The best alarm clocks of 2023
At this point, we all know we’re not supposed to keep a phone or tablet by our bedside. The temptation is too great, and the bright light prevents your body's natural wind-down mechanisms from kicking in. If you normally use your phone as an alarm clock, there's a simple solution: Get a traditional alarm clock.
We’ll help. We've amassed the top 12 best alarm clocks, from simple no-frills models to WiFi-connected marvels. Whether you're looking for something small and basic, something that adds style to your perfectly curated nightstand, or a techie treat with additional features, we've got you covered. These are the best alarm clocks of 2023.
This beauty looks much more expensive than it is. A digital display is overlaid on a beautiful minimalist wooden face, and you can adjust the brightness levels as needed. You can also enable power-saving mode so that the display will only appear when it registers sounds or when you touch it. Set up to three alarms, and program a weekday mode so that the alarm only comes on Monday to Friday.
“I absolutely love this alarm clock,” said one Amazon reviewer. “We purchased it for a spare room but liked it so much we moved it to our bedroom. It’s attractive and stylish. I love its three brightness levels and that you can turn the display off so that it’s only sound- or touch-activated. I also really appreciate the temperature and humidity displays. ... [I] like this clock so much I will probably purchase another one soon.”
It’s bold and modern. The 2-inch LED digits are large enough to see from across the room, and you can easily set the brightness from zero to 100 with a wheel on the rear panel. The alarm sound can be adjusted, and there’s a on/off switch if you want to disable it on the weekends. A USB charging port lets you juice up your phone while you sleep.
"This clock is perfect for what I wanted," said one five-star review. "It is small, so it doesn’t take up a lot of space. The numbers are large and bright so I can see the time in the middle of the night without my glasses. The time was easy to set right out of the box. It comes with the USB cord PLUS the electric plug. Most don’t include that. It takes two AAA batteries in case of power outage [so] you won’t lose your settings. It is surprisingly heavy and well built, so it will not be knocked over.”
This is a potentially life-changing investment. Instead of blasting you with sound, the Loftie has a two-phase, wake-up call alarm that plays a softer sound at first and then an extra louder alarm later. We’re talking soothing sounds too, like chirping birds and morning bells. It’s also one of a few alarm clocks that will help you go to sleep as well, with soundscapes, meditations and bedtime stories designed to help you gently drift toward slumber.
“Loftie has been such a game changer for me!” raved one shopper. “At first I was skeptical about investing in a smart alarm clock, but after seeing what a difference it’s made in my quality of sleep, I can confidently say it’s more than worth it! I've struggled with bouts of insomnia and fatigue for years, and this smart alarm clock has been huge in helping me initiate and maintain healthier sleep habits."
The Hatch Restore is an all-in-one sleep-wake machine. It offers soothing sounds and calming lights to help you drift off to sleep, plus a light sunrise simulator alarm clock that will gently wake you with a gradually brightening glow. On top of that, it has a soft-glow reading light to help you doze off. It also comes with a free trial for the Hatch Sleep Membership, an optional in-app subscription that gives you unlimited access to meditations, sleep stories, soundscapes and more.
“This thing is a game-changer,” raved one five-star review. “I am one of the heaviest sleepers ever. You could crash a truck through the wall and I wouldn’t wake up, most of the time. Also, I’m not a morning person. I’ve tried every manner of alarm available; I don’t hear the alarm sounds or feel any of the vibration from the wearables. I do have one that shocks my wrist and I do wake up, but mostly out of panic and not 100% of the time. Sometimes I’ll still sleep through it. ... I’ve been using it for about a week now and I haven’t overslept once! This is usually a 3-4x/week occurrence, making me late for work. This is a lovely, natural way to wake up. Makes for a very peaceful morning and I don’t feel the need to hit snooze. Would absolutely purchase again.”
Wake to the “sunrise” with this brilliant invention that rouses you with light and nature sounds. A glow, which begins 30 minutes before your set time, starts as a soft dawn-like reddish-orange and builds gradually, waking you slowly and gently. There’s also a sunset mode that will gradually dim the lights as you go to sleep. It even doubles as a bedside reading lamp thanks to its 10 brightness settings.
According to one digital-age renegade: “I got it because I got tired of being owned by my phone. It used to be the last thing I checked before going to bed, and the first thing I would check in the morning. No more. Now I can leave the phone charging across the room (or in a handbag even. Who cares?) I can set this for the ‘sun to set’ at 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes later. So I set it, and I get in bed and read a book for an hour. Then the ‘sun goes down’ gradually, and I go to bed. Eight hours later, the ‘sun’ starts coming up gradually. So gradually that at the beginning you don't even notice."
Sometimes you just want a simple digital alarm clock with a nightlight, and this Peakeep model is a great example of one. The nightlight can be flipped to low or high depending on how bright you want it, or you can just turn it off as well. Plus, the clock shows a temperature gauge so you always know how warm or cold your surroundings are.
“This is so simple to operate,” said a shopper who called this a great alarm clock. “Big protruding buttons and simple operation. Touch any button to reset for the next day. A slide switch (big) to switch off the alarm. Big top button for snooze. Can be set even when half asleep. So much better than my previous clock which had tiny recessed buttons and you had to touch exactly the right one and would automatically switch to a weekend mode so that you couldn't get up early at the weekend. This is like heaven in comparison."
For those who appreciate a classic, this small, square clock is a winner that will fit tiny nightstands. It’s even compact enough for travel. It has the basic beeping alarm sounds, which can last for almost an hour before the alarm or snooze button is pressed. And it doesn’t have that annoying ticking sound that most analog clocks have either, so you can rest easier through the night and have a better wake-up experience.
"This is a Winner," said one review. "Easy to see in the dark with the dim light just enough light to pick it up and look at it. It has a simple 2 button operation set the alarm and then it gives you a gentle beeping tone that gets louder over about 1 min. if you let if get to full volume you will not sleep through that. Hit the top button and you are in for a brief 5 min snooze for the next alarm. The same top button activates the light when the alarm is not active. Easy to read without my glasses on."
We love the retro green on this tiny treasure. It has a convenient alarm on/off switch on the top and an easy access snooze button and light bar on the right side. You can also turn on a small backlight to illuminate the clock at night.
This shopper says this palm-sized clock does the trick: "I was looking for a small alarm clock that did not have to be plugged in, quiet, no glaring light in my face, with a small footprint on my table—this is it! I keep one by my bed, one by my Lazyboy. For me, they’re perfect. Totally quiet, works with one AA battery, so easy to use that there aren’t any instructions with it! The clock hands are NOT glow-in-the-dark and there’s no glaring back-light to light up your room, but there’s a small button you can push so a light comes on and you can read the time when dark. The alarm is loud—not some shrimpy little buzz, but loud like a regular full-sized alarm. You turn off the alarm by pushing down the bar on top of the alarm—very easy, no fumbling around the back of the clock looking for a button to slide or push."
Like all Amazon’s speakers, this Echo Dot has Alexa built right in. Use Alexa to set alarms and timers, check the weather and more. The Echo Dot also has fantastic audio quality, which makes it great for playing tunes from your favorite streaming service. While the Echo Dot can serve as a smart alarm clock, it can also help with falling asleep by emitting white noise.
This user is very happy with it: "I have multiple 3rd generation Echo Dots with clock and I love the upgrade to the 4th generation. I chose the Twilight Blue color, and it’s great-looking in person. It’s a nice break from the charcoal and sandstone colors but still looks elegant and sleek in design. ... It’s very easy to read. The speakers and microphone are improved as well."
With Alexa, you can verbally set timers, alarms and reminders, plus you can get the weather forecast, turn lights on or off, or play a song from your favorite streaming service. The display dims automatically when it’s dark and you can tap the top to dismiss the alarm or snooze. We especially like the fabric cover, available in Misty Blue (above) or Clay.
“I’ve been wanting to keep my phone away from my bed at night,” said this satisfied slumberer. “Switching to this clock was the best thing for my sleep. It’s light-sensitive, so when you turn your bedroom lights off, the screen automatically adjusts brightness. It’s clear and easy to read. If I wake up in the middle the night and I want to check the time, it’s not complicated. ... Also, the speaker works great; I love playing music on it.”
This particular version has a built-in nightlight so you can tiptoe to the bathroom without bumping into obstacles.
“Awesome alarm, easy-to-read letters, weather and temperature icons,” said one five-star shopper. “You can change the volume and other options within your Google Home app or by speaking to the speaker. There is also four buttons used to set the alarm manually [and] change light or volume if needed.”
You can also use it to check security camera footage before bed for peace of mind. The Smart Clock 2 comes with Google Assistant, so you can use it to set timers, reminders, alarms and more. There’s a built-in nightlight, plus it comes with a wireless charging dock to charge your phone while you sleep.
“The Lenovo Smart Clock 2 is hands-down my favorite clock that I’ve ever owned,” said this happy shopper. “The display is big and bright and the alarm is loud enough to wake me up, unlike the alarm on my phone that I often sleep through. Since the clock is ‘smart,’ I can choose between quite a few faces. I can even use pictures in my Google photos as my clock face, which I think is super cool.”
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
