With more dark hours than light right now, it can be difficult to get out of bed in the morning—especially if you didn’t get a good night’s sleep. While an alarm clock may not make waking up early a more appealing prospect, the right alarm clock can make waking up easier and help you get out the door on time, every time. Alarm clock technology has evolved by leaps and bounds in recent years and there’s now an alarm clock for practically every type of sleeper, whether you want to be awakened by a gradual sunrise-esque light and the sound of chirping birds or you basically need a bomb to go off to rouse you from your slumber.
We’ve gathered some of the best alarm clocks out there to fit your sleep style, budget, and aesthetic, making it easy to find the one that’s right for you.
What to Consider
When looking for an alarm clock, the most important thing to consider is how deep of a sleeper you are. If you wake up easily and are just looking for a clock that will get you up on time, you shouldn’t have a hard time picking one out.
However, if you’re a heavy sleeper, you may need to invest in something a big more boisterous—look for alarms with super loud sounds, lights, or even one that runs away from you, forcing you to get up. Some alarm clocks, like the Echo Show and the Hatch, are multipurpose machines that just so happen to have alarm functionality. While these are two of the more expensive options on our list, you get a lot more out of them than a typical clock, so if you are looking for those extra features, it may be worth it to spend the extra cash.
How We Chose
To find the best options among the many alarm clocks out there, we researched the most popular models available. We looked at expert reviews from trusted sources like Wirecutter and CNET. We then took into account price, materials, size features, and alarm settings. Finally, we consulted more than 71,000 reviews, written by people who’ve bought these models on Amazon, to settle on these eight.
Key Specs
- Number of Alarms: 1
- Power Source: AA batteries
This alarm clock harkens back to the past with its vintage-inspired design and simple functionality. The alarm can only be set for one time, but it is loud and will last for 30 minutes.
Unlike many analog clocks, this one won’t make annoying ticking sounds with the second hand, and there is a button that shines a light on so you can see the time even when it’s still dark.
- Stylish design
- Loud alarm
- Can only set one alarm
Key Specs
- Number of Alarms: 1
- Power Source: Wall plug and backup 9-volt battery
If you are a heavy sleeper who has lost faith in most alarm clocks, we urge you to try this one. Not only is it ear-splittingly loud, but it even comes with a vibrating puck that you can place either under your box spring or under your pillow to quite literally shake you awake.
You can set the machine to snooze for between one and 59 minutes, and it even has a super bright red flashing light to ensure you won’t make the mistake of sleeping in.
- Extremely loud alarm and bed vibrator
- Snooze option up to an hour
- Utilitarian design
Key Specs
- Number of Alarms: 3
- Power Source: Wall plug
This wooden style clock is sleek, modern, and has a bonus of being a wireless charger, as well. It comes in four different wood tones and has adjustable brightness levels. It also displays the temperature and humidity so you can be well-prepared when you dress for the day.
You can use this clock to set up to three alarms, and you can even program it on a Monday through Friday schedule to allow for more relaxing weekends.
- Stylish design
- Charges your phone
- Pricey
- Limited features
Key Specs
- Number of Alarms: No limit
- Power Source: Wall plug
The Echo Show is not exclusively an alarm clock, but that is one of its many features. You can easily set alarms and timers, make video calls, check your calendar, and read the news on this popular device.
Since it is also a virtual assistant, you can set it to gradually turn on smart lights and wake you up with your favorite playlist. There are also multiple settings for the alarms, including one that slowly increases volume and brightness to ease you out of sleep.
- Can stream music and videos
- Lots of alarm settings
- Connects to other smart home devices
- Large footprint
- Somewhat pricey
Key Specs
- Number of Alarms: 1
- Power Source: Wall plug and backup lithium battery
This alarm is designed to gradually wake you up in the morning using light. This allows you to wake up more gently and ease out of sleep, starting your day refreshed.
If you choose, you can also set one of seven alarm sounds, or have the radio come on gradually in conjunction with one of the alarm clock’s seven different light colors.
On days you want to sleep in, simply hit the snooze button on top for an extra five minutes.
- Tons of light options
- Wakes you up gently
- Somewhat pricey
Key Specs
- Number of Alarms: 1
- Power Source: 4 lithium AAA batteries
Are you a notorious snooze hitter? This clock will force you to rise out of bed to get it to turn off. It jumps off nightstands up to three feet high and begins rolling and flipping around until you chase it down and turn off the ear-splitting alarm. If you manage to catch it and still want to go back to bed, you can only hit the snooze button once.
- Forces you to get up
- Lots of color choices
- Few alarms
- Not the cutest design
Key Specs
- Number of Alarms: 3
- Power Source: Wall plug
Not only will this alarm clock help you wake up in the morning, but it can also help put you to sleep. The lights are super customizable, getting as bright as a reading light, and helping you relax with a dim blue for a night light.
You can personalize your morning routine with sunrise reminiscent lighting, and pick from tons of different sounds for your alarm. This is also great for nighttime, as it has wind-down settings as well as soundscapes, meditations, and even bedtime stories.
- Lots of features and light options
- Soothing sounds for bedtime and morning alarms
- Very pricey
Key Specs
- Number of Alarms: 1
- Power Source: Wall plug and 4 AAA backup batteries
This clock may look modern and expensive, but it’s surprisingly affordable. It displays the time, temperature, and humidity, and has sound controls, so you can clap to turn it on. Plus, the unique triangular shape makes it tip-proof.
There are seven adjustable levels of brightness, and it comes in four different color options: black, brown, white, and bamboo (pictured here). However, it does only have one alarm setting, so it’s best for someone who wakes up without too much difficulty.
- Affordable
- Has clap-enabled controls
- Won’t wake up heavy sleepers
