If you want to consistently get a good night’s sleep, there are a few essentials that you’ll need. Be sure to check out our guides on the best pillows, best bed sheets, and best comforters. But waking up feeling well-rested is about more than just your sleep quality. You’ll be shocked at how much more energy you have each day if you wake up using a sunrise alarm clock. The expert product reviewers at BGR have tested dozens of different sunrise alarm clocks with built-in wake-up lights, and we selected the best ones you can get.
Our top picks
- Best overall: Philips SmartSleep HF3520 Wake-up Light
- Runner-up: JALL Sunrise Alarm Clock
- Coolest design: APUZOM Sunrise Alarm Clock
- Best model with white noise: Vivilumens Sunrise Alarm Clock
- Best model with wireless charging: Toiysyy Sunrise Alarm Clock
Any of those sunrise alarm clocks will have you waking up feeling nice and refreshed. If you want to learn more about what makes each one so great, check out the results of our expert testing down below.
1. Best overall: Philips SmartSleep HF3520 Wake-up Light
Pros: Great features, beautiful light tones, good sound quality, easy to use
Cons: Expensive
Like so many other experts out there who have tested plenty of different sunrise alarm clocks, our top pick is the Philips SmartSleep HF3520 Wake-up Light. There’s a reason that experts like us are so impressed with this model.
This is THE sunrise alarm clock that people picture in their heads when they think about this type of product. It’s one of the most popular models on the market, and it’s made by Philips, so you can trust its quality and reliability. Also, this model has been tested and clinically proven to help you establish a healthy sleep and wake-up routine.
Philips’s model has excellent sunrise and sunset simulation. The built-in lamp has 20 incremental brightness settings that range in both brightness and warmth. Also, this model’s alarm clock feature has five natural sound options instead of blaring and buzzing. And for all you snoozers out there, you can simply tap anywhere on the edge of the lamp to snooze your alarm.
As far downsides go, the only one to speak of is the price. You should expect to spend over $100 unless you find a really good sale.
If you want an upgrade option with a sleeker design and even more great features, check out the Philips SmartSleep HF3650 model.
2. Runner-up: JALL Sunrise Alarm Clock
Pros: Inexpensive, customizable, reliable, easy to use, also a multi-color lamp
Cons: None
The Philips model (Philips SmartSleep HF3520 Wake-up Light) we recommended as our top pick is great, but it’s also expensive. If you want an excellent sunrise alarm clock without spending so much money, the JALL Sunrise Alarm Clock is as good as it gets.
This model has many of the features that make the Philips sunrise alarm clock so great. Examples include 20 steps of brightness, natural wake-up sounds, and more. We also love that you can set the length of time the “sunrise” takes to either 10 minutes, 20 minutes, or 30 minutes.
There’s also an integrated FM radio, in case anyone out there still listens to the radio for some reason.
Another cool feature is the integrated multi-color LED lights in this sunrise alarm clock. It’s great for kids’ rooms because they can use it as a fun lamp and change the color to match their mood.
JALL’s speaker doesn’t quite have the same sound quality as the Philips model, but we didn’t deduct any points for that. After all, this sunrise alarm clock costs about one-third as much as the Philips alarm clock.
3. Coolest design: APUZOM Sunrise Alarm Clock
Pros: Awesome design, big bright (dimmable) display, inexpensive
Cons: Build quality, only has basic features
If you want a “pure” sunrise alarm clock, you’ll want to go with one of our first two picks. But if you want something that’s a bit more unique and fun, definitely check out the APUZOM Sunrise Alarm Clock.
This model has a very cool design that’s not like other sunrise alarm clocks. The base looks like an old-school digital alarm clock with a big, bright display. Don’t worry, though, because you can dim the screen or even turn it off completely while you sleep.
The sunrise lamp sits above the base, and it has a very cool transparent mesh-like design when the light is off. As for the sunrise feature, you can set it to fade up to full brightness over the course of 5-60 minutes. It also works as a multi-color lamp, so you can change it to any color or have it on with a combination of colors.
As for downsides, the build quality isn’t great. This is a stationary device, however, so you don’t have to worry about it breaking or anything like that. It just feels cheap. Also, this model is missing some of the more advanced features you’ll find on other models, but that should be expected at this price point.
4. Best model with white noise: Vivilumens Sunrise Alarm Clock
Pros: Cool design, reasonable price, 10 white noise and sleep sound settings, built-in phone charger
Cons: Ring light looks cool but doesn’t work as well as other designs, some people find the settings to be tricky
It seems like including sound machine features in a sunrise alarm clock should be a no-brainer. Many models don’t have a built-in white noise machine, however. If you want a model that does, check out the Vivilumens Sunrise Alarm Clock.
This sunrise alarm clock includes all the basic functionality you would expect. That being said, this model doesn’t have the same soft glow as something like the Philips SmartSleep HF3520 Wake-up Light or the JALL Sunrise Alarm Clock because it uses a ring light design instead of a solid lamp. It looks very cool, but the effect is a bit different.
As long as you don’t mind that key difference, this is a great option — especially for people who want an integrated noise machine. This model has 10 different white noise and other sleep sounds, and you can set a sleep timer to automatically shut it off after 30, 60, or 90 minutes. We also appreciated the built-in USB charger on this sunrise alarm clock, so you can plug in your phone to charge while you sleep.
Some user reviews mention that the settings are a bit tricky, but that’s not something you have to deal with on a regular basis.
5. Best model with wireless charging: Toiysyy Sunrise Alarm Clock
Pros: Sleek design, reasonable price, touch controls, built-in wireless charger
Cons: Ring light looks cool but doesn’t work as well as other designs, some people find the settings to be tricky
The Toiysyy Sunrise Alarm Clock has a design and feature set that’s very similar to the Vivilumens Sunrise Alarm Clock.
It has a ring light design like the Vivilumens model, for better or worse. It looks awesome but doesn’t quite have the same effect as a standard lamp. It also has similar settings and even a built-in white noise machine.
One main feature that sets this model apart is the thing we like about it the most: a built-in wireless charger. The USB charging port on the Vivilumens alarm clock is nice, but we prefer the convenience of a wireless charging pad. When it’s time for bed, you can just place your phone on the pad at the front of the sunrise alarm clock, and it’ll be all charged up by morning.
