (The first-generation Hatch Rest was only Bluetooth-enabled, and many parents found that they had to be in very close proximity to the device in order to adjust the settings.)

The time-to-rise feature of the Hatch Rest is one of the most popular reasons to buy this sunrise alarm clock for kids. Within the app, parents can choose a wake-up time, along with a combination of colors and sounds, to signal to little ones that it’s time to start the day. A time-to-sleep mode is also available for a soft signal that it’s time to wind down.

Night light and sound machine options can also set the right mood for your baby or child’s sleep environment. A paid Hatch Sleep membership is available, which provides access to expert-curated music, bedtime stories, and more audio sounds. However, the membership is not necessary to take advantage of the most popular features of this children’s sunrise alarm clock.

Price at time of publish: $70

_{Dimensions: 4 x 4 x 6.25 inches | Sound Options: 11 | Brightness Levels: Variable | App: Yes | Ports: None | Connectivity: Wi-Fi}

Best Audio Options

iHome iZBT3W Sleep Therapy Machine

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While a gentler way to wake is the biggest appeal of a sunrise alarm clock, it doesn’t hurt to choose a version with excellent audio options as well. The iHome Sleep Therapy Machine is the one to pick if you want a sunrise alarm clock that includes white noise options and the ability to play music via Bluetooth. All of the features are readily accessible using push buttons on the top of the unit, eliminating the need to use a smartphone or app to control this sunrise alarm clock. However, when paired with your smartphone using Bluetooth, you can use the built-in speaker to belt out your favorite tunes from your music library or streaming services. Plus, a USB charging port can keep your device powered up.

The ambient noise selections range from soothing environmental sounds to white noise tones. It’s been favorably compared to dedicated white noise machines, but it also gives you the capability to wake up to gradually increasing light over a fixed 20-minute period. You can use the sunrise alarm clock feature alone or in conjunction with a separate audio alarm feature. Take note that not all of the white noise audio options are available for use as an alarm, which may frustrate some users. This ovular sunrise alarm clock has a stable base that is unlikely to roll away or tip over when you reach over to push the snooze button.

Price at time of publish: $60

_{Dimensions: 7.01 x 3.07 x 4.77 inches | Sound Options: 15 | Brightness Levels: 1 | App: No | Ports: USB | Connectivity: Bluetooth}

Best Features

Casper Glow Light

4.6

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The Casper Glow has unique features that make it a worthy option for a sunrise alarm clock. You’ll appreciate how intuitive it feels to use this one. Flip the Glow over to turn the light on or off. A gyroscope within the light is the key to adjusting the brightness; simply spin the light to raise or lower light intensity. You can even lift the light off its charging base and wiggle it to activate a dim night light in the middle of the night—and you can take it with you if you need to move around in the dark and don’t want to startle your eyes with bright lighting.

When it comes to your wind-down routine, this light has features that make it a handy companion. Read or relax with a warm 2700K light from the Glow, greatly reducing exposure to blue light that might interfere with sleep patterns. You can also set a nighttime routine that gradually dims the light until it fades to dark, giving you an easy transition to drift off to sleep.

While the light functions are largely controlled with touch gestures, you’ll use the Casper app to set a wake-up routine on the Glow. When morning arrives, the light gradually intensifies until reaching full brightness over a period of 30 minutes. You can’t modify this wake-up cycle, but you can specify how long the light stays on after reaching maximum brightness. The Glow offers fewer clock functions than other options and lacks audio capabilities altogether, but its other innovative features make it an excellent choice.

Price at time of publish: $116

_{Dimensions: 3.75 x 3.75 x 5.25 inches | Sound Options: None | Brightness Levels: Variable | App: Yes | Ports: No | Connectivity: Bluetooth}