The best sunrise alarm clocks in 2026, tested and reviewed

Daylight saving time means darker mornings, which can make getting out of bed feel more difficult than ever. If you're missing the gradual, warm light of dawn drifting through your curtains everyday, I recommend waking up to one of the best sunrise alarm clocks. These devices help reduce sleep inertia — that groggy, disoriented feeling that comes with abrupt awakenings — by offering a slow, soothing wake-up experience. They're the best alarm clocks for anyone who wants to be awoken gently and gradually.

I talked to experts and tested a dozen sunrise alarm clocks in my bedroom to make my top picks. The best wake-up light I tested is the Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light, a simple, phone-free option with a gorgeous sunrise simulation. For app connectivity and incredible personalization, I recommend the Hatch Restore 3.

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Our top picks of the best wake-up alarm clocks

Best overall: Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light - See at Amazon

Best smart: Hatch Restore 3 - See at Hatch

Best budget: Dekala Sunrise Alarm Clock Classic Version - See at Amazon

Best for kids: Hatch Rest+ 2nd Gen - See at Amazon

Best portable: Casper Glow Light - See at Amazon

Best overall

Our top pick is simple, easy to use, and effective. Despite being completely manual, the Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light stands out with impressive colored sunrise and sunset simulations. With 20 adjustable light intensities and a selection of five natural wake-up sounds, including "Nepal bowls," "birds," and "ocean waves," it offers a customizable wake-up experience. You can even opt for your favorite FM radio station for a more personalized start to the day. Its combination of bright light and wake-up sound options also make it the best sunrise alarm clock for heavy sleepers.

The sunset simulation is realistic. One of my favorite features is the automatic dimming display, which adjusts as the room gets darker — great for cocooning yourself in total darkness. The gradual sunrise simulation transformed my mornings, brightening over 30 minutes until it completely flooded the room with beautiful, warm, rich orange and yellow hues. The snooze function is particularly convenient — just a light tap anywhere on the device gives you an extra nine minutes of rest.

I loved waking up to this clock. During testing, I woke up on time and felt refreshed every morning. This device is not only an effective sunrise alarm clock but also a great bedside lamp, with a great FM radio and sound quality. Overall, the Phillips SmartSleep Wake-up Light has earned its place as our top pick with its smooth, spherical shape that beautifully mimics a natural sunrise. Its simplicity, functionality, and high-quality build make it ideal for anyone seeking a more natural and enjoyable wake-up experience.

Read our full Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light review.

Best smart

This sunrise alarm clock features app connectivity and phone-free controls. The Hatch Restore 3 is more than just a sleek sunrise alarm clock. It's a complete sleep system designed to transform your approach to sleep, and you can customize each step. Fully customizable through the Hatch Sleep app (iOS and Android) the Restore 3 lets you tailor sleep and wake routines with over 50 soothing sounds, and 18 adjustable lighting colors. A major upgrade to the Restore 3 is the phone-free controls, featuring five buttons that let you start or stop routines, adjust volume, pause, and disable alarms all without reaching for your phone. Plus, a dedicated bedside light button offers instant illumination with a simple press. The device also boasts improved sound quality, delivering richer audio with enhanced bass.

It's designed to help you build a personalized sleep routine.Picture winding down each night with calming sounds, soft amber light, and a guided meditation. In the morning, a gradual sunrise glow paired with energizing tones gently eases you into the day, free from the shock of a traditional alarm. Its elegant half-moon design makes it a stylish addition to any bedside table. It's available in three colors, with a coordinating linen fabric stretched across the front to softly diffuse light.

You'll need a subscription to get the full experience. While the device offers a fair amount of functionality as an alarm clock without a subscription, Hatch+ ($49.99 yearly or $4.99 monthly) unlocks meditations, bedtime stories, and more to create a full sleep routine. It's an added cost you'll want to consider to have the full immersive sleep experience. Unfortunately, the Hatch Restore also does not offer any functionality to play your own music with Bluetooth or have a built-in radio.

Read our full Hatch Restore 3 review.

Best budget

This simple clock is affordable and packed with features. For those looking for a budget-friendly option that still delivers a gentle and gradual wake-up experience, we recommend the Dekala Sunrise Alarm Clock. The no-WiFi classic model may be the simplest version available, but it has a ton of useful features, including eight wake-up sounds, multiple light colors and dimming options, a USB port for charging your phone, a snooze button, an FM radio, and dual-alarm functionality. Dekala also offers more sophisticated and affordable designs with upgrades like WiFi connectivity, Bluetooth speakers, and wireless charging.

It's easy to use. This Dekala is built with eight buttons and a dial along the top rim. A short manual was included, but I personally found the setup quick and intuitive. The brightness level is impressive for its price point, with intensely vibrant light options that can be dimmed to create a cozy ambient atmosphere.

I had no problems waking up when using this clock. The Dekala sunrise alarm clock has a compact and sleek design that fits perfectly on my bedside table without taking up too much space— plus, it looks great. During testing, it reliably woke me up on time. Despite its basic features, the Dekala offers great value for anyone searching for a straightforward and effective sunrise alarm clock without spending a fortune.

But it's not perfect. Although the sound quality isn't perfect on this device, as it is a more basic model, this sunrise alarm clock is highly customizable. Some users may find the number of buttons overwhelming; however, the buttons are labeled with intuitive icons that indicate their function, like volume control and FM radio, which makes them easier to operate.

Best for kids

With a ready-to-wake light and soothing sounds, this is the perfect sunrise alarm clock for kids. For parents looking to teach their kids healthy sleep habits with a sunrise alarm clock, we recommend the Hatch Rest+ 2nd Gen, which is specifically designed with babies, toddlers, and kids in mind — although it works wonderfully for adults, too. The device includes over 18 free soothing sounds, like "Calm Sea" and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," with great sound quality. It also features nine gentle light colors and customizable programs for winding down, bedtime, and waking up. Everything can be easily controlled through the Hatch app, making it super convenient.

It's also a portable nightlight. The device itself features three handy buttons for controlling the nightlight, adjusting brightness, and managing volume. This device is truly kid-friendly, with a toddler lock to prevent your child from messing with the settings. It comes with a charging base and a battery that lasts up to 8 hours, ensuring it runs smoothly throughout the night.

You'll need a Hatch subscription to get all the features. Its simple, sleek design is compact enough to sit on your bedside table without taking up too much space. That said, to access the full library of sounds, lights, and other features, you'll need a Hatch+ subscription for $4.99 a month. While WiFi is required for initial setup and adjustments, the saved bedtime routines will continue to run without a WiFi connection. Overall, the Hatch Rest+ is an excellent choice for parents who want to instill healthy sleep habits in their children from an early age. Its gentle, gradual sunrise alarm creates a smoother, more peaceful wake-up experience, making mornings easier and more pleasant for kids and parents.

Best portable

This unique option doubles as a night light. The Casper Glow Light is a small, portable cylinder that you control with just a few gestures: flip to turn on, rotate to adjust the light intensity, and wiggle to turn on the night light. This night light feature is useful when you want to find your way at night without bright lights. It was fun to carry around when I needed a glass of water in the dark. It's made with polycarbonate to resist bumps and endure falls, so it's also great for kids to use.

The light is gorgeous, and you can control it with an app. The device is softly lit and smartly designed with gentle, warm hues for a better sleep experience. The light charges on a dock and pairs with an intuitive app (available for iOS). While you can operate the light without it, the app is a must to set wake-up and wind-down times, which cue a sunset or sunrise that can last from 15 to 90 minutes.

You can connect multiple Glow Lights. One of the unique features of the Glow Light is that it synchronizes with other Glow Lights to make pretty light shows. Once you have more than one, you can name each and group or ungroup them through the app. I used two lights together and found they set a tranquil ambiance.

Falling asleep with the Glow Lights was a treat. The soft, warm lights create a peaceful sleep environment, gradually dim to slowly relax you, and then turn completely off for total darkness. The Casper Glow Lights are made with high-quality warm LEDs that were effective in waking me up gently.

But there are no noise settings. The device focuses solely on effective light therapy, and unlike other models we tested, there are no sound options. It might not be ideal for heavy sleepers who need noise to wake up; you'll still need to set a separate, audible alarm. A single light costs about $130.

What to look for in sunrise alarm clocks

When looking for a sunrise alarm clock, certain features might impact the model you buy.

• Setup and ease of use: Setting up an alarm clock should be quick and intuitive. You should also be able to change the clock easily and adjust the volume and brightness without pulling out your phone. The snooze button should be large and easy to find. Also, most people don't want to have to remember to turn on their alarm clock every day, so we don't recommend the Lumie Bodyclock Shine 300, which also had many confusing buttons and was just a clunky experience, overall.
• Size: Since most people keep alarm clocks on their bedside tables, they shouldn't be overly large. But the display should still be clear and large.
• Light and sound options: Sunrise alarm clocks often use a combination of light and sound to help wake you up. There should be multiple options for sound and brightness that you can select on the device. If you use a white noise sound machine to fall asleep, you might consider an alarm with fall-asleep routines incorporating sleep sounds.
• Alarms: You should be able to set multiple alarms. Turning off the alarm should be simple, so you don't need to hunt around for a button or switch first thing in the morning. Consider our guide to the best silent alarm clocks if you don't want to disturb your partner.
• Battery backup: If your power goes out in the middle of the night, an alarm with a backup battery or the ability to stay on for a few hours without power can save you from being late.
• Smart features: Accompanying apps should enhance the alarm's use, but it should not have to rely on WiFi connectivity to work.
• Durability: Most people probably need an alarm clock to withstand the occasional knock off the nightstand.

How we tested sunrise alarm clocks

Our testing procedures

As a certified sleep science consultant with extensive experience in both sleep research and product testing, I conducted hands-on evaluations of 11 different sunrise alarm clocks. In addition to my expertise, we consulted with sleep experts Dr. Alex Dimitriu, founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, Dr. Chris Winter of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine, and Kelly Waters, MD, a sleep specialist at Corewell Health. I thoroughly assessed the following key factors:

Sleep quality testing: I personally slept with each device for five consecutive nights, noting factors such as how smoothly the sunrise alarm clock woke me up, how gentle and gradual the light felt, and whether the device woke me up on time. I also noted whether I experienced any sleep inertia and how refreshed I felt in the morning with each device.

User-friendliness: I took notes on how easy or difficult the setup was, how intuitive the device was to use, whether it worked with an app or manually, and which devices included easy-to-follow instructions.

Brightness options: I tested the range of brightness settings on each device, noting light intensity and brightness levels, as well as how well the gradual lights performed.

Sound options: I evaluated the sound quality based on how soothing or jarring it was, noted the available sound options, and evaluated whether they were gentle enough to avoid abrupt awakenings.

Dimmable display: I checked whether the clock's display could be dimmed but also turned off completely for total darkness. This is important because even the smallest amount of light can interfere with sleep quality.

Backup power: To ensure that the alarm clock would function in the event of a power outage, I checked to see which devices included backup batteries.

Meet the expert behind the guide

Suzy Hernandez, freelance contributor: I'm a certified sleep science consultant with years of experience in researching and testing sleep products. I frequently write about sleep, sleep products, and alarm clocks. I've tested over a dozen sunrise alarm clocks for this guide, and I continue to test new products for consideration.

Sunrise alarm clock FAQs

Is waking up to light good for you?

According to Dr. Chris Winter, "Sudden awakenings can lead to sudden changes in cortisol and other neurotransmitters that could cause problems. Waking up with a gradual increase in wake-promoting light makes a lot of sense."

Sunrise alarm clocks may help regulate cortisol and melatonin production, two important hormones for controlling sleep and wake cycles. The "wake-up" cycles simulate a natural sunrise and encourage the production of cortisol in the morning.

Is a sunrise alarm clock worth it?

Sunrise alarm clocks may be pricey, but we think they're worth it if you usually wake up feeling groggy in the morning or need a gentle, gradual wake-up.

Is it better to wake up to sound or light?

It depends on how you sleep. If you wear a sleep mask, you'll need an alarm with sound. If your alarm sound is no longer effective, try out a sunrise alarm clock. Most of the picks on our list combine both sound and light to "help better prepare the body to wake up more gently with less startle," Dr. Alex Dimitriu said.

Do sunrise alarm clocks work?

Dr. Kelly Waters said that light-based alarms might not work for everyone. "If someone is sleep deprived or catching up on sleep or a deep sleeper, this may not be sufficient to wake them," she said.

How does a sunrise alarm clock compare to a traditional alarm?

Sunrise alarm clocks are gentler than traditional alarms, since they use gradually increasing light to wake up a sleeper. The warm light is designed to mimic the look of dawn.

What is sleep inertia?

Sleep inertia refers to the drowsy or groggy feeling immediately after waking up. "Gradual alarms (sound or light) are excellent solutions to wake people gradually," said Dimitriu, since these softer alarms offer a gentler, more natural wake-up experience.

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